Today I am grateful for bonding time with my kids . . .

When I got home from work today, I decided to work on the puzzle I started last night.  I am bound and determined to get it done!  After a while, my 13-year-old started helping me.  I love that my kids are interested in some of the same things I am and that we can spend quality time together.  They grow so fast, and I just want to make the most of the time I have with them!

Today I am grateful for patience . . .

I just spent over 5 hours working on a jigsaw puzzle, and I only got it about halfway done!  My back is sore from sitting in the same position for so long, and my vision is slightly blurred.  As an only child growing up, I had a lot of time to myself, and I used to love to do puzzles.  My daughter got some for Christmas, so I decided to do one tonight since I can't even remember the last time I did one.  I must be delusional, because I honestly thought I could complete it in a couple of hours!  I'm too stubborn to take it apart without finishing it, so it will likely sit where it is for quite some time until I decide to work on it again.  :)

Today I am grateful that my daughter is safe . . .

My 16-year-old was rear-ended on the freeway tonight.  Thankfully, nobody was hurt.  The guy who hit her was very nice and extremely apologetic.  He was pulling a trailer and just couldn't stop in time.  These things happen, and vehicles can be repaired. I'm just glad to have her home safe and sound!

Today I am grateful for the thoughtfulness of others . . .

Today has been a down day for me.  I'm not really sure why, but it's just been one of those days.  Next week will mark the 16th anniversary of my Dad's death, and he has been on my mind a lot, so I know that's part of it.  Even when I'm having a bad day, though, I really try not to let it show.  Incredibly, it seems that when I need it most, I always have a friend who reaches out to me and says something I really need to hear at that moment.  I guess it's because I am blessed with a lot of thoughtful friends!  It's amazing to me how one person can have such a meaningful impact on someone else without even knowing it.

Today I am grateful for this day . . .

I know it's such a cliche, but last night I was reminded that every day here on Earth is truly a gift when I learned that a co-worker was killed in a car accident the day before.  He left behind a wife and young children.  I really only knew him on a professional level, as he worked in our corporate office and the majority of my dealings with him were over the phone, but I was really touched by this tragedy.  I lost my own father when he was only 47 years old.  Next week, it will be 16 years since his passing, and I still have days where it feels like it just happened.  I can't even fathom the anguish my co-worker's family is suffering right now, and I pray that they will be able to find comfort and peace.  To honor them, I intend to make my best effort to never take my loved ones for granted.  Cliche or not, life really is short and we never know how much time we have left.

Today I am grateful for family traditions . . .

I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I really don't like all of the pre-Christmas hoopla.  I do, however, love Christmas Day!  Our tradition goes like this:  the kids wake us up early to open their presents, I take a bunch of pictures while they open everything, I go back to sleep for a couple of hours while they enjoy their gifts, we go to my Grandma's to open more presents, she feeds us Christmas dinner, and then we hang out at her house for the rest of the day.  I love spending the day with my family, and I wouldn't give up our tradition for anything!

Today I am grateful for comfortable shoes . . .

I did the majority of my Christmas shopping today, and my feet hurt!  I'm proud of myself that I only have a few more things to get, though.  I'm usually one of those crazy people finishing up just as the stores close on Christmas Eve.  Maybe I'm turning over a new leaf!

Today I am grateful for iced tea . . .

I love iced tea!  For years, I drank nothing but soda.  A few years ago, I decided to try to limit my soda consumption and I started drinking iced tea.  I know I should just drink water, but I really don't like it - at all!  I figure iced tea is better for me than soda is, so I'm moving in the right direction!  Who knows?  Maybe I'll actually like water someday, too.

Today I am grateful for my Grandma . . .

My Grandma on my Dad's side is one amazing woman!  I grew up in Utah, and she lived in California most of my childhood.  I spent part of each summer with her and loved it!  She retired when I was in 8th grade, moved back to Utah and let me come to live with her.  I will be eternally grateful for all of the sacrifices she has made for me.  She should have been enjoying her retirement, and instead she was dealing with a teenager!  Once I graduated from high school, I moved to Arizona to go to college.  She eventually moved here when my youngest child was three months old.  She babysat him while my husband and I worked until he started preschool full-time when he was three years old.  She has always loved having the kids around and they would spend the night with her every other Saturday night.  My son still does, and the youngest two girls join him when they aren't with friends instead.  At almost 84 years old, she is in great shape and still carries on the tradition of hosting us for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Having her in my life has been a real blessing, and I am so thankful my kids have had the chance to spend quality time with her their whole lives.  I only hope my great-grandkids will want to hang out with me when I'm her age!

