50 Things I'm Thankful For, v.2014

This year is so incredibly beyond description. There have been so many amazing things, from bringing Tate into our family, Ellie getting baptized, Jim reaching ABD status, Aeryn starting middle school, and me returning to work. It's hard to truly contain everything I am thankful for at this time. Listing 50 things feels so petty this year, as I could easily go on and on.

I never expected the changes in mentality that are going along with getting older. As 40 gets closer, I expected to lament the loss of my youth a little but instead I'm finding that I am simply becoming more content with my life. I still have dreams and ambitions, fears and insecurities, worries and regrets, but they are taking the backseat to living in the moment. Surely a part of this is having a baby - which sort of forces a person to live in the now - but a part of it I think may also be (dare I say it) maturity.  That word used to sound so uninteresting and boring. Now it screams of mental security and desirability. I felt a difference when typing this years' list. I am still thankful for things like fuzzy socks, butterfingers, and girl's nights watching trashy TV, but I think my list has grown up somewhat.

So without any delay, here it goes.

50 Things I'm Thankful For, v. 2014 

1. A job that challenges me daily
2. My beautiful children
3. Getting to know the experience of having a baby one more time, when I didn’t think that was possible
4. Childproofing products
5. Hearing the girls giggle and laugh, especially after they have been bickering
6. A husband who shows me every day how patient and respectful love can be
7. Getting better with my camera
8. A strong sense of community in our graduate school life
9. Friends I value so much I consider them to be family
10. JCrew factory deals
11. The fact that despite my moments of serious incompetence, my children are somehow growing up happy and healthy
12. Discovering food allergies before they become a serious problem
13. A first teaching job that spoiled me, giving me a love for the occupation that I can’t really explain or justify away even on the really tough days
14. Moments of complete contentment
15. The seemingly never ending rainfall in Oregon
16. Waterfalls
17. Natural spaces to explore that are just minutes from our front door
18. The way this crazy patchwork family seems to come together as though it was always meant to be this way
19. The soda machine at work with $0.75 cans of Pepsi
20. No longer needing quarters to do laundry
21. The dream of actually completing my MS being on the cusp of reality
22. My phone somehow still working despite getting wet, having a smashed screen, and being dropped almost daily
23. Fitting into multiple pairs of my pre-pregnancy pants
24. The chance Jim has to pursue the education he wishes and the blessings already in our lives as a result of this journey
25. Starbucks hot cocoa
26. The hubs’ charcoal grill and the tasty eats that come off of it
27. Fall in Oregon; there is nothing else like it
28. Tall boots and sweaters
29. Realizing that I’m not that far from being “middle-aged” and feeling completely ok with that; gray hair, wrinkles and all
30. Having faith in the future despite having no idea how things are going to actually work out
31. Lindt truffles for a quarter at the local grocer
32. Extended family that cares about building relationships with our kids
33. Frozen pizza for when *those* days happen
34. The way Tate sucks his thumb when tired or needing to calm down
35. Living in an apartment complex that is incredibly well maintained and staffed by genuinely kind people
36. Sweet pork tacos from Mucho Gusto
37. Beautiful sunrises on my way to work
38. Burning desires for temporary non-essentials being replaced with quiet contentment
39. Ice cold water to drink
40. Handwritten thank you notes
41. Slideshare and other methods of sharing curriculum so I don’t have to design all four of my classes from scratch
42. Friends who pitch in to help on a moments notice, with no thought of how it may or may not be convenient
43. The instant gratification of spray paint projects
44. Being friends with our pediatrician and being able to text about medical concerns instead of needing to make appointments for every worry
45. People who share inspiring messages on social media and inspire me in the most unexpected of moments
46. Little cans of Dole pineapple juice
47. Sea Turtles
48. Mini vacations with my husband
49. Snuggling other people’s babies
50. Feeling every single day, no matter how hard that day may be, that I wouldn’t trade my life for anything in the world