i'm thankful...it wasn't bullying, $30 paper coterie

 

1. it wasn't an act of bullying

2. it was just a low fever, finally broke; likely from teething.
3. the older kids were at school so i could stay frozen in position when she fell asleep on my collar.

4. it was only the bumper. no one was hurt. he came home unscathed. again.
5. the money is there for necessary repairs
6. urgent care. w/no wait & discount co-pays for employees families.
7. Free $30 to spend at Paper Coterie right on time for my annual photo book. code: 'FREETHIRTY'
8. girly pink iPhone Defender Case is worth the bulk. & $20 cheaper here
9. inspiration to eat what remains in the pantry/fridge/freezer
10. all of the family can come to carter's party!
11. free valentines printable
12. teachers who email.
13. teachers who take the time to write such kind things.
14. i didn't eat my way through this wild week
15. "Be joyful because you have hope. Patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times." Rom 12:12 (NCV)

guess that sums up my legacy

At three and a half she has big plans for her life.

Well, I guess that pretty much sums of my legacy!

*photo by s.j.bridgeman photography

I'm thankful for...DC with kids

I'm thankful for... 
1. A lovely calendar with lines for memory-recording on back of each month
(60% off with CALENDAR2012)

2. Living close enough to DC to spend the weekend there spontaneously

3. Free admission to Smithsonian Museums. Natural History (Elephant photo below) our family's favorite for the dinosaurs, mammals, ocean, & bones exhibits

4. Free admission to National Zoo. Tiger growling, super close up with apes & zebras.

5. Finding a Starbucks across the street for escape from cold & kids to eat Lunchables & get our coffee fix.

6. Embassy Suites on 22nd more than met our needs/expectations. (cooked-to-order, plentiful breakfast, nightly open bar & snacks, fish-feeding in the lobby pond all included in room rate. 2 room suite w/2 queen beds & a door separating sleeping kids from grown-ups awake in the living room. Also appreciated: fridge/microwave in room & indoor pool/hot tub.

7. Convenient hotel location. Starbucks & Walgreens at corner. Whole Foods & Foggy Bottom Metro Stop just a couple blocks' walk. 

8. Free street parking space. ($35/night savings)

9. Only going the wrong way once.
10. Always finding a working elevator
11. Baby Bjorn-loving baby
12. Lilah jumping in & swimming under water to the edge. again. again. again.
13. She didn't push hard enough for Carter to fall onto the subway tracks
14. Finding grace enough to forgive & not lose it with her for such a mean & scary outburst
15. BOB stroller. World of a difference on bumpy city streets.
16. Wegmans on the way. Yum!
17. Kindergartener writing sentences! missing several vowels & little to no space between words, but writing his own stories to describe his illustrations.
18. Visit from Heather & her kids. And now every salad is inadequate without caramelized onions & goat cheese crumbles.
19. New running sneakers with ample heel cushion & arch support. Found on sale @local outlets.
20. Laughing out loud when Julie explained what we want from our kids is to "come home from school singing Jesus Loves Me not Single Ladies". Just so perfect. So funny. But perfectly put.
21. Big sister's LOVE & attention for baby girl. Even if that means she can be found in the crib, changing her diaper if I'm not quick enough.

22. Remembering to bake with Lilah like I did with Carter when he was 3 & at home with me all day. 2-ingredient, low-fat, egg-free cupcake recipe.

23. Faith-restoring chat with my sister-in-law! I just love you & thank God for you, Tara! 

Exactly what I needed: thinking about my kids choosing to believe in Christ, and accept Him as their Savior:

24."Now God has us where he wants us...Saving is all his idea, and all his work.  
All we do is trust him enough to let him do it.
It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing." Eph 2:8 (The Message) 

*Photos taken with iPhone4S, Edited in Instagram App (free). Collages created & uploaded with Frametastic app (free)

Skipping Golden Globes for Sports Center

In the words of Elphaba:
"Something has changed within me, something is not the same."

My feet are blistered & legs are aching from a weekend of walking around DC (which I consider a souvenir; worth every bit)
but nothing was going keep me from running today. (can hardly believe it, but it's true)
I'm determined to get this running thing down.
So,
I was running on the treadmill this morning and flipped past the Golden Globes red carpet coverage (what??!!)
to watch Sports Center (not kidding)
I was so engrossed in this conversation about Tim Tebow between Skip & some other guys...whom I don't remember because I agreed with Skip and felt the guy fighting with him seemed irrational &...frankly, jealous.
I stayed on the treadmill 30 minutes after I finished running just keeping a 3.5 pace to watch it and the coverage of Saturdays big SanFran win. That last 40 seconds took me right back to the Red Raiders' stadium watching Harrell/Crabtree pull off that incredible play to beat UT in 2008.

