Grateful For Being Alive!

I am grateful that through all of this intense heat, we are still alive!
I am grateful that we still have our sense of humor!
I am grateful that we have learned that we really can be happy for no reason...even in the face of difficulties!
I am grateful for the internet!
I am grateful for topographical maps!
I am grateful for all that I am learning about how we each create our own reality.
I am grateful for my knowledge of feng shui.
I am grateful that I can feel the energy around me.
I am grateful for finding little things to laugh hysterically over.
I am grateful that laughter is contagious!
I am grateful for a good strong corn broom to sweep the floor with!
I am grateful for great big hugs from my children.
I am grateful for creative imaginations... you have children so that you can play with their toys and be entertained by them, right?!
I am grateful for classical music to relax to.
I am grateful for headphones to shut out some of the noise!
I am grateful for computer speakers with headphone jacks!
I am grateful for a pillow to lay my head on, and a blanket to keep warm with.

I don't feel grateful this evening...but I will give thanks anyways.

I really don't feel grateful this evening. The house was once again unbearably hot. The kids aren't cleaning up after themselves, but when it is 92 degrees inside the house, I don't have the heart or the energy to yell at them. So the house is becoming an unbelievable mess. The water coming out of the faucet smells like rotten eggs...I don't think I could take a shower without puking right now. The shipment of the "school books" that I sent for has been delayed again...this time they were lost at the dock, the entire shipment can't be found.
My boys are fighting every day...when they get hot. My daughter is moping because were are in such a repressed area that she can't get a business of any kind going...not even babysitting! I lit incense, but was called outside each time I lit it, and did not get to enjoy it. Have I complained enough? Sometimes in order to get to a place of gratefulness, of being able to be thankful, you have to let yourself actually feel the down emotions. Claim them, feel them, watch yourself go through them, and then let it go.

Earlier today I felt quite grateful.
I just received my order of Paraliminals, but as I opened the box, I saw that one of them had a broken case. I know, nitpicky, but I also know it would drive me nuts, so I called the company. Without hesitation, the wonderful lady I talked to said they would ship out a new case first thing tomorrow!
More than that I felt blessed to share this gratitude blog with her, and inspire her to possibly create her own!
I changed the direction of my bed last night, and slept better. I am grateful for a great night of sleep.
I am grateful for my children, I feel blessed to be able to homeschool such intelligent aware minds!
I am thankful to see the little bats that come out at dusk every evening, as I know they are catching the bugs!
I am grateful to live somewhere that dragonflies play on the trampoline as if they were children...bouncing off of it over and over as we watch, and then flying away when we climb on.
I am grateful for tea tree oil, my solution to life's bumps and bruises!
I am grateful for our kitty, "Miss Nora".
I am grateful for the incense, the smell still just lingered on the air when I came in!
I am grateful for my salt lamp (tea light candle size), as I watch the beautiful color it is glowing next to my desk as I write this.
I am grateful for all of my elephant decor...it makes me smile.
I am grateful for my yucca in it's beautiful orange ceramic pot, I always look onto living growing green while I am at my desk.
I am grateful for the free personalized pocket calendar that I received in the mail, after wishing that I had one a few days before.
I am grateful for the calendar, and day planner that are on my computer, that was a bonus to a screen saver program that I got as a gift! Fantastic since I had just been wishing that I had something exactly like this!
I am grateful for the way the fan blows through the wind chimes, making melodious chimes ring through out the day.
I am grateful for the way the light sparkles off of the green and silver wind chime as it moves.
I am grateful that I take the time to "stop and smell the roses", and see all the wonderful patterns that there are in life!


I wish you could blow up the picture on the right... I actually caught a hummingbird getting nectar from the flowers on this tree. And I have a wonderful series of pictures of this hummingbird! In this picture, it is hovering in the bloom in the center of the picture.

Too Hot!

When minor difficulties get in the way, it can be hard to be grateful. But the kids and I are making it a daily practice to name the things we don't like, and find a way that we are grateful for them anyways. For instance, some of todays turn arounds were:
It's too hot every day! -- I'm grateful we have the evaporative cooler to keep it a little bit cooler inside! (Not bad when inside next to the evaporative cooler crosses the 90 degree mark every day!)
I hate the house we live in! -- I'm grateful for a roof over my head!
It was so chilly last night I needed an extra blanket! -- I'm grateful that it cools off every night from the day's heat!
From there the list became a gratitude list again!
I'm grateful that we are always happy.
I'm grateful that we can laugh so easily and so often!
I'm grateful that we have food to eat.
I'm grateful that we have sunlight.
I'm grateful for our cat, Nora.
I'm grateful that we have enough money for the things we need.
I'm grateful that I have clothes that fit me!
I'm grateful that we have incense...I want more!
I'm grateful that my boys went and found the package in the closet that was missing!
I'm grateful for my son's stuffed 'bunny'...it amazing what joy a special stuffed animal can bring to the entire house!
I'm grateful for my intelligent children.
I'm grateful for my respectful children who went and thanked the neighbor for putting up a cover on the fence to try and keep the dogs from barking at them all the time.
I'm grateful for the way that my children can sense energy... what could be more fun than a no contact 'energy war' on the trampoline! Talk about stirring things up!
I am grateful for my intelligence. It makes life that mush more wonderful!
I am grateful for the air around me.
I am grateful for the moon and stars.
I am grateful for freshly brewed herbal sun tea... the wonderful flavor!
I am grateful for my printer, paper, and colored ink!
I am grateful for an air mattress to sleep on instead of the floor! (Even if it is for the pool! LOL)
I am grateful that my youngest cleaned up the bathroom after his bath, and put away ALL of his toys!
I am grateful for places like Kodak and Wal Mart that let you store your digital photos online, and all the wonderful products you can create from there!
I am grateful for my little bean bag frogs that sit on my computer speakers keeping me company all the time!
I am grateful for happy music to listen to, and great favorites that make you smile!

