Giving Thanks 2013

Several years ago now, Will and I spent a few years living in beautiful Hendersonville, NC.  We attended a big Methodist church right in downtown and the Pastor who was there at the time had a wonderful tradition of making a list of all the things he was thankful for every Thanksgiving.  There were things on that list that I had never even thought about being thankful for, and it made me really look hard at all the little things I tend to take for granted.  So I decided to adopt that same tradition as my own and have made a list every year since.  Since it's Thanksgiving week, I thought I'd share my list with you here today.  Maybe you'll consider making your own Giving Thanks list in the days ahead.  It's always good to be thankful.

Mountains, trees, Appalachian Trail, hiking buddies, leaves, leaf rakes, 3 acres, new house, Midlothian VA, Mt. Pisgah UMC, cherub choir, Arise, boot camp, the best trainer and boot camp buddies, birthday burpees, Tazza Kitchen, date nights, good movies, books, the Bible, Robert Frost poetry, Barbara Kingsolver novels, soft yarn, The Yarn Lounge, Cary Street, playgrounds, Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Sonata, Marvin the oil-changin' man, hot coffee, cold nights, warm blankets, thick socks, wool sweaters, Taproot magazine in the mail, writing letters, Simple Abundance, November sunsets, pretty clouds, iPhone camera, Instagram, sunflowers, zinnias, home-grown tomatoes, raised beds, ice-cold water, good water bottles, cozy sweatpants, bonfires, s'mores, stars, to the moon and back, Cotton Plains, OBX, Hakuna Matata, ocean, family vacations, sister weekends, Betty Butler, Virginia Krohn, Sommer Elizabeth, Grayson James, Isla Jean, Sydney Faith, Charlie Thomas, Carlisle PA, CHS, softball, great coaches and teacher, marching band, old friends, girls weekends, old friends, First UMC, candelight services, mission trips, God, sunrises, sunsets, summer camp, Alta Mons, chapel in the woods, "love mail", Blacksburg VA, Virginia Tech, Duck Pond, Cheatham Hall, Fisheries Science, Hokie sports, wind rock, Blue Ridge Parkway, Hendersonville NC, First UMC, SONday Praise, seat heaters, strollers, farmers markets, gluten-free waffles, Dunkin Donuts, warm coats, slippers, tissues, Constant Comment tea, pillows, soft sheets, 31 bags, notebooks, Phoebe Wahl art, notecards, Food Network, classic toys, play-doh, swings, banana chips, Luna Bars, new friends, neighbor dinners, good sermons, sharing soup, basketball hoops, tennis rackets, temporary home, sweet-smelling candles, Christmas trees, twinkle lights, children's books, Harry Potter, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, reading with Tommy, singing with Annabel, weekends at the Lake, hot baths, screened porches, big decks, cold drinks, family photos, scrap books, Snickers bars, ice cream cones, Melissa's apple pie, family dinner, push-button start, ice makers, Trader Joe's mango slices, bicycles, comfortable sneakers, lawn mowers, baby monitors, new recipes, mudroom, bunk beds, bookshelves, piano, baskets, chicken and dumplings, muffled kid giggles, "Love you, big girl," reusable bags, swimming pools, hooded sweatshirts, hiking trails, FaceTime, "Love you, Tommy," Sweet Frog, whispered secrets, tight hugs, dad's spaghetti sauce, tubetini, Mr. Pine's Mixed-Up Signs, Red Sox baseball, Fenway Pahk, Redskins football, White Sox baseball, outdoor ice staking rinks, the best family in the whole world, and finally, the three most important people in my entire life:  Will, Tommy, and Annabel.  <3

What are you thankful for this year?