Thankfulness

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted, we had an incredibly busy week or so! I hope everyone reading this had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We spent the day with great friends, hit the Black Friday sales, and completed the tiling of our kitchen and dining room...Hurray! Way more time on my achy knees than I would have liked but I am thrilled with the outcome. Dominick and I are not necessarily the Home Improvement Guru's. We have done a few projects over the years, mainly limited to painting and electrical work, some landscaping...but let's just say that it is a good thing that I am the mommy to boys. I am not Martha Stewart, I can't put clothes together unless they have Garanimals tags (if you know that brand then it shows your age!), and am the least likely to ever have my home featured in Better Homes and Gardens. I am impaired in the areas in which most women are often elevated...I am a very boring and basic cook, and I can't decorate or accessorize to save my life. I have the imagination of a gnat. I am, however, gifted in other areas (yea, right!) such as...um....well....I can do a "Taco Tongue" where you roll your tongue like a taco, and let's see...I am quite skilled at boiling over ANYTHING that I cook on the stove (Yes mom, I still cook everything on "Flame Broil"!). I also am a World Champion Diet Coke Drinker. That's it, all my gifts in a nutshell.

While I was on my hands and knees up to my elbows in grout and mortar this weekend, I found my mind wandering to an article I read recently that really stuck in my head. In it, the author was trying to get the point across about our lack of thankfulness for the small things in life and he said something like "What if God decided to take away, one thing at a time, all the things that you had never said "thank you" for? What would you have left in your life?". Hmmm...interesting to think about, isn't it? What if you woke up one morning and God took away your underwear, the sunrise, or any number of other things you had taken for granted?

So, in the spirit of the Thanksgiving Season, even if a bit delayed, below is my list of the little things in life I am grateful for. It goes without saying, of course, that certain big things like family and health, food and shelter top the list, but this is a list of the little things that make my life so much happier, not necessarily in the order of importance:

1) Melting snow on my tongue
2) "Butt Warmer" seats in my mini van (Are you seeing a theme here? After 1 foot of snow yesterday, it isn't a surprise!)
3) The internet and how it has helped me make many "virtual" friends from around the world
4) My children smelling like baby lotion and snuggled in "footsie" PJ's
5) A fire in our woodstove
6) Macaroni and cheese
7) Our generic "Sleep Number" style bed, best investment we EVER made!
8) The view from my own backyard at sunrise - it is Colorado and it is awesome
9) Swing-Away hand operated can openers
10) Dominick wearing English Leather cologne
11) Music from Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, the Eagles and Journey
12) Friends far and near who are dear to my heart - Friends who call you up to say they are worried about your drive today and wanted to tell you to be careful, friends who take your kids at a moments notice and aren't annoyed by them but actually love them, friends who despite distance still care enough to stay in touch and remain connected, friends who "get it" in ways others don't, friends who give great hugs, friends to laugh and cry with.
13) Singing in the choir, reminding me how much I loved making music when I was in school, even if I am not very good at it! Everyone should do something they love, even if talent isn't evident.
14) Laura Ingalls Wilder
15) Contact lenses
16) Living in the country and having neighbors who check on us
17) God's voice in my life
18) SAS shoes
19) Ice cold Diet Coke - the pop of the can, the sound of the fizz...ok, I admit I am an addict!
20) A flushable toilet
21) My Land's End jacket
22) Infertility
23) A broken in baseball glove
24) Relationships that didn't last, for they still added enormously to my life
25) Any books that are handy, regardless of subject

So those are a few of the little things I am thankful for. What about you?