Grateful: 5 Things On The 5th

If I'm going to meet my quota of 50 posts this year (and possibly out-do myself and go beyond that), I've seriously got to get it in gear.  Luckily, November and December are two of my favorite months of the year and therefore, I feel like I naturally have more to write about.  November ranks up there for three main reasons:

1. The weather is quite wonderful...not hot, sometimes warm, and seldom too cold.  That's my kind of deal.
2. Soup season starts.  I love making big pots of soup or stew or cheating and using my trusty slow cooker to do the job for me.  There's nothing like a big bowl of hot goodness paired with some fresh sourdough bread, sharp cheddar cheese, and apple slices (preferably Honey Crisp or Fuji).  My tummy loves November.
3. I positively LOVE Thanksgiving and thinking about gratitude.  I honestly have things I'm thankful for running through my mind quite regularly as the month goes along.  It's one of the reasons we have a Thankful Tree every year.

In honor of the beginning of this glorious month, I'm going to make a short list of a few things that I'm grateful for today...

 

5 Things I'm Thankful For On The 5th

1. The Daylight Saving time change.  I love the change in the spring as the days grow longer and I love it in the fall since I get an extra hour of sleep in the morning (the morning is my arch nemesis).  I also actually really enjoy that it gets dark early.  Before we had children, I would intentionally leave a light or two on when leaving for work in the morning so that when I arrived home as it grew dark - or already was dark - I felt like the house was welcoming me back when I saw the front porch lights on or perhaps a lamp on in the window.  I may be a weirdy, but that was always a comforting feeling to me.
2. My family's patience with me and their forgiveness of my shortcomings. I kind of lost it a couple of times today. I was frustrated with my kids for various reasons, I got upset and lashed out when I shouldn't have, and I was mad at myself for letting said frustration get the best of me. Bless their poor hearts, in spite of what a lame mom and wife I can be at times, at the end of the day, my hubby and kids still accept me: lost marbles, overreactions and all. My children especially get big kudos on this one because all it takes with them is a simple, sincere apology and they let my misgivings go. I am one lucky lady.
3. The fabulous television show Castle.  It is, after all, Monday night.  Our TiVo box is just finishing recording tonight's episode and I can hardly wait to go and plop down on the couch.  The writers, producers, etc. of the show really nailed it...the characters (who doesn't totally love Caskett [ha ha!], Ryan, and Esposito?), the one-liners, the story lines, etc.  If you haven't seen it or if you don't like it, then you've got something seriously wrong with you.
4. Great neighbors who also happen to be great friends...  We seriously hit the jackpot in terms of neighbors.  We live next to and around some of the most friendly, generous, kind, loving, thoughtful and giving people in the world.  Everyone watches out for each other and is genuinely concerned about each other's well being.  I couldn't ask for better.  Heaven forbid we should ever have to move because nothing compares to these people!
5. A hard working husband who does SO much for our family. Max works his tail off at the office and makes it possible for me to stay home with the kiddies. In addition to bringing home the bacon, he has also always been the one to do most of the yard work. While I enjoy doing yard work (to an extent...ahem), I'm afraid that I often take for granted just how much he does. With his being somewhat unable to work in the yard as of late, I've been trying to make things easier on him and pick up the slack. Today I spent hours outside raking, blowing, sweeping, and bagging leaves. I honestly enjoy the work and the results when I do it but it really is a lot of work. He keeps our yard pristine and lets me be the pansy I am when it comes to yard work most of the time. I am blessed to be married to him.

I have so much more that I'm thankful for but a) I'm not going to list it all now because I need more writing material for future posts and b) it's time for CASTLE...