~Being Thankful~

Every day from now, November 1st, until Thanksgiving I want to list something I am thankful for. Will you join me? There is no better time to think about it as we head towards Thanksgiving so lets do it together.

I will add to my list each day and keep it at as the top post on the blog so it will be easy to find if you are interested.  Leave me a comment with your blog address if you are going to do it and I would love to follow along with you too! (If you don't have a blog and want to share, just drop a comment every day)  :)

My 2010 List:

* I am thankful for holidays that remind me to think of all the wonderful things in my life.

* I am thankful for my blog that offers me a place to share my thoughts and the everyday moments of my life  with my family, friends and wonderful people I've met through it.

* I am thankful for my home.  It keeps me warm on windy, snowy nights. It houses my family and there I am surrounded by people who love me.

*I am thankful for my Mom and Dad, both of whom not only love and protect me as much today as the day I was born but who are two of my closest friends. I would be lost with them and there is never a day I don't thank God they are mine!

*Today I am thankful for my brothers and my sister. They are fun loving kids who never cease to make me smile. They are wonderful role models for my kids. They keep me young and make me so very proud!

*I am thankful that I live in the state of Alaska. I grew up in very busy southern states and I am so grateful for the less populated, small town appeal Alaska offers. I can't imagine any other place I would have rather raised my children!

*I am thankful for the men and women of the armed forces. Our family has a long history of men who've served including my cousin who is currently serving in Afghanistan. If it were not for the men and women of our military we would not live as we do. I am thankful for all of them and all that they and their families give so I may have the freedoms I have!

*I am thankful for Grandparents and Great-Grandparents. They are everything we often can't be as parents! They are LOVE, they are attention, they are a wealth of spoiling, they are an ear they are a distraction to a parent! :) And all too often they are gone from us way too fast.  I am grateful that I have a Grandparent who is still with me and that my girls have an abundance of the most wonderful Grandparents and Great-Grandparents ever!

*I am thankful for Aunts and Uncles. In our family we have a slew of amazing, quirky, fun and fabulous aunts who love and spoil us all the time! We have many Uncles and they are equally as wonderful! They all love us, encourage us and are all-around great people to Me, Scott and especially to my girls!  Each one of them are special to all of us and we love them very much!

 

*I am thankful for modern medicine.  Including things that will take my 3-day headache away!


*I am thankful for kind people. Kindness seems to find me just when I need it most and comes from the most unexpected places. 


*I am thankful for all the activities my kids participate in. Namely, cheer, soccer, band, choir, basketball, and I am sure thee are more. It keeps them busy and out of trouble. It keeps me busy and exhausted enough that I never have trouble falling asleep. :) Through all these things we stay close as a family and have so much fun in the process.


*I am thankful for sleep. (For me and my babies) Especially on days I am SO tired!


*I am thankful for friends. Friends who are there when I need them, friends who let me vent, friends who play games and take pictures with me, friends who are just as much family as blood relatives, friends who love me just the way I am, friends who mean the world to me and with whom I'd be lost without!


*Today I am thankful for airplanes and tomorrows. The planes will bring my husband, my Dad, step-mom, brother and sister home to us tomorrow1 It's gonna be a great day!


*I am thankful my husband has work and thankful that it always brings him back home.


*I am thankful for my babies! All 3 of my daughters light my life and make my world go 'round. They are kind, accepting and empathetic.  They are fun-loving, motivated, spontaneous, strong, confident and self-motivated kids.  They are everything I've taught and raised them to be and so much better than I am.  They make me proud every day just being exactly who they are. 


*I am thankful for the school my children attend and the opportunities I have to share the experiences they have there, with them.  I am grateful I get to volunteer and share the things I love to do with them and their friends that attend school with them.  It's a wonderful place and perfect for their first years of the long journey through their education.


*I am thankful for the professionals and businesses in out community. Our policeman and firemen are awesome. I know many wonderful and dedicated guys there. We have several amazing doctors and nurses in the area. There are incredibly supportive and giving businesses in this town. We are incredibly fortunate to have so many and I am grateful for each of them.


*I am thankful for the little surprises and moments in my life that are more important than the grandest of events. Notes in my inbox, special messages from a freind, a pick-me-up token of affection, a kiss, a hug, a loving moment. Those things mean so much to me and I am so grateful to know people who think of me so often!

*I am thankful for the chats I am able to have with my children. We have worked hard to keep open lines of communication between us. I've often shared with them the importance of communicating with each other and have prayed many days that what we share now will continue through their adult lives. I am grateful that they are currently willing to talk to me and will still ask for advice or an ear to vent to.

*I am thankful that I am loved.

