30 Days of Gratitude - Day 1

Fall is my favorite time of year and Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I love the cool crisp air, the wet damp leaves, the rain and the clouds.  And of course Thanksgiving is a time of gathering.  Friends and family gather in celebration of each other.  It's a joyful time.  A thankful time.  November is the perfect month to acknowledging our blessings and taking a moment to express gratitude.  It may not change our circumstances but it can change our outlook and attitude.  Expressing gratitude creates ripples and those ripples effect everyone around you.

Today is November 1, 2011 and Day 1 in my 30 Days of Gratitude challenge.

Today I am grateful for my son.  He offered to go to the store for me today.  I needed more Duraflame logs (it's chilly out) and some grocery items.  He even called me from the store to make sure he was buying the right things.  Then when he got home he said "Mom, would you like me to start you a fire?"  And he did.  He is loving, he is sweet and he is kind.  I am grateful for my son, today and always.

Looking mighty handsome

Having fun in Portland

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."  Unknown

What are you thankful for? 

feeling nostalgic for costumes, candy and adorable children

Fall is my favorite season.  I love the cool weather, the crisp leaves and the variety of weather patterns that appear in the fall.  Today it's a bright sunny day and tomorrow it's supposed to rain.  And I adore rain.  Seriously, I love gloomy, gray days where I can sit inside and hunker down at my desk and get work done.  Sip a cup of steaming hot coffee while cozy in my nice warm house.  I love the sound of the rain too.  I am waiting for the rain, and the weather man says tomorrow.  I hope he's right!

Fall brings stews, casseroles and hot cocoa.  And Thanksgiving, which is my favorite holiday.  The kids will be home from college and my parents will be visiting, it will undoubtedly be a wonderful week.  Before we can get to Thanksgiving we will be celebrating Halloween.  Halloween was such a fun holiday when the kids were little and in recent years we've been at parties with friends and haven't even been home to pass out candy and see our neighbors cute little kids all dressed up.   I'm feeling nostalgic for the old days with little kids and costumes.  This year I put out the small pumpkin lights and bought a few pumpkins.  Not very exciting, but with no kids at home I just don't have the motivation to go hog wild.

A few pictures of Halloween through the years

They are so adorable it makes my heart melt.  I remember those days like it was yesterday, but it was 13 years ago!  Why does time have to go so fast?

They made this great haunted castle our of graham crackers, pretzels, chocolate frosting and candy.  We did this several years in row.  Ah the memories...

The girls were adorable black cats, even Josefina (Sarah's american girl doll) had a matching costume. 

 

 

Happy Halloween 

looking for motivation

I have lost my motivation to do much of anything this afternoon, so instead I choose to blog.  There are so many things I should be doing:

1. Laundry (never ending I know, but starting it would be a plus)
2. Start prepping dinner (seeing that it's already 4:01 and the chicken is still semi-frozen, dinner is going to be late tonight), 
3. Clean up office so I can find my desk (distressing that I just can't keep it neat and organized - the daily flow of incoming mail/paperwork apparently gets the better of me)
4. Sort through pictures from our trip to Florida
5. Pay bills 

This morning started out with at nice breakfast with Jake at Tams.  We had a good heart to heart about a lot of things and cleared the air on some issues that had been bugging us both.  He has his apartment lease through the end of July and will then move into the TKE house.  I am really glad they finally have a house.  It was their original house and after a different fraternity lived in it, it's now theirs again.  I think there is so much to be gained from living in a fraternity.  Being part of a fraternity (or sorority) is a great experience.  So many people give it a bad name and I don't think it's deserved.  I will save my rant on greek haters for another post.  The bond and friendship that is developed in a fraternity/sorority are second to none.  Though Jake has been a TKE for over a year now, they haven't had a common living space.  But that is changing in August!  Woo hoo!  I just hope Jake doesn't get the really scary, dark, dank, basement rooms.  Personally I don't think they are fit for human living!  The rest of the house will be nice once some windows, dryall and rooms and repaired and painted.

The day progressed to listing some items on eBay.  I opted for 24 hour sales because I don't want a sale ending on a weekend, especially not a 3 day holiday weekend.  I learned that the hard way on a previous sale.  Already have watchers and bids - this time tomorrow I should be a couple hundred dollars richer.

After a quick lunch of a pickle (my breakfast with Jake was still sitting with me) I went out for a walk with Kathy.  I haven't walked in a while and it felt good.  3 miles in 70 degree temps.  Nice, very nice.  She and I have such a nice friendship.  I enjoy her company thoroughly and we chatter about big things, little things and everything in between.  I won't see her for quite a while though, she is living with Bill and Danny on Friday and will return on the 11th.  I am leaving the 11th and returning the 16th.  I am going to miss our walks, talks and coffee get togethers.

