Thankful

I'm sure your Facebook pages are littered with well-intentioned "friends" giving thanks for something each day in November. As a general rule of life I try to be thankful the other 11 months too but a string of cloudy dark days in the Northland really has my mood in the dump. I figured, "What the heck, let me jump on this band wagon." Maybe, writing about the good things in my life can be my own ray of sunshine in all this chilly gloom. 

Since it's already the 6th today. I will start with a monster post of 6 things. Here goes nothing.

I am thankful for:

#1- My health. Although I am on a personal weightloss mission to become healthier, I am still very thankful for the body and mind I DO have. Too many friends and family are burdened with serious/chronic illness or disease. (This includes my love, Paul, who has been living with type 1 diabetes since before we met) It is a tricky, scary feeling to have your body betray you and I am very thankful that ,at least for today, I do not have to worry about that.

#2- Our home. I am thankful for a warm, safe, comfortable, secure place to lay my head, raise our children and live our lives. I would have never imagined ending up on 40 acres in Northern Minnesota but it has proven to be a wonderful place for us to be.

#3- Coffee. Yes, those beautiful, rich, brown, caffeinated beans. I am entirely convinced that my routine of two cups each morning make me a better person. 

#4- Minnesota. It's a seriously glorious state. I'm in love with the friendly easiness of our people, the change of seasons (even if that does mean a string of cloudy days), the endless opportunities for exploring the outdoors, and the beautiful scenic views you find across the state. Last but not least, (with the exception of a BFF that is living in Florida) this wonderful state holds all the people and places I hold near and dear to my heart and that's a whole lot of reasons to love MN.

#5- My dishwasher. This trusty, little , off-brand appliance gets it's workout daily. I have dreams of it finally taking a crapper so I can go out and buy one with all the bells and whistles. For now, I am just happy not to hand wash the mounds of dirty dishes my little family generates in one day. 

#6- Being a stay-at-home mom. For us, it was always a conscious and calculated decision to have me stay home and raise our children. Many moms are quick to give all the credit to their working counterpart for their ability to stay home with their children but for us it is truly a joint effort and lifestyle decision. It takes planning, budgeting and, most days, patience of steel but the alternative of handing off my little babes daily to another capable caregiver is unthinkable to me. I love that I get to see them jump, laugh, cry, and play together. I love that I am the one teaching them about the world around them and how to write. I love that I get all of them and they get all of me. This does not mean that our days are all roses and rainbows because they aren't. It just means I am thankful for being here with them everyday for the good, bad and the ugly.