Today I am grateful for good news . . .

My 13-year-old has been having some medical issues and has been undergoing test after test to try to figure out what's going on.  Last week she saw an endocrinologist because she's suddenly below the 3rd percentile for her height.  Turns out her human growth hormone level is normal and her "bone age" is just slightly younger than her chronological age.  No treatment is necessary; she's just going to be short!  The doctor predicts that she'll be about 4'11" when she is fully grown, so I guess she should just get used to the short jokes!

Today I am grateful for the shuffle feature on my iPod . . .

I'm a huge music fan, and I like a lot of different genres and artists.  I have over 4,000 songs on my iPod, and I rarely have a preference as to what I listen to.  That's why I love to put it on shuffle and be surprised.  Who doesn't love surprises?

Today I am grateful for cable television . . .

I've been feeling under the weather the past two days, so I've been watching a lot of TV to keep me occupied.  My favorite shows are Criminal Minds, the CSI shows, Law & Order: SVU, NCIS, Without a Trace and House.  I don't usually get to watch any of these shows the first time they're run, but I can almost always find at least one of them on cable channels when I do get to watch TV.  If I ever catch up and see them all, I guess I'll have to find some new re-runs to watch!

Today I am grateful for Paradise Bakery's chicken and wild rice soup . . .

Today I woke up with a sore throat, so it was definitely a soup day for me.  Then it rained, and that just pretty much sealed the deal!  So my wonderful husband took a little trip to Paradise Bakery to get my favorite soup ever - chicken and wild rice - for me.  What a great guy I have!

Today I am grateful for radio stations that refrain from playing Christmas music . . .

Call me a scrooge, but I really hate Christmas music.  I have to listen to it when I go into most public places this time of year, but I am thankful to have the choice to NOT listen to it in my own car.  To each his own, I guess, but I just don't get why anyone would want to listen to the same 20 songs over and over again for an entire month!

Today I am grateful for texted Tweets . . .

I follow a bunch of people on Twitter, even though I can't possibly read all of their tweets.  I have some of them sent as text messages to read when I have to wait somewhere.  Today I took my 13-year-old to the endocrinologist who sent her for blood work and an x-ray.  We were there for over 2 hours, and I was very happy to have my texted tweets to occupy my time! 

Today I am grateful for Mendy's Place . . .

Mendy's Place is a 24-hour pediatric emergency room.  Unfortunately, I have spent a lot of time there.  Fortunately, I love the place.  All of the providers are great with kids, and it isn't scary for the kids to be there.  Last night, my son's asthma started acting up.  It seems it always happens late at night or on the weekends when it's impossible to get in to see the pediatrician or even go to urgent care.  Thankfully, there's Mendy's.  He needed a couple of breathing treatments and some oral steroids to get him stabilized, and I'm glad I didn't wait until this morning to take him in.  We were there until 1am, but we left with a plan of action and the confidence that he was definitely on the mend.  

Today I am grateful for ballet . . .

A friend of mine had an extra ticket to the Nutcracker Ballet and asked me to join her today.  I'm not sure how I'd managed to go my entire life without having seen it before, but I had!  It was incredibly beautiful - the art of ballet, the costumes, the music.  It was truly amazing, and I am thankful to have finally had the chance to see it.

Today I am grateful for live theatre . . .

I saw "Hair" tonight at ASU Gammage Auditorium.  It was a great show, and I'm so glad Gammage has the Broadway Across America series.  I'm not a theatre snob, so I'm happy to watch regional theatre, but the touring Broadway shows are a real treat. 

Today I am grateful for kids who can drive . . .

Today my 13-year-old got to the school bus after school, and the bus driver had already closed the door.  As she stood there waiting for him to open it, he looked right at her and drove off!  Nice!  I was in Tucson, my husband was at work and my oldest daughter had already left for work.  Thankfully, we have a 16-year-old who could pick her up.  Obviously the bus driver wasn't concerned about whether my kid got home safely or not.  Wonder if he's ever heard of karma, because I'm pretty sure that's some bad karma right there.

Today I am grateful for my sense of humor . . .

I have a slightly odd, somewhat twisted sense of humor.  But I'm happy to have one!  I used to think that everyone has one, but I'm starting to realize that isn't necessarily true.  I think there really are people who don't think anything's funny, and I feel really sorry for those people.  What would life be without the ability to laugh?  I know I'm glad I don't know the answer to that!

Today I am grateful for unconditional love from my dog . . .