*I am thankful for new experiences like... cooking a turkey.  I may not be as thankful tomorrow so I will mention it now. :)

 *I am thankful for my husband. We just work together, even when we don't.  We started as friends and we still are.  I can't imagine life without him and see my future with only him!  I love him with all my heart and am so grateful we were brought together so many years ago!


*I am thankful for my God, for my creation, for this wonderful life I have and for all the gifts in it!


Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

 My Mom is participating in this with me. She started a little, later than I did (and maybe she will catch up) so she doesn't have as many

 I want to share the things she is grateful for too to compare what we value most. (I imagine it will be a closely related list) I also would like my girls to have it to reflect back on some day.

Grandma's Thankful list:

*I am grateful for my job because in today’s economy it has become increasingly difficult for  many to find work.

*I am thankful that I can get out of bed in the morning and be a productive member of society.

*I am thankful for my only sister and my two brothers.  Without them I would not be who I am today. We grew up together, fought together and still loved each other unconditionally.  I attribute that to my mother’s determination to keep us together, even when the going was extremely tough.

*I am thankful for my grandchildren who make me smile when I think of them. I only wish I lived closer so I could spend more time experiencing their crazy life!


*Today I am thankful that it's Friday and the work-week has come to an end.

"A" Little Gratefulness

I hope you will consider joining me in this gratefulness challenge. You can read more about it HERE.

1-16-2010
"J"

Joy- I think about JOY a lot. I look for it. I appreciate it. I wish for it for others. I am very grateful for it.

Justice- Not that this has affected me much but I am grateful I live in a country where most often it prevails. At some point in time, I believe we will all need it and I am so glad it exists here for all of us.

Jinx- I know it odd to be thankful for something that doesn't even exist but I figure it keeps me grateful. Scott really believes one can jinx themselves. Because of this, I suppose I am often reminded to take nothing for granted!

"A" Little Gratefulness

I hope you will consider joining me in this gratefulness challenge. You can read more about it here.

Here goes it for this week:

"I"
Independence- You get this right? To live in a free country is amazing. There are so many countries in which one can not feel free to simply BE. I am grateful that here in the USA, we can. I am a woman, I am grateful that I can be a woman in my right. I don't have to be married, I don't have to follow someone else's rules. I can make choices, all on my own. Man, am I ever thankful for that!


Internet- The internet has been a beautiful thing for me. It keeps me close to my family even though we are thousands of miles away. I have found friends I haven't had the chance to talk to in years. I have made friends I might never have known. I am a blessed blogger. :)

Icicles- I struggled with "I". And I wouldn't have probably ever said I was grateful for Icicles (or ice) as it may be but this year I have learned some really fun and lovely things to do with it, so icicles (ice) it is! :)

"A" Little Gratefulness

I hope you will consider joining me in this gratefulness challenge. You can read more about it here.


Here goes it for this week:

"H"

holidays- I guess "H" just came at the right time didn't it. No really, I would hope that I'd remember to be thankful for holidays year 'round, because I truly love them. Inevitably it brings most folks together, whether it be with family or friends and I love that. I am a big fan of being of having everyone together and during the holidays we seem to do that more often. I am also grateful that I live in a place where I can celebrate my beliefs without ridicule. I am ever so grateful for that!

health- I try to remember everyday to be grateful for my health and I really try not to take it for granted. My family is well, I am well, my friends are well. And I hope that it remains so.

happiness- The wonderfulness that comes with being happy...I am grateful that I have the ability to let go of things weighing me down and just be happy. Laughter is immensely freeing, a smile uplifting. I am so glad I am happy and that my family is as well. It just makes our world a better place. :)

"A" Little Gratefulness

I hope you will consider joining me in this gratefulness challenge. You can read more about it here.

*I've been thinking about "G" a lot this past week. Here is what I thought of.


Here goes it for this week:

"G"

generations- I could have more simply said Grandparents however, there are great-Grandparents too and truthfully I like generations better. I like the history. I like having a big family and the stories that come with them, from the youngest to the oldest. I treasure every little move the babies make to every thought that the oldest of our family shares with me.
I am grateful for what each generation provides to the make up of my family and I am grateful to have experienced many generations in our family at one time. Currently I have 2 nieces under a year old and a Grandma who just turned 80. There are 4 generations in my family; now 3 in Scott's. It's pretty amazing to thing there are almost 80 years between the ones I love the most, don't you think?

girly things- (I know it's stretching it but I told you, I struggled with "g"). I am very fortunate that my girls are very balanced kids. They all have their moments of being athletic, princess-y and even kooky. But at the end of the day, I really enjoy the 'girl' in them. The dressing up, the dreams of fairytale outcomes, the make-up, the clothes and the special girly secrets between a Mom and her girls. Yep, we're heading there and I am going to enjoy the ride.