Even Saturday night in the hotel room, Dan gave up & went to sleep at half time & I stayed awake holding onto hope for a Bronco comeback. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Brady's pass accuracy & marveling at how long he had in the pocket in comparison.
What has happened to me? 


For the record, I ran farther & faster than I have since I started (last week). This time I turned off the TV & turned up the music so loud I had to check a few times to be sure I wasn't singing out loud.

Warm Up/Fast Walk: Forget You (Glee Cast feat. Gwyneth Paltrow)

Run: Singing in the Rain/Umbrella (Glee Cast feat. Gwyneth Paltrow)

Run: Shake that Thing (Gwyneth Paltrow, Country Strong Soundtrack)

*I did this one twice.

Fast Walk: Telephone (Glee Cast version)

Run: Bad Romance (Glee Cast version)

Run: Raise Your Glass (Glee Cast version)

Walk/Cool Down: Empire State of Mind (Glee Cast version)

During Singing in the Rain/Umbrella I was imagining the gym bursting into a choreographed musical number, every section having a part. One part by those on the dumbells, another the ab workers, the bench-pressers, the leg machines, the climactic parts by the runners/climbers...it was quite an exciting daydream & before I knew it the song was over.
Some things never change.
ps: Jessica Alba (above) was my favorite, from the brief review I saw. And she just gave birth to baby #2 in August!

Friday Finds...free chevron iPhone wallpaper

Good golly, this may be a recurring quest with me each year for ever and ever.
To be present.

This is the time of my life. I know it.
This is the time that I'll look back on one day with fondness and longing.
The generations before me say it often: "You'll miss these days", "They grow up so fast", "Hard, it is. But I miss it."
I happened upon this free chevron iPhone background, the PERFECT wallpaper to keep me accountable to this end on the device that makes it too easy to get lost elsewhere

(other colors & tutorial for installing it here)

thankful for...

 

1. grocer employee handing me a bouquet of flowers. free of charge. just because.

2. snuggled in the chair, Carter reading me a book. 

3. taking them all in & noting: "if i could freeze my kids just as they are..no more growing"

4. kind & encouraging comments on blog posts

5. Lilah, calling from the other room where she's playing with play-dough

"mom? can i have another chair for my friends Tangled (aka: Rapunzel) & Flynn Rider?"

6. tinted mentha lip gloss. c.o.bigelow

7. the way her warm, round head fits in the crook of my neck and feels heavier as she falls asleep 

8. running longer, faster. note: still boring as ever.

9. diaper delivery arrives in time

10. SJPs movie was just as good rented at Redbox as I remembered from the theater. (though for a movie set primarily in Boston, why did no one have an accent?)

11. text communication with faraway friends 

12. nice enough weather for the trampoline in jan

13. shopping for hats & gloves to donate with my compassionate son

14. tasty Pinterest recipe finds (& a clutter-free place to store them all)

15. power toothbrush. addicting silky clean teeth. thanks, mom 

16. kid-free time at Panera to post what I'm thankful for! thanks, generous husband.

love so strong its scaring me sleepless

confession: i've been waking up with nightmares.
mostly, they involve these three. typically the theme is: i am responsible for their protection & i fail.

a home-intruder. that's the most common.i'm distracted by one & the other is in the middle of the street-bring lights, screeching tires, shrieking onlookers...
school bus accident.
lost at a theme park. (well, this actually happened this summer. we got him back.)
helping a stranger find their dog-kidnapped.
running into the street to get our dog-crushed by a car.

then there's the dream where i get the call that my husband was in an accident.
and the dream that i get a life-threatening diagnosis.

most of these dreams have been quite vivid. they play out so detailed & real life-like. you know those dreams.
i wake up in a panic. frozen in fear. sure the garage door was left open or gate left unlocked.
i have quite an imagination, which for the most part serves me well.
this is a certain downside. wild & specific nightmares.

two of my kids are out of my care regularly for the first time this year, going to school.
so much more is out of my control and even when they are with me, my attention is spread more thinly than ever.
the letting go comes in smaller, unforeseen ways. it is much harder than i expected.
my faith is being tested in a whole new way.
do i really believe what i say i believe:

"I will not be afraid, because the Lord is with me. 

