January 14

Day 14: Movement

Today I am so thankful for my mother's health. Unfortunately,when in ICU we were with others who were in such terrible, terrible situations. I cannot say it loud enough or strongly enough, I am thankful for the health of my whole family. I am thankful my mother is well enough to move out of ICU, and I am thankful that I can see my parents, my aunt, my husband and tomorrow my children and hug them, kiss them and tell them how very much I love them. I cannot tell you how thankful I am to have the opportunity to tell them all how much I love them. I am thankful I can.

January 13

Day 13: Family

I am thankful to my aunt, my mother's only sister, who stopped everything in her life and flew up from Florida to help. I am thankful to my husband who took time out from his work to pick her up and bring her to the hospital. I am thankful for the support of my husband's parents, who are caring for the girls and keeping them busy and away from the temporary craziness that we are all involved in. I am grateful for cousins who check in however they can, and friends who have been in our lives for so long they are family. I am thankful for all the people in our lives who all love each other and help each other. I am thankful for the life of each and every one of you (and me too!).

January 12

Day 12: Snow

First off, I snapped this from the lobby, loving the snow dusted tress and play of sunlight streaming down. When I viewed it, I laughed that I caught my own reflection. I played with it, inspired totally by Carolyn (a fantastic photographer in California) and ended up with this:

So today:

I am thankful for the online community of photographers, who inspire me all the time, even when I am not even a little bit in a photo kind of mode. I am thankful for my online friends who reached out and prayed, and overall supported us in a situation that has nothing to do with photos.

I am also so very grateful to a friend (Jesse R.O.C.K.S.!!!) who shoveled out the walkway again, but also shoveled out my car so that when we returned to my parents' home, and it was only 10:00, I could make the drive to MY HOME. There is no way I would have had the energy to shovel and then drive home. I got to be with my husband, shower in my own shower, sleep in my own bed. These little things become so important and I am grateful for each. And I am grateful to my wonderful husband who was so thoughful, having a wonderful snack waiting for me, a relaxing drink, ready to go, and big wonderful arms to wrap me up in. I am thankful for my partner.

January 11

Day 11: Laughter

No pictures from this day, as I spent the entire day in my mother's room. I am thankful for the laughter we were able to share. It carries us through such dark times, and makes any time that much better. I am thankful for having so many in my life to laugh with, and so much in my life to rejoice about. Each day is a beautiful gift. I am grateful for the love of my family and my friends, and perfect kindness from starngers. I am thankful to laugh.

January 10

Day 10: Crossing into recovery

This is the George Washington Bridge, crossing from New Jersey into NYC. I snapped it on the way in to visit my Mom, and discovered it to be the perfect metaphor as she had crossed into wakefulness. I am thankful for seeing my mother smiling, and for the comfort it brings to make eye contact, and for her to respond to us.

January 9

Day 9: Sleeping (at home)

I am so thanksful that we were able to wake up in my parents' home, shower, and use familiar things. I am thankful for good coffee. I am thankful for the peacefulness of a lovely, snowfilled morning, the beauty of snow sticking to each tree branch, the beauty of my mother's eyes looking up at me.

January 8

Day 8: The sign says it all

Today, I am thankful for amazing people who all share waiting, worrying and praying for their loved ones. The support of everyone together was an amazing thing.
The staff working to help all of our loved ones, is an amazing thing.
The person who serves the cafe with a smile and ,"God Bless" is an Amazing Thing.
The person who parks the car with a smile, is an Amazing Thing.
The nurse who never stops moving, who attends to every detail, is an Amazing Thing.
The sunshine, the comfortable waiting area, a thoughful friend clearing the snow fromwalkway for us to come home for a shower, the beauty of the snow, "like someone sprinkled powered sugar, just the perfect amount, on all the trees" and staying like that for us to see are all Amazing Things. And I am grateful.

January 7

Day 7: Successful surgery

There isn't too much I want to reveal, other than I am grateful for the incredibe skills of the medical team who worked with my mother. Success, after much waiting. Knowing that she is FINALLY going to start getting better. My family has much to be thankful for.

