Thankfulness Times Ten: Thanksgiving Day 2013 Edition

Motivated by Thanksgiving Day.........

Today's Thankfulness theme is what is going on in my life this week.....

Thankfulness Times Ten

Here are the guidelines I have for this thankfulness theme……

Just find ten things I am thankful for, in the moment. I have no rules...I may go over ten, if I cannot help myself......I may repeat myself.....and, I will write in no particular order of importance. If you feel inspired to do the same....do link yourself here in the comment section.  All of these will go toward my own 1,000 Gifts.

As I go through my days, I keep thinking of my gratitude in themes......like, ten items of gratefulness for each member of my family, when I look out my window, while I am on my exercise walk.......etc., etc., etc. 


I am thankful for......


41.........my oldest son (kid #2) coming home for a week for Thanksgiving......including his 23rd birthday on the 26th of November.  Happy Birthday, Matthew!


42.......... my son feeling comfortable enough to bring three friends home with him from college.  I am glad that they have had a chance to take a "vacation" from the stresses of school.  Joe from Canada and Jordan from Minnesota could not go home for such a short visit.......though it may have taken just as long to drive here as it would have for them to have flown home  ;).........and Micah from Southern California.  Nice boys.  I mean, men.  They are all over age 20.  All juniors at Thomas Aquinas College..........about ten hours away.


43...........my other best friend and her husband buying a house in Mount Shasta at the end of summer.  I love that they come up so much more often from San Francisco.  I wish I could see her more.......but at least our kids are getting more time together. 


44..............my dad deciding to come visit us for Thanksgiving week.  The kids are thrilled to have him here.  As I write this.......they are all laying on top of him on a couch.......watching Indiana Jones.  Okay.  Maybe laying next to him. Donuts, chips and salsa, rootbeer and ice cream all purchased.  Oh, and whipping cream for coffee.







45...........for spontaneity.  At the last minute, we decided to go to the movie theater to see the new Disney movie, Frozen.  Kind of cute.  The scenery was fantastical. 






46............for kids who feel comfortable in the kitchen.  The moment we were in the door after the movie, my 16 year old son and my best friend's 14 year old daughter Catherine immediately got to work making peppermint bark....for the second time this week.......and my 12 year old son and my best friend's 12 year old daughter Clairemarie immediately went to work baking two lemon pies. And no one asked them to do this.......it was just on their hearts and their stomachs to do so.



47......Skype, yet again.  My sweet baby girl is in Slovakia for a year as a Rotary Youth Exchange student.  Skype gives a chance........for FREE.......to not miss each other so much.  I took my computer around our property so that her host father and sister could see our property via Skype.  I showed The Mountain to them as well as the three-story fort and giant swing-set.  They thought it must be summer here because the sun was shining so bright and everything is green (evergreen, that is!) and such an incredibly blue sky.  I showed them that all of the leaves were missing in the orchard....but the green distracted them.  :)


48..........my daughter Sarah getting to make it home for a quick visit, only one month after having moved to San Francisco. Her brother scooped her up on his way up here.  Our cousin will take her back. It is nice for my oldest daughter to have her sister here for the week.  Nice for me, too.


49............living just a mile or so off of the most important interstate on the west coast.  Because of our location we get many visitors simply because they are passing by.  Even some of our internet friends have made arrangements to visit.  I am especially grateful this week because my husband's Cousin Debora and her husband David and their son Josh were able to spend over an hour with us, on their way to Oregon to see Grandma for the Thanksgiving holiday.  They are a delightful family and we enjoy their company very much.  Josh does not have any cousins his age, so he really likes to be with Malachy.  Coming back through again on Saturday..........double the visit!


50............ lastly, that Willa was able to drop her boys off at my house last Sunday and come spend 25 minutes with me at work on my break.  Not very long for two friends who are used to hours for chatting, whether on the phone or in person.  We still managed....but it was so hard to say goodbye.



And..........now we have my fourth entry.  Only 950 to go. 


God bless all of you on this Thanksgiving 2013!


In Gratitude,

                   Chari

PS  Research shows that folks who use journaling to write what they are thankful for...instead of just a place to vent, find their lives are more happy, more satisfying.  Let's go there!