People can't do anything to me.The Lord is with me to help me...

It is better to trust the Lord than to trust people." Ps 118:6-8 (NCV)

on the first day of kindergarten, we dropped him off at school with strangers.
STRANGERS.
they are sitting next to him in class, embodying homes i've never visited, much less approved.
he's taking information from a teacher we requested because of her high recommendations but we are pretty sure she doesn't share our faith. we are sure we made the right choice, but it was new territory for us all (this picture says it all).

letting go comes in small ways like school lunch. he enthusiastically described the lunch line, where they "get their own tray and choose their own food like real grown-ups", so i loaded money onto his account & we choose a few days from the lunch menu each week. that wasn't so bad. actually, it adds novelty to the packed lunch.

letting go was much harder when he begged us to take the bus. "that's where you make friends, mom. you make them on the bus and then you have them you sit and eat lunch." our house is the first stop after leaving the school, so we signed up for him to ride the bus home each day.
that week i must have heard three reports on bus accidents & one kidnapping of a child walking home from school.  just recently he told us his bus driver plays "music. music..like that grown up word that's not for kids. can i say it? sexy. sexy music."
um. yeah. i could have retracted the whole bus riding thing & frankly the public school thing right then & there. not joking. i was online revisiting private Christian schools that evening. 

on that note: the public school vs private, Christian school adds certain depth to this fear that has me up at night. we chose public for good reasons. not forever, for certain but for now, it was our choice for him. we have personal experience with both; positive & negative. (a WHOLE other post or posts!)

bottom line:
i have something really good here. really, really good.
this little family of mine, this little life we live: it's a good one.
and if anything threatened to take it from me...
well, like my husband put it: i may just have it so good right now, it's too good for me to have peace that it can stay this way. 
it's testing my faith, compelling me to prayer, & committing me to mediate on scripture.
and robbing me of my beloved sleep!

are you with me? been there? would love your advice! 

thankful for...

 

1. Lilah handing me a plate of "food" from her new kitchen. walking away. turning back to add "you better eat it all. I'm not making you more later."

2. Keurig convenience. Somedays it's SO worth the extra $ per Kcup. Even on cup #3!
3. the gym, & so far no child is sick. dangit now i've certainly jixed it. 
4. toasted pistachio delight candle. no longer available online, but from here.
5. Clara eating pears & giggling with each spoonful. oh. my. swelling. heart.
6. breakfast date with Dan in a french restaurant downtown. making it happen when it can.
7. good preschool; timely lessons in community & authority
8. high-fiber, sprout bread at Trader Joes. sometimes a girl just needs some toast.
9. Carter using bigger-than-his-age words in proper context. knowing i taught him.
10. grace, new each day. not my best week.
11. pedicure, by the good lady
12. free $25 code for paper coterie
13. thoughtful thank you notes from teachers
14. Seeds of Courage. Hiding His Word in our hearts in such a fun & effortless way.
15. watching Bowl games & eating grown-up food together after kids go to bed
16. taking the entrepreneurial leap. nothing to lose but regret.

and then there were three

Today we were missing someone.
Our family's first "back to school" after break experience.
The space he fills, he fills uniquely.

At first, we just hung around adjusting to the emptiness.

I distracted myself with some running around town with the girls. 

I packed away Christmas while they were napping. 

(Thankfully, I remembered to warn him before he left this morning).

Not two days into Christmas break, I consulted the school calendar to verify just how long I had with all three of them at home before this day. (Sad, I know. But true.) 
Eventually we got the hang of being around all day together. 
Well...sort of. 

More than I thought because today was much more awkward than I had anticipated.

He's back! 
Just where he belongs. Filling his special space in our home.

It took 3 seconds for the sibling bickering, followed by screaming tattling to commence.
Is there an in-between? 