GOD- The creator of all living things. Look around you, see it all, feel it all, sense it all. How could you not be grateful for the reason you are you? Be grateful! ENOUGH SAID!

"A" LittleGratefulness

I hope you will consider joining me in this gratefulness challenge. You can read more about it here.

*I missed last week. I have had so many things going on but it weighed on my mind all week as I tried to find the time to write my list. I hope you will one day soon give this a try too. It is good for your heart and soul! :)


Here goes it for this week:

"F"

friends- My niece was questioning friendship the other day and one piece of advice she received was -true friendships are often hard to come by- treasure them when they do! I believe that with all my heart. I have a few incredibly close friends. I would be lost with out them and I do my best to remember just how important they are, each and every day.

family- This is likely on everyone's list. And it's obvious but I think as I get older, I certainly acknowledge how grateful I am for them more. As it should be. I wish more of my family lived nearby. I am so grateful for the uniqueness of my family. Each and everyone of them is special to me and important in my life.

flip flops- Now before you laugh...I broke my favorite pair of flip flops today. They were really good flip flops and I loved them. I bought them 14 years ago when I got married in Florida and they were the best! (In Alaska, you don't really wear them out. :) I am so grateful I was able to keep them so long and I'm afraid I'll never find a pair I love as much; but I'll be looking!

"A" Little Gratefulness ~E~

*I'd like to say, sometimes this list is hard. I am enjoying it but it is amazing how
hard it is to put ideas to some of the letters. Regardless, here are my thoughts
for "E"

I hope you will consider joining me in this gratefulness challenge. You can read more about it here.

Here goes it for this week:

"E"

education- I like to learn. And so do my kids. I am grateful there are many
opportunities for us to do so. I am also grateful for the choices I have when it
comes to choosing how and where my girls will be educated. I sincerely feel we
have made a great decision for them so far and can only hope our choices
continue to encourage their desire to learn and their quest for knowledge.

energy- I mean the personal desire to get off my back side and make the most
of my life. I am certain energy wains as one ages but I am fortunate that I don't
feel mine has. I still want to DO things and I stay very busy; without the energy
to do so, I'm afraid life would be pretty dull.

earth- Cassi and I both thought of this. I suppose it is a pretty great place. And
of course, without it, we'd have no place to exist so I suppose it certainly
deserves a spot on the list.

*Other notable mentions from Cassi-
elephants~because they are cute and eggs~because they fill her belly. :)

"A" Little Gratefulness ~D~

I hope you will consider joining me in this gratefulness challenge. You can read more about it here.

Here goes it for this week:

"D"

dad- There were many years that I did not have the opportunity to live near my Dad. (My Mom put an awful lot of effort to make sure we were close at heart though.) When he moved to Alaska, I came to visit and sort of knew I'd return someday. And I did. And I am grateful for the time we have had to live near each other. He will always be my Dad and I will always love him but I am equally as grateful that I can honestly say he is one of my closest friends.

dandelions- I feel a bit like my blogger friend who used "anchovies" for "A". She said something like...there probably aren't very many people thankful for anchovies so I will share a little gratitude.

I am guessing there are many people who despise dandelions for the weed they are. I however have learned this past summer the many gifts of the dandelion and so I am very grateful for the weed that it is. Love them!

dinner- This was Cor's suggestion when I asked her on the way to school this morning. I laughed at first but after thinking about it, I think dinner is a pretty important thing on my list of gratefulness.

There are so many people in the world who don't have enough to eat. Possibly even people I know. We are fortunate that our family doesn't have to go without. And not only that, but we most often share dinner time. We talk about the favorite part of our day and we are together. And that is a blessing I hope I never forget to be thankful for.

"A" Little Gratefulness ~C~

I hope you will consider joining me in this gratefulness challenge. You can read more about it here.