My dog is so sweet!  She always runs to the door to greet me when I get home and she cries if I've been gone too long.  She follows me around and always has to sleep on our bed.  Even when I accidentally kick her because she's always right under my feet, she forgives me and still wags her tail at me!  If I'm not feeling well, she seems to sense it and won't leave my side.  We could definitely learn a lot about love from our dogs. <3

Today I am grateful for McDonald's french fries . . .

They're perfect!  Crispy and extra salty - just how I like 'em.  And my 13-year-old is definitely my kid.  I was the drive home from dance tonight and we drove through McDonald's for a snack.  My daughter and I got fries while her two friends chose ice cream cones.  Heck yeah, I'll take fries over ice cream any day!

Today I am grateful for holiday greetings . . .

I have a confession to make.  I don't particularly like the holiday season.  I love Christmas day and the family time that goes along with it, but I could definitely live without most of what leads up to it.  I despise the Christmas music you are forced to listen to if you go to public places, I'm not fond of shopping, and all the extra events just stress me out!  There is one exception, however.  I absolutely LOVE getting holiday cards, especially if they include a picture.  But the very best greetings are those that include a picture AND a letter!  It seems we are so busy throughout the year, and it's really nice to get letters and pictures at least once a year to keep us connected to our friends and family that we don't get to see often enough.

Today I am grateful for my husband, Cody . . .

About five years ago, my husband and I decided that it would be best for our four kids if one parent didn't work at that time.  It made the most sense for Cody to leave his job in homebuilding, and I was very impressed that he didn't have any problem with that.  Unfortunately, when it came time for him to go back to work, the housing market had imploded and he hasn't been able to find work in the field.  Since I am also in homebuilding, the economy has not been especially kind to us over the last couple of years.  So, Cody got some additional training and is working temporary jobs installing solar panels while also working in retail part-time.  It is such a testament to his character that he is doing all he can for his family, and we are incredibly thankful.

I had a busy day today of running my son around, going to the grocery store and doing housework.  It occurred to me that even though Cody has been working 60-hour weeks, I had still been expecting him to do the majority of the family duties he was doing when he wasn't working.  I really appreciate all he's sacrificed for us, so I guess I need to step it up and do more around here! 

Today I am grateful for hot showers . . .

Sometimes it's the simple things in life that make me happy.  I love hot showers - the hotter, the better!  It doesn't even matter if it's the middle of winter or the middle of summer.  Most people who know me well know that I'm always cold.  But hot showers always warm me right up.  Unfortunately, I tend to use more than my fair share of our water resources, but I just can't help myself!

Today I am grateful for health insurance . . .

I took my 13-year-old to the doctor today.  As I was begrudgingly forking over the $50 specialist co-pay, I suddenly realized that I should be happy that I only have to pay $50 for high-quality care and that I don't have to debate about whether to take my child to the doctor due to the expense.  We've had 2 unexpected hospitalizations this year that would have cost us a fortune without insurance, so I really need to look at it from the right perspective.

Today I am grateful for carpooling . . .

My 13-year-old spends half of her life at her dance studio, and that's only a slight exaggeration!  She's there four nights a week plus other times when she has extra rehearsals.  Luckily, we have a group of six families that share carpooling duties, so we all get a little bit of a break.  The things we do for our kids . . .

Today I am grateful for cheese in a can . . .

What more is there to say?  It's awesome!

Today I am grateful for Arizona sunshine . . .

It was really cold today!!!  (For Phoenix, anyway.)  Thankfully, even when it's cold outside, we usually have plenty of sunshine.  I love the feeling of sitting in the car with the sun shining through the windows and moon roof.  It's just so cozy, and it makes me happy!  :)

Today I am grateful for Blockbuster Express kiosks . . .

We rented a DVD last night from the Blockbuster Express kiosk inside our neighborhood QT.  I love that they're cheap and convenient, and it doesn't hurt that I can pick up my favorite iced tea while I'm there!

Today I am grateful for those rare days when I have nothing I have to do . . .

There was absolutely nothing on my calendar today!  This is such a rarity that it really is cause for celebration.  I sat around in my sweats and did whatever I felt like all day.  I sorted through some pictures, wasted time on the internet and basically did a whole lot of nothing!  It's really nice to have a day like that every once in a while. :)

Today I am grateful for family time . . .

I love Thanksgiving!  Not for the food, but for the chance to spend time with family.  We're a little dysfunctional, to be sure, but we are endearingly so.  I'd be concerned if we were "normal."  Normal is boring, but crazy makes life interesting!  Regardless of the insanity, there is an abundance of love in our family, and that's why life is worth living!

Today I am grateful for electric blankets . . .

