Grateful for Autumn's Colors

Welcoming October

I am grateful for a new month. October is by far my favorite month of the year. I am grateful for the hint of color in the autumn foliage, the chill in the air, and the seasonal shift. 

There is something exciting about this month. 

I am grateful for the project that we have completed, and the new flooring we put down. I am grateful for my family, and the tender moments of the day.

I am grateful for Autumn's Brilliance

View from a window

An Autumnal Afghan?

A Gift from Sukkot

The Season

I am grateful for so much this month

I am grateful for soups, cold mornings with fog, chickadees at my window sill.

I am grateful for moments of serenity amidst my children and life activities.

I am grateful for good friends, new friends, and daring to enter a new world, which, ironically feels like coming home.

Time...

Today I am grateful for getting up early, and having the time to make a pot of soup so the hubby won't have to worry about dinner, and can enjoy a warm lunch if he feels up to it. (He's not feeling well today.)

I am also grateful for the quiet time with my eldest, and getting school work done before today's field trip. :)

The Tortoise and the Hare

"Real progress is not living life faster; it is about living life better." - Robert Holden

http://www.healyourlife.com/author-robert-holden-phd/2010/08/lifeshelp/success-and-abundance/are-you-the-tortoise-or-the-hare&utm_id=HYLFB

I am grateful for daring to live a slower life and for making the most out of each moment.

Grateful for the right timing of the right words

I am grateful for this post:

Avoid Living your Life as a Doormat and Break the Cycle of People Pleasing

Especially right now.

Friends

My definition of friends have changed over the years - and for that I am grateful.

I am grateful for baby whisperers who give mommies time to go to dinner together to enjoy a good meal.
I am grateful for friends that make you feel welcome in their hearts and homes.
I am grateful for friends that know just what to say and how to offer support.
I am grateful for friends that inspire you to be greater who you are alone.

I am grateful to have such people in my life, that cause my heart to sing and overflow with love.

"Life is full of beauty."

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” 

~  Ashley Smith

Rhythms

Today I am grateful for the rhythms that make up life. Sometimes then shift, and you need to shift with it. We don't always want to make the change, but when you do, suddenly everything starts flowing again. That is how the last two weeks have been.

We've been going with the flow, and it's been wonderful.

I am grateful for the new way we are homeschooling this year. The pressure is off as we find our way based on firm foundations, allowing us to make our own sturdy paths through the forest.

I am grateful for a new openness within me, encouraging me to explore and got on adventures that I was afraid of in the past. And I've since discovered, that I'm braver than I thought, and that my thoughts can put up walls faster than anything if I allow them to.

A day of water, waves, and a good friend

Today, I ventured out to the nearby Wave Pool. It's taken me over 9 years to get there, and my friend who's been here for over 20, to get there. And I was so pleased that we went. There were many moments throughout the day where I found myself smiling from the depths of my soul.

I am grateful for my friend who drove over 45 minutes to spend a few hours with us at the pool.

I am grateful for being able to watch her and my eldest playing in the waves together. Smiling and laughing.

I am grateful that my youngest went to her, and let her hold her while I spent time in the water with my eldest.

I am grateful for the feel of the motion in the water, for the way I was able to roll with the motion, and still keep my ground.

I am grateful for a day filled with joy, for the adventure, for being with people I adore, and that fill my heart with song.

I am grateful that I finally took that step.

Squeak

I am grateful for my youngest, who sits in my lap against my arm, singing her little songs to me. I am grateful for her love, and that I get to be her parent. I am blessed with "two little darlings" in the words of my eldest. They have opened my heart which over flows with love.

I am grateful

for my youngest drinking from a cup - even if the cup is a shot glass.

I am grateful, for the opportunity to see things from a positive perspective.

I am grateful for opportunities in general, and for possibilities.

A great article, about framing your life with gratitude...

I came across this today, and it really sums up why I feel gratitude is an important practice:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-baraz/frame-it-with-gratitude_b_484722.html

And here is a great video of his mother speaking about the experience:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRbL46mWx9w

"And my life is truly blessed." A powerful statement to be certain.

For the arms of my husband...

who took the time this morning to hold me in them for quite a few moments before waking up and getting ready to go to work.

Family and the Farmer's Market

I am grateful that I was able to reconnect with a branch of my family I haven't seen in years, and yet feel as though we've never been separated.

I am grateful for the joys of the Farmer's Market, and experiencing it with my eldest. And wondering why it took me so long to get to one around here.

I am grateful for things like violet jelly, fresh veggies, being able to support the local farmers, fresh honey, and the lovely musician who entertained us in the heat of the day.

Good Conversation

I am grateful for good conversation - the kind that stirs your soul, gets you thinking, allows you to be heard and to share your voice, and leaves you feeling as though you are flying.

