So Very Thankful List

Man, it's been a while!  I don't like it when I allow so much time to go by between posts . . .

I'm taking a challenge from a fellow blogger that I love, You Know it Happens In Your House Too, to write about ten things I'm thankful for.  So here goes!

1.  I'm going to pile all the obvious ones in number one.  God, my healthy kids, my healthy husband, and the roof over my head.  All things I am of course grateful for, and I know how blessed I am.  Every day I hear about the struggles people have, with health, personal problems, or money, and I cannot believe how fortunate I am that my life is so easy.

2.  Airplanes.  The fact that people travel by air, freight is sent by air, and our military uses the air for travel and defense, coupled with the fact that they need someone in a room telling their pilots which routes to take to their destination, has kept my husband employed.  And his job has allowed me to stay at home with our kids and our home.  The freakish schedule he has had to work over the years has allowed us to have family time when most other families are working, which makes for quiet movie theaters, no waits at restaurants, and no lines at stores.  He is home during the day on some weekdays, which has allowed us to go on some daytime dates while the kids are at school, which is such a luxury!

Also, I guess it's nice that airplanes make for a much quicker trip to the coast.

3.  My state.  I live in the beautiful midwest, and I truly believe that Minnesota is the most beautiful state there is.  There must be something magic about it, because people don't seem to leave much, and if they do, they seem to come back.  My whole family is local.  By that I mean that my mom, all my siblings and their kids, and all my hubby's siblings and their kids (as well as his cousins) are all pretty close.  Nobody has left the state.  This has made for a huge pile of people at birthdays and holidays.  It's noisy, chaotic, and happy.  My kids are loved from every direction, and it's wonderful.  It adds so much to our lives.  I have built-in friends, a giant support group, and people to bring food to my house to parties so I don't have to cook everything.

4.  Target.  Folks, I know you're with me on this one.  I LOVE me some Target.  The cheerful red carts.  The smell of the place.  The fact that I know where every single thing is.  My Target.  I go to one that is relatively close to me, and relatively new.  It is not crazy busy.  The carts are quiet.  During the weekdays there aren't many happier places to be, especially since now I get to go child-free while they are at school, and just wander the aisles.  What?  Easter candy is 70% off?  I don't mind if I do!  And yes, I do need some new lights for my porch, thank you very much!  And I can get groceries here too?  Hello, Heaven!  And now that I'm a grisled veteran mom I like to smile at the moms who have little ones who are out of control.  I remember those moments all too well, and I know how much a smile helped me back then.  Funny how other people's screaming babies don't bother me at stores, but when I had babies I was convinced that if they cried in the stores that other shoppers would think I was a horrible mom.  We are so hard on ourselves!

5.    Television and my DVR.  Modern Family.  Breaking Bad.  Sons of Anarchy.  The Middle.  Parenthood.  Glee.  Grey's Anatomy.  Hoarders.  Blue Bloods.  Hawaii 5-0.  Young and the Restless (I guess).  New Girl.  The Office.  Parks and Recreation.  The Killing.  Parenthood.  Big Bang Theory.  I think I have a problem...

6.  Colorful pens.  I know writing is a dying art, but I LOVE sparkly and colorful pens.  I will use them every chance I get.  Grocery lists, signing kid's permission slips, writing the occasional check (yes, I still have to write one once in a while), random OCD to-do lists for myself, whatever.  I have an entire cabinet full of drawers for all my pens.  It's a sickness--I have them labeled pencils, colored pencils, gel pens, specialty pens, archival pens, sharpies, paint pens, etc.  I really do.  I'll take a picture if you don't believe me.  And it's not a small cabinet.

7.  Christmas.  Enough said.

8.  Music.  Music is a really big deal.  It is how I met my husband (and most of my friends, for that matter).  It is how I manipulate my mood when I need to.  It is how I get chores done.  It is memories.  It is in how I exercise, how I entertain, how I cook.  And iTunes and my iPod go hand in hand.  I love love love it.

9.  Cocktails and coffee.  I love a good mixed drink, or glass of wine, or cold beer.  And I love a good hot cup of coffee.  These are like little treats.  My coffee is my daily comfort, my morning friend.  I love my Kuerig.  I have a variety of coffees and creamers that make me feel like my own barista, and it's so lovely to brew a cup and go sit outside in the morning after the bus leaves.  It's my quiet time.  I also love to have a drink with a friend (and once in a while by myself with a favorite TV show).  These things make me remember that I am a grown-up, and that I have done my time, earned my spot in that chair with that drink.

10.  Friends.  This is a big one.  I have lots of friends, but very few really tight buddies.  The ones I do have are precious to me.  Whether they are related to me or not, they are my family.

11.  (I have to do one more.)  This blog.  I started doing this last August.  In that time I have worked through the illness and eventual loss of my dad, shared my insecurities and my parenting junk, and just babbled about the bizarre stuff in my brain.  It has been so therapeutic, so reassuring to see so many women out there who really are just like me.

So there it is.  And what a happy surprise to find that not only would I not have trouble coming up with ten, it would be very difficult for me to limit it to ten.  What a great exercise this has been, and I'd like to do it regularly, maybe especially when I'm in a funk like I have been.  So thanks for suggesting this, YKIHAYHT, and I'm so glad I found you!