I have been freezing all day today!  People who don't live in Phoenix don't understand, but our 60-degree weather is a far cry from our 120-degree summer weather and it feels a lot colder than you would think!  I heard on the news today that tomorrow is supposed to be the coldest Thanksgiving here in almost 80 years!  Thankfully, a very nice friend of mine got me an electric blanket for Christmas several years ago, so I have been under it and feeling nice and cozy for the last several hours!

Today I am grateful for telecommuting . . .

I'm really not feeling well today, so the last thing I wanted to do was drive 2 hours to work this morning.  Telecommuting to the rescue!  I literally worked from bed today, so it wasn't a total loss.  Too bad I can't work from home every day!

Today I am grateful for opportunity . . .

"It is often hard to distinguish between the hard knocks in life and those of opportunity."

~ Frederick Phillips

Opportunity is a funny thing.  Sometimes you're looking for it in the wrong places while it just passes you by.  I am hopeful that I will recognize it when it comes knocking and that I will seize it with everything I've got!

Today I am grateful for Arizona Broadway Theatre . . .

ABT opened a few miles from our house about 5 years ago.  We saw a couple of shows the first season and then became season subscribers for each season since.  My 16-year-old and I saw 42nd Street there today, and it was another wonderful production.  I'm so glad I can share my love of theatre with my daughter, and having such a quality playhouse right in our backyard is very cool.  We may not be able to get a season subscription next year, so I am enjoying these shows while I can!

Today I am grateful for my big family . . .

Growing up an only child, I always wanted a bunch of kids.  For the longest time, I told my mom I was going to have 10!  Thankfully I came to my senses and stopped at 4!  Tonight I have the house all to myself, and I'm actually kind of lonely.  At least I have the dogs and cat to keep me company, but they aren't very strong conversationalists!  :)

Today I am grateful for photographs . . .

I have always loved to look at photos, so when a friend introduced me to scrapbooking several years ago, I was hooked immediately.  I literally take thousands of pictures every year, and I have boxes and boxes of them waiting to be scrapbooked.  I'll probably never get them all done, but I don't care.  I enjoy looking at all of my pictures whether they're in scrapbooks or not.  :)

Today I am grateful for the American Society of Women Accountants . . .

I joined ASWA 12 years ago and began serving on the board of the Phoenix Chapter shortly after joining.  I then began serving on the national board in 2003 and am now Immediate Past National President.  As my term nears its end, I can reflect on all that this experience has meant to me.  It has been a lot of work, but I have gotten so much more out of it than I have put into it.  I have made lifelong friends, developed skills I wouldn't have had an opportunity to develop otherwise and even led a delegation of women accountants to China!  I am so proud of my involvement in the organization, and I'm excited to watch the future leaders guide us to even more success for years to come. 

Today I'm grateful for online defensive driving courses . . .

I got a speeding ticket a few weeks ago, and while the police officer was writing the ticket he told me that I could do my defensive driving course online!  What can't you do online these days?!?!?  Anyway, I started the course tonight (because I have to have it completed by Friday and I'm a very accomplished procrastinator!), and I must say it's pretty convenient.  It's timed, so if you're a fast reader, you have to wait to go on to the next section, but it's still better than the alternative!

Today I am grateful for compassion . . .

Not everyone is capable of giving compassion and not everyone receives it. I am glad that I can give it and that I have received it many times. The other day, my oldest daughter gave a homeless man some money. There's no way of knowing how the recipient felt about it, but it made my daughter feel really good to do something, however small, for a stranger who is obviously less fortunate than we are. That human touch is what makes us all, well, human, and I don't want to know what this life would be without these gestures of kindness.

Today I am grateful for busy days . . .

Today flew by, and I love it when that happens. Funny how your perspective changes. Several years ago when work was crazy-busy, I never felt like I could catch up. These days I feel TOO caught up most of the time. My brain sure does like the challenge!

Today I am grateful that I have polite, likeable kids . . .

My 13-year-old spent the last two nights at her friend's house. When my husband went to pick her up this morning, her friend's dad made a point of telling my husband how much he likes my daughter and how polite and helpful she is. It always makes me feel good as a parent when I hear that my kids behave well when we aren't around. Now if I could just get them to clean up around here like they do at other people's houses!

Today I am grateful that stress makes me eat less, not more!

I realized today that I have actually lost a few pounds recently. Always eager to find the "silver lining," I decided that there is actually a bit of an upside to stress. Not that I want to use that as my weight loss strategy long-term, but I'll look at it as a positive for now! :)

Today I am grateful for love . . .

