Yes, I am grateful for tweezers.  A handy little tool to remove splinters, really small things, unwanted hairs. Okay fine, I'm grateful for them for the unwanted hairs. Dear me, the older one gets the more hairs start appearing in random places and need to be removed. And no, I'm not telling you where because then you'll be looking at me trying to figure it out.  Hopefully I keep on top of it and nobody notices. *wink*  Yeah, that's a bit of vanity speaking. But whatever.  I am grateful for tweezers because they help keep me at a comfortable vanity level. Ha!

(For Wednesday June 25) I'm totally stealing my friend's Gratitude Attitude for today.  Once she verbalized it and I started thinking about it I realized I was also grateful for it.  She and I are grateful for the support placed in bathrooms for people who are disabled or injured. Like the bar on the wall next to the toilet. For people with back injuries, hip injuries, and various disabilities this bar is very important in assisting them up and down.  Now.  I don't currently need such assistance but I know people who have needed it in the past and currently need it and my guess is in the future I will need it.  And there are other items of support/assistance available to also help people - all things to be grateful for as they aide in getting something done and helping us stay, well, clean!

Sometimes even this Type A chick needs to mix it up and not go straight down the list.  So I'm grateful for the shuffle feature on our various electronics and playlist sites like Spotify.  Shuffle provides some variety, mixes it up, keeps things from being predictable.  And because it is me thinking about this my brain took it further than the obvious...of course!  It may be a stretch but this Type A chick doesn't need just her music shuffled from time to time, I need my life to be shuffled from time to time.  When I hit shuffle on my life the outcome is usually, okay always, chaotic at best and disastrous at worst.  But when God hits shuffle on my life it may feel chaotic or disastrous or anything in between those but the outcome is always fantastic, better than anything I could have hoped for.  I've learned, after almost a decade of God hitting shuffle on my life, that when it's time to shuffle I am grateful because he has nothing but good for me in it.  

Today I was driving home and a light came on in the console.  This is never good and immediately sends my armpits into sweat mode.  I am fearful of car problems.  I am fearful of breaking down in the middle of the road and traffic.  I hate cars.  So I did what I always do when this happens. I start muttering out loud over and over, "Please Jesus just get me home" and I start contacting my husband with multiple texts about the car and how it could blow up at any second.  The closer I crept, and yes at this point the car was creeping, to home the more I pressed down on the accelerator to get home quicker.  I turned on to our street.  I pulled into the driveway and...the car died. Dead.  No acceleration, it was done.  But I was in  my driveway. There's my gratitude attitude for the day, whew.  It is pure favor from God, I am seriously so grateful. P.S. The car was apparently 100% empty of water yet wasn't overheating.  Weird.  My hub put water in, topped off other flui

(For Sunday June 22) Okay so today was one of those days where I had no attitude at all - grateful or otherwise!  I spent the day battling a migraine, so it was a low-key day.  I'm having a hard time figuring out what my gratitude attitude could be for today.  I guess what I am grateful for is that all I had to battle today was a migraine.  I wasn't battling cancer like some people I know are, I wasn't battling any other major health issue, I wasn't battling all the emotions and responsibilities that fall to the shoulders of a someone who has been left to do it alone due to the death of their spouse. My migraine was a easier battle to engage in. But should I be called upon to battle any of those I mentioned or something I didn't I would still choose to be grateful.  There is always a bigger battle to fight than the one I am currently engaged in.

Today I watched two friends of mine (who used to be my bosses) celebrate their love story in a wedding ceremony.  They actually got married last July but this year had a ceremony that family and friends could be a part of.  It was really moving.  I had the privilege of watching them enter into a romantic relationship after being friends and co-workers for many, many years.  It was fun to watch my direct boss get all giggly and blush when we would mention his name. It was fun to watch him drop by with candy or flowers for her just because.  Their story has been really special to witness and today as they allowed us to celebrate with them in a more formal way I felt so grateful for the opportunity to know them, love them, and celebrate their love story.

