Thanksgiving 2013, Port Aransas
Showing posts with label 30 Days of Thankful. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 30 Days of Thankful. Show all posts
Friday, November 29, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: This Day
Need I say moore? Hope you all had your fill of sweet potatoes, pie, and plenty of laughter. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Gracie
What a trooper our Gracie girl is. She hasn't had a stomach bug in so long, she didn't really understand what she was in for when she got sick yesterday morning. So miserable. And then, when she was finally on the mend today, she had to endure this indignity while we were all trapped in the car together for six hours.
On better days, she keeps us on our toes. She's got a constant stream of questions, observations, and (sometimes brutally honest) commentaries coming at us every day.
She has such a heart for animals, so much so that sometimes it's hard for me and Brendon, who aren't necessarily animal or pet people, to really understand. But we do see it, and we do our best to help her nurture it. Even though it means that when my brothers' three dogs all passed earlier this year, her tender heart was so sad. Her compassion for and curiosity about God's creatures is something special.
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She is our social butterfly. She loves being with friends and being out and about; she loves a full calendar. She also has no fear about new situations and loves to try new things, and I love to see that strength in her.
And a final, funny note: Her dance teacher told me this year that if I hadn't brought Aubrey with me to dance one time, she would have never known Gracie had any siblings, let alone three! It's always the Gracie show. Only-child personality, much?
Oh, Grace. We love this girl and are so thankful for the spark she adds to our lives.
P.S. I'm also thankful for Clorox Wipes and your prayers. So far, so good! Hooray!
Why is it that we require a holiday to profess our gratitude? Regardless of what it is we are grateful for. Whether it is your family, loved ones, friends or possessions. Being grateful isn't (or at least shouldn't be) a momentary feeling that passes with the massive consumption of turkey and stuffing.
I certainly would never suggest that we shouldn't take a moment on a holiday such as Thanksgiving to say thank you to so many people in our lives who make it possible. However, the act of gratitude should never be limited to a specific day that comes each year....for best results don't wait for the calendar to remind you to be grateful.
From "Gratitude 365: Beyond Thanksgiving" by Daniel Newman
Bless that girl.
On better days, she keeps us on our toes. She's got a constant stream of questions, observations, and (sometimes brutally honest) commentaries coming at us every day.
Fourth of July 2013
She has such a heart for animals, so much so that sometimes it's hard for me and Brendon, who aren't necessarily animal or pet people, to really understand. But we do see it, and we do our best to help her nurture it. Even though it means that when my brothers' three dogs all passed earlier this year, her tender heart was so sad. Her compassion for and curiosity about God's creatures is something special.
Halloween this year as a veterinarian
She is our social butterfly. She loves being with friends and being out and about; she loves a full calendar. She also has no fear about new situations and loves to try new things, and I love to see that strength in her.
She tried volleyball for the first time this fall with one of her BFFs.
And a final, funny note: Her dance teacher told me this year that if I hadn't brought Aubrey with me to dance one time, she would have never known Gracie had any siblings, let alone three! It's always the Gracie show. Only-child personality, much?
Oh, Grace. We love this girl and are so thankful for the spark she adds to our lives.
P.S. I'm also thankful for Clorox Wipes and your prayers. So far, so good! Hooray!
Why is it that we require a holiday to profess our gratitude? Regardless of what it is we are grateful for. Whether it is your family, loved ones, friends or possessions. Being grateful isn't (or at least shouldn't be) a momentary feeling that passes with the massive consumption of turkey and stuffing.
I certainly would never suggest that we shouldn't take a moment on a holiday such as Thanksgiving to say thank you to so many people in our lives who make it possible. However, the act of gratitude should never be limited to a specific day that comes each year....for best results don't wait for the calendar to remind you to be grateful.
From "Gratitude 365: Beyond Thanksgiving" by Daniel Newman
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: For Health and Strength...
...and daily food, we praise thy name, O Lord.
Our littles love to sing this song in round, and today it has been on repeat in my head as well.
For health, because even though Gracie came down with a stomach virus this morning, eight hours before we planned to leave town, delaying our trip, the rest of us are still healthy. Because none of us are in the hospital, because none of us struggle with chronic health problems. We praise thy name, O Lord.
For strength, because we can take care of a sick child. Because we can clean, and cook, and work. We praise thy name, O Lord.
For daily food, because even though Thanksgiving food is amazing, if we don't get to eat it on Thursday, it will only be because of temporary illness, not because of lack, not because we face the daily hunger that so many do. We praise thy name, O Lord.
