thankful thanksgiving

{found via pinterest from country living}

this thanksgiving we're getting together with peter's growing extended family. we always spend thanksgiving with peter's family, but this is the first year everyone will stay in one house together. we're all looking forward to it - especially keane who is more than thrilled that a lot of his favorite people are going to be in one place all together for a few days.

when we started naming everyone who's coming he interrupted me after about 10 names, and just said "and everybody! thaaaanks-giv-ing!"

it has been a while since we've seen some of them so it'll be good to {hopefully} have a chance to catch up with everyone.

but as i write this i'm trying not to think about the packing and everything i need to remember. i'm trying not to worry about forgetting something - ever since the year we forgot the hanging bag with 80% of my clothes in it i've worried about this even more than i used to. i'm trying not to focus on those things that will inevitably sort themselves out.

i'm trying not to focus on the fact that my kids wake up too early at home, and we'll probably get very little sleep while we're there. i'm trying not to focus on the rest of my christmas shopping, or anything else that really doesn't matter right now.

instead i'm focusing {or trying to} on the many many many people and things that make me grateful. day in and day out. grateful.

peter. keane. adele. our little family tops my grateful list.
the rest of my family. naturally.

there are a lot of big things i am grateful for, like the things above. and those are important, but they aren't the only things that make the list.

i don't naturally focus on the positive. i have to work at it. but that doesn't mean there aren't a lot of positives to focus on. it just means i have to work at it.

today i am grateful. i am grateful for my family.
i am grateful for a roof over my head.
i am grateful for my coffee.
i am grateful for a sunny day, and a walk with my loves.
i am grateful for snuggles and the laughter of my kids as they learn to play together.
i am grateful for leftovers for lunch.
i am grateful for a vacuum cleaner that works.
i am grateful for our washing machine.
i am grateful for the options i have in most areas of my life.

i am grateful for a bed to sleep in, and food in the refrigerator.
i'm grateful that i even have a refrigerator.
i'm grateful for my car that takes me 95% of the places i need to go.
i'm grateful for an internet connection that allows me to access more information than i'll ever be able to learn.

i am grateful.

it's so easy for me to sit down and think about what i want and what i like and what i "deserve".
but i need to stop and think about all the wonderful people and things i already have.
i don't really deserve any of that. not if i'm being really honest.
but i am grateful for it.

i'm praying that i don't just rush to christmas this year. i'm praying that i remember and keep and take with me some of that thankfulness. some of that thanksgiving.

i've been working on that and trying to do that more and more the last few years. sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
but i never regret gratefulness. i never regret being thankful.

happy friday!

xo