(For Friday June 20) Today I spent the day painting the nails of elderly ladies at a care home in my town.  I was so grateful for the opportunity to do this for these ladies.  To touch them, to pamper them, to speak value to them by this little act of service.  And let me tell you they loved it.  It is rare that they get touched, pampered, paid attention to. Some have no family, some have no family that can or are willing to visit them, and some have family that visit.  I truly felt so grateful for a day to touch these women and bring a smile to their face.

I have the GoodReads app on my phone and it has the BEST feature!  It has a barcode scan. I can scan any book barcode and it pulls up the book so I can read reviews, add it to my "to read" list, or whatever.  I love this app.  I use it A LOT.  People ask me how I know about books and what I might want to read? I use this app every time I am in a library or store and I scan it real quick if it looks interesting enough and then I either add it or move on.  This is how I "hear" about books and authors I might not otherwise.  Today I went to Barnes & Noble and added 10 books to my "to read" list in a matter of minutes.  I love this! I love that this is how I get introduced to new-to-me authors and books that I might not run across otherwise. How about you?  What app do you love and are grateful for?

(For Wednesday June 18) I think every light needs a green arrow for the left turn.  Years ago someone turned left in front of my car without looking to see if anyone was there and did so quickly that there could be no reaction time on my end so my car was totaled. I get pretty tense to this day at left turns, especially when someone is turning left in front of me.  So I am a fan of the green arrow light for left turns, not only am I a fan but I am truly grateful for them.  They help set my mind at ease about the whole turning left thing.

Summer schedules are a bit of a two-edged sword for me but I'm choosing to focus on the gratitude part.  :) What I love about summer schedules (i.e. no school mornings to rush off to, longer light in the days) is the time I have in the mornings to breathe.  I still choose to get up earlier than most think is normal but I do so, in part, to give myself some much needed time to just be in the still and the quiet of the day before all the noise begins.  I'm so grateful that for a couple of months out of each year I get the chance to do this.

Today our oldest started a 2 day intensive driving course at a driving school we have here in town. And I am super grateful for their expertise, knowledge, ability, and patience to teach my 16 year old about driving techniques and such that would be harder for the hub or I to teach. I think what makes me the most excited about this opportunity for her is they use skid pads and such to simulate hydroplaning and icy roads and teach the kids how to deal with those situations.  I love that she gets to learn how to respond to those things in a controlled environment unlike me who just had to figure it out the first time it happened! Yes, the driving school is a decent chunk of change but in the long run her knowledge and safety when behind the wheel is priceless AND our insurance will give us a discount on her because of this. It's worth it.

It's probably kind of obvious that today I would be grateful for Dad's.  Notice I didn't say Fathers.  Here's why.  Any dude can make a, ahem, contribution, to creating a child but not just any dude is or can be a Dad. And the contribution a dude may make doesn't automatically make him a Dad.  A Dad is present and involved in his children's lives.  A Dad takes an active interest in his children, he changes diapers - feeds them - disciplines them - teaches them - loves them - and so much more.  I know several men who are Dad's but to kids that they didn't help create biologically and hands down they are exactly the Dad those kids need. So today I'm grateful for Dad's out there who have invested themselves into the lives of their kids, whether they made a biological contribution to them or not.

Weird right?  It is weird but here's another Gratitude Attitude in which I am taking something that is annoying and trying to put a positive spin on it.  Tonight we served at the shelter we come alongside once a month . Usually the residents there are cordial if not very happy and grateful.  But tonight we had some extremely ungrateful people which annoyed me to no end.  Some might argue that they are just so negative because of their circumstances.  I don't buy that excuse especially after having worked with homeless people for a few years now.  Anyway.  We had some really ungrateful people come through the line and then a few people after them would be someone overflowing with gratefulness.  I became super grateful for the grateful people. Their gratefulness overshadowed the ungratefulness of the others.  So I'm grateful for ungrateful people today because they remind me what ungratefulness looks, acts, and sounds like and that reminds me that I don't want to be ungra

It's a full moon tonight.  I love the moonlight. The wash it gives the earth, it's peaceful projection. Generally when there are full moons people blame wacky behavior and labor pains on it - something to do with the lunar cycle but full moons calm me down.  I could sit and stare at it for hours (if I could stay awake). Something about it helps me reflect and breathe a little deeper.  So given those reasons I would say it is 100% accurate to say that I am grateful for the moonlight.

