Last year I posted 100 things that I am grateful for around Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is always a time to reflect and think about what really matters in life, and finding out that we were pregnant on Thanksgiving Day last year has only made me more reflective and grateful this year. Grady is it for us this year - he is the light of our life. I didn't want to be influenced by last year's list so I didn't reread it, but I am certain there are some repeats . . . I am pretty sure ice cream will make it on my list every year :).
Here are my 100 things that I am grateful for this year in random order.
- Grady! - everything else is gravy beyond him.
- Bella cuddles.
- Sister talks.
- Our wonderful group of college friends.
- Epidurals.
- Our health.
- The B.O.B. stroller - ours has seen more miles than my car this fall.
- Elastic waistbands - a necessity for me post pregnancy.
- An extremely supportive family.
- A healthy, happy marriage.
- Growing in our marriage every day (not all days are peaches and cream, but we make efforts to learn from our challenges).
- Accepted apologies.
- Doting grandparents.
- Grady's great grandma - he is scheduled to meet her this December!
- Freshly washed towels, warm and smelling of fabric softener.
- Etsy!!! The sponsor of Grady's room.
- Spending days on the Boise River.
- Grady's sleep habits (fingers crossed that they continue).
- The big green toad that inhabits our garden and scares me every time I happen upon him.
- Hot summer nights when it stays light until 10:00.
- Enjoying a book on our back porch.
- Second Sunday Gorczyca dinners.
- Bacon wrapped asparagus.
- Friends who showered me and Grady with love (especially Lynsey, Becko and Cheryl).
- My bathtub.
- Fresh air - never knew how much I appreciated it until our state was on fire this summer.
- An easy pregnancy.
- The return of normal unswollen feet.
- Flip flops (see above).
- Trying new recipes.
- Baby Halloween costumes - a pointlessly adorable invention.
- Mrs. Fields Cookie dough ice cream.
- Good advice.
- Good night kisses.
- Erin flying across the country to meet Grady.
- The 100 cookies that Erin baked us and the 25 balls of dough she left us.
- All the wonderful meals we received when Grady was born.
- Professional growth.
- Baby story time at our library.
- Stacy shooting some maternity photos so I could remember my big belly (and the 50 pounds that went with it!)
- Leaving our 20s feeling good about them.
- Golf dates with the Huz.
- Grandma babysitting.
- A Huz who takes pride in keeping our yard looking good.
- Tasting a crisp apple right off of the tree.
- New paint.
- Postcards, a tradition that I hope technology does not kill.
- 4 months of maternity leave - I know I am more blessed than most.
- Josh Turner's "Time is Love."
- A remote controlled fireplace.
- Unexpected packages in the mail.
- The Olympics.
- Seeing new places.
- Time up at Priest Lake with Chris' whole family.
- Our exercise ball, not for exercise but as the cheapest rocker ever invented.
- Swaddle blankets.
- Stripes! - can you tell I love them? Grady and I are almost always pictured in them.
- My new camera lens - opted for it instead of paying for professional baby photos, good choice for me.
- The privilege of voting.
- Buttery croissants with jam.
- Giants winning the World Series.
- Phillip Phillips "Home."
- New opportunities.
- Setting goals.
- New friends.
- John Schmidt's "Love Story Meets Viva La Vida" I probably listened to this song no less than 100 times this year at work.
- Summer barbecues.
- Caprese salad.
- The cuddler (this is the big corner edge of our couch that I nap on and it is heavenly).
- The smell of freshly cut grass.
- Hot tea.
- The beach.
- Quilts, especially Grady's awesome new quilt.
- Good neighbors.
- Seeing our Japanese Maple tree turn bright red.
- Being surprised by an unexpected blanket of snow in the morning.
- Collecting my spring flowers for vases around the house.
- Boise's four beautiful seasons.
- The sound of Canada Geese honking.
- College football.
- Sushi.
- My mantra for the year courtesy of 50 Cent (yes, the rapper) of all people, "You can pray about it or worry about it, there is no sense in doing both."
- Bananagrams.
- Boat rides.
- Pink sunrises out of our kitchen windows.
- Hand-me-downs - from maternity clothes to baby clothes to baby gear, I am forever grateful Erin, Elizabeth and Cheryl.
- Christmas cards.
- Facetiming with Tyler and Owen.
- Tights.
- Supportive coworkers.
- Supportive bras :).
- Modern Family.
- Seeing more of my Tommy Brokaw since it was an election year.
- Sticky notes.
- Board Books - some of our favorites are "On the Night You Were Born", "The Bear Snores On", "There is a Monster at the End of This Book", and "The Napping House.
- Homemade cards
- Zucchini bread.
- Pajama days.
- Dahlias.
- Chris' sense of humor.
