What Are You Thankful For?

Thursday, November 5, 2009

I gave Christmas the spotlight Monday, so I thought I ought to give Thanksgiving its due time today. I like Thanksgiving. It's not as sexy as Christmas, what with all those sparkly decorations and so forth, but it does have great food (my son once asked if I was going to cook a "big chicken" for Thanksgiving...he meant "turkey"...oh, I miss those days).

Anyway, what I really love about Thanksgiving is that it's an entire holiday dedicated to remembering and acknowledging all of the things we're thankful for. I'm a big believer in always counting your blessings, but Thanksgiving provides a unique kick in the pants to give some thought to all of those things you're grateful for. Here are a few things on my list (I apologize for the sappyness of this post):

1) My Son: He's, hands down, the greatest blessing I've received in my entire 33 years. And he does his own laundry.


2) My Parents: They're always there for me. Always. Even though they're 1200 miles away.

3) Our Home: I'm grateful for the safe haven it is for us, and the decorating playground it is for me.



4) Friends/My Adopted Oklahoma Family: Those of you living away from "home" know what I mean. There's nothing like a friend who will watch your dog, share carpool duties, rescue you when your car breaks down, and laugh with you when it's all over.


(Um, I'm a tad chubby in this photo...but I think it was taken 2 months post divorce (and in the midst of my Oreo obsession). Oh, I'm grateful for weight loss...)

5) Choclate, flea markets, thrift stores, TJ Maxx, paint...oh yes, paint!, the internet to teach me how to fix a toilet, fabric sales, homemade lattes, good tv, the best poodle in the world, hot showers, diet pepsi, Mexican food, pedicures, micro fleece...and good music...and the fact that there are people out there who can sing better than I can.

6) Finally, I'm thankful for YOU. Honestly...I'm not sucking up to the crowd here. I am truly, humbly, deeply grateful for all of you and the joy you bring into my life.


What are you thankful for? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I would challenge you to write out your own list.

Have a great weekend!

18 Suburbanites Said:

Lori said...

What a wonderful list! Your son is so handsome and I can tell you are a very proud mama!

L.Duncan@Home23DuncanBoys said...

I'm thankful for a lot of the things you're thankful for! I am also thankful for people like you who do the same things I do on a daily basis (like spray painting)!!! I use to feel so alone being a stay at home mom with 3 kids. My friends don't share my hobby's so when I started blogging I felt like I found new friends. New friends who for a first time in my life, like the same things I like. So THANK YOU Annicole for having a great site and featuring things that I can sooo relate to!

Delightful Dwelling said...

How sweet! I'm going to have to borrow this idea and do a post on blessings in my life. Thanks for the inspiration.

Anonymous said...

I'm thankful that you just wrote what you were thankful for so I could be reminded of what I'm thankful for and be touched by your thankfulness! Wow! That was quite the run on! You are one of my favorite blogs in all the world! Because you seem so extremely nice and real! And you are so creative!!!

Kolein-upstate NY
velvette1216@gmail.com
ps- I can never figure out how to post...so I always post Anonymous!

Angie said...

What a great list!! I am writing down things I am thankful for on my blog too! Like you, I have LOTS to be thankful for and sometimes I forget to look around, take a deep breath and be thankful

Ness Lockyer said...

Your list is lovely. We dont have it here, and I wish we did. It sounds like such a nice tradition...a run up to Christmas.
Ness xx

Janell @ House of Fifty said...

Great post...I enjoyed reading what you are thankful for. I'm thankful for my family and friends and recently for the opportunity to have made so many new friends through this blogging world.
Janell

Mikael@starter home to dream home said...

what a cute post! I am thankful for SOOO many things! For the internet so that I can see all these cool things and connect with people like you and of course, for my perfect husband and adorable 3 little ones. November is a great month!

Bethany Christensen said...

