giving thanks

in , ,

may your days be many and your troubles few.may many blessings descend upon you. may peace be within you and your heart be strong. may you find what you seek wherever you roam. - irish blessing

it's hard to believe it's thanksgiving today. the year has absolutely flown by and nothing is normal about the day. steve is in iraq. kiele is with her dad. it's the little ones and i. while we physically are not all together, steve and kiele are here with us in our hearts. we will share about them as we give thanks today. as we give thanks and celebrate our many, many blessings.

i found this wonderful article regarding how to be thankful: 1. pay attention to the people around you. everyone has something wrong or to complain about. look at those who aren't as fortunate are realize how blessed you are. 2. practice acceptance. stop dwelling on how things should be, what could have been or what you don't have. recognize what you do have and accept what you don't. 3. become a problem solver. get in the habit of asking yourself how you can turn a negative situation into something positive. 4. learn to see hardship as a chance to develop character. we all have hardships. handle and work through yours with grace. 5. develop a gratitude journal. 6. take joy in the small things. life's treasures. small pleasures. give thanks for each small gift you receive.

some things that we are thankful for...

skyler (age 5): my mommy. my daddy. kiele. ryder. charley. and seeing my daddy on the computer.

ryder (age 3): my family. rain. movies. snacks. football. charley bear. toys. books.

me: the love, support and friendship of my husband. my children and the joy and brightness they bring my life. my and my family's health. steve's safety. my friends. laughter. our abundance and ability to share food and clothing. the roof over our heads. the technology, which allows us to see and chat with steve, while he is serving in iraq. stability, during a time when the stability of so many is at risk. our freedom.

next year, i hope to volunteer somewhere on thanksgiving. together as a family. this is a huge goal of mine, to volunteer together...each doing a part. and no better time, to start our family's giving to those less fortunate, than thanksgiving.

happy, happy thanksgiving!