Being Thankful

Today is the annual day where people publicly profess all that they are thankful for. Of course, you also get the philosophical waxings of those who say that wouldn't it be nice if we would act like this every day. And yes, I agree, it would be nice, if we did it every day, would this particularly day lose some of it's specialness?

Of course, as I reflect over the past year, I realize that I am unbelievable thankful for all that I have in my life (well, everything except the depreciating home values ... I will be extra thankful the year I finally see the market value of our home at least stabilize instead of decline.)

My boys have been healthy most of the year, and continue to grow like weeds (seriously, K will be taller than me any day now ...) I've embraced the idea that my oldest baby is now a school kid, and while it makes me feel incredibly older, I enjoy hearing him explain the adventures of his day and impressing me with his intellect on a regular basis. O makes me laugh, because he's such a ham and is well aware of it. It's hard to believe that two years ago he hadn't quite made his debut yet.

D has done an exception job at his ... well ... job, being the best dad in the world to my boys and a pretty darn good husband to me. (Granted, I have accepted that when it comes to dinner, I have to be happy that it's being made and that I am not married to a Top Chef contestant, so I may not get something exciting, but I get nourishment.

I am also thankful that this year allowed me to visit four new places that I hadn't experienced: Playa del Carmen, Toronto, Montreal and New York. Each trip was delightful for it's own reason, and I don't foresee that much travel in one year again in the near future, so I count myself very grateful. (And let's be honest, the hotels in New York and Montreal ...seriously felt like a very luck girl!)

And now ... it's time to dive into the holiday season. As always I am looking to be inspired ... hoping to find special gifts for those I love, something sweet and unexpected and specifically them. Sometimes I do well ... sometimes I take the easy route and just grab things off the list. I'll just have to hope that the special gift faeries are with me.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!