Yeah, I know… obvious title… I’ll be more create next time… I figured out why I’ve been so sore and tired all week – I’m sick! :-( Boo!! As I was falling asleep last night I could feel my throat beginning to hurt, sadly when I woke up this morning I had no voice and still hurt everywhere… but, that aside, I am here tonight :-)

Today I Am Grateful:

1: That I’ve become so in-tune with my body that I knew something wasn’t right… I’ve been feeling off most of the week and now I understand why. Today’s been kinda tough with not much of a voice…

2: For the yummy food that was dinner – honey wheat bread, honey mustard, maple honey ham with mozzarella cheese as well as a small side of deviled egg potato salad. It’s the most I’ve eaten in about 24 hours.

3: For texting back and forth with an old friend most of the day. We don’t always have time to talk or even text, but today managed to be a good day for both of us :-)

4: For sleep… I slept long and deep last night… Hoping for the same tonight…

5: That I’m forgiving myself for only doing 5 things tonight… I’m still tired… Good Night!

Words to reflect upon: Gratitude is the sweet song of appreciation & can turn any experience into a gift, if we are willing to receive it. ~ From MeYou Health’s twitter feed at @meyouhealth

Today I Am Grateful:

1: For a good time out at my in-laws place last night – it was my mother-in-law’s birthday :-)

2: For the yummy breakfast for dinner that hubby made!! Delicious pancakes and maple bacon!! YUM!!!

3: That my oldest, Will, is slowly getting back into school. He’s not crazy about being back in school, but, he does like his teacher and his classmates seem to be nicer to him this year so things should perk up soon.

4: That my youngest, Wyatt, is doing okay this year too. He’s not crazy about how long he’s stuck on the bus (an hour before AND after school!!) but he has fun with the extra time with his friends. Though, he is asking if he can just skip this last year of Pre-K and just be in Miss Swanson’s Kindergarden yet! LOL

5: For the wonderful birthday gift I got from my hubby this year!!! He bought me a Kobo eReader thanks to Borders Going Out Of Business Sale – he bought me the eReader, a sleeve, a leather holder, the car charger and a portable charging device all for less than what the Kobo would have been at full price. I’d say that’s a good score!!

6: For all the paperbacks that I picked up for half price or less at the same GOOB Sale… it’s great to pick up books in a series for $2 each!!

7: For listening to my body more and more lately.

8: For my intuition getting stronger and stronger as my body gets stronger. The more water I drink the better it is!!

9: That it’s a new TV Season! LOL Silly as it sounds, I really do like watching a few shows – Castle, the CSI Series, the NCIS Series, Criminal Minds, and the shows they play on ion television (Ghost Whisperer, Criminal Minds, Psych and Monk).

10: For always making sure I hug and kiss my boys and my husband every time I go somewhere without them. You never know when it’ll be the last time so it never ever hurts to say an extra “I Love You” paired with a Bear Hug.

I AM Beautiful Because… I take care of myself – body, mind and heart/soul.

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!

It’s been raining a good portion of the night and morning and as much as I love the scent and sound of rain, I did not like all the floor-shaking thunder that came with it! WOW!

Today I Am Grateful:

1: for the scent of rain – it always mellows my mood and lifts my spirits
2: for the beautiful view of the full moon I had last night while enjoying the scent of rain
3: for taking more time off-line for myself
4: for actually posting on my blog – Scribo Ergo Sum – I Write, Therefore I Am – I’ve posted my contributions to the Zentangle Weekly Challenges from I Am The Diva and this week, I even got my entry in early enough that it should be included in the video clip she makes of all the week’s entries when her life allows her to do so
5: that I have been letting my creative side come back out while trying my hand at making Zentangles
6: that all last week I got to “sleep in” till about 9 AM instead of getting up at 7 AM to get the boys to school – mom is grateful for summer break!!
7: for sleep when it’s had because so far this week my sleep pattern has gotten way out of wack!
8: for quiet times like right now – the boys are both asleep still and the hubby is out with his parents for a little while
9: for love, friendship and loyalty
10: for the newest member of our family – 4 month old kitty named Smokey! We’ve had him for a week and a half now and it’s amazing how much he’s just fit right in like he’s always been here!

