~tHanKfuL~

So I have been thinking.....I am, going to post one thing I am grateful for each day this month. I am certainly thankful throughout the year but when Turkey day comes, I want to know that I know what I really have to be THANKFUL for. So for today:

Nov.1 st: I am thankful that God created the seasons. Have you noticed how beautiful the leaves are & the bright vivid colors that the different trees produce? Only our God is capable of knowing how to do that. Isn't it lovely that we get to experience all of those changes in each season? I just love it!

Nov. 2: Thank you Jesus that its time for......SLEEP! Its been a long & tiring day & I am so thankful that God created sleep. What would our bodies & minds be like if we never had sleep? I will tell you what it would be like....t-o-r-t-u-r-e!!! So with that I say ---- buenos noches!

Nov.3: I had to think real hard today about what I REALLY am thankful for. Then it occurred to me that I am so thankful for a vehicle. I don't know how people who don't have cars to get around in make it. I know it sounds corny BUT really, I depend on my van everyday to get me where I need to be. Sidenote: one day I want my own VW convertible Beetle - cherry red with a black top!!!

Nov. 4: Today, I am most grateful that even after a somewhat tumultous day with the boy, it was truly wonderful to lay in bed & watch him do his homework & then I read stories to him. I am so thankful that I have the ability to do this as a mom. Sometimes its redundant & boring but I hope that I making some good memories for Grant. I pray he will always know & feel in his heart the immense love I have for him.....even on our bad days!!!

Nov. 5: I was in an antique store lately & I saw a couple of things that triggered my memory. Today, I am sooooo thankful for memoriess. I mean, really, think about how your life would be without memories...good or bad, we wouldn't have a story to tell. So anyway, back to my memories. I picked up this old circular tin & it was full of dirty yucky buttons so it made me think of a tin that my Grandma saved for me except for the fact that it was full of coins. I remember that I had found the tin in one of my mom's secret hiding places, opening up, noticed that my name was written in my grandmother's handwriting. I noticed all the quarters, nickels, & dimes, totally ignored the pennies. I remember taking that money a little bit at a time & later getting caught & in BiG trouble. Another item that triggered one of my memories was a dark brown GLASS medicine bottle. Now that eveything is plastic, our kids will never know what a glass medicine bottle looks like. I remember when I had a ton of issues with my ears. I had ear infections, earaches & ultimately a lot of surgery to correct the problem. When I picked up the medicine bottle it was like I could see, smell & taste the antibiotic amoxicillin. Its that pink bubble gum looking liquid. It was so "dej a vu-ish". I guess that's what purusing an antique store will do to ya! So, be thakful for your memories, they are what make life sweeter!

Nov.6: I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday b/c of my own "busy-ness". But the one think that came to mind about what I am thankful for is my creative ability. I'd like to think that I am a pretty creative person & I really like to challenge myself with different things. Lately, I have been mulling some ideas over in my head about decorating a wall in my living room. My ideas are just that...ideas but once I get a teaching job & start making some more moolah, I will be diving into the decorating world & getting some stuff done around here. SO anyway, that is what I am thankful for. I thank the Big Man upstairs for my creative abilities, it delights me & at times, it brings delight to others.

Nov. 7: As the cold weather approaches, I am sooooo thankful for my home. Yeah, its not a mansion but its not a shanty either. But it is our home, its our soft place to fall, our comfort zone, our sanctuary, our cozy little nest. I have to admit that lately I have been struggling with coveting other people's homes. No one in particular, just houses I see that are bigger than mine and a desire to throw up a FOR SALE sign in our yard so we can go get another house. That's not reality but I do know for a fact that I won't be in this home forever & I have to remind myslf that there are others out there who have no place to call home. So Kudos to 524 Tulip Grove Rd. She's not a beauty but she's good enough for now.

Nov.8: One of the things that I really enjoy when I have the time to do it is READING! I had a pretty long day today, so to relax after doing some housework, I decided that I would sit down & read at least one chapter of the book I am reading now. I can't even imagine what my life would be like without the ability to read. I mean, seriously, think about how IF you couldn't read, what you wouldn't be able to do. Reading is like a building block in the foundation of life. I am so thankful for the fact that I can read that I am seriously thinking later on down the road, I will go back and get my Master's in Reading so I can be a Reading Specialist.

Nov. 9: I am ever so THANKFUL for God's divine protection. A lady hit my neighbor as she was backing out of her driveway, sideswiped a tree or a pole & ended up in my front yard. There are too many other scenarios that could have turned out tragic but God protected us. I think was sending me a message...."I am always going to protect you." I am so thankful for that!!!

Nov. 10: I am thankful for the fact that today I didn't lose my mind. I got real close but I haven't gone crazy yet!

Nov.11: I am thankful today for FORGIVENESS = I

Nov.12: I know it may sound kinda corny but I am really thankful for WATER! Think about how our lives would be so 'dry' & destitute without water. We use it to cook, wash clothes, wash dishes, bath ourselves, drink it for health, lay near it when we go to the beach, etc, etc. I am so glad that God thought of water, He knows our every need, even as something as simple as water.

