Top Ten Thankfulness List

In no particular order:

• IKEA.  Oh. my.  I was driving through Chicago on Sunday and the interstate I was on went literally right by an IKEA store. As in, I could have thrown a rock at it from my fast moving vehicle.  But instead of defacing such an amazing store, I decided rather to enter into its glorious walls and give them my money.  I spent only an hour there (are you impressed, dear reader?) and got many a fabulous deal.  That store is the best.  Ten out of ten would recommend, as my 16-year-old daughter would say.  
• Old friends.  And by old friends, I don't mean old friends, but simply long-time friends.  I got together with my college girlfriends for our 13 annual Girls' Weekend, and it was wonderful.  Lots of laughs, memories, rest and good catching up.  It did my heart good.
• Staff meetings.  Does that sound like a strange thing to be thankful for? Well, I actually mean the part directly after our meetings, where we gather in the church to pray Evening Prayer together.  We sing the litany and the Magnificat, and it wows me every time.  To be surrounded by my coworkers, all singing together to our God is nothing short of an immense blessing which I take for granted far too often.  
• Grandparent's Day.  Both my high schoolers and my grade schoolers have Grandparent's Day this week, and all four grandparents are here and able to attend!  Another blessing I often take for granted.  Praise God for amazing parents who are so very involved in their grandchildren's lives!
• Peanut clusters.  I make them in the crock pot every Thanksgiving and Christmas and they're the best.  We hide them from ourselves in the freezer, but we are super smart and find them anyway and eat them frozen.
• Fall scents.  I adore all the cinnamon, apple, spice and holiday scents from Bath and Body Works, Yankee and the like.  My house smells like I'm baking something amazing all the time, when in reality the oven is empty.  Delicious smells don't have any calories! (of course, peanut clusters do, see above. . .)
• My bathroom-cleaning husband.  I've probably blogged about this before, but when I went back to teaching 2 years ago, my husband asked me how he could help shoulder some of my household burden (as he doesn't have enough on his plate already - the man is busy 24/7).  He suggested he take over the bathroom cleaning chore, and for the past 2.5 years, I have barely cleaned a bathroom.  He faithfully cleans them thoroughly each week without complaint.  I am so grateful for his loving heart.
• Older siblings.  My younger children are so blessed to have their older siblings.  They help each other with their homework (especially the harder math - score for mommy!), they explain how to navigate high school and create excitement for when they get there, they read Harry Potter (so I don't have to - blech!) and help me decide when their siblings are old enough to read each book, and they have shown their younger siblings how to grow up gracefully.  I am thankful for each stage of growing I have enjoyed with my kids, and the older years have not failed to disappoint!
• Doggies.  Shadow often is the fodder for my blogging, but truly, I love him.  No one gets more excited at my arrival home each day than that puppy.  It's nice to be loved!
• Faith and family.  What a blessing to worship with my children (and husband from afar) this holiday season.  Every day is a gift from God - precious and worthy of thanks.  Thank you God, for your many gifts to us!