22 things i'm thankful for right now

"what i'm thankful for" posts are poppin' up all over blogland and suitably  so, it is november, which means thanksgiving. i wasn't planning on doing one just yet, but after two very challenging days without my other half to tag team with, a shorter than usual fuse, bad news, and children that just won the "most annoying sounds ever" grammy, i'm searching for what i'm thankful for tonight with a flashlight.

i hate being crabby. i hate it when my kids look at me like i'm mean. i want to be fun. i want to be nice. i want to be michelle duggar (minus 35 children).

i got up this morning after not much sleep feeling icky and cranky right off the bat. i hate that too. i grabbed my coffee and entertained my kids with liberty kids as i read some blogs, including several "thankful" posts. (ps: i never let my kids watch tv in the morning unless its summer or saturday, so you know i was in a major whatever mood.)

we found a new church (did i mention that?) and our pastor is teaching on joy. he's mentioned more than once that joy is a choice (something i've heard many times.) and that no one can steal your joy unless you let them. (another thing i've heard, but obviously need to keep hearing.) so anyway, i decided this morning after blogland, to actually do what the preacher says...choose joy. i decided i was sick of the sound of my own voice and that nails on the chalkboard sound when i'm scolding my kids multiple times a day. i decided not to talk like that today. i think that maybe it could be gratitude that leads to joy, and not the other way around and that saying, "oh i'm so thankful for (blank)" doesn't need to be forced...i can be joyful. i can be thankful, despite the most annoying sounds ever coming from my backseat.

i'm not saying that tomorrow i will wake up with my hair in a french twist and pearls in place, sparkle gleaming from my pearly-whites, but i'm going to try harder...sometimes i don't even try. at all. does that make sense to anybody?

so here's a few things i did manage to pick out of life today that i really am thankful for...

1. "i love you" texts, whether it be from friends, family, or lovah...they're nice.

2. cloudy, rainy days with candles lit.

3. etsy orders. (thank you!!) and the fact that every thanksgiving banner i made is now sold!

4. impromptu movie afternoons at 5pm to kill time between then and dinner

5. a husband with a job that loves me and tells me i'm beautiful, on a monday morning, when i'm still in bed

6. finished projects that had been hanging over my head

7. kids in bed at 7:30pm

8. a new friend that's crafty and adorable and super thoughtful and likes margaritas (by the way, jarrod, i'm going for margaritas tomorrow night with carissa :))

9. christmas planners

10. great christmas gift ideas for great prices that my future engineer will love

11. chai tea with cream and 20 minutes on the computer

12. recipes like THIS one that i will be making in the morning

13. magazines waiting for me to crack open

14. God's promises and His grace

15. pinterest (self explanitory)

16. chopin playing in my kitchen

17. boys that empty the dishwasher, put the seat down, and make their beds

18. 3-year-olds that know scriptures by heart

19. french braids, the only hair-do besides a buzz cut that will keep the hair out of my girl's eyes

20. pretty paints on sale at michaels for 89 cents

21. blogging, the people i've met through it and how i've been inspired by other real moms

22. daydreaming of our future house someday......and the projects to follow it's purchase....


so that's it. 22 things i'm really thankful for right now. praying that tomorrow i can choose joy again.

xo,
{alicia}