Thankful Heart

I was having a chat with my wise "little" Grandma (she calls herself little, so I use it!). I was doing some whining and trying to figure out why some things were going they way they were. How overwhelming all of it is and how I don't want to deal with it! She told me I needed to get my heart back to being Thankful. I can sit there and say, "I'm thankful for my kids, my life, etc, etc." but I'm not taking it any further then my head and out my mouth. I needed to let it soak and resonate in my heart. I need to "own" what God has given me. It was interesting, cause as she said it I realized I hadn't been outside for a run in over 2 weeks. Taking myself outside of "my life" and spending it in solitude, quiet, nature, God beauty, God given creation...well, it takes me outside my head. I clear my head. When I tell people I don't like to get up and get dressed for a run if it is less then 3 miles...it is because it takes that long to get out of my head and turn my heart to what I have to be thankful for. Then I pray when I'm out there that God would give my children "grateful hearts" and that self-pity would only come for an occasional visit, but not stay long!

photo taken by cbyatesphotography.com

We stayed home on Thanksgiving Day this year. Did a whole lotta nothing! I made a Turkey and green bean casserole and sweet potato suffle. Costco did the rest! I had the kids cut out big number "4" and on the back we wrote the date and what we were thankful 4! I said, "write about 4 things." Molly says, "I've got about 12!" Justice (the clothing store) was one of them. She copied a few from her dad too! 

Kim and Jessica were on my list. Friends in High School. My "people" that I do daily life with!

Molly said "dance" and I have to agree with her. She has found something she loves. It goes deep as she always taps and moves to some beat in her head! We are thankful that the girls she dances with 6 hours a week have give her laughter and fun. We might have "drama" at school, but she has never shared anything negative about her dance girls. Makes this mom heart very thankful!

I'm thankful for my "moms group" at Lifegate church. Being a stay at home mom can get long and lonely. Getting to hang out with 10 other women who have kids the same age, are doing the same things at home, practicing the same faith, having the same priorities, tackling the same challenges with kids, husbands, home, well it makes me feel normal, sane, not alone.

I'm always saying I'm thankful for my husband, his work ethic, his perserverence in a job/career that he wouldn't "pick," but it pays well, he is good at it, and frankly, I think it is where God wants him right now. He is Thankful for it and I think God blesses it for this reason!

Took this pic on Rosco's 10th Birthday...Thankful for such a "good" dog!

Grant stated he was thankful for his friends Tommy and Kalvin. I am thankful for them too! My best friends kids...I'm uber thankful that they all really like eachother, love eachother, and have fun together...with very little fighting!

  I am thankful this year for the Swimming Pool that came from the
 "fruits of Don's labor"  Thankful for my friend Susie!  She might also say she is thankful for our pool!

I'm thankful for the luxury of being able to shop on Black Friday. I got all the Christmas Shopping done in one night, while the kids slept, with a friend, and I saved about $40! No, I saved a little more than that...didn't save myself the embarrassment of being asked for a different credit card.."it didn't go through," which is the new verbage to help avoid making you feel guilty for buying something you clearly can't afford. It is a little better than "your card has been declined." I'm thankful I have this blog to share what I would have said to my check-out clerk and the hundreds of people in line behind me..."I'm an overwhelmed Momma to 4 kids, I've been to the Doctor so many times in the last 4 weeks I have questionaires coming from the Insurance Company on fraud, I swear I paid that card, if I hit my credit limit then I have a lot more to be worried about then the damn iPod Touch I "had" to have, just give me a few minutes of uninterrupted time to pay my bills, cause if I think about it I'm pretty sure I wrote the payment in my check register, but forgot to pay it! Oh, and if you don't pay your bill then they don't let you charge anymore til you pay it!!! So, I guess this exhausted Mother will just give you the husband's credit card and hope he doesn't tell me I won't be going back to Target for a VERY long time. Cause this store is one of my sanity savers! Thank you very much!