My goodness!! I didn’t realize I’d been away for over 3 months!! Each time I thought “I’ll get back on tomorrow” life just kept me jumping. We’ve been adjusting to having Smokey, summer ending and school beginning, hunting for jobs still, and life in general. I can tell you all the honest truth – I can feel such a weighty difference since I’ve not been keeping up with my Gratitude List!! Life is definately brighter when you do focus on all there is to be grateful for each and every day. I’ve tried to write a mental list each night, but it’s just not the same. So I’m going to make an effort to be back here again. I’ve missed this oh so much!! Right now, it’s after midnight on Sunday which means it’s now officially Monday but all that matters right now is that I’m home again!!

What I Am Grateful For Recently:

1: Applying for and being approved for a membership scholarship to my local YMCA!!

2: Working out in a much more routine way with said membership – I make it 4 to 5 days out of the week to do both cardio and strength training.

3: In the past 3 months I’ve lost 11 pounds!!

4: Realizing that I’ve been setting a healthy example for my boys and my husband!

5: Enjoying the times when hubby and I get to go work out together – sometimes when we take the boys with they get to play in the Kids Zone for a few hours and they have fun too!

6: Realizing that we can go to another near-by YMCA and use the pool!! We’ve been there twice now and everyone has had a great time!

7: Memories – sometimes they make me sad, but they also remind me of those I’ve loved in my life and have been grateful to have had the pleasure of leaving their footprints on my heart.

8: For making time for myself once more – from working out to reading to singing to just doing the things that make me happy.

9: For how much my boys have grown – sometimes you don’t realize it’s happened until it smacks you upside the head!

10: For this great site that’s helped me on the path to taking better care of myself – SparkPeople.com – I am extremely grateful for having found it and for all I’ve learned from it. If you check it out and decide you want to sign up feel free to tell them I sent you!! My user name is Hot_Mama_13 and this is the link to my personal SparkPage!