Please say a little prayer with us that Gracie can recover and the rest of us can stay well!
"Why should the simple act of thinking about who and what I’m grateful for make such a big difference in my life?
Our littles love to sing this song in round, and today it has been on repeat in my head as well.
For health, because even though Gracie came down with a stomach virus this morning, eight hours before we planned to leave town, delaying our trip, the rest of us are still healthy. Because none of us are in the hospital, because none of us struggle with chronic health problems. We praise thy name, O Lord.
For strength, because we can take care of a sick child. Because we can clean, and cook, and work. We praise thy name, O Lord.
For daily food, because even though Thanksgiving food is amazing, if we don't get to eat it on Thursday, it will only be because of temporary illness, not because of lack, not because we face the daily hunger that so many do. We praise thy name, O Lord.
Please say a little prayer with us that Gracie can recover and the rest of us can stay well!
"Why should the simple act of thinking about who and what I’m grateful for make such a big difference in my life?
- Because it reminds you of the positive things in your life. It makes you happy about the people in your life, whether they’re loved ones or just a stranger you met who was kind to you in some ways.
- Because it turns bad things into good things. Having problems at work? Be grateful you have work. Be grateful you have challenges, and that life isn’t boring. Be grateful that you can learn from these challenges. Be thankful they make you a stronger person.
- Because it reminds you of what’s important. It’s hard to complain about the little things when you give thanks that your children are alive and healthy. It’s hard to get stressed out over paying bills when you are grateful there is a roof over your head.
- Because it reminds you to thank others...the simple act of saying “thank you” to someone can make a big difference in that person’s life. Calling them, emailing them, stopping by to say thank you … just taking that minute out of your life to tell them why you are grateful toward them is important to them. People like being appreciated for who they are and what they do. It costs you little, but makes someone else happy. And making someone else happy will make you happy.
Monday, November 25, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Busted Windshield
I'm thankful for this busted up mess today, because as bad as it is, it means I don't have a busted up husband.
Brendon hit a deer on the way home from work tonight. A deer...on a four-lane, divided, major roadway between two industrial areas--not a tree or grassy area in sight. What the what? Poor deer. Poor Brendo.
But it could have been much, much worse, so we are going to just count our blessings and move on.
"All of us would like to feel gratitude, yet it is not easy to be consistently grateful in all things in the trials of life. Sickness, disappointment, and the loss of people we love come at times in our lives. Our sorrows can make it hard to see our blessings and to appreciate the blessings God has in store for us in the future.
"It is a challenge to count our blessings because we have a tendency to take good things for granted. When we lose a roof over our heads, food to eat, or the warmth of friends and family, we realize how grateful we should have been when we had them.
"We must ask in prayer that God, by the power of the Holy Ghost, will help us see our blessings clearly even in the midst of our trials. He can help us by the power of the Spirit to recognize and be grateful for blessings we take for granted. What has helped me the most is to ask God in prayer, 'Wouldst Thou please direct me to someone I can help for Thee?' It is in helping God bless others that I have seen my own blessings more closely."
From "The Choice to Be Grateful" by President Henry B. Eyring
Sunday, November 24, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Warm Food on Cold Days
The cold has moved in this weekend. (I told Jenny and Bill they were to blame, bringing their Seattle weather with them.) After church today we changed into our comfies and tried to stay warm with some true comfort food: chili and cinnamon rolls. And if you're a Moore, you know we are not just talking about just having those two items on the same day or at the same meal...we are talking about dipping the cinnamon roll into the chili, or even using the roll as a scoop!
Most of you know about this unusual family tradition/combination, introduced to Brendon's family courtesy of the Cheyenne public school system. (I've even been shown a lunch menu as proof they didn't just make it up.) If you haven't heard of this, consider yourself quite lucky or quite unfortunate, depending on which side of the chili-cinnamon roll debate you are on. :) Even though I haven't been converted to the dip or the scoop myself, I have definitely come to associate the two together. Yep, talk about comfort food.
I've always used the Moore family chili recipe, but have tried several experiments with cinnamon rolls over the years. And today I think I may have hit on my best version ever. I used this dinner roll recipe for the dough (halved it for fourteen cinnamon rolls) and they turned out so soft! Then I added the filling from Brendon's mom's recipe (1/2 cup butter, 4 T. butter, 2 T. cinnamon), and topped them with a Cinnabon copycat frosting recipe a friend gave me (Heat 4 1/2 T milk, 3 T. butter, and 1/4 c. cream cheese until butter melts. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and 3 cups powdered sugar.).