After my walk, Sarah and I had fun looking at ratemyprofessor.com to check out potential profs for her upcoming classes at UW this fall.  She originally registered yesterday for 3 courses, but changed them all today.  She was kind of bummed because the communications class she wanted to take was open to FIGS (freshman interest group - which she is not doing) only, as was the psych class.  Also finding courses to work with the different times of lectures and quiz sections was a bit challenging.  But in the end it all came together.  Her courses seem very interesting and the professors got good ratings and she is happy.  Her fall schedule is Archeology 101 (exploring archeology), CHID 110 (Question of Human Nature) and Philosophy 120 (intro to logic).

Here is a picture of Sarah's graduation from PHS earlier this month.  I think it's rather nice and evokes good memories of a fun weekend.  Isn't this a great family shot?  I sure think so!
 
If you are wanting to catch up on Kristin's adventures in Rome check out her BLOG.  I think you'll enjoy it, I sure do!


Now, if only someone could light a fire under my read end so I could be productive.  I really need to find some motivation and get some stuff done!

the week ahead

Tomorrow morning I leave for Puerto Vallarta.   It's a girls week at Kathy's time share.  I've got my kindle, my camera and a carry on suitcase filled with a few clothes, swimsuits and workout gear.  My kindle has 7 new books on it, all of which I'm eager to read.  I just picked up an Oprah magazine at the grocery store and pack of gum.  I can't wait to get going.  We all went in 2007 and said we'd make it an annual trip.  3 years later we are finally going again. 


I will miss Jake and Kristin's 20th birthday.  This will be the first time and it's feels strange.  Granted, I wouldn't have seen Kristin anyway this year on her birthday because she's in college on the other side of the state.  Jake has two finals on his birthday and then one the following day.  Wednesday night Jim and Sarah have plans to spoil Jake.  There are some presents on the dining table for him to open.  I already mailed Kristin's presents.  I will call both of them and tell them how Happy Birthday and how much I love them.  I am really proud of them.  

Sarah has an AP test on Thursday and the opening night of her play is on Friday.  It runs 2 weekends though, so I will catch the closing night.  She is such a go getter and I know she'll be the star of the play, even if she doesn't have the lead roll.

I will miss Jim too.  He's really a good guy.  I was having a bikini wax today and the wax lady (don't know what the technical term is) was talking about how bad the men in her life have been.  It was weird because I just couldn't relate.  I am lucky.  Jim is a good guy and I love him.

I've finished packing, now it's time for bed.  4:45 is going to come awfully early.

My heart sings

My heart is full today and it's a wonderful feeling.  I have so much love and pride for my family that sometimes I am reduced to tears of joy.  Crazy, huh?  As a new parent (many, many years ago) I was besotted with my children.  Jim was too.  We used to sit and watch them just breathe.  It was amazing to think that we created these beautiful human beings.  Watching them grow through years only intensified the feelings.  My, our, love for them never waned.  Yes, there are times when we didn't like them or the choices they made but our love for them is steadfast.

This morning Sarah gave me a huge hug and said "you are the best Mom ever and I love you so much."  And she hugged me, a big bear hug where she was the last to let go.  Wonder how full my heart can get without bursting with joy?  I am going to really miss her day to day presence when she goes to college this fall!

Today starts off Mom's Weekend at WSU and I finally get to take part.  I am so EXCITED!  I have lived in Pullman since 1990 and this annual event has seen Mom's come to town year after year and spend time with their college age children.  Now, it's my turn. Technically, I could have participated last year when Jake was a freshman but we were out of town on a trip planned long before I knew the dates.   Not sure of our exact plans today, but tomorrow we are going to breakfast and the craft fair in the morning and then dinner and Jay Leno in the evening!  His girlfriend Lauren, and her Mom, will be joining us in the evening.  Jay Leno is quite funny and has been to Pullman several times for this event.  We saw him back in the 90's and laughed the entire time.  Even though Jay will be enjoyable, the BEST part of the weekend will be spending time with my son.  I am so lucky to have him for a son as he calls periodically to just talk, he likes to hang out with us at home and be together as a family.  He's a great kid and I'm proud of him.

I don't have the quality time with Kristin as I'd like.  Mainly due to the fact that she is at college on the other side of the state and doesn't use email or skype with any regularity.  I miss her.

At the time I didn't realize it would be our last family vacation, just the 5 of us, for who knows how long.  But I hold the memories of our trip to Cabo last Christmas near and dear.  Usually we are all together at Hayden Lake, but this year Kristin will not be joining us.  She'll be back east with her government internship.  It will be the first time in 20 years she will NOT be at the lake for our annual summer vacation.

When they grow up, things change and I know this is just the beginning of their lives as adults and more changes lie ahead.  I am proud of all of them and I know they will do well as they make their mark in this world.

But for now, today, I smile and have a happy heart due in no small part to my wonderful children.  And I can't wait to spend the weekend with Jake!

My heart sings.