thirty days of thanks #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15 and #16

i have not been blogging each day like i had planned on. It is much more difficult to balance my time with my family and my "me" time since I have started working. Most of the time I don't really want to spend my time on the computer when I am at home with my family.

10. I am thankful for my schedule at work that allows for my family to eat dinner together at night even on the nights that dave or I have to go to work.

11. I am thankful for music. I have always loved music. It has always been such a powerful influence in my life.

12. I am thankful for books. I love reading to my daughter and I hope that I am able to instill in her a great love of books and learning. I love how books can take you to another place and give you a new perspective on something already familiar to you.

13. I am thankful for my body. I struggle with my weight and often with my health but I am so thankful that I have the use of my limbs and that when the house is dirty, I can scrub it. I can pick up my daughter and run and play with her. I know that I am prone to be negative about my body but I am so thankful for all that it enables me to do.

14. I am thankful for family traditions that create strong loving bonds and memories that last forever.

15. I am thankful for holiday (and other home) decor. I love the permanence of it. As a mom most of what I do is temporary or gets undone: cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, picking things up, putting things away, setting the table, etc. I know that when I buy (or make) something for the house that it will not get undone (most of the time, with a fifteen month old all bets are off, haha) and will become part of our home or part of our holiday not just this year but each year and that is something I love. I feel like it is something I do for my family that it permanent and adds to our home.

16. I am thankful for clean water. This is also something I take for granted too much of the time.