Thankful

I've been noticing a bit of my negativity popping up in my posts lately, and knowing I don't want it to set the tone for forever on this blog, I've decided it's time I list some points in life for which I was grateful today.

1. I have a running to-do list I re-write every day, otherwise things just get lost in the mix. They can be recurrent (homework, volunteer projects) or things specific to the day (choir on Thursdays, volunteering on Tuesdays/Thursdays, grocery shopping usually on Mondays), even the minutest things like trimming my nails or switching over loads of laundry. I promise you, they honestly don't get done unless I have it written down these days. Today, out of my original list of 13 bullet points, I was able to partially or completely mark off 6 of them! God be praised! That is truly a freeing feeling.
2. Food is hit or miss sometimes, but last week was a hit on all three of my main meals through the week, and so was tonight's (an easy chicken enchilada recipe).
3. I've been learning more about my little three personalities in my one year old room, detecting "fake cries," and figuring out how to make them crack up with laughter. It's amazing how putting a rubber snake on your head, pretending to sneeze and making it drop to the floor can elicit the fullest belly laugh from a one year old. Ah, simplicity!
4. I have some really inspiring friends still here in KC from high school and college. While they may not be here as long as Matt and I will be, I'm still grateful that they're close and we can make it through the joys and struggles of studying for grad school together.
5. Matt is a really awesome husband. He's sensitive to my needs. He can be light-hearted and explain Doctor Who to me. One day we will have children, and dynamics may change, but for now I am grateful for growing together in our first year into our vocations as husband and wife.
6.  Is it too terribly trivial to say that I'm super excited for season 4 of Once Upon a Time? We just caught up on all the seasons on Netflix, and I'm excited to keep up with another show.
7. You know when you're looking for a job and nothing pops up, but then you're no longer looking for a job and God dumps a whole bunch of opportunities on you? I started my volunteer job in June, then was able to begin at the preschool in August; my Reditus/Lighthouse CD work finally transferred from Wichita to KC in August, and in the past couple of weeks, I've come in contact with a parish that is rebuilding its ministries and is going to be hiring me on part-time (I mean super part-time, 5-10 hours a week maximum part-time) to be pastoral associate/middle man between priest and parish groups/youth leader/superwoman (okay, not the last part). Um. Woah. My feeling of all that going on is this:  God: *holds out two big handfuls of opportunities cupped together* Here ya go! Me: *looks at Him with a weird look and attempts awkwardly to hold onto all of it* Uh, what do You expect me to do with all of that? God: ;-) You'll figure it out. Me: Riiiiiiight...
8. For reconsecration to Mary. Even if life throughout the year gets crazy in prayer ups and downs, I can count on the reconsecration to stabilize me.
9. This weather. Oh my word, this weather, these temps. Instant mood booster.
10. Riding off of the weather and temps: the return of layering clothes, houses smelling of autumn and baking, the hint of color change in the trees, the humorous explosion of all things pumpkin spice and apple spice everywhere, SCARVES, boots, coziness... I was a bit reluctant to let go of summer--after all, it really is a change from our first season of marriage, so now it feels like we've been married a long time (feel free to laugh, it's alright, I give you permission :-)  )--but I am so appreciating the newness of the season, and what it will bring.