A little thankful list
Every Thanksgiving, I make a 50-item list of things I'm thankful for, but every now and then, I also write down a random, small list of things I'm currently thankful for. Because sometimes, a little gratefulness exercise is necessary/helpful thing for me!
(Looking for the good is key for my contentment.)
So, here's a little list of happy/thankful things for today.
Joshua and Lisey's Relationship
Joshua and Lisey are only 19 months apart, so they've been buds from the start, and I love that their teenage selves still enjoy hanging out together.
My new floors
(Visible in the photo above!)
This project isn't quite done, because we have to finish the process of refinishing our steps/railings to match the new flooring, but still, the flooring is beautiful and way nicer than our old carpet and I am so thankful that we were able to save up enough money to do this project.
So, I'm trying to remember that instead of thinking about all the sanding/staining/polyurethaning mess/work ahead. 😉
School is nearly done!
Joshua has one math test left, I have a little bit of history to finish up with Sonia and Zoe, and we have to get our end-of-year review done. But none of that is a terribly big deal, so I practically feel like we ARE done.
I'm unreasonably excited to start decluttering my house (an annual summertime project, because I have more free time in the summer). And I'm also super excited about having more free time to do all sorts of stuff.
(Reader Laura V. commented yesterday that June is like the Friday night of summer, and she is so right. It's the best part because the whole of it is laid out before me, full of wonderful possibilities.)
I got a great Schoola order.
Schoola's stock tends to run a little bit opposite of the seasons (which makes sense, given that they're donation-based), so I was able to find a bunch of things for Sonia and Zoe to wear in the fall.
(If you're new to Schoola, you can use my referral link to get $15 off your first order. And once you sign up, you can share your referral link with friends to give them discounts as well!)
My fridge is currently organized.
Yesterday I had a fairly obligation-free day, so I spent part of my time using up food from the fridge and I also organized and arranged things better.
(Fridge organization is key in keeping me from wasting food!)
My photo tips are helping people.
Lately a bunch of readers have written to let me know that my photo posts are helping them take much better pictures, and this is making me super happy. Yay!
(You can see all the posts in the Shoot Better series right here.)
Sonia and Zoe
Though their relationship has always been a bit more turbulent than Joshua and Lisey's, they DO have a lot of fun together, and they come up with some very imaginative games to play with each other.
Alrighty. That's a pretty happy little list of things.
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Want to play along? If you're feeling like your attitude could use a little perkiness boost, leave a comment with a few thankful/happy things. It really does help!
* So thankful for my son's kind heart ~ I hope nothing ever changes him and how thoughtful and considerate he is.
* Thankful for some sunshiney days ~ we have had SO. MUCH. RAIN. lately and while I appreciate the rain, I sure do love some sunshine, too!
* Thankful that my parents are healthy and enjoying their retirement years.
* Grateful for our summer plans ~ trips to the beach, soccer tournaments, pool dates and hanging out with friends. Oh, Summer how I love you!
I know how you feel...Joshua is the same way, and I'm really thankful for that!
Today I'm thankful for:
Spare keys in the supervisor's office so I did't get in trouble for leaving mine at home. (Oops)
My garage. I can leave my work boots out there so they don't bring germs into my house.
Pandora alarm clock. If I must wake up at 430 in the morning, it is very nice to wake up to beautiful music rather than grating, loud noises.
The sky. Watching the moon set and the sun rise as I drive to work.
Ooh, a garage! Our dream house has a garage. 😉
I love your list! You are so very right about making a thankfulness list. It helps my attitude immeasurably. Number one on my last, and what the heck, I'll just make it my WHOLE list, is my close relationship with my four adult children. My family is just like yours, Kristen, in that I had a boy first and then three girls. They have always been close to each other and to us, and that hasn't changed now that they're all married, and three of the four have children. ( grandbaby #6 is due in January). They have always been my whole world, and they and the grandbabies still are. I am a business owner, so I am very busy always, but that's second and always will be.
