Just thankful

I'm sitting here with a glass of wine, Billie Holiday on Pandora, a breeze dancing through the window, the ceiling fan humming a tune of its own. 

Scott is doing dishes and putting kids to bed.

So thankful. 

This week, life feels good. Waking up before 6 am doesn't feel difficult. That's because the sun has been greeting me every morning and I tell you truly - it's like heaven. Scott is always reminding me that if we didn't have the winters, we would never fully appreciate the summers. Perhaps that's true, but I think I could appreciate the summers a little longer, you know what I mean? The smell of fresh air alone is changing my world right now.

And can I just say that having Scott home more this week is utterly fantastic?! This summer will be the first time in 16 years that he will not be teaching summer school (which, by the way, always started the Monday after regular school let out ... what?!). He will have a real break, the kids will have real Dad-time for three straight months.

So very thankful.

And I guess that sums up all I have to say tonight. Because I want to rest in being-in-the-moment. There are plenty of times when it seems like I can't "just be" - I've got too much on my plate not to be thinking about the next plan. But to "just be" ... oh, this also feels just like heaven.

I was once challenged to keep a journal of all the things I was thankful for each day. I know this seems easy since I enjoy writing. But I don't enjoy an unchanging routine, and I was sure I wouldn't make it longer than 2 weeks.

But I did. I made it 458 days. And when you take 2 minutes at the end of every night to write what you appreciated that day, it made you live in the moment and embrace even the crappy stuff. It taught me to overcome, to just love the small gifts we have received.

Maybe today, I will start again - how about a pictorial this time?

This past week, I've been grateful for:

flowers! they are back! and now, they are properly placed in my yard, where
I can enjoy thoroughly enjoy them. paradise.

it's here! camping season is here! you better believe I busted out the
big lamp (which would have been handy in last night's power outage
if I had enough batteries ...)

bourbon pecan chicken. i don't want to discuss the amount of butter in
this beauty. needless to say, i was loving it on monday after my run.

a date with the two main men of my life. lucky gal!

this quote inspires me to do, do, do - even if I am nervous about what
someone might say. "the credit belongs to the man who is actually
in the arena ..." i love the part about daring greatly. what amazing words.

I hope your week leaves you feeling grateful for all you have. Savor each moment!