Here goes it for this week:

"C"

cori, cassi, cali- I know it goes with out saying but I am so grateful God gave them to me. That I was trusted to bring them into the world and guide them while we spend our lives together. For this, I am eternally grateful.

children- Not just my own. I love all children and I'm very thankful that my life has often been surrounded by their innocence and joy. How very dull my life would be without the smiles and laughter of children. On a daily basis, some of the most special parts of my day are because of a child.

crushes- I think of this now because two of my girls are just starting to have crushes on boys, on adults they know, on people who are wonderful. It may seem unimportant but, again what I wanted by making this list was to acknowledge things in my life or things that have happened in my life that I'm grateful for that may not always be remembered. Do you remember back in your youth when you first realized you really liked someone but couldn't quite explain why. One might call it love, but I know what love feels like and they are different. I see what is happening with my girls and I remember. And I am grateful to have experienced that many times in my life and I'm grateful they are too. Imagine missing out on that feeling. Aren't you grateful for your crushes too? :)

**Since I am trying to do this to bring awareness to things I am grateful for that may not be obvious I combined my girls into one group. Also, there may be times when one would assume I'd mention more obvious answers for a letter. I will include them somewhere in my list, not to worry. About my girls though, I didn't want them to someday read this list, especially at a time where they may not have the wisdom to understand it all, and think I left them off, so even though it's obvious, here they are! :)

"A" Little Gratefulness ~B~

I hope you will consider joining me in this gratefulness challenge. You can read more about it here.

Here goes it for this week:

B

beach- When I am at the beach I am pretty sure I am the closest I can get to heaven without leaving this earth. I was born in Florida. My early childhood was spent on or near the beach regularly. I moved back to Florida in my early adulthood and still spend quite a bit of time at the beach. Now, in Alaska the beach is different than it was in my youth but my love for it hasn't changed at all. It is a love I share with all 3 of my girls and my husband too. When a family can share a passion as simple as sand and water and rejoice in it together, certainly that's got to be counted as one of life's blessings and one would be grateful, no?

books- I've always been an avid reader. And it's my goal to someday write my own book, we'll see. Either way, I can't imagine life without the written word.

birthdays- Besides the obvious, which is- without the next one, I might not make it through writing this entire list. :)
We've got different traditions in our family when it comes to birthdays and to be perfectly honest, they aren't always easy. But, I would not give them up for love or money. The delight I see when my girls wake up on the morning of their birthdays is worth it all!

Also, we tend to gather large in honor of birthdays here. And as I get older and less bothered by the unimportant annoyances in my life, I realize just what a gift it is to be surrounded by people I love and who love me. Because birthdays bring those people to me and me to them, it is a definite must on my list.

And Uncle Mark's list goes like this:

I am grateful to finally be going Back to work.

I am grateful to Belong to this family.

I am grateful that I Believe in Christ as my Lord and Savior.

Now on to the letter "C".

"A" Little Gratefulness

I saw a post over at The Price's blog and I thought it was the most wonderful idea.

I wish I could get my family to participate. *hint-hint*. Wouldn't it be a great gift to share sitting around the Christmas tree?

Anyway, the idea is to go through the alphabet and list 3 things I'm grateful for with each letter. Or at least that is the way I am going to do it. I've seen it done many ways but I am hoping this way works best for me.

I will post it on Tuesday's (I hope) from now on. If any one of you in my family (my whole family) want to tell me yours, I will post it here. However if you'd like to give me a gift for Christmas, all of you can do this until then, writing the answers down and compiling them in one book. I would love that. :) Please include my children. I'd love to hear their answers too!



So here goes:

A

art- I adore painting with my girls, and theater and so many mediums. I believe art is so much a part of who they are and who I am. I may not be the best artist but I love trying.

air- Don't laugh. Have you ever really smelled fresh air? Every time I come home from being out of state, it's the first thing I smell. I remember the smell from the first day I ever stepped foot on the ground in this state, like it was yesterday. The air smelled so sweet. And since I need it to survive, I think fresh air is a darn good thing to be grateful for. :)

alaska- There is truly no other place I could imagine raising my girls. I visited here when I was only 16. I loved it then. I came back to see my brother graduate and wanted to move here. When I finally met my future husband (an avid hunter) we visited again and somehow we just knew this is where we should be. Whether or not I actually always live here; I know I became the woman (girl-at-heart) I am right here in the Last Frontier and I will forever be grateful for that!

Think about it. What things are you grateful for that begin with the letter 'A'?

Here are Uncle Mark's contributions. I am so glad he is doing this along with me. :) And what a fine list it is!

I am so grateful for my daughter Allison "Allie" she is my first born and I learned the importance of being a father because of her. She has a smile that lights up an arena much less a room. She hated backing down from a challenge no matter how fearful she was. She has given me my first grandchild, "London". Talk about a beautiful child she has the most electric blue eyes and melts me with her smile. ( I will be using her for an "L" word)

I am also so very grateful for my youngest daughter "Amy". She is more beautiful than I could ever imagine any of my children being, however she is much more than a pretty face. She could take over the world should she choose to. She could do anything she put her mind to.

Last but certainly not least I am grateful for "All" that has happened to me. The good and the bad as it has sculpted, honed and tempered me to become what I am. I have hopefully appreciated the good and learned from the bad and have grown from it "All".