November, Month of Thanks

Thanksgiving. Let's do this!

Thanksgiving is possibly my favorite holiday! It’s all about family, food and giving thanks! I’ve loved seeing so many friends share what they’re thankful for each day on Facebook, but I didn’t want to personally bombard folks with my daily notes of thankfulness. It’s a great exercise though and I’ve kept note of what I’m most grateful for throughout the month. Below is my list of thanks by day. J

As my father in law shared in his Thanksgiving sermon, detailing the nitty gritty for which we’re grateful, versus only giving thanks for the big things in life, is really humbling and enables to more fully see how fully God cares for us.

Month of Gratitude

1.     Girlfriends and a much-need night out!
2.     Lil’ O! He’s so much fun!
3.     Good wine and great friends who joyfully babysit Lil’ O and let us escape for a couple hours.
4.     Husby and that he takes great care of our son and lets me sneak out for personal errands.
5.     That my friends and family on East Coast are safe despite the effects of Storm Sandy.
6.     Privilege of voting and knowing final outcome is all part of God’s plan.
7.     Progress on food truck disaster relief project and a relatively calm day at work.
8.     Night out with Ms. E plotting baby shower awesomeness for Lulu.
9.     Hot Mama! I fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans!
10.  Tag teaming with Husby. We’re a great team!
11.  Our veterans and a nap allowing me to be extra productive.
12.  Amazing, locally grown oranges – they’re ugly but the best tasting oranges I’ve ever had!
13.  An upcoming vacation.
14.  Helping hands in planning Lulu’s baby shower.
15.  G’ma coming to the rescue and playing with sick Lil’ O while I stayed home with him, but had to work.
16.  Traveling to Ohio! Thanks for relatively smooth travel with Lil’ O.
17.  Lil’ O is such a trooper! He’s easily adjusting to ET zone and enjoying exploring a new place.
18.  Grateful for a down day connecting with family and letting Lil’ O catch up on sleep.
19.  Opportunity to see friends in Cincinnati.
20.  An afternoon out with the ladies of the fam and seeing my beautiful sister-in-law try on wedding dresses.
21.  Vacation! Time to play with Lil’ O and to reconnect with family. Plus, awesome hand-me-downs for Lil' O!
22.  Thanksgiving service and feast with family galore.
23.  Relatively smooth travels home and minimal fuss by Lil’ O. He’s becoming such a good traveler!
24.  Lazy Saturday with my guys and a visit with G’ma and G’pa for Thanksgiving leftovers and pie.
25.  Productive day including ordering and wrapping baby gifts to welcome new bundles of joy.
26.  Job in a creative field and the occasional indulgences it affords us.
27.  Fun night out seeing a movie and having dinner with a good gal pal.
28.  Healthy baby boy! Lil’ O had a smooth 9-month check-up and is in the 95^th and 99^th  percent for weight and height.
29.  Starbucks coffee, holiday ginger bread and Christmas carols!
30.  Discovery of a new blog, The Shine Project and the encouragement it gives. A new writing project at work and opportunities overall.



My guys chilling on vacation.



How refreshing! An exercise in positivity can really help lift up and spread joy. And, with December starting tomorrow, I’ll be getting into the Christmas spirit by singing carols, sleuthing for that perfect gift for the folks on my list, drinking hot cocoa, and continuing to reflect on the small and big things that have made this year so fulfilling.