Around The Room

wonderful children
green plants
change and growth
learning
green smoothies
(Visit www.2CreateYourLife.com for some recipes!)
books
stools
duct tape
brilliant ideas
glorious days
daylight bulbs
mason jars
VoIP plans
digital cameras
scanners
always having plenty of paper
coupons for free movies in the mail
sales extended for another month
sharp scissors
life

Smiles and Hugs

smiles
hugs
I Love Yous
Thank Yous
music
cameras
pictures from when the camera still worked
friends

cumulus clouds




curious children
trails that lead on forever
moccasins
tepee boots
backpacks
granola bars
water bottles



baths
sunsets
bed times

Just One of Those Days

How do you make a gratitude list on a day like today? Life is simply amazing! Everything is wonderful! No, I'm not looking at the world through rose colored glasses. No, I'm not some sort of Pollyanna. The dirty dishes are still piled up on the counter. The bathroom is still waiting for the boys to clean up after the last bath. The laundry has reached an overflow point.

But, LIFE is fabulous. I have three fantastic children. I have the best mother in the whole world. I have this fantastic, strong woman for a grandmother. I have sun shining on me. I have a breeze blowing in the window. I have beautiful clothing to wear. I sit looking at sparkly sun catchers twisting in the breeze, while the gentle "ding, ding" of the wind chimes rings through the air. I have a bowl of fresh blueberries in front of me. And a glass of cool water at my side.

I can't help but to sit here with a smile on my face. I am simply grateful for everything.

Lazy Days

everything!
waking up this morning
air to breathe
sunshine coming in the window
green plants glowing with life
water
wind to blow through wind chimes
email
wonderful friends to talk to
sweet cantaloupe
green leafy lettuce
tomatoes
(can you tell it's dinner time?)LOL
washing machines
bag closures that stick to the fridge
computer games on a hot day
typing lessons!
lazy days

Weekends!

I am grateful for weekends to enjoy some family time!
rivers to swim in
floatie swimsuits
sunshine to warm the water
warm breezes to dry wet swimsuits
evaporative coolers
neighbors
kittens running around chasing the motes of imagination
soft beds
fluffy pillows
impromptu pizza nights
water bottles in cooler bags in the back of the car
recycling bins
shelves to hide under
flip flops on sale when the ones on your feet give out!
moccasins
carnelian
soapstone elephant circle incense burner
growing self worth
micro SD cards on sale when you decide you need one
salt treatments
free trials of computer games
DVRs
skipping through commercials
working phones
hugs from my kids
amicable, friendly separations
google search engines
bendable rulers
silk pants
stuffed bunnies
sun tea brewing on the porch

Late but no less grateful!

muslin
cotton sheets
snowballs in June
power windows
ice packs
water
Smarties
wrought iron fruit baskets
compassionate people
fresh pineapple
homeschooling
my children
hair ties
black pens
mini legal pads
yucca plant in orange clay pot
pool mattresses on the living room floor
new Homescan scanner with USB cable

finally finishing recording kid shows from the broken DVR!
Criminal Minds being on when I sit down to watch tv...unexpectedly! cool!
computer speakers with a head phone jack
people from 22 different countries visiting my blog
the abundant universe always looking to bring me what I ask for
Fridays with Dr. Who!
sock puppets
a hot cup of coffee
magnetic pawed stuffed kitties
flat panel monitors
helpful neighbors
Starlight the rat
having fun with my kids
breeze
gmail
tea tree oil
spider plants in the window

I'm still awake, and grateful anyways!

hugs from my children
people who leave comments on my blogs!
Prickly Pear cacti
DVD Recorders
cloth grocery bags
computer speakers
Holosync
Snoopy cards from my grandmother
phone calls with my mom
flower pillows
air mattresses

clear glass serving plates
Vita-Mix Blender
avocados
Yummy Earth Lollipops
magna doodles
candle holders
dragonflies
butterflies
banana trees to hang bananas on
bamboo
organic cotton shirts

sundresses
road trips
sunrises
red rock
Page, AZ
Lake Powell
washes to explore with no one around
red sand to spend an afternoon playing in
hidden wonders at the end of the trail

I AM Surrounded by Abundance!

Baron Mastery Institute!
Wonderful people!
fans on a hot day
sparkly ribbons
DVD recorders
water dispensers
trampolines
computer paint programs
my car running after the dome light was left on all night
fences
snowman stockings who randomly sing...when no one pushes the button
(Good Morning Snowman!)
stained glass
mirrors
the color orange
cantaloupe

Welcome to my Gratitude blog!

An online personal journal that is updated frequently, and intended for general public consumption... that is the definition I found for the word 'blog'. So this is my blog of what I have Gratitude For.


my children
watermelon on a hot day
the internet
synchronicity!
teachers to learn from
a million reasons to smile
people who buy computer games after visiting my game review blog www.GazeUpon.com !
a sense of humor
sunshine
cool breeze
moonlight
my cat, Nora
green plants
amazing, giving people
Freecycle
intelligence
EFT
Magic School Bus
Backyardigans
wind chimes
suncatchers
candles
salt lamps
sunflowers
Saguaro cacti
Prickly Pear cacti
blogger!
Success Songs
my mom