One Thousand Gifts-Week 43

Well, yesterday I turned 33. We celebrated at Friday night dinner with a cake that the Boy made for me, mostly, with a bit of my help. (“Sifting is hard mom, can you finish it?”) Aaron assembled it and frosted after work. I was able to enjoy it without a whiff of nausea. It was a good night.

Yesterday after church we went for a picnic at a park that overlooks mission bay. It is a pretty lovely place to spend an afternoon. We got my one and only fast food craving for lunch, In’n’Out burger, and just spent the afternoon playing together. Of course, I forgot about my bum ankle that makes walking any distance painful, so I had a good little moment of frustration when everyone else set off on an impromptu mini hike and I was left sitting at a table watching the stuff. I got over it though, they came back and we had fun.

As I sit to write this there is a pile of stinky laundry to deal with. I woke up in a puddle of Little’s pee, on my bed of course. The laundry room that I use is closed for the next 4 days, I have a messed up ankle, and I now need to walk on it quite a ways to the laundry facilities that are open while dragging all the kids along with me. I’m tempted to just sit and feel sorry for myself. But as always there is much to give thanks for if I look, even if that isn’t my heart’s natural inclination.

-A movie date with my husband.

-Aaron and the kids racing to surprise me by cleaning up while I was fetching laundry.

-My kids kept a birthday surprise secret for a whole week.

-A letter that made me cry and smile at the same time.

-Thoughtful and lovely gifts from family.

-My Boy made me breakfast before I got out of bed “So I wouldn’t vomit.”

-Hot water for showers.

-Lazy, sunny Saturdays.

-This amazing little book inspired me, and was really lovely to read. Mama’s Bank Account

-That amazing feeling of waking up and feeling warm and comfortable and well rested. And not sick.

-A patient husband.

-3 children filing in the door, each holding a pot of flowers for me.

-Aaron pressing me for gift ideas and to plan a celebration when I had no idea what to ask for and wasn’t sure I wanted one.

-and then doing all the work to make it happen.

-My sil organizing the girls to paint the covers of a package of blank cards because I said I needed new stationary.

-Shopping money for maternity clothes from my MIL. yay! Especially since I only have one pair of pants left that I can button.

It was a good week.

The gratitude community is here.