Thankful!...a New Perspective

This time of year my Facebook newsfeed is always flooded with people who are posting something they are thankful for each day. I think it's great! I love how everyone is taking the time to reflect on the wonderful things in their lives (especially because it's so easy to get hung up on the negatives.) I wish I was on top of it enough to remember to post something I'm thankful for each day, but chances are I'd forget, so I thought I'd do something similar on the ol' blog and just knock it out in one post.

Obviously, I can think of bunches of amazing things I'm thankful for pretty easily; my health, my kids, my hubby, my family, amazing friends...but I thought I'd challenge myself to look at the things I normally gripe about in my life and find the positives in them. So here goes a weeks worth of finding the good in not so good moments!

Monday- ENDLESS piles of Laundry
I always tell Chris how much I would love it if there were a day where every piece of clothing in our house was clean and put away. But alas, that day has never come. I'm quick to complain about the full hampers, sorting, pre-treating, folding, etc. But then I thought, wow, how lucky am I that we have plenty of warm footie pajamas for our kiddos, soft fluffy towels for after their baths, and clean bibs for every messy mealtime. That laundry means our boys are warm and protected every day!

Tuesday- A teething baby who is waking up at night.
No, I'm not thankful for the fact that my baby is in pain getting his first little tooth, but despite the fact that it's SO not fun to be woken up 3-4 times at night to tend to a crying baby, I can still see the blessing in that moment. I have a perfectly healthy baby boy who is growing and changing every day. I am lucky enough to be home each and every night to take care of that little baby and be the one to console him. Plenty of parents would love to have that opportunity.

Lil' Squishy.

Wednesday- Lack of  a traditional "date nights."
Ok, it's hard to find the positive in not getting to go out to dinner and a movie with my hubby, but I think I've got one. Since we don't have grandparents nearby to watch our kids at the drop of a hat and we haven't found a consistent babysitter that we can use whenever we need a night out, we have been forced to be creative with our alone time. At least once a week we wait to cook our dinner after the kids have gone to bed. Even though we miss the fun of going to a restaurant sometimes, Chris and I genuinely enjoy trying new recipes, hanging out, listening to music, and cooking together. Some of our best conversations have been over a bottle of wine in the kitchen!

Thursday- Cold Pennsylvania weather.
It's very easy to complain about the weather as fall turns into winter up here. It's kind of a pain to put on jackets, hats and gloves on little ones just for a quick trip to the grocery store.  But, that cold weather means my kids get to have "White Christmases". They get to build snowmen and sled down the hill behind our house. They get to enjoy a warm fireplace on Christmas Eve. They get snow days off from school where they get to drink hot chocolate and watch Disney movies!

Even Florida boys can enjoy the snow.

Friday- My old jeans being a little snugger than I remember.
It's real easy to get down on yourself if you aren't 100% happy with the way you look or feel. It's easy to see other people's posts about amazing workouts they just completed and feel like a bum. But, I'm choosing to look at the fact that I am not rocking some super cute skinny jeans as a positive. I don't have a perfect body because I had 2 incredible little boys---in less than 2 years! I don't work out every day because I choose to use my time hanging out with my babies and hubby. Sure it's important to be make your health a priority, but if you ask me, I am actually pretty lucky to have a little post baby weight on me.

Thankful for little men who love me no matter what size I am!

Saturday- Being a Gator fan.
So, it's no secret that the Florida football team is abysmal this year. It's super easy to complain about our losing season and wish we were rooting for another team. However, the great thing about being a Florida alum is the fact that your love for UF does not begin and end with the football team. I will ALWAYS love being a Gator no matter what!! I spent the best 4 years of my life in Gainesville. I met my best friends in the world at UF. I met my awesome hubby because of being a Gator. And, I have a degree hanging on my wall from one of the best universities in the country because I'm a Gator. So, even though it's not been a fun football season this year, I always try to remember how awesome it is to be a part of the Gator Nation.

Thank God I married a Gator!

Sunday-Traveling with two young kids. Yikes.
It's really not fun taking babies on airplanes. Between all the junk you have to haul with you and praying that your child does not elicit eye rolls from people who have clearly never had to fly with a baby, it's stressful. And as much as I'm looking forward to our family's upcoming Thanksgiving trip to Savannah, I can only imagine what 12 hours in car with a 7 month old and 2 year old will be like. But here's the positive. We are making memories with our kiddos that will last a lifetime. We are braving the obstacles and are fortunate to be able to visit with family and take our kids places they've never been. We may feel the need to do some heavy drinking when we arrive at our destination, but I'm super thankful for the ability to continue to pursue our blessed adventures as a family.

Lollipops...my secret travel weapon.

I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving this year. May your belly be full of delicious food, your favorite football team win, you score some great Black Friday deals, and you find the time to reflect on all the positive (and negative) blessings our God has provided for you!