GLADitude

Call it what you might, you still must do it!

Give thanks, Gladitude journal, Counting 1000 gifts, One Good Thing, Counting your blessings.... I have been doing this on and off for the last few years in an effort to have the right perspective, in an effort to be positive instead of being such a pessimist all the time, in an effort to pull me out of postpartum blues, in an effort to choose joy, etc!

It started in August 2005... I was challenged to keep a journal... by an online article of course...

Here are some of my gladitude notes from 2005 to 2008...

~kids bible songs
~a day at the Erie County Fair
~Wesley making pancakes Saturday morning (6 years later and he still does this!)
~Oreo cookies and chocolate milk
~clearance racks
~hearing new baby's heartbeat (no. 3)
~thunderstorms
~blowing bubbles with the kids
~apples for applesauce
~Christmas lights, Christmas music
~finding Christmas fudge in the freezer (in February)
~giggle fest with baby
~Motrin/Tylenol for sick kids
~iced coffee
~Isaiah 49:16 I am engraved on God's hands!
~having another birthday
~the birth of another child ... no complications in all 4 kids!!
~seeing the many times God provided for us financially
~my kids breakin' it down on the dance floor at my sister's wedding to "flight of the bumblebee"
~60 degree weather in November (hoping for that again this year)

kinda gave up in November 2008 after a few stops and starts along the way! but I started again with a One Good Thing Journal at the suggestion of my dad. instead of trying to right down ALL the gifts I received, just focus on one good thing each day!  I started this in March 2009. Here are a few of my "good things" from March to October 2009
~taco soup
~steak on the grill
~sunshine, baby kisses
~family trip to Cabela's
~getting a massage
~ "By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North
~a Mother's Day necklace
~fireworks
~eating bacon :)
~farmer's market, breakfast in the park
~Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord
~making pumpkin cookies with the girls
~surviving the "Swine flu" ... yes, I got it, and survived!

I quit writing my blessings until I joined up with Ann Voskamp's Multitude Monday.  here was my first post.
and then when I reached 1000 on August 1, I started to struggle again! but I am not giving up... pray for me as I start writing again that I will stick to it!

Here are a few blessings from the last week or so...

"tea parties" with little girls
gorgeous sunny day for BBC's Alumni Day/Homecoming
Psych reruns on Netflix (shallow blessing, but still fun)
cheesy eggs made from our backyard chicken eggs
going to the park on Columbus Day
Pumpkin Spice Latte in a Starbucks cup
Pizza and movie night with the family
Glorious sunrises, spectacular sunsets!
New-to-me dishwasher semi installed and running!
having a home "where the buffalo roam" (about 2 miles from our house)
finally getting a picture of said buffalo! :)
making pink birthday cards

thanks for sticking with me as I count... join me!! Share One Good Thing with me in the comments today!