My life is so full of love, and I do feel truly blessed by it.  When I'm having a bad day, I can always count on someone to care enough to try to make me feel better.  No matter what happens in life, I will always be rich because I will always have people who love me and whom I love just as much!

Today I am grateful for our military personnel . . .

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."

~ Elmer Davis

Today I am grateful for all those men and women who have risked and continue to risk their lives to preserve our freedoms that many of us take for granted. Those who have given the ultimate sacrifice have done so with courage and valor, and I can't even imagine what they experienced. I am proud that my father served in Vietnam, and I am proud of all those other heroes whose names I don't know. God Bless America.

Today I am grateful for TV shows that I can watch on the internet . . .

With 4 kids and a 2-hour one-way commute to work, my time is pretty limited. But I still like to watch TV to unwind at night. Since the DVR is always monopolized by the kids, thank goodness I can watch some of my favorite shows online! Tonight it was Dancing With The Stars, which I just started watching this season because of Kurt Warner. Of course, now I'm totally hooked!

Today I am grateful for pasta . . .

Sometimes it's the simple things in life that bring us happiness. I had spaghetti for dinner tonight and it occurred to me how much I love pasta! It reminded me of when I was pregnant with my third daughter and sometimes had it twice a day. Do you think that could be why she's so fond of it herself? :)

Today I am grateful that my children know how to fight their own battles . . .

I have always tried to teach my children to attempt to resolve conflict with their friends on their own before getting me involved unless violence is part of the equation. I'm always proud of my kids when they exhibit this behavior. Learning to deal appropriately with conflict as children gives them an edge as adults, and my job is to teach them what they need to know to be happy, well-adjusted grown-ups. Only time will tell if I'm successful, but my biased opinion is that I have pretty great kids!

Today I am grateful for laughter . . .

Does laughing count as a workout? I've been having a great time with my girlfriends today, and my abs are actually sore from all the laughing I've done! Today was the second day of our weekend scrapbooking retreat, and we were cracking each other up left and right. I have always thought I have a pretty good sense of humor, and I do tend to gravitate toward funny people. I am raising a bunch of clever kids, and when our family all sits down to eat together (which, unfortunately, isn't very often), it almost always turns into a big ol' laugh-fest. Oh, how I love the sound of genuine amusement!

Today I am grateful for distraction . . .

I had the opportunity to scrapbook with good friends this afternoon and evening, and it's just amazing to me how good friendship and girl time can be for the soul. Yesterday was a tough day for me emotionally, but all was forgotten today as I caught up with some friends I haven't seen in awhile and a couple of good friends I see regularly. We laughed, ate, scrapbooked, ate some more, laughed a lot more and ate even more! Such simple things to do, yet so incredibly cathartic. We are on a weekend scrapbooking retreat, so the good news is that I have until Sunday afternoon with these ladies. I won't have to think about the real world for a little while longer.

Today I am grateful for hope.

"Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come." ~ Anne Lamott

Today is a down day for me. With my husband and I both in the homebuilding industry, things have been tough on us with the poor economy. Some days I feel okay and others, like today, not so much. Cody has been trying to get into another industry as he has been unable to find a job in homebuilding. He has been working a temporary position for a week with a commercial solar company, and he really likes it. Today I am hopeful that an opportunity will come for him in the near future. We could certainly use a break! :)

Today I am grateful for my cousin, Nekole.

Today is her birthday, and I've been thinking about her all day. I'm an only child, but Nekole was like a sister to me growing up. My aunt and uncle treated me like I was one of theirs, and we spent tons of time together when we were kids. She has always been my very best friend, and she has a heart of pure gold. She is one of a handful of people I can honestly say I would die for without hesitation. The girl was born with a bit of a wild streak, and for some reason her ideas always sounded reasonable to me until we got caught! Unfortunately, we have lived on opposite ends of the country for more than 25 years now, but the strange thing is that even though we only get to see each other once or twice a year, it always feels like I just saw her yesterday and we just pick up where we left off. Happy Birthday, Nekole! I love you!!!! <3

Today I am grateful for my right to vote.

I got to the polls just in the nick of time to cast my vote tonight. Now that the elections are over, I'm hoping our elected officials will focus on what's important, and I can't say I'll miss all the radio and tv campaign ads!

Today I am grateful for technology!

After several months of sharing my "Today I am grateful . . ." status updates on Facebook, I decided to create this blog so that I can elaborate on what I'm grateful for each day.  I've always loved writing, so this is my opportunity to express my gratitude for my numerous blessings and further my creative writing skills at the same time. Now that's what I call multi-tasking!