Mmmm...delicious. Hope everyone is staying warm this weekend!
O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Psalms 95:1-7
Most of you know about this unusual family tradition/combination, introduced to Brendon's family courtesy of the Cheyenne public school system. (I've even been shown a lunch menu as proof they didn't just make it up.) If you haven't heard of this, consider yourself quite lucky or quite unfortunate, depending on which side of the chili-cinnamon roll debate you are on. :) Even though I haven't been converted to the dip or the scoop myself, I have definitely come to associate the two together. Yep, talk about comfort food.
I've always used the Moore family chili recipe, but have tried several experiments with cinnamon rolls over the years. And today I think I may have hit on my best version ever. I used this dinner roll recipe for the dough (halved it for fourteen cinnamon rolls) and they turned out so soft! Then I added the filling from Brendon's mom's recipe (1/2 cup butter, 4 T. butter, 2 T. cinnamon), and topped them with a Cinnabon copycat frosting recipe a friend gave me (Heat 4 1/2 T milk, 3 T. butter, and 1/4 c. cream cheese until butter melts. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and 3 cups powdered sugar.).
Mmmm...delicious. Hope everyone is staying warm this weekend!
O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Psalms 95:1-7
Saturday, November 23, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Alex
We are so thankful for our Alex.
He started preschool this year at a local church, the same program Shayne went to at this age. We knew he needed it to help him spread his wings a bit. But man, talk about a rough transition (further solidifying that he really needed it). He is a champ, though, pushing through, growing and learning every day.
This kid is crazy about hyperbole. Everything thing is "I just can not resist it. I can't live without it! I'm going to die without it. I just won't surviiiiive..." or "Want to hear about the most amazing thing ever? This is the very best thing in the whole wide world..." And he loves me as big as "all of home and earth and all of space and back and everywhere."
This was coming from the same kid who excitedly wore a Cars shirt two days earlier. He talks big kid, but is definitely still my baby.
And I'm so thankful for that.
"I was sitting behind two teenage girls on a bus. One of them was upset because her parents had balked at buying her a prom dress they couldn’t afford. She was not happy with her second choice.
"'Then Mom came unglued because I didn’t say thank you,' she complained. 'I don’t know what she expected me to say thank you for!'
"Ungrateful child, I thought.
"Not long after that I began pondering the promise of 'a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it' (3 Nephi 24:10). Although I had been paying my tithing and fulfilling my other obligations, I did not feel overwhelmed with blessings. In fact, I felt that I had little to be grateful for.
Suddenly, my experience on the bus flashed through my mind. I, too, had been an ungrateful child.
"I began to think about my life, and, first as a trickle and then increasing to a torrent, there came to me a powerful awareness of the blessings I had received. From tiny everyday blessings to the great blessing of the Atonement, I saw how abundantly I had been blessed. The windows of heaven had been open all the time. I just hadn’t noticed.
"That night I understood for the first time that when gratitude fills our hearts, there is no room for unhappiness. Happiness, I decided, does not depend on obtaining all the desires of our hearts. It does not have to wait until we get married or become parents or acquire material goods. Happiness depends in large measure on our ability to feel gratitude for the abundance we already have."
From "The Thankful Heart" by Carolyn Wright
He started preschool this year at a local church, the same program Shayne went to at this age. We knew he needed it to help him spread his wings a bit. But man, talk about a rough transition (further solidifying that he really needed it). He is a champ, though, pushing through, growing and learning every day.
First Day of School, pre-meltdown
This kid is crazy about hyperbole. Everything thing is "I just can not resist it. I can't live without it! I'm going to die without it. I just won't surviiiiive..." or "Want to hear about the most amazing thing ever? This is the very best thing in the whole wide world..." And he loves me as big as "all of home and earth and all of space and back and everywhere."
He is totally a youngest child, both in the fact that the world seems to be at his command (tonight he told us he is the President of Little Boys), and that he thinks he is so stinkin' big. When he first saw his preschool classroom, he said it was "kind of a room for babies," and the other day when we were talking about things he liked and I mentioned Lightning McQueen, he told me to stop naming "baby stuff."
This was coming from the same kid who excitedly wore a Cars shirt two days earlier. He talks big kid, but is definitely still my baby.
Avengers-themed 4th Birthday
And I'm so thankful for that.