I am grateful for Flight for Life.  I've never had to personally use it but I am grateful for the availability of it should anything ever happen in which I, or someone I know, needs it.  On my way to work this morning I drove past a hospital in town that has Flight for Life very visible.  And that's when I started thinking about it. Flight for Life has saved thousands of lives.  The pilots have to be cool under pressure, fly smart, sometimes they are in the middle of potentially dangerous situations.  Flight for Life has been able to get people out of some fairly unreachable areas, it has delivered organs for transplants, it has made the difference between life and death.  I'm so grateful for its presence in our lives, even as I hope nobody I know ever needs to use it! What about you?  Have you, or someone you have known, ever needed the life saving transport of Flight for Life?

Today I took my first ever, and probably last ever, selfie.  And I filtered the heck out of it.  Every filter Instagram offered I employed in some way.  And then I looked okay. :) With filters.  Too bad I can't filter the real me on days that I am feeling too raw. Ha! I got to thinking about filters and I realized I am grateful for them! I'm grateful for camera filters that make me look a little better and make other pictures I take look a little more cleaner.  I'm grateful for filters for the coffee pot so I'm not drinking/chewing coffee grounds.  I'm grateful for the filters we have on our furnace that help trap the junk floating in the air and keep it a little cleaner. I'm grateful for filters that sift bacteria and other contaminants from our water so it is consumable. And I'm grateful for the filter of God's word that when I apply it to my life it helps me to sift out the flesh so the Spirit can be seen and heard.

(For Tuesday June 10) Tonight at cook group we spent a lot of it laughing about our shared experiences in pregnancy, labor, and motherhood.  I'm so grateful for people that I have shared experiences with - be it parenting or traveling or reading a book or whatever.  It eases a particular kind of loneliness when I remember that there are others who have experienced similar things. Having a shared experience builds a bridge for relationship to happen on some level - even if the shared experience wasn't great. I think back on all the shared experiences I have had and I am so grateful that I could contact a number of people today and say, "Hey remember when..." and we would instantly be connected again in some way.

(For Monday June 9) Today I was simply grateful to get through the day and be done with it.  You've had days like that right? Well if you haven't I'm happy for you.  I've had other days like today where I just need to make it through.  And I'm grateful that today I made it through without tearing out all of my hair or doing bodily harm to someone or going completely off the deep end of sanity. You've had days like this too?

(For Sunday June 8) A couple of weeks ago the hub told the redheads and I to keep Sunday June 8 free for a surprise and mysterious family outing.  He refused to even give us hints about what we were doing except that it was outdoors, which if you know me then made me a little nervous/grumpy. :) So we piled into the car this morning at his stated departure time and he drove us about 15 minutes east of our home.  To the middle of nowhere.  The redheads were speculating, I had a guess or two but we didn't know for sure.  And then he pulled into a Motorsports Speedway (yes out in the middle of nowhere) where he took us kart racing (like go-carts but a little different I guess?)! The girls were SO excited, especially the 14 year old because she could drive all by herself and not have to be with an adult. That made me, the Mama, a little nervous but I guess they are safe enough.  These karts can get up to 70 MPH! So we suited up (for real - driving gloves, riding jackets, and helmets)

(For Saturday June 7) Normally birds kind of freak me out.  Especially when they are flying around indoors like at Costco. *shudder* But at this time of the year I am always grateful to see them swooping and flying all over the place. Why? Because they are eating the moths that I so despise. The moths freak me out more than birds do so this time of the year I am cheering for the birds and so grateful every time I see them swallow another moth.  :)

(For Friday June 6) Bouncing balls not only remind me to be playful but I also use the smaller ones to help me think!  It may sound weird but I like to bounce a ball as I pace and think through things.  So I'm grateful for bouncing balls because they are pretty useful in my life!