Day 6

Day 6: Team Work!

Okay, so we had a day at home. Miss S's tummy gave us a good reason to stay at home and enjoy each other. This day was a blessing. It was exactly what my girls and I needed: time together. Thanks universe.

When I came downstairs from the shower, to go pick up the girls' work from school, I found they joined forces to create a barrier to the front door!!! They did not want our day of peace and fun to end. I had to laugh! And be thankful they enjoyed the time together enough to unite. I had the phrase from the Wonderpetsin mind as we deconstructed the Great Wall of No Homework... "What's gonna work? Team work!"

Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Day 5

Day 5: Snuggles

Today I am thankful for snuggles, giggles and overall little girl cheer. I love when the girls are snuggley. especially as the days of Miss K curling up on a lap are numbered. She is dangerously close to "too cool for school" teen days. So I am grateful, and make sure to savor each and every snuggle. And giggle. And moments when I catch glimpses of my lil princess in tutus and jewels and fairly tale. And savor the cusp of her evolving into a deeply thinking and feeling, sensitive and creative, smart and funny young lady. It's been quite the ride, and I am thankful for the quiet snuggle moments when I can reflect on how much joy and love she brings into our lives.

1/4/11

Day 4: Time. Renewed.

I am thankful to think of each January as a time to rethink, restart and renew patterns, thinking, acti0ns, habits and life in general.
I am thinking about where in this journey I am, and where I plan to be. I am not usually very goal oriented. I think of myself as a go with the flow kind of person. And that's a good way to be. But I have found I can allow myself to be static, simply because I let life happen.

But the wise words of the serentiy prayer advise to look for the things I can change, as well as the wisdom to know the difference. Huh, I often forget about that part!

So as a new year begins, as I take stock in where I've come to, my first action plan is to be thankful. And to create action with my thanksgiving. Because sometimes, quiet reflection demands action.

So 2011, I thank you for the opportunity to actively appreciate the gift of a beautiful, strong sun today, a friend sharing their joy, a friend needing support, a great job, a loving family and a warm home to come back to.

1/3/11

Day 3:

I am grateful for my toy. I am grateful I can stay in touch with my children when they are away, I can write myself notes (a necessity these days), I can take a picture and make it pretty, I can email, play a game or catch up on my Peas or FB pals. I am grateful I can carry music with me, check weather forcasts, and get news updates. For a typically old-fashioned girl, I am happy to be an iphone user.
But don't worry, that's my ball of yarn the phone is resting on, mid-project. I'm not totally sold to the digi world yet.

Day 2: 1/2/11

Day 2:

This is my little man, my Mr. L, my nephew and Godson. His energy, his impish belly laugh, his tireless joy in being part of the family is inspiring and a source of great joy for all of us. I am thankful I caught up with him in a quiet moment, a stolen minute of exploring, before the toddler energy caught up with him again.

I am thankful for the delight in sharing the toddler times, with the little boy I adore, who is my baby to share, but isn't mine alone. I am thanksful to be an aunt. Growing up an only child, with family mostly scattered across the counrty, I am thankful to be able to an active participant in my nephew's life. Being an aunt is a joy, and I am grateful.

Day 1: January 1, 2011

Here is day 1:
I am grateful for my girls, and their love of play. They each have a wonderful imagination, but together, they often leave me in wonder. The smallest of small, the pieces they pick up from life, from stories, from television, from school... and incorporate it into their own world view. It is fantastic. I almost wish this was a video, so that their story was shared. But I'm grateful they have weach other, and that although there are four years between them, they enjoy each other and push each other to bigger and better stories.
Here, they are playing with a barbie that Miss K designed a dress for, and a LPS bird, Miss S's favorite toy, and made my MIL's Christmas train into the Polar Express. Miss K was Santa's lovely assistant, and Miss K's bird gave frequent updates on the state of the naughty/nice list. They played for at least an hour. Is there a sweeter sound to a mother's ear, than that of her children playing together?