2011 highlights word cloud

can't think of a more fitting celebration for new years eve than counting our blessings, recalling the memories of the year gone by. my 5 y/o "got it", i'm sure.
the idea was to create a time capsule with q&a for the kids to record a glimpse at their current favorites, their plans, etc. (similar to this free printable)
this questionnaire was a jumping point.
we couldn't stop there. there was FAR more to record & eventually we filled the page; up the sides, between the lines until no blank space remained.
that inspired a trip down memory lane, recalling events & highlights of each month. SO. FUN! neat to see what stands out to a 5 y/o & in the mind of a 3 y/o ("lemolade" read: lemonade @ChickFilA is a certain highlight).
i took a couple minutes & abbreviated some of those memories & plugged them in here to create a word cloud of 2011. (make your own here. )
some won't make a bit of sense to you (ex: 'forever' is a top-requested song title on road trips) and to a detailed gal like myself it nearly kills me to be this concise, the words trigger so much more.
i suspect this will be an annual tradition.

between the lines: we have SO much to be grateful for.
^"Thanks be to God for his gift that is too wonderful for words."
2 Cor 9:15 (NCV)

thankful for..

1. He came.
2. mom came to celebrate it with us.
3. waking up before the sun on Christmas morning to "mom. SANTA CAME. our tree. it's FILLED with presents. lilah. she got a WHOLE kitchen. my stocking. i didn't get coal. it's FILLED with PRESENTS. i got a YODA pop." oh God thank you for leading him to my side of the bed first. perfect end to being up all night with a puking 3 y/o. :( for memory's sake: we had to stop several times through opening gifts for a sick little girl.
4. gifts that say they're listening to me, reading my posts, & care enough to seek it out. thoroughly surprised.
5. she's played with the kitchen every day since
6. a plate with "pizza" & a "fork", & "coffee mug" delivered to my laptop
7. waterslide the whole family can ride together at Great Wolf Lodge. their faces. the laughing. the shreiking
8. clara loving the humidity, laying on the floor in her diaper, grabbing her feet with a drooly grin
9. scoring months worth of [the good] loofahs for half price
10. kids are forgiving
11. "be joyful because you have hope. be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times" Rom. 12:12 NCV

He came

"As silent as snow falling, he came in. 
And when no one was looking, in the darkness, he came....

The God who flung planets into space and kept them whirling around and around, the God who made the universe with just a word, the one who could do anything at all~was making himself small. And coming down...as a baby.
Wait. God was sending a baby to rescue the world?
...
"But its too wonderful!" Mary said and felt her heart beating hard. "How can it be true?"
"Is anything too wonderful for God?"[the angel] Gabriel asked.
So Mary trusted God more than what her eyes could see. 
...
And there, in the stable, amongst the chickens and the donkeys and the cows, in the quiet of the night, God gave the world his wonderful gift. The baby that would change the world was born.
Mary and Joseph named him Jesus, "Emmanuel"-which means "God has come to live with us."

Because, he had."

~Jesus Storybook Bible, He's Here

My kids & I have watched this adorable video over and over! The story comes to life & cracks you up too!
In case you haven't seen this Christmas Story (pictured above), you can check it out here.

Merriest Christmas!

thankful for...

1. my mom is coming to our house for Christmas
2. gifts hiding in closets and behind storage in the garage
3. smell of Gain-washed clothes
4. the accident was minor
5. silver-clad tree, aglow
6. 5 different cookies baked and shared, newbies just as good as they looked
7. new friend-prospects in our new city after 1 year, (incl. 1/2 a year in hiding w/newborn & pregnancy hormones
8. manicure
9. free shipping
10. sensible, solicited advice
11. clementines, kids can peel
12. Carter's foot & hands as a reindeer on his sweatshirt
13. Lilah requesting one for her brother even before taking her own prize
14. perfect stocking-stuffers come to mind, are available
15. giving
16. dan assembling toys without my nagging or even suggesting.
17. Clara chewing on Sophie & drooling & cooing, on her back w/her feet in the air
18. warm & fuzzy socks
19. finding Carter knows the true meaning, re-telling the story nearly perfectly
20. my mom is coming to my house for Christmas! (worth a second mention)