(For Thursday June 5) With the influx of technology and the digital age, photo albums are kind of passé but I love them.  And looking through them makes me grateful.  They take me back to people and times that hold good memories and laughs.  I am old-school and I love turning a photo album page, of placing pictures in an album, of pulling it out and taking my time looking through it.  Assembling a photo book gives me time and space to really look at the pictures and reflect on how grateful I am for the people and experiences the pictures capture.

(For Wednesday June 4) I'm grateful for the message of the butterfly.  It speaks of hope, of the chance for transformation, that change is possible and good, that we aren't stuck in a cocoon forever - held tightly by things that need to be shed - but we can break free.  It's a message we all need.

(For Tuesday June 3) I know.  Come August I'm going to be saying I am grateful for the first day of school but this is June and to say I am grateful that today is the last day of school is an understatement. It's been a long, kinda rough school year and we just need a break!  So I'm grateful it's the last day of school - it means we made it through, we survived, we passed (I hope!), and we can relax a little for a few weeks.  Every school year it's like this.  I start off the year determined to stay on top of communications from the school, be in touch with the kids about their various projects, be - you know - an involved parent and then the school year eats away at me. I'm guessing more than a few of you can relate. So today I am beyond grateful it is the last day of school. At the start of the school year At the end of the school year

(For Monday June 2) Today I got on a plane and headed back to Colorado after a weekend of making memories in New York City with my family that lives there.  I'm so grateful for the moments life hands me to make memories of.  I'm so grateful when I take advantage of those moments and don't shrink back from them!  I think sometimes making the memories is up to us - if we are willing to enter into the moments or if we shrink back from them because of insecurities, fears, etc. What kind of memories are you grateful you have made?

(For Sunday June 1) My nephew loves the song Best Song Ever from 1D, LOVES it.  He also loves Roar by Katie Perry.  My niece loves Happy by Pharrell, LOVES it.  In fact, we were waiting for the train last night and we passed a sign with a picture of Pharrell on it and she started singing Happy. (She's 18 months old!)  These kiddos of ours have great taste in music.  This afternoon Big Boy E was feeling a little restless and asked to watch something so his Daddy, my brother, put on the 3 videos for these three favorite songs and all the kids and adults in the room had a little dance party. It was so.much.fun!  Oh I am so grateful for these moments with my E2. And just in case you don't know the songs I speak of...

(For Saturday May 31) Today we celebrated the upcoming marriage of my youngest brother to his lovely fiancée and my soon to be sister-in-love, Adele. Her Aunt threw her a lovely bridal shower and we had a great time. I was so joy filled to be there (thanks Daddy!) and so glad to be able to meet her parents and brother and spend time with them at their home after the bridal shower.  To celebrate Brad and Adele today and in 2 months when they married makes me so grateful for my relationship with him and the rest of our family. To be happy to celebrate this next step in his life and Adele's in a true pleasure and honor.  I am grateful for the celebrations life gives me opportunity to participate in.

(For Friday May 30) This morning I cracked open my eyes just in time to see my nephew turn around to see if Auntie Beth was awake.  I waved at him and he squealed and ran to me and jumped on me to hug me in bed.  Seriously. There is not a better way to start my day when that happens! He then proceeded to show me everything which I was happy to see. We played and giggled and hugged and to say I was grateful for this early morning fun is an understatement.  I felt grateful and blessed and at peace.

