Ten Things of Thankful (my first one, but it's the 100th week!)

I've been reading Christine's blog, A Fly on Our Chicken Coop Wall (doesn't that name just make you want to go see what it's all about?!), for the past few months now and have come to look forward to her Ten Things of Thankful each week.  It's an opportunity to intentionally seek out the good and to be grateful for the blessings that might be otherwise overlooked.  

I'm so happy to join in this week, and even though it's my first time linking up, it's Christine's 100th week of hosting!  So head on over and check out all that she and many other lovely bloggers have to be thankful for!  

[one] I'm so in love with the way spring just explodes so gloriously each year!  And we haven't even had that much rain and mud this year!! -- knock on wood... or laptop... or whatever.)  

[two] I already wrote about this but it's worth mentioning again... I'm so grateful for the joy and privilege of celebrating my oldest son's First Holy Communion last month.  It was a wonderful experience!

[three] I get to go to a blogger's conference next weekend!  It's a tiny, mostly informal affair, but I get to go and meet friends I've only known on-line so far.  Despite my hermit-like introverted tendencies, I'm actually looking forward to it!

[four] It's sort of hard to believe it, but I've been on the Trim Healthy Mama journey for two months now!  I'm so incredibly thankful for my husband who has been so supportive.  He's also been quite the sport when it comes to searching for heretofore unfamiliar food items in the grocery store - like liquid aminos, apple cider vinegar, and coconut oil.  Thanks for being awesome, Babe!  

[five] for warm weather and kids being kids outside...

ummm... not sure why this photo looks like this instead of portrait-style and regular proportions...
but you get the idea :)

[six] for friends who, on the not so warm days, have opened the gym at their church for  our kids to run around, be with friends, and expend energy.  Such. a. blessing.

[seven]  for time spent with good friends on a hike, and finding a spot to swing on vines... because vines were meant to be swung on :)  

[eight] for the wonderful employee at JoAnn's who didn't blow off my inquisitive children when they asked about the embroidery machine, and who spent lots of time letting us watch and teaching us how it worked... 

[nine] for my sister who works hard at healing me of the "takes self too seriously" syndrome.

sister.  me.

[ten] for reminders all around that God is good, life is blessed, and it's worth taking the time to really consider the bounty we have been give. 

Seven Quick Takes (a grouches attempt at gratitude)

I've been quite a grouch lately - mostly grumbling and scowling with occasional doses of woe-is-me.  Every day I recognize it, and realize it's so completely and utterly ridiculous, but I haven't been able to shake it.  I do in fact love my life and realize how immensely blessed we are - we have so much and we have each other and our life is glaringly (if not almost embarrassingly) free of tragedy, pain, sorrow, and difficulty. And yet, you'd be hard pressed to see it in my expression or hear it in my tone of voice.  And what you do hear and witness would leave you wondering if my role model was Oscar or Eeyore.  It'd be a tough call.  I have to be a little more intentional with my gratitude these days... so...

Here's my list of Life's Little Things to Be Grateful For - Seven Quick Takes Style (With perhaps a few too many photos... sorry.)

(1) For the delightful experience of standing outside the bathroom door listening to Ruth recite parts of The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash while she washed her hands.

(2) For not running out of gas on the highway with all the kids in the car, and thanking the patron saint of "minivans that are operating on mere fumes," whichever saint that may be.  (And yes, I was actually praying to that unnamed saint.)

(3) For my kids, who mysteriously went outside at 7:30 yesterday morning and instead of getting dirty and causing mischief first thing, created a "Nature Preserve" in our backyard.  (Their words, not mine.  It turned out to be more of a nature appreciation center.)  Grace abounds when kids do stuff like this on their own!  

 

(4) For the series Catholicism by Fr. Robert Baron, and for how good it has been to watch and discuss it with friends.  And for important Fr. Baron tidbits like this one - prayers of request/supplication are not important because they can change God's mind about something.  They are important because they change us.  They change our disposition toward God, encourage us to approach Him with childlike confidence, and serve to increase our hope and reliance on God.  And I might add, that it's the same with prayers of praise and exaltation.  God's goodness and glory are not changed or augmented by our praise, but it can sure be life-changing for us and those around us to acknowledge that goodness and to place ourselves before that glory.  

You're probably thinking, Wow, she's got some major spiritual immaturity happening there if she's just picking up on this.  Oh I admit it.  This stuff is Prayer 101, but it was something I needed to be reminded of.  

(5) For Russ.  For a husband who is a wonderful father, who helps with the laundry, and cleans the toilets, and does all my heavy lifting, and treats me to pumpkin beer, and takes the kids on long long bike rides so I can get some sewing done.  (Top secret sewing project will be revealed after this weekend when it will be delivered to my sister at her baby shower!!) And, I'm thankful to Russ too, for giving me the weekend AND a Monday off to go to the shower!  Love you, babe!

(6) For my girls.  They've already started practicing their big sister skills for when the new baby arrives...

diapering courtesy of Ruth

(7) And for my boys, whose "grown-up-ness" took me by surprise last week when they played a one on one football game... shirtless.  They're not little boys anymore.  They're taking their shirts off and using words like touchdown, punt, tackle, extra point, and touchback.  (what the heck is a touchback anyway??) They're growing up quick, I tell you!  I was grateful I got to capture some of these moments - 

Growing up, but they still know how to treat their little sisters real nice, even taking them for rides on their garage scrap seesaw...

I'm so thankful that God has given my kids siblings!  That's kind of a number (8) but it's been on my heart and felt it was important to mention in my gratitude list.  When I started counting my blessings I realized, my cup runneth over.  (Psalm 23:5)

Happy weekend!  

Thanks for hosting another 7QT, Jen.  Head over to Conversion Diary to check out more!