gifts, suddenly inadequate

This is the day when I sabotage all of my efforts to be thoughtful, budget-friendly, and done in advance. With just five books left til Christmas, I have all of my gifts bought and wrapped.
Still, I start to think of the recipients and what they mean to me and second-guess my carefully chosen gift. 
Is this really enough? But she is so special...she teaches my kid every day OR 
he makes so much effort to be a great uncle 
OR she's always generous and supportive, I should add something more. 
I was especially pleased with the gifts I bought for my husband this year.
Until.....I found out what he got me!
Unintentionally, I swear.
Last week when he started beaming over my Christmas gift I made a conscious decision to keep my eyes & ears closed.
I expected it must be something grand, but couldn't imagine what it was.
Never anticipated it was....well, let me tell you what happened:
I sent a text message to a friend telling her "Coldplay tickets go on sale tomorrow" and she replied with "a friend with an AmEx card got her tickets presale".
A-Ha!
He told me he opened a new card so that I couldn't find out what he was buying when I saw the American Express envelope in his hand the other day.
For 8 minutes I considered trying to pretend I was surprised on Christmas morning to give him the satisfaction. But I could not contain my joy. I was BURSTING! Surprised! Elated! Shocked, really. It was completely his idea and he went to much trouble and come to find out, through many road blocks to get us close up when Coldplay comes to DC in July! I can hardly believe it! 

Needless to say, I'm questioning how my gifts stand up to his.
We weren't even going to give much to each other this year.

Same with my mom, I got her something perfect; something only I would get her & she wouldn't get herself.
Then yesterday she SHOCKED me with the news that she's coming to spend Christmas with us. A never-thought-in-a-million-years-she'd-leave-my-brothers-in-NY-and-come-to-VA-to-be-with-me kinda surprise.
Are you feeling like you need to add a bit more for the people that mean so much and do so much?

In the end, gifts, no matter how grand, never seem to adequately convey ones gratefulness and desire to bless another. 
I think you're pretty safe if you
give what means the most to you. 
Your time. Your attention. 
Turn your cell phone off in their company. 
Go to the party you'd rather skip but would mean so much for you to attend. 
Make their favorite, not yours.
Give them the best, take second pick. 
Make the effort. Make it special. Make it genuine.
More lessons I've learned on giving in Satin Sheets are Slippery

image

2011 Christmas card to readers

Dearest detailgalblog readers,
I would have sent one to you if I had your name & address. 
Thank you for reading this gals' details and for commenting when they strike a cord with you. I've been surprised and blessed through this blog all year long.
May there be killer bargains wrapped under your tree, 
favorite finds in your stocking, 
good food shared with loved ones,
and may the Joy and Peace of God fill your home... 
Tina

card: tiny prints
photography: s.j.bridgeman photography buffalo, ny

thankful for...

• his face bounding off of the school bus toward me
• my husband conspicuously planning my Christmas gift
• pine & holly branches from the yard in my vignettes

• they have no idea those things are already here, hidden in the garage
• surprised by hometown-ers in my new town. talking best food & mutual friends.
• one-click & Amazon delivers it; cleaners & k-cups at good prices, w/free shipping
• Christmas cards from old friends; the faces once babies now grown
• Luke 1:28, 34, 37*&38
  
• "let every heart prepare Him room." what a lyric!
• Fresh Balsam on sale 2@$20. Now I'm not the only one not burning it this season. Still think this is my favorite.
• the Jesus Storybook Bible audio. He's here
• getting dark at 5 gets kids in bed by 7:30
• finding the doll, lost in NY, here in VA and on clearance
• MAC lipstick in Dubonnet; perfectly red. date-night lipstick.
• Clara's stocking hanging too, our family of five feeling right

Zack Morris in made-for-TV Christmas movie

weekend plans

answered prayers

this fun Nativity story video. what a way to introduce the story of Christmas to your kids!

Christmas Baking Classics & Newbies

I cut out sugar & flour from my diet in September this year because I don't have the brain power to follow a complicated weight loss plan & after having #3 in 5 months ago, I still need to lose a bit.
My husband asked me this weekend if I could "please just buy a loaf of bread for dipping in his eggs on the weekends!" Awww...I had no idea he missed it!
So, like Christmas Cards and decorating, baking is a tradition I can't neglect just because I won't be able to eat the goods. (We're going to package them up & deliver them to neighbors & other fine folks in our new town. )
Each year I make the same three cookies & try one or two new ones.
The three classics are:
This peanut butter kiss cookies-which bakerella makes look divine here,
magic cookie bars,
& cut-out cookies going to try this recipe this year)
Thanks to Pinterest & appealing photography all over the web, I'm having trouble narrowing down my new recipe choices.

Top: Betty-Crocker Cranberry-Pistachio cookies. Photo & adapted recipe here.

