October 2016 Gratitude

1. Practicing mindfulness and deep breathing in the midst of the chaos of the kids' region audition- a cafeteria full of instruments playing different things at the same time and a sense of anxiety and worry thrumming in the air

2. Sitting under the twinkle lights on the back porch with A and Della washing off sadness and frustration

3. A hug and a kiss from my son; an "I love you, Mom" after a sullen afternoon (year and a half)

4. Looking back on Della's hyper puppy video when we first got her- boundless energy

5. Five days off of school (and not driving carpool)

6. The scent of fall pumpkin bread baking; sprinkling pumpkin spice into my own Starbucks and saving the $5

7. Trying a new coffee shop on our getaway anniversary weekend; retreating with my man; Seeing the pressure roll off of him from work; the rental of a beautiful cabin

8. Exploring covered bridges and waterfalls; following a map in a small mountain town- happy to have "my" mountain time too this year (as the family always opts for the beach); stopping to take silly pictures on top of hay bales or chimney ruins

9. Taking a quiet, truly relaxed Sabbath morning- no leadership responsibilities

10. Praying with my man, back-to-back in a mossy grotto by a lily pond under a shade tree; idyllic

11. Laying down on a park bench with my head in A's lap (for a change) watching the sunlight filter through the river trees; watching giant river turtles sun themselves on submerged civil war wreckage; waltzing down a historic bridge covered in padlocks (like we left in Latvia)

12. Teaching Will how to vacuum and glad that he'll be able to help out around his own house one day

13. Ever hopeful when I transplant swamp wildflowers: They withered, but it was worth a shot

14. A little taste of something sweet on the weekends

15. A church that plans elaborate fall retreats for youth

16. The freshness of a morning to help me remember my place in the world, in the universe, in time

17. Being so very tired- a reminder that I am not always this exhausted, most days are better

18. Thankful for my husband's strong work ethic

19. Working on puzzles together for Will's extra credit

20. Taking a friend out to lunch for her birthday and finding a place that she had never been to before

21, Feeling close to God when I see the sun's rays shoot brilliantly across the sky- a long-forgotten image from a children's Bible coming to mind



22. Dinner with old friends (former neighbors "Duke Harvard")

MJ invited to a game with a friend

23. Walking the fairgrounds with Mom- seeing the fair from a  different perspective (jams, jellies, arts, and quilts)

24. A beautifully decorated tablescape for a wedding or a ladies event

25. Working with a team to fill in choreography gaps

26. Watching a flurry of red leaves flutter down from a maple in autumn

27. Caramel on apples

28. Candy corn with salty peanuts

29. Feeling a burst of inspirations when trying to come up with more SCT choreography

30. Cutting inspirational pictures out of Victoria magazine with scissors (in a digital Pinterest age); love of beauty and appreciation for craftsmanship

31. Attending a party with family friends and finding inexpensive costume solutions/pj onesies for the entire family at Walmart