Linking up with Jenny Meyerson again this week. All about Gratitude today. If you don't read any more of this post watch the video at the end. It will be all the inspiration you need.
I just put this in my Gratitude Journal today.
Today I am thankful for Little Hands to Hold and Eskimo Kisses!
Gratitude
unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and
more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into
clarity... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the
unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a
vision for tomorrow.
Melodie Beattie
This poem stays on my side bar of my blog and has been there a long time. I truly believe in it and use it as a constant reminder to myself.
Last year my one little word for the year was "Happiness". I did a lot of reading about happiness and what makes people happy. I found that Gratitude is a key component in making someone happy. Around Thanksgiving I read a book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp. I took her challenge and every day in November I wrote down something I was thankful for each day. I posted my gift I was thankful for on my facebook wall each day. By thanksgiving I had 23 things I had written about that I was thankful for. Some were obvious and wonderful things and others were very simple. I now keep them in a Gratitude journal. Honestly it was my best Thanksgiving ever. I felt so blessed and happy. I began to think not about negative things, things we didn't have or troubles we were going through but I began to feel very blessed. I began to wonder why God had been so good to me while others in the world suffered so. I realized how truly blessed my family and I are. Now, you can ask my family and friends and they will tell you that I can complain with the best of them. I can rattle on and on about what I don't have or what we need. When I get in those moods I try to go back to my Gratitude journal. Even when negative things are happening around me I found that when I showed gratitude I felt better. During that month I think we had trouble with our van, I had hit a deer and did some damage or something. I was pretty upset but later that day I sarcastically said to myself, "at least I have a vehicle to drive and it gets us where we need to go." Inside I knew that everyone does not have a reliable car. It worked. A little deer damage didn't seem so bad anymore. It sounds too simple but yet it works. I think God probably thinks we make a lot of things too complicated most of the time anyway. LOL! Since reading this book and doing this exercise I now live life differently. I try to slow down, catch and enjoy each moment and see the blessing that it is. Life is way to short to not enjoy it.
I encourage you to start keeping a Gratitude Journal. Honestly it has been a wonderful thing for myself and definitely a key to my happiness.
Here were the just a few of the things I listed throughout that month of November.
Today I am thankful for my job. Because of it we can have food on the table, a roof over our head and clothes to wear. And every once in awhile I get to make a difference in some one's life.
Today I am thankful to have all of my children under the same roof for a few days!
Today I am thankful for my husband who helps me so much with our little guy in the evenings. Kaleb wore me out today-must be the change in the weather!
Today I am thankful for my faith. It has gotten me through some really tough times in my life. I am so thankful for my parents who instill such faith in me. Thank you God for staying beside me and carrying me through the tough times!
Tonight I am thankful for my hairdresser. She is the best. I don't know what I would do with out her. Everyday she helps women feel better about themselves.
Today I am thankful for organ donation. In their moment of pain, sorrow and loss a mother and father thought how they could help someone else and give the miracle of life to my son.
Today I am thankful for all military women and men, veterans and their families,who protect our country and our freedom. I sometimes think of you when I put my little guy to bed at night realizing that many of you are out there still awake, tired and working hard to protect us all. Thank you!
Today I am thankful for the abundance of food that we have to eat. I know that I have never gone to bed hungry or worse yet put my children to bed hungry. We go to the store and buy what ever food we want. We have no idea what those who starve must endure.
Today I am thankful for my sight. I have wore glasses or contacts for a good part of my life and I am so thankful that I have them.. Most of the things i enjoy I use my vision or. Art, photography, reading and seeing my kids' beautiful faces are all thinks I can enjoy because God gave me my sight.
Today I am thankful for my parents. They are amazing people who have always been such great examples of what marriage is all about. Growing up we have always seen how much they love each other and stand by each other. They have been there for me in some pretty rough times. I am very lucky to have them as my parents.
Today I am thankful for clean, running water! We take for granted in some parts of the world some people do not have this luxury. I can't imagine not being able to go to get a cold drink when ever I want or not having a hot shower every day!
Today I am thankful for our home. It is not big, but it is cozy. It is not new but you can spill something and it will be OK. It shelters the ones I love. It is where we have shared our joys sorrows, hopes and dreams. I am right where I belong.
Today I am thankful for little moments.
Today I am thankful for my children. Being a mother is the greatest gift I have ever been given.