I am thankful for people who have lived though hardship adn are willing to share themselves and thier strenghth with others.
Bethany

DreamCatcher said...

you.are.so.true!
Although here in Greece we don't celebrate Thanksgivings, I am very thankful of many many many things:
my son - I fell in love w him the moment he popped out of me! and he seems to be totally in love w me! for now...that is...!
my husband - for putting up with me
my newly built home - who would have thought that I'd enjoy cleaning it so much..!
all of you bloggers out there - you've opened new unexplored horizons
tea - green, black, flavored, plain, strong, decaf, you name it I love it! nope...I'm no British
being able to travel around Europe with my hubby - we always have such a good time!
books - they are always there for me
decor magazines - do I really need to explain this to you??
in-laws - they've been a great great help with the baby
online shopping - oh! how much I envy you Americans! online shopping simply isn't in Europe what is in Usa.
facebook - for keeping up with my friends and family who live so very far
and last but certainly not least at all
my best friend - she's a keeper until I the day I die!

Lynette said...

I'm thankful for my girl, Meghan - she is 19, she likes me, which is so different than loving me, and she does love me. We have always gotten along. I was a single parent at 4 mos. preggers - hardly long enough for the ink on my marriage license to dry, let alone my proofs from my actual wedding pics to come in! Waited 12 years to do it again, this one lasted 7 years and my girl told me the other day that even though she and her step dad were "buddies" she knew that she could ALWAYS count on me and that I had been both her "mommy" (which she still calls me) and her dad all wrapped up in one and I always would be - I am most thankful for my girl.

Next, I am thankful for new and improved hair products - I have the most god-awful-Italian-frizzy-not-pretty-curly-hair and buy every hair product that promises straight luxurious hair out there (they don't work, but I'm a sucker for them) and would just die without my round hair brush, mousse, hair dryer, and curling iron that I use to torture my hair with every morning!

Are you sorry you asked this question?

Wishing you a very Happy Turkey (or big chicken) Day!

deborah said...

You are an amazing woman! Raising a son is a full time job all by itself. Congratulations on a job well done! Thanks for your sweet comment on our blog, it was so lovely of you to comment Thanks for the reminder to always be thankful~ Deborah

Stephanie said...

What a lovely list! Isn't it so uplifting to stop and think of all the things that we are thankful for? Thanks for the reminder!
Stephanie
p.s. Two words: diet pepsi

AnNicole@Our Suburban Cottage said...

I loved reading all of your comments.
Stephanie- You made me laugh. I had just opened a nice cold diet pepsi when I read your comment. I'm glad there's someone else out there that shares my addiction :).

RUNSTANDSTILL said...

Hi AnNicole,
I'm thankful for so many things and loved reading your post because I couldn't agree more with your attitude! :)
Here are the top tings that come to mind - fun and serious.
- hot tea
- libraries so my children and I can enjoy countless books and treasures for FREE
- my wonderful job
- the fact that my husband and I perservere and have good jobs during these trying economic times. we're not rich, but we're blessed.
- baking with apples
- baking with pumpkin
- my neighbors
- Your blog! I just love the way you present your tips and your overall tone. It's so exciting to use your ideas to create beauty on a budget.
- finally, thank you for your post about living in your dream home right now. It was perfection.

Jennibell said...

Definitely NOT diet Pepsi. . .Diet Coke might be on my list though. . .

Anonymous said...

I am thankful for waking up each morning next to the love of my life. I'm thankful that I have been blessed with a talent to turn a house into a home. I am thankful that God saw me fit enough to be the mother to three amazing children and now has double that joy by making me a grandmother! I'm thankful that at age 46 I have 3 of the most precious grandchildren to love and cherish, and hopefully grow old with. I am thankful that I can see the splendor of fall, hear the sweetness of the rain falling and the birds chirping and that I can feel the warmth that only love brings. Everyday is a blessing, and I need to remember that in the midst of my day to day routine. I'm also thankful that I have discovered BLOGS! I feel a connection to so many of you even though I don't know you.
Lynne in KS

Melissa Miller said...

Love your blog! :)

 

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