Hello again my WLG Friends! I have missed all of you much in the last month but I needed the break for many reasons. I’m just grateful to be back.

Today I Am Grateful:

1: To have taken a break to clear my mind and center myself.
2: That I feel even more grateful to be back writing my lists.
3: For great deals on books and movies (kids movies for $1 are wonderful!)
4: For a new game for my DS – Thank You Hubby!! He bought me Brain Age 2!!
5: For chocolate!
6: For not having to deal with summer school this year – just need to find ways to keep him on top of things during the summer.
7: For an inspiring and uplifting and loving event on facebook called The 30 Day Facebook/LoveBook Challenge – check out the event page and please take part in it!
8: For sleep
9: For a sore body that’s able to do most of what I ask of it to do
10: For Love :-)

I pray everyone has had a Blessed Easter Sunday ♥

Today I was blessed to spend time with both my side of the family and my husband’s side of the family. It made for a slightly hectic day, but, it was well worth it. The boys had fun with all of their cousins and are well worn out.

I pray all of you had a day filled with love and laughter ♥

Today I Am Grateful For/That/Because:

S – Surprises – I actually dressed up for Easter this year, only to be one of only two in a skirt at my Aunt’s house! LOL Usually I’m the only one *not* dressed up!

U – Unusual compliments – Since I was dressed up I got to enjoy unusual compliments :-) They’re unusual because I don’t usually receive many of them :-)

N – Not over-eating today! Though I so easily could have!!

D – Desserts – so many choices I could have over-indulged on! But, I enjoyed a small brownie, a small (way-to-sweet) iced pound cake egg and a cupcake – and no, not all at once! LOL

A – Anticipation! I’m so excited! I’m going to try to do my first Secret Agent L Mission tomorrow!! :-D It’s going to be Operation Beautiful themed too!

Y – Yellow Dandelions – both of my boys came running into my Aunt’s house today and each gave me a pretty yellow dandelion because Mommy looked so pretty today ♥

Today I Am Grateful That/For/Because:

S – Saturday Morning Easter Egg Hunt for the kids!

A – And Saturday Night Easter Egg Hunt for the adults!!

T – Three out of six prize eggs found their way into the baskets of hubby & I

U – Unique Fun! The adult egg hunt was in the dark by flashlight!

R – Relying on intuition for where to find the best eggs!

D – Dropping a few eggs here and there into the basket of an older lady who was there with two of her friends (and then finding out after that hubby had given some of his eggs to the other two ladies himself!)

A – Acting like a kid with a bunch of other “adults” acting like kids!

Y – Yellow (and Purple!) Tulips that we won from 2 of the prize eggs – the third has a coupon toward a class at the park district.

“There is a calmness to a life
lived in Gratitude, a quiet joy.”
~ Ralph H. Blum

Today I Am Grateful For/That/Because:

F – Friends

R – Relatives

I – Ice Cream

D – Dove Dark Chocolate Promises

A – Apples

Y – Yellow Roses: A bouquet of yellow roses now brings to mind all of the sunny, cheerful feelings of warmth and happiness. In contrast to the romantic meanings attributed to other roses, the yellow rose is purely a symbol for friendship. This gives it a unique place in the pantheon of roses. Yellow roses can send the perfect message of appreciation and platonic love without the romantic subtext of other colors. They can represent feelings of joy and delight, and are an ideal way to brighten someone’s day who may be feeling down. There is perhaps no other flower that is able to bring out a smile in quite the way that a yellow rose can. (copied from proflowers.com)

“To speak gratitude is
courteous and pleasant,
to enact gratitude is
generous and noble,
but to live gratitude is
to touch Heaven.”
~ Johannes A. Gaertner

Today I Am Grateful For/That/Because:

T – Trips: today the weather was perfect for my oldest son’s field trip

H – Happiness: He had a good time on said field trip

U – Understanding

R – Remembering

S – Singing

D – Dancing Like No One Is Watching

A – Amethyst

Y – Yogi Bear (what? he never gave up chasing what he wanted! LOL)

“Maybe being grateful means recognizing
what you have for what it is.
Appreciating small victories.
Admiring the struggle it takes
to simply be human…
At the end of the day,
the fact that we have the
courage to still be standing
is reason enough to celebrate.”
~ Meredith Grey (Character on “Grey’s Anatomy”)