Blessed and Highly Favored

This last week has seen an improvement in our outlook. Spending lots of time focusing on how grateful we are for our blessings has really helped. While not a complete list by any means, here are some of the things we are grateful for:

• friends who will go for a walk on a moment's notice - and then not even flinch when you show up at their door in tears.
• getting "knuckles - with fireworks" from toddlers
• puppy kisses
• parents who worked to give us every advantage in life that they could possibly provide
• those who remind us to walk by faith when we can't see the path in front of us
• prayer warriors who are always at the Throne on our behalf
• surprise adventures where the map doesn't go
• Irish Spring
• front desk clerks who can MacGyver open a wine bottle
• waffles cooked on a cast iron waffle iron
• free long distance phone calls
• fresh from the garden veggies
• Chucks
• the view from Grandad's Bluff
• no questions replacement policy on broken wedding bands
• Christmas lights
• fancy date nights
• bacon
• going to "kid" movies in the theater with no kids
• ninja texts and phone calls
• real weekend passes
• painted toenails
• listening to a thunderstorm while snuggled in bed
• days where the primary objective is to relax in your pjs all day long
• reading good books
• ice cream sundaes
• naps
• long bike rides
• our postal carrier who makes sure that the outgoing mail gets picked up every day even when there's nothing to deliver
• cute little cocktail dresses and snazzy suits with suspenders
• finding money in a jacket pocket...even if it's only a dollar
• clean linens fresh from the dryer
• campfires with pudgie pies and smores
• an afternoon at the beach
• getting an awesome parking spot at the store
• spending an afternoon dreaming at Bass Pro Shop
• Handel's Hallelujah chorus on Easter Sunday morning
• friends who are willing to share their couch for a place to crash for a night or two
• U.S. postage being fairly inexpensive and coming with such fun stamps
• chocolate chip cookies
• mugs of tea either relaxing at home or with a delicious sandwich at Kavarna
• indoor plumbing and flush toilets
• an amazingly epic spouse
• stepping outside to temps in the 60s with beautiful blue skies and a bright shining sun to go for a run
• the quiet peacefulness and beauty of freshly fallen snow
• the amazing bright vibrant colors of spring
• a tall glass of ice cold lemonade or sweet tea on a sultry summer day
• the crisp smell of the air while watching the colors of autumn change
• a fresh slice of pie from the Norske Nook
• the sweet smell of an infant fresh from a bath
• walking barefoot on freshly mowed grass
• family and friends who share their home brew
• laughing until your sides hurt
• improving times on running routes
• how much easier the internet makes it to stay in touch with friends and family scattered all over the world
• men and women who set aside comfort and even personal safety in order to protect the rights, freedoms, and safety of others
• discounts on buying envelopes in bulk
• surprise packages that arrive on the doorstep
• days when the sun melts the snow from the sidewalk before you have to shovel it
• holding hands while walking through the mall
• BCGs and ACUs in the back of a POV. :)
• Dark chocolates from Beerntsen's Candies
• getting a nod of approval for a job well done
• hugs that you can feel all the way to your heart and soul
• fields of sunflowers
• bad karaoke with good friends
• sending that last check on a debt
• 50% off sales
• being able to wake up in the morning
• walking outside to blue skies and green grass, beautiful sunshine with the birds chirping
• the fact that there is a LOT of places in the world...that are NOT Oklahoma
• the fun arguing over the legality of Scrabble words
• the people who use logic, common sense, and the human element to decide their actions
• the writers of MAD magazine
• beret wearing teddy bears
• shared dreams for the future
• all of you reading this

God Bless!