Nov. 13: Today, I am thanful for the opportunities that God has provided for me to hone my skills as a teacher. Its been nice to practice what I learned in college & also picking up some good pointers from tenured teachers. I am anxious to get my own classroom & begin teaching but I really believe that I am where I'm supposed to be & He has the perfect job for me!!!

Nov.14: I am so thankful that I had the chance to spend time with my hubby when we went to the Christams village thing @ the Fairgrounds. I am also thankful that I got to sleep in this morning without any interruptions from a red headed little boy. It was refreshing to wake up on my own time. That doesn't happen very often so when it does, it feels FaNTAbuLouS!!!

Nov.15: I am thankful for a lazy Sunday afternoon. I did a little bit of work but it wasn't like I was slaving myself around the house. I sat down for a little over an hour & worked on my Dec. Daily. Its coming along & I DO hope to get it done before the end of the month so I can fill it up with some great pics! It was definitely a day of rest around here @ the DeFelice household.

Nov.16: When I was laying in bed last night, I remembered that I had forgotten to post for today. So I hegan to think about what I was thankful for besides the ordinary day to day things. I finally realized that I am, so thankful for the fact that I live in an era where the field of medicine has gone beyond the days of undiagnosis & very few treatments for a variety of illnesses or diseases. I am partcular thankful that I have physicians who know their "stuff" & are so very patient, kind, & understanding and also take their time to explain things in ways I can understand. It's a blessing to have doctors & nurses to take care of us, so make sure you tell them next time you have to see one!!!

Nov. 17: I am thankful for the freedom I have to make choices & the privilege to live in the U.S.A. I know that a lot of people have sacrificed their lives so that I can live in comfort, peace, and security. I have the utmost respect for our military personnel, especially those who served in war, past & present.

Nov. 18: Today, I am thankful for an extra pair of hands that are at my house. My mom is here for a bit & she has been helping me a great deal with things around the house & most importantly entertaining & meeting some of Grant's needs. It's been great to have her here & given our history, it's nice to be close and share certain things with her. Life is too short to hold grudges so we (I) have to build bridges & get over our issues.

Nov. 19: Okay, so I will admit that it's getting more difficult to find "things" to be thankful for. It's easy to say you're thankful for the everyday mundane stuff. I want to go deeper into what is really important & valuable. I think for today, I am so thankful that God has given me life. I have a life like no one else's & of course there are some hard things about it, there are some easy things about it, and there are things that need improvement. However, it's the seasons of life that make you realize who is ultimately in control & how precious ife really is.

Nov.20: I am thankful that I had the chance to enjoy Grant's Kindergarten Thanksgiving program at school today. You just can't get back those moments when your children are so proud of themselves & how special they feel when they see their parents' face in the crowd. I am so glad I got to enjoy that!

Nov. 21: Today I ran to the store to get some things we needed & I saw a young person lighting up a cigarette. Now, I'm sure you're asking yourself what would that have to do with anything with being thankful. Well, you see I once was a smoker & I smoked for about six years. It was when I was young & didn't want to admit to myself how terrible it was for my health. I remember it was New Years Eve 1999 & I made the decision to quit once and for all. OH my GOodness was that so hard. I didn't want to quit using patches or pills or gum. I quit it Cold Turkey. Bill had to endure my severe crankiness but today I am so thankful that I don't have that addiction anymore. Not only is it terribly expensive but detrimental to your health. I am so thankful that God helped me through that. Every now and then, I get that temptation but I stop & think about how much it destroys the body & leaves a wretched smell on your clothes & sets a bad example for children. So that's it....

Nov. 22: I am thankful for the gift of salvation. I am so blessed to know God as my Savior and counting on him for all my needs. I am so happy that he bore the burdens of my sin & died to set me free. There have been seasons in my life where I have been "away" from God but he's always been right there to take my hand again & forgive me for falling short. I will never understand how people cannot believe in God. I am reminded of a song by Nicole Nordeman and how people question the presence of God. Its called "What If" and one of the lyrics asks what if you're wrong meaning what if a person is wrong about God? what are they going to lose? and if you DO believe, then we have nothing to lose.


Nov. 23: I am thankful today for the hugs and kisses from my sweet boy Grant! He was happy to see me when I got home from "work", he gave me a big hug & told me he missed me. I love him so much it hurts! Thank you Lord for my boy!!!

Nov. 24: hhhmmmm.............I am thankful today for the friends I have. I think its ironic how when you're younger, having a hundred friends seems so important. Then, as you get older, you find out who your real friends are & how loyal they can be & the number of friends a person has decreases substantially. I have had a lot of friends through my life who have taught me so many different things. Some of these people have stayed & some have gone but one thing is for sure, I will always cherich my friendshiips. I guess as the old saying goes, "to have a friend is to be a friend!"

Nov. 25: Today, I am thankful for a warm house, clothes on my back, food in my tummy, a little money in my back account, a family that loves me, friends who care about me, and a God who is my Rock. I am blessed for sure!!!

Nov. 26: I am thankful for my family today. My Dad, my Mom, my Brother, my son, my pets, and all of my extended family that I didn't get to see today. I am so thankful that I have people who love me & would do anything for me. It's a true blessing!