Bottom:White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Photo & recipe from bhg

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

recipe & photo found at: Bakers Royale

I'd also like to try this recipe for Starbucks' Cranberry Bliss Bars

These Red Velvet Pancakes are screaming to be a part of the traditional Christmas morning breakfast! Photo & recipe found here

Okay, what are you baking?

FREE Christmas gift tags

Talk about details!  
Trader Joes has printed holiday tags & links for a countdown chain onto their brown paper bags.

We're new to our neighborhood & are going to deliver cookie plates to those nearby. These tags will be perfect.
Also: the perfect 10 minute cutting project for your Kindergartener, who needs to be separated from his 3 y/o sister. Just saying.

In case you missed these Holiday projects using brown paper bags:

FREE Book Countdown to Christmas

Holiday Card Display

aren't these are lovely FREE printable gift tags?

 these seem fun from the kids:

More FREE printables here

And since my holidays seem to have a brown paper bag theme thus far, isnt this a cheery way to wrap?

, 

Holiday Card Display & Card Coupon Codes

Are you watching for the mailman & trotting down to the box immediately like I am?
Oh what fun it is to open a Christmas card with family & friends' faces smiling back at me! My kids are just as amused. A few early birds have come in already & I can hardly wait to see what comes in over the next few weeks.

How do you display your collection? 

This year,  I transformed our family room wall, where the kids' artwork is typically displayed (like this).
I wrapped this IKEA curtain wire with berry garland & used the clips to hang the cards.
I switched out the framed art for our own family Christmas cards from years past. The background is a paper bag. (my favorite holiday use for your paper bag here)

I mailed my cards out on Wednesday. Tiny Prints came through with the perfect matte finish on a cheery card this year. I'll share it with you soon.

Still need to order your cards?
Great deals to be had:

• Get your cards by 12/16! Pay just $5 for EXPEDITED SHIPPING @Tiny Prints
• Tiny Prints (where I got my cards): 20% off plus FREE SHIPPING ($49 order) with 'HOLBA20' Ends 12/11
• 40% off Cards @Shutterfly with 'MERRY40' *also works on calendars & photo books. Ends 12/11) plus FREE SHIPPING (on $50 order) with SHIP50
• My Publisher: 30% off plus FREE SHIPPING with 'HOLCARD30'

Thankful, by practice

I'm a dreamer. I revel in grand schemes. 
The little things have never been my strong point.
If you're been following me here for a while you know my toughest challenge being a stay-at-home mom of three littles has been the painful predictability of that sort of life. Mundane is not my thing.

I believed, looking around me & seeing no prospects, that "someday my prince would come" even if out-of-the-blue and just like that, out-of-the-blue he called me because my cousin told him about me. A few months after our blind date, he asked me to marry him on the bridge in front of The Plaza hotel in NYC that is seen in paintings & movies, etc. I said "YES!" blinded by the rock he was holding out to me. Yes! to the ring, Yes! to the love story; Yes! Yes! Yes! to the extraordinary.

And nine years later, my life couldn't be more ordinary. 
Three kids and a Labrador retriever driving around in a Honda here in Colonial Williamsburg.
My mundane life is peppered with exciting risks like selling our house by owner in 3 weeks last year & moving across the country to a place we'd never visited.

How did a dreamer like me end up living this typical life? 
The husband, the kids, they're as great as I could have dreamed, yes. Realizing I wasn't going to be changing the world, because I was going to be busy for 8 years changing diapers, has been the struggle. 
Every now & then something threatens what matters most to me or I read a widow's blog or a mother's heartbreaking battle with her child's illness & I am shaken to contentment. Contentment an elusive goal for a dreamer like me.
Then I read this book: One Thousand Gifts.
A friend recommended it to me last year. I got it, read the first page & thought, "ugh. who cares?" I wasn't "in the mood" for this poetic challenge to gratefulness.
I picked it up again last month and I can say, it has forever changed me. 
I am enlightened to the practice of thankfulness and how it begets joy.
The practice of looking for things that bring a smile to my face, a sigh to my heart, a twinkle to my eye has changed me.
I'm making lists of these "gifts" each day and on Thursdays I'll share some of those here with you.
I do hope you will read this book.
If you're not "in the mood" now, pick it up so when the moment strikes you, you will have it on hand. One Thousand Gifts.

For Thankful posts, click on the "i'm thankful for" image in the sidebar
or the "being thankful" label, also in the sidebar