Today I am thankful for my health. I am able to go to work, do activities I want to do, sleep well, and keep up with the baby. I realize so many don't have their health or they are fighting an illness. Thank you God for my health.
Need more inspiration to start. Watch this video. If you read nothing else on this post just watch this video. Cherish the Moments and see the blessings that they are. Thank you Jenny Meyerson for another great blog link idea!
I am linking up with Jenny Meyerson today with her challenge to Tell Your Story in 5 Photos. This is a great challenge in that it helps prompt you to get photos from your everyday life. It especially works well with my Project Life Album.
Something that Your Drive By Everyday But Never Take A Picture Of:
Many of my blogging friends might not know but we live in Iowa and I work as a RN in a hospital in Missouri. I was working there before Kenton and I met and still 12 years later continue to work there. It is quite a commute, about 40 miles each way, but when you have a child who depends on your health insurance you are very nervous about switching jobs, and this hospital has been very good to me over the years. So everyday I cross the state line between Iowa and Missouri.
Morning Routine:
Like his big brother, Kaleb is a child of routine. He is not a morning person and it takes him quite awhile to get woke up and quite awhile longer to get around. He likes to sit in this chair with Kenton or I, which ever one of us that is home with him. He drinks his juice, eats a few Cheerios, and watches his shows.
Contents of Something That You Carry With You:
I kind of cheated on the rest of the assignment. I couldn't show you the contents of my purse without displaying it first. I don't buy purses often and when I do I don't spend much. Walmart or Target is where most of them come from. I have been admiring these Jeanne Oliver bags for a long time. I saved my birthday money and when she had a sale recently I got one.
As for the contents it is pretty boring. Toothbrush and toothpaste, hairspray, makeup, checkbook, billfold, card holder, pens, planner, notebook for jotting down ideas, plans, lists and notes to myself and my hospital ID.
My Happy Place:
This is where I really couldn't just post one picture. Our farm is where I am happiest. I am a homebody and have been since I was a child. I recently took a online sketching class from Junelle Jacobsen, which I loved. One of the best things I got from the class is that she said that you do not need a big studio or special room. This is my studio. Whether it is photography, sketching or whatever, farm life is what inspires me the most. It is what I know best. Here is where I rest, work and play. Here is where I run the dirt road in my quest to stay healthy. Here is where my family is. Here is where my heart lies.
This is actually the neighbor's sheep, although someday I want some sheep, just haven't convinced Kenton.
We do have lots of cattle though.
Someone Who Makes Me Smile:
You have probably expected the answer to this one. This little guy is our whole family's light. Each day with him is amazing. He is smart, funny and brightens and lifts any sadness that you may feel. We were truly blessed and given a gift in little Kaleb.
What a great link up this was Jenny. Jenny is hosting another link up next week. It is lots of fun! I would love to see a peek in your life. Hope to see you there!
I have always loved flowers. What girl doesn't? I don't know that I ever really had a favorite until just a few years ago. I have fallen in love with the iris. Ten years ago my sister-in-law and her family purchased Rainbow Iris Farm. The beautiful flowers now bloom all over their farm. Through the years I have started my own little iris beds. I have always enjoyed gardening but let's face it, I don't always have the time for it. Many of my planting endeavors have failed and the green thumb in our family definitely belongs to my husband but I have always been able to count on my iris to bring beauty to our garden.
This past week I took the opportunity to photograph my daughter, Jessica with some of our iris.
The only sad part is they don't last all summer. We are off to help at the Iris Farm in the morning. We would love to see you there.
I recently had the pleasure of taking an online artsy class with one of my favorite photographers, artist and bloggers, Junelle Jacabsen. I am participating in a Blog Hop today with some of the other ladies from the class. We are sharing some of the projects we have done from the class. This is only one of the art journal pages that I have made. I am still working my way through the class. That is the joy of most online classes, you can go at your own pace which is a good thing as my pace tends to be pretty slow!
This is another page in my art journal. It still needs some work on the shading and such and I will have to come back to it later.
Junelle's class introduced me to Neocolor Pastels II which are a water soluable crayon. When used they look much like watercolor. I am absolutely in love with these little crayons. They are so handy for using with simple sketches and very portable. I am only a beginner at using them but I am sure enjoying all the wonderful shading you can do with them.
Be sure to continue our Blog Hop and visit becky-handforth.blogspot.com/ to see some more great artwork inspired by our class!