I am grateful for being able to sit outside in the sun and feel the breeze, to laugh and converse, and hold a sleeping toddler in my arms while listening to the stories of my eldest.

For Perspective

Things aren't always as we think they are. We can never truly be in another person's mind, but we can try to understand, and extend compassion for the way they see things. I do my best to try and see things from another point of view. I may not understand their whys, but I might shed light on something I hadn't noticed.


I am grateful that I can look at things and situations, from multiple angles. It keeps me in check.

It grateful for the view...

For today is a new day...

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today...

I am grateful for being able to watch my youngest sleep, to feel her breathing, and take in her scent. She is growing so fast... her "baby-ness" is fading into child.

I am grateful for being able to snuggle with my eldest and listen to her reading to me, while feeling her next to me.

What an amazing weekend!

I am grateful for a weekend filled with fun, high tea, lots of sweets, lots of fun, good food, and family.

I am grateful that I'm alive to live another year.

I am grateful for supportive and loving friends, and their lovely birthday wishes.

Choices

"You've got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice." ~Steven D. Woodhull

What will your choice be today?

I am grateful that I have a lot of choices. I am grateful that I have family and friends who support these choices.

For precious moments

I am grateful for the bravery of my eldest. Last night, she listened to her inner voice, and stood forth to announce to a crowd of people at a memorial for our dear friend, "I have something to say." She paused, breathed deeply and announced, "Roger... he was my friend."

I am grateful for the kisses and hugs my little ones share throughout the day.

I am grateful how my youngest already loves to look through books. She loves the look and the feel of them.

I am grateful for a day on the farm where lunch was enjoyed on the porch, a metal tub turned into rapids and a pond, where chicken eggs were gathered, and a horse and donkey were fed. Where a child who misses her friend who died, found comfort running barefoot through the grass and creating stories with George.

I am grateful for a discussion with a friend, about why we are no longer lambasting ourselves for not being good enough, because we realize that we are worth more.

I am grateful, for a moment today, where my eldest discovered her new books for schooling. She found the one titled Paul Bunyan, picked it up, and announced, "I'm going to find out if it's different than the movie." She's currently reading it on her own.

The little things

Today, I am grateful that the kids found ways to have fun while Mommy exercised. Apparently, bridge pose on a chair, while moving up and down, makes for a great game for the kids to see who can make it under before you "squash" them.

My youngest asking for an apple slice... "oppet?" which reminds me.... I need to find where she put that and the grape...

My eldest, who had had enough of Squeak's constant following and wanting to be centimeters away and play with everything she played with, finally declared she needed alone time, and went to her room. Squeak followed, and cried and knocked on the door. Pook opens the door, and getting down to Squeak's level, tells her, I'm sorry, but I need some alone time. I need to think about what it means to be a big sister."

So today, I am holding them close and feeling how big they are. I am smothering them with kisses when I get close enough. I am taking in their scent, and feeling the softness of their skins, and looking into their eyes. Because I know, that this moment will not last forever. Each day they grow and they change. Each day is a new day...

Daring to step out of my comfort zone

Last night, I dared to step out of my comfort zone, and attend the baby shower of a friend. I normally avoid gatherings where I don't know people, but this time, I listened to my intuition and went with it. And I'm so very glad I did.

Because this morning, I'm grateful for being able to open up and talk to others instead of standing around and giving in to my shyness. I'm grateful that I actually had met quite a few of the people there before, and they remembered me. I'm grateful that I got to be there to support my friend as she'll be welcoming her third child into the world. And, I'm grateful for the reconnection and hopefully the connections with new people.

Polkas, Party, and Dancing!

Today I bask in gratitude for dancing the polka with two little ones on Saturday, seeing the face of my grandmother as her family celebrated her 90 years of living, spending time with cousins I rarely get to see, watching my children play with my cousin's children on the same floor we played as children, and the gifts that resulted from a day that will forever be remembered.

Flowers

Today, I am grateful for flowers. Tulips especially. They are my favorite flowers. They bring me joy to see spurts of colors amidst the green.

Friends

Today I am grateful for my friends, especially those who have reached out at such a challenging time. I am grateful for the hugs they give - virtual and real life. I am grateful for the words of comfort, and just knowing that even though they are far away they are still with me.

My wish for you

“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.”

-Unknown

Focusing on Gratitude

I've always felt that being able to grateful is one of the greatest gifts that we can give to ourselves and others. It enables us to be aware of being thankful, of being aware of what we have as opposed to what we want.

I'm not sure what direction I'm going to be taking this blog in. Somehow, the book one didn't take off. So, we'll just see where this one leads, shall we?

All aboard that's going aboard...