Red, White, & Blue - Thank You.

There are those things in life that are guaranteed to bring tears to my eyes, give me goosebumps, and get me a bit choked up. Although I won't bore you with a complete list, today of all days I will talk about those in the patriotic realm. The red, white, and blue. Those that serve as a symbol of our freedoms, our rights, our liberty. Things that pertain to those who are still willing to serve - to put their life and liberty on the line for us. The documents that hold us accountable to the origins of this country.

I admit it. I tear up every single time the national anthem is played. Every time I see a soldier in uniform or a vet proudly wearing his hat I feel a rush of pride. And after I see one of those homecoming videos of returning troops do not expect me to be presentable. Every house displaying an American flag prominently always gets a second look from me and my respect without even knowing who lives there or anything about them. As a military spouse of over 20 years, I still feel a thrill when I enter the gates of a military base and in awe of those who are VOLUNTARILY serving for this country.

As I listened to the radio this morning and the voting polls were opening on the East coast, I was overcome with emotion. What an honor and a privilege: every single American citizen over the age of 18 has the potential for their voice to be heard. Inside I was cheering "Go America!" I have so much hope for our country and so much respect for those who are willing to serve as leaders. I am hoping those who grabbed hold of the right to vote, took it to heart, and passionately studied those they are supporting. I have become a very interested student of history over the past few years and realize what a difference every single American can make, let alone what a difference two to four years of decision making in a leadership role can make. It is both frightening and exciting.

Today I am thankful I live in a place where my emotions can be stirred in a positive way with the pride I feel in everything the United States of America stands for. I am thankful for a right to vote which is both a privilege and an honor to fulfill. I am grateful for a nation that has proven time and again it will come together in times of both victory and need. Red, white, and blue - thank you.

Thankful for Paths that Cross

 

After a full day of "take-down" on Friday, we got busy and after several trips to the storage unit have officially moved Christmas "in". Of course, moving it in and placing it in a decorative location are two very different tasks!

On Saturday, we had to deliver the fall decor and bring back 2 loads to the house. Of course, we needed to clear space in the garage, and also make a run to the Goodwill drop off station. 

       

The girls were invited to a birthday party so last minute gift shopping and wrapping had to fit in after clean up. Then we headed to a great place that had bowling, laser tag, arcade games, cafe, sports bar, ropes course, and free wifi! It was great fun and I was so glad to be there with them. You can check out the venue which has locations around the country here ==> http://www.mainevent.com 

Today I am reflecting on friends: the friendships I have been fortunate enough to have, and the friends my girls have made here in TX already. I am so thankful for the people who have crossed paths with us and allowed us to be a  part of their lives. Thank you.

Thankful for Traditions

Today was a work day at our house - we were taking down the fall decor and preparing the house for the Christmas transformation. This is no minor task in our home! The fall take down is an exciting time for us as we all know what that means - the house RE-DO is about to happen!

Really what happened is we boxed and wrapped and hauled and sweat like we were doing a major workout! We did get the fall boxes to storage and the first round of Christmas boxes brought to the house. We are all excited to find the perfect place for all our treasures in this new Texas home. It is always fun to decorate in a new place as all of our favorite things get a new home as well.

The Christmas transformation for us is when all of the wall hangings. the curio cabinets, the bedding and window coverings, and even more are taken down and then replaced with holiday decor. For us it is almost our "New Year" transformation - we all feel like we are starting fresh and have a new focus on family activities and fun traditions. We all look forward to this time of year!

So today I am thankful for traditions. Traditions - that started when I was growing up and surrounded every holiday with special family activities - which my husband has generously allowed me to incorporate into our home and family life. I am excited to embark on the 2012 version of those traditions and find out what new family memories are in store for us this year.

Thankfully Hopeful

As we enter this month that traditionally signifies thankfulness, it seemed to call out perfect timing to start your 30-day blog commitment! Of course, this was made late night on a day that I was feeling like a daily commitment to creativity had to be simple. I mean, Eleanor Roosevelt wrote a column 6 days a week for thirty years or something outrageous on top of all of her other responsibilities, so surely I could commit to 30 days of daily posts on an obscure, probably never-to-be read blog, right?

So, I am going to use the best tools available to me for topics and ideas and this being November 1, it the obvious topic would be thankfulness. Being thankful conjures different emotions, triggers different thoughts, and evokes a variety of answers to the question, "What am I thankful for TODAY?". In this moment in time, in this situation of my life, with my reflection of the world around me, what am I choosing to be thankful for?

It seems I should tout all the big idea things, my life, my health, my family, this great nation in which I live, etc. I don't take those things lightly but what if I tried to think outside the proverbial box for a moment and went with a childlike view. I want to talk about just this moment. Right now I am a homeschool mom and sitting in a coop waiting while my most precious gifts - my 2 daughters - are having their worldview influenced by a science teacher, an art teacher, 2 PE teachers, a spanish teacher, and many other homeschooled middle school kids who we never met until 9 weeks ago. I am thankful for the opportunity. I am thankful for the instructors' willingness to serve. I am thankful we have been afforded the opportunity to take charge of guiding our children and determining who will influence and be a role model for them.

As I am thankful, I realize more than being thankful, I am hopeful. I am hopeful in my daily decisions - hopeful that I make good choices and better decisions. Hopeful that making a promise to myself to write daily is the start of something not just good for me but inspiring for my children. I hope to know myself better and in doing so to know them better. I hope to reach a point that my thankfulness so abundantly overflows into my hopefulness and joy that it can impact others in a great way. Is that "thankful enough"? It is my definition for the moment, for today, and for my heart it is enough right now. Blessings to you.