Give Thanks

I don't know who came up with the idea, but every November, Facebook and other sites are filled with people posting what they are thankful for that particular day. Since November has finally rolled around, I thought I'd get in on the action. Warning, some of it may be pretty deep as I from time to time I am a deep person!!!

Friday, November 1- I am thankful for religious freedom. To be able to openly worship God (I am baptist) in a country where I most likely will not be physically persecuted for my belief unlike other places in the world, where being a Christian is the equivalent of a death sentence. I am thankful to live where I can openly conversate about the impact He has had on my life and continues to work daily.

Saturday, November 2- I am thankful for Saturday mornings. For the chance to sleep in after a long work week, to get up and know I don't have to run through the house like a mad woman hurrying everyone along so we can make it to work/school on time, and to enjoy that second cup of coffee before I start to work on my massive To Do List that never becomes a Done List!!!

Sunday, November 3- I am thankful for marshmallows. This weekend both of the kids had sleepovers and I have to say the highlight was roasting weenie's and marshmallows around a fire, hubby built in his grill. Even after the sleepovers were done, we continued to light the precious treat on fire and devour it as if all the sugar was really good for us. Combine that with the Rotel dip and chips we had for dinner and I'm pretty sure marshmallows are one of the best things ever invented.

Monday, November 4- I am thankful for noise. As I type this, my kids are taking turns practicing their piano at the kitchen table, my daughter singing (off key) at the top of her lungs. A love, hate relationship when you have two young kids, noise is something I know one day in the not too distance future (for time really does fly) my household will lack. So while I hold my breath and my temper during some of the louder/more annoying moments, I will do my best to always be thankful for the noise my kids make.

Tuesday, November 5- I am thankful for so many good books. There is no telling how many I've read in my lifetime. I cannot recall them all, but there are certain ones I will not forget. I've recently finished several and know there are thousands more in my future and I am so excited about that.

Wednesday, November 6- I am thankful for my DVR. So many good shows to watch, so little time. I love television- the cleverly written scripts, the plots, the characters, the settings. You name it, I love it. To me, tv is almost as good as a book. In fact, while I'm either writing or reading, I see it as a movie in my head. And to see a book I've read come to life is like an imagination that gave birth. So cool.

Thursday, November 7- I am thankful for so many good friends. They make you laugh and are there when you need a good cry. 'Nuff said.

Friday, November 8- I am thankful for hunting season. Not only are the deer beautiful (we saw four does on the way to school this morning), but there is also the added advantage of having some time to myself and meat in the freezer!

Saturday, November 9- I am thankful for heat. Burrrr. It's cold here in the South. Someone needs to cut the air conditioning off. It's not supposed to be cold down here!

Sunday, November 10- I am thankful for lazy days. The sniffles have hit the Hayes household and I'm thankful to know that when we're all feeling a touch under the weather that we have the ability to climb under a soft blanket and just rest.

Monday, November 11- I am thankful for the many veterans and their families whose sacrifices allow us to live in a country where even on our hardest days, it is so much better than what people in other countries have to deal with. Our freedom certainly isn't free. It is paid with the blood, sweat, and tears of the men and women (and those who love them) who have the courage and spirit to pick up their guns and put their lives on the line for millions of people they've never met. And that is certainly something to be thankful for.

Tuesday, November 12- I am thankful for the wonderful people I work with. Each one of them are sweet, loving, intelligent women who do their job with grace (even on the bad days!).

Wednesday, November 13- I am thankful for my dog. He's a cross between a pug, Boston Terrier (I believe they really meant Terror-er), and garbage disposal. As I type this, he is hard at work on some ABC gum. I kid you not, the dog chews gum, and he quite enjoys it! Along with anything else that catches his fancy.

Thursday, November 14- I am thankful for laughter. We all need it, and the world would be such a dull place without it.

Friday, November 15- I am thankful for the end of the work week.

Saturday, November 16- I am thankful for college football! Let me hear a Roll Tide!!!

Sunday, November 17- I am thankful for a wonderful church family.

Monday, November 18- I am thankful for the magical wonders of Tylenol.

Tuesday, November 19- I am thankful for time spent with my kids whether it be discussing a book they're both reading, or watching a favorite show. Hunter is currently working his way through the Harry Potter series, Emilee, Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Both are managing to find some of the corresponding movies on TV to watch (there is quite a bit of compare and contrasting going on) so our nights are fairly jam packed.

Wednesday, November 20- I am thankful for encouragement. Without it, I doubt any of us would reach the potential we are destined for.

Thursday, November 21- I am thankful for my car. It is ten years old and has over 135,000 miles. From time to time the blinker refuses to work, and when I turn my defroster on, the radio gets fuzzy. I know it needs some work, but right now, it's perfect like it is.

Friday, November 22- I am thankful for loose leaf paper. I can't tell you how many pieces I go through a day.

Saturday, November 23- I am thankful for my bed sheets. I have a favorite set of bed sheets that I'm constantly washing and immediately reusing. They are perfectly soft, never get hot, and are always the right type of cool when you roll over in the middle of the night.

Sunday, November 24- I am thankful (once again) for my children. They sang the song they'd been practicing for two months at church today and did excellent.

Monday, November 25- I am thankful for the past and things that we can learn from it. Earlier in the month I went on a small field trip with my daughter to see a cabin originally built 173 years ago. I found it inspiring how settlers were able to accomplish so much with so little. Fun fact: In Alabama, that particular cabin (and I believe many others) were built without that famous white strip of mud caulking you usually seen on log cabins, due to the fact that it made the inside of the cabin extremely hot during an already sweltering summer. Instead they put up what they called- bird boards- which they took down during the summer to allow for air flow (instant AC)- which in turn let the birds in!!!

Tuesday, November 26- I am thankful for knowing I'll be home for the next few days. Maybe I can get some writing done.

Wednesday, November 27- I am thankful for the amazingly dry and awkward sense of humor my children have. My son was recently in our town newspaper (which I found today) along with several classmates, listing what they were thankful for. Of course you have the main ones- family, friends, pets- then you have the ones thankful for turkey, deer, and when we come to Hunter (who is professing to have had a brain fart!) claims he is thankful for the word "Supercalifragilisticexpealidious". According to Hunter, this is a word you use when you aren't sure what word or thing you want to say!!!!

Thursday, November 28- I am thankful for everything I have mentioned above and those I have forgotten. In this modern day we take so much for granted that I'm glad there's a time of the year where even if it's for a few days that we can reflect on everything we've been blessed with.

Friday, November 29- I am thankful for leftovers. This lady won't be cooking anytime soon.

Saturday, November 30- I am thankful for hot water. If this isn't the one thing we constantly take for granted, I don't know what is.