Things I am thankful for this morning:
- Your blog and it's consistently positive tone 🙂
- June's cool mornings, which allow me to start each day with wide open windows and fresh air, ignoring the A/C for another month.
- Three overripe bananas, which will be used to make muffins, thereby making my husband very happy.
- Summer berries heaped into my plain yogurt this morning!
Love that your teenagers get along! I've loved watching my younger siblings become better friends in high school (one of my younger sisters first became closer with the brother just older than her, and then later, the brother just below her. The bonding always happens during the high school musicals.)
Random comment, Lisey makes me think of Violet from The Incredibles!
Grateful that my boys (4, 2, and newborn) are quick to forgive and forget each others faults, as well as my faults!
Ohh, she does! I never noticed that before. I'm gonna have to go tell her. 😉
Just the other day I was feeling sorry for myself that I am not able to travel to a family member's wedding this summer. But, then I reframed it all and looked at my life in a more thankful way. Thankful that I have the ability to stay the course in paying down debt while still enjoying the life I do have. It's all in perspective , really. And I am so happy I was able to turn my feelings around.
Yesterday marked my three year anniversary of being a stay at home mom. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to share these years with my little man.
I'm also grateful for the chance to do volunteer work so my work skills will be ready when I do go back to work.
I have been keeping a "one line a day" gratitude journal. Writing down one good thing that happened each day has been so uplifting.
-The beautiful sunrises that we have been having lately, which makes the early drive to work much more enjoyable.
-The lovely weather we are having. It's warm, but not hot enough that we have had to turn on the AC yet.
-I haven't had many migraines lately and it has been wonderful.
Here are some random things I am thankful for today:
~ Another day of life and good health.
~ Air Conditioning! Hot & humid is not my favorite time of the year.
~ Rain! Yesterday was the first measurable rain in over a month. And more today! Maybe our yard won't look so brown and crunchy now.
~ My wonderful husband, and our children & grandchildren.
Ooh yes, how did I leave a/c off my list?!? As a native of Houston, Texas, it should be #1, lol
I know it's whiny but as a middle child. I tended to get dumped on by everyone so I never gained the super close relationships with my siblings. Even now it's "just okay" at best. So it's not a given that siblings will always just get along.
So true, and adult children and their parents. Our relationship with a son took a nose dive after he married a difficult woman who did not want us around. It was so painful.
He now comes around a bit more with the grandchildren. But the relationship with her has not changed.
Yep-so that's a big reason I count it as a blessing when they do (though of course mine don't ALWAYS get along. Ha.)
I'm grateful for the June flowers: roses, honeysuckle, peonies, lilacs. I'm grateful that the 5-year-old lost his tooth and was so excited to find the tooth fairy money. I wish the excitement had happened a little later than 6:30 a.m., but oh well. I'm going to his pre-school graduation today (with kids #3, and #4, who I'll watch graduate from preschool in a few more years).
Your kids are beautiful.
I am thinking it is great to be reminded to be thankful NOT on Thanksgiving; thanks for that!
I am so fortunate to have successfully relocated near my grown kids and 5 granddaughters. Our tiny house is lovely and affordable, and I love being a participating grandma. I am most thankful for my husband of 45 years and for our health and lack of too much trouble making ends meet in retirement. My career in teaching is fun to look back on, and I thoroughly loved it, Now, I am glad to have free time and memories. I am thankful for the pleasure I find in reading and in cooking and for a little bit of travel.
Thanks again, Kristen, for reminding us to be grateful.
It was smart of you to get wood for your floors instead of laminate. Our laminate floors have shrunk leaving gaps at the ends, plus even a few drops of water causes the joints to swell up. They look a mess.
-I'm thankful that my husband is expecting a final job offer (we have a conditional one) for his dream job in the next few weeks.
-I'm thankful that my husband is able to work overtimes at his current job so that we can save money for the move and possibly a down payment on a home.
