November Challenge

Willie Nelson said, "When I started to count my blessings, my whole life turned around."

In this month of Thanksgiving, Jackson, Cody and I are going to challenge ourselves to be thankful for all that we have and for how lucky we are. I thought it would be interesting to count our blessings every day and see how varied our lists turn out to be.

We'll come back every day to add a new blessing for which we are thankful.

Jackson is thankful for:

Nov. 1: food and water, because if we didn't have them, we wouldn't be able to live.

Nov. 2: shelter, because it keeps you warm and it has air-conditioning when it's hot.

Nov. 3: clothing, because otherwise you'd be naked.

Nov. 4: freedom and justice.

Nov. 5: trees so we can breathe.

Nov. 6: Christmas, because you get presents.

Nov. 7: baseball, because you get the throw the ball and catch the ball and it makes you feel good.

Nov. 8: Legos, because you can build it and take it apart and then build a new thing.

Nov. 9: Spongebob Squarepants because it makes you laugh.

Nov. 10: spaghetti noodles because they're good and tasty.

Nov. 11: having a friend over to play.

Nov. 12: playing at the park.

Nov. 13: our new basketball hoop.

Nov. 14: my dog, Dulci.

Nov. 15: winter.

Nov. 16: cars so we have a way to get where we need to go.

Nov. 17: Gramma and Grandad.

Nov. 18: Luke.

Nov. 19: Mommy.

Nov. 20: Daddy.

Nov. 21: Cody.

Nov. 22: my 2 hits in the baseball game today.

Nov. 23: chocolate chip cookies.

Cody is thankful for:

Nov. 1: FJ's, Corvettes, Porsches, Camaros, Z's, Ferraris and Mustangs, 'cept those are my favorite cars.

Nov. 2: candy corn, 'cept that's kind of delicious.

Nov. 3: bounce houses, 'cept they're bouncy and you get to go sliding down.

Nov. 4: cows, 'cept they make milk.

Nov. 5: applesauce, 'cept it's good.

Nov. 6: teepees, 'cept they're awesome.

Nov. 7: Pei Wei, 'cept it has honey chicken.

Nov. 8: bouncing a ball and catching it with my very own hand.

Nov. 9: Thanksgiving food like mashed potatoes and turkey 'cept it's so good.

Nov. 10: my Spiderman blanket from Christmas 'cept it keeps me warm.

Nov. 11: the Hamster Dance song, 'cept it's cool and makes me dance.

Nov. 12: my new camo shoes with 3 straps for school tomorrow on my birthday.

Nov. 13: my Iron Man guy.

Nov. 14: my birthday party.

Nov. 15: my drum lesson. Playing the cymbals was LOUD!

Nov. 16: Daddy 'cept I love him.

Nov. 17: Motrin when my head hurts.

Nov. 18: Mommy, 'cept I love her.

Nov. 19: books, 'cept I like reading Goldilicious but I don't know the words.

Nov. 20: Gramma and Grandad.

Nov. 21: bowling, 'cept there was a ramp to help me.

Nov. 22: pigs.

Nov. 23: my cool dragon belt.

Meg is thankful for:

Nov. 1: a much-needed mother's night out with a good friend which totally recharged me and helped me come back to being a mommy with that much more enthusiasm.

Nov. 2: my baby, Lucas, whose arrival 2 years ago today completed our family and who, as the youngest, has helped me relax into motherhood and fully enjoy it. Love you, Lukey!

Nov. 3: the sun and beautiful fall weather which encourage us to spend much of our time outside, burn off that energy and get some good exercise so we can sleep that much better at night.

Nov. 4: the wonderful teachers at both our preschool and elementary school who educate my boys with kindness, humor and love, and thanks to whom all 3 of my boys (yes, even Luke!) enjoy going to school every day.

Nov. 5: the amazing doctors and nurses who have provided superior medical care to Cody since his brain tumor diagnosis 3 years ago and who have worked with us to protect his health.

Nov. 6: my salary, paid in monster hugs and sweet, sloppy, wet kisses that cure what's ailin' ya'.

Nov. 7: my parents, who have always let me be myself and shown me love and support even when our opinions differ, and who I am now lucky enough to call my friends. Love you, Mom and Dad!

Nov. 8: books, which give me a fun escape from every-day life.

Nov. 9: music because the right song can always change your perspective. So can bootie-shaking with a trio of little boys.

Nov. 10: my husband: my best friend and the smartest person I know, who encourages me to be brave, be silly and be me. And who, after almost 10 years of marriage, still brings me surprise presents like a home-made Christmas music mix CD. ♥ Love you, Lovey!

Nov. 11: the fact that Cody's most-recent MRI results begin with the word "stable." He is now 3 years post-surgery without recurrence or further problems, and his continued good health is a blessing to all of us.

Nov. 12: my oldest little guy, Jackson, who is not even a little little anymore, and who wows me daily with his smarts, his sweetness, and yes, even his sass. Plus, he's the best big brother in the world. Love you, Jacks!

Nov. 13: my Codybear (5 years old today!), whose sweet and mischievous smile always brightens even the yuckiest day, and even though his frequent Eeyore imitations might lead you to think otherwise, he is the happy, thoughtful and loving heart of our family. Love you, Codes!

Nov. 14: yellow cake from a box covered in chocolate frosting from a can. Cake made from scratch? From a fancy French bakery or a gourmet grocery store? No thanks. For me, Betty Crocker makes the best birthday cake EVER. Yummy!

Nov. 15: our new basketball hoop, which we have all enjoyed so much as a family in just the one day we have had it, and the Dallas Mavericks, for getting us so excited about basketball!

Nov. 16: my sister, who has always understood me even when I don't understand myself, has loved me even when I'm stealing the last donut or getting her in trouble for scribbling on a computer keyboard, and with whom I can giggle over ridiculous nothings until there's no tomorrow. Love you, Kate!

Nov. 17: our house because it is truly our home, not just a place where we live. I'm not sure we entirely understood the difference until our move to D.C., but now we know that this is where we belong.

Nov. 18: Festive Vanilla Fig, a new winter flavor from Bath and Body Works. It's spicy and sweet at the same time, puts me in mind of snuggling up in front of a roaring fire with a warm mug of something tasty, and smelling it makes me so excited that the holiday season is here!

Nov. 19: my fellow moms (including my own!), from whom I have learned so much about motherhood and the type of mom I want to be. It's always nice to know you're not alone and that there are others who are going through exactly what you are (or have gone through it before and survived, that's almost better!), and I'm so grateful for the understanding and support!

Nov. 20:

Nov. 21: family time, when all 5 of us do something together and really get a chance to enjoy each other's company (like when we went bowling this morning!).

Nov. 22: the absolute joy and well-deserved pride on Jackson's face when he got not one but TWO hits in today's baseball game and not one but TWO guys out when he was playing first base. WTG Jacks!

Nov. 23: a working dryer. With 4 men in the house, I do laundry every day and I can't live without my washing machine and dryer!

Hope everyone has a blessed month! :)