(For Thursday May 29) Today I had easy travel.  Sometimes travel doesn't go smoothly or easily but today it was so easy, so smooth and I feel so grateful.  I opened my eyes in Colorado and closed them in New York City because of my easy travel today.  Not one hitch and for those of you who travel often you know that really is something to be grateful for!

(For Wednesday May 28) C'mon.  Let's not get shy.  We are all adults here.  Yes, I'm grateful for bras.  I happen to need one. And so therefore I am grateful for the invention of them and the opportunity to wear one.  And believe me, *you* should be grateful I wear one too.  *wink* Whenever I talk about bras I always end up thinking about this fun little song from Beaches...

(For Tuesday May 27) I love clouds.  Particularly when they looked  brushed across the sky or when they are plump and clump together. I love it when they are tinged with the colors of a new morning sky or with the close of a day. Clouds prompt gratefulness in me because I am reminded of the heavens and of the greatness of who created the heavens.       

"There is always, always, always something to be thankful for."   Unknown There is always something to be thankful for.  ALWAYS. I know this, I believe it is true. But boy I am stuck, stalled out, blocked.  I've experienced stall outs during this 365 but never for this long.  I sit and stare into space and can't seem to come up with a thing.  Even though, there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for.  Always.  So even though I shouldn't have to I'm going to dig deep and get my Gratitude Attitude MoJo back.  ;)  

(For Monday May 26) I had to go shopping today for some new things.  I needed a nice dress for an upcoming bridal shower and I needed some shorts. I hate shopping.  I hate trying on clothes. Lanny doesn't much like it when I shop either but it's for different reasons. Haha.  So the oldest redhead and I went out.  And in the first store I found the dress, yay!  At the second store I found shorts, new shoes to go with the new dress, and a few tops, yay yay yay! At the third store I wasn't even really looking and I found some lounge pants and some shirts, bonus yay! AND every bit of it was on sale, no full price shopping done here.  Because I hate shopping so much and I just dread it I was super grateful for this day of shopping scores.

(For Sunday May 25) I am grateful for pajama days. I try to get a couple a month, usually on Sundays. I stay in my pajamas all day and give my whole self, except for teeth, a break from clothes, make up, hair products - really I rest from looking presentable for the public.  Ha. But I can't tell you how restorative those PJ days can be. I laze around either binging on a TV show through Netflix or consuming book after book.  Sometimes I do both! Not only am I grateful for these pajama days I take but I'm guessing other people are grateful I take them as well as they do restore any lost sanity.  *grin*

(For Saturday May 24) Every day we get 86400 seconds. If you think about it that is a lot of opportunities to express gratefulness and find things and people to be grateful for. I'm grateful for the 86400 seconds each day that my heart beats, my lungs work to provide me oxygen, my nerve endings send signals, my brain waves provide information, etc.  There are a myriad of other reasons to be grateful for the 86400 seconds of life you and I get each day.  What are some of the reasons you are grateful for 86400 seconds each day?

(For Friday May 23) Yep, I'm grateful for organs.  I mean, one obvious reason is because they assist in the whole being alive thing. But beyond that I was thinking about how truly life saving organs can be and are and how we can even share with each other! It's incredible.  Are you grateful for your organs? If you are may I suggest paying that gratefulness forward by being an organ donor?  Once you pass on you won't need them so why not register to share what you will no longer need with someone who may still have a need? I'm a strong believer in being an organ donor, it's silly to hold on to something you don't need any longer. Pay it forward friends.

(For Thursday May 22) Sometimes I am super struck by I AM in my life. And I am always grateful for I AM in my life.  I AM speaks to every detail of my life, there isn't a moment that goes unnoticed and isn't touched by I AM.  I AM is with me in the rejoicing and the weeping of life.  I AM is with me when I am overwhelmed and overjoyed. To say I am grateful for I AM is an understatement.  I AM is the foundation on which I can stand. A few years ago Nichole Nordeman released a song called "I AM" and it puts into words, and music, what I also feel about I AM.