-I'm thankful that I'm fortunate enough to stay home with my three kids aged 2, 1, and 3 months. My two-year-old just realized that not all mommies stay home with their kids, and her fascination with that concept has given me renewed gratitude for our blessing.
-I'm thankful that two different out of state visitors and a long distance move are giving me great motivation for decluttering. Purging is simplifying my life and making our home much more organized.
Our girls are only 13 months apart,right now they play together but they fight everyday but get over it . I'm hoping that they will be close when they grow up.
Josh and Lisey just seem so grown up in that pic ( well, because they are!!)
You have a super lovely family.
I'm thankful for my son, who turns 9 today. Birthday dinner request was mozzarella sticks with ranch dressing, sliced apples, homemade Shirley Temples, and ice cream cake!
I love it! I totally would have requested that birthday dinner (had I known about mozzarella sticks) when I was nine!
I love gratitude lists! Here's mine:
I am grateful for...
* My lovinh husband and 2 amazing little girls
* To have found a new house that has everything on our wish list!!! (Moving in 6 weeks)
* My health. I am not the best at self-care, so I consider myself lucky to still be healthy (I know, I need to adress this)
* good day care for my girls
* Jobs that pay well for DH and I
* To have the privilege to be able to afford having me work part time only so I can take care of all the boring but necessary stuff in the afternoons (dishes, appointments, cleaning, etc). Better life quality
* Amazing in-laws
* my cute hamster
* etc!!!
Typing out a thankful list is a good way to get me to pause and think. I like to pause and think, so THANK YOU KRISTEN for giving me an excuse to do so!
- Number one would have to be that I am a child of the King of kings! His grace abounds daily and blessings never cease.
- After 7 months of unemployment, my husband has just been hired as VP at large bank! He's pretty awesome! That means we get to keep our cars…and house….eating……..
- All my kids have grown into fabulous adults. Good to see what God can do in spite of human parenting. Once again, grace abounds.
- This is the first year I'm able to harvest an abundance of blueberries! After 6 years of a meager amount and having to travel to the local blueberry farm, we finally get to eat and freeze some of our own! yay!
- Also from the garden are enough basil and cucumbers to feed the neighborhood. I guess my green beans are what the neighborhood bunnies are having for lunches these days. (Gotta figure out how they're getting under the fence!)
Hope you all enjoy your little thankful moment today! I sure did!
Oh so many things to be thankful for.
Although we got our wood floors installed last year I am still thankful for them.
Thankful that everyone is doing pretty well in our family at the moment and is healthy.
Incredibly thanksful for my husband who is likely the best DAD ever!
Mainly thankful that I have had enough life experience to know that there is opportunity in every adversity.
Things that I thank the Lord:
- for giving me the strength to move-on from depression when I lost my baby when she was 6 months last year of July. I had a still born she's my first child.
- an incredible husband he never left my side until now.
- realized little things can make me cheerful.
- my husband and I are moving out this September and get an apartment.
- blessing us financially but still I need to save up money.
- room for improvement.
- for your inspiring stories about frugality and a healthy walk with the Lord and as a family.
Thank you and I hope to hear from you. God bless you 🙂
Oh my gracious, Mrs. A! I am so, so very sorry for your loss. Much love to you.
Oh thank you so much, Kristen and I was actually waiting for a reply from you hahaha... And it means so much to me that you answered. God bless you with what you are doing. Every woman around the globe, loves to read your stories and so inspired. Don't quit okay. I practically read it everyday. The good Lord has bestowed this to reach out to people and you're doing a fabulous job. Cheers to you and your family. Much love back, hug your kids for me and cherish them everyday 🙂
I hope you got my reply hahaha... But thank you so much and I'm so happy you replied. God bless you 🙂
Yep, I did! All the comments come through to my blog dashboard, even comments on older posts, so I always see 'em all. I'm really, really glad my blog blesses you!
Amen! 🙂 Have a great summer 🙂 summer is over here in my country, the Philippines, rainy season is here but not so much on the main city which is Manila only in the provinces 🙂 anyway, thank you and keep on writing 🙂