"I was sitting behind two teenage girls on a bus. One of them was upset because her parents had balked at buying her a prom dress they couldn’t afford. She was not happy with her second choice.
"'Then Mom came unglued because I didn’t say thank you,' she complained. 'I don’t know what she expected me to say thank you for!'
"Ungrateful child, I thought.
"Not long after that I began pondering the promise of 'a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it' (3 Nephi 24:10). Although I had been paying my tithing and fulfilling my other obligations, I did not feel overwhelmed with blessings. In fact, I felt that I had little to be grateful for.
Suddenly, my experience on the bus flashed through my mind. I, too, had been an ungrateful child.
"I began to think about my life, and, first as a trickle and then increasing to a torrent, there came to me a powerful awareness of the blessings I had received. From tiny everyday blessings to the great blessing of the Atonement, I saw how abundantly I had been blessed. The windows of heaven had been open all the time. I just hadn’t noticed.
"That night I understood for the first time that when gratitude fills our hearts, there is no room for unhappiness. Happiness, I decided, does not depend on obtaining all the desires of our hearts. It does not have to wait until we get married or become parents or acquire material goods. Happiness depends in large measure on our ability to feel gratitude for the abundance we already have."
From "The Thankful Heart" by Carolyn Wright
30 Days of Thankful: Reunions
I missed posting this yesterday because we were too busy enjoying it! Jenny and Bill arrived from Seattle for Thanksgiving. Hooray!
The kids hadn't seen Jenny since February, and Bill since October 2010. (I got to see both of them earlier this Spring when I went up there.) Since Alex was just a baby the last time Bill was home, he was obviously a little leery of this "stranger" Uncle Bill, but it's not taken long for him to warm right up.
My whole family will be together this week, the first time in three years. We have big plans that involve the beach, fun games, and delicious food. So looking forward to it!
"6 Reasons Why to Teach Kids to Be Grateful" from Ann Voskamp
1. Better Attitudes:
The kids hadn't seen Jenny since February, and Bill since October 2010. (I got to see both of them earlier this Spring when I went up there.) Since Alex was just a baby the last time Bill was home, he was obviously a little leery of this "stranger" Uncle Bill, but it's not taken long for him to warm right up.
My whole family will be together this week, the first time in three years. We have big plans that involve the beach, fun games, and delicious food. So looking forward to it!
"6 Reasons Why to Teach Kids to Be Grateful" from Ann Voskamp
1. Better Attitudes:
- Children who practice grateful thinking have more positive attitudes toward school and their families
- Participants who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period compared to subjects in the other experimental conditions.
- Professors infused middle-school classes with a small dose of gratitude and found that it made students feel more connected to their friends, family, and their school: “By the follow–up three weeks later, students who had been instructed to count their blessings showed more gratitude toward people who had helped them, which led to more gratitude in general. Expressing gratitude was not only associated with appreciating close relationships; it was also related to feeling better about life and school. Indeed, compared with students in the hassles and control groups, students who counted blessings reported greater satisfaction with school both immediately after the two–week exercise and at the three–week follow–up.”
- 6-7th graders who kept a gratitude journal for only three weeks, had an increased grade point average over the course of a year.
- A daily gratitude intervention (self-guided exercises) with young adults resulted in higher reported levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared to a focus on hassles or a downward social comparison (ways in which participants thought they were better off than others).
- Children who kept gratitude journals were more sensitive to situations where they themselves can be helpful, altruistic, generous, compassionate, and less destructive, more positive social behaviors, and less destructive, negative social behaviors.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Grandpas
Today I realized that Brendon and I's grandfathers are flip-flopped in age this year--Grandpa Moore is 89, Grandpa Hurst is 98. Though I'm not sure either one of them would say they are really thankful to still be around, I sure am. I am thankful for the both of them and the examples and influences for good that they are in their respective families.
It makes me sad that we are so far away from them at this time in their lives--they both live in Utah. I'd love to be close enough that visits weren't extraordinary events, and I'd love it if my children were able to really know and create memories with their only great-grandparents.
As it is, extraordinary visits will have to do (hoping for one in 2014!), and I will do my best to teach my kids to be grateful for their extraordinary heritage.
This short video Shelly sent me is what got me thinking about our grandpas today. I love the sentiment at the end: "I don't know what else to be but grateful. Honest, I just don't."
September 2001
It makes me sad that we are so far away from them at this time in their lives--they both live in Utah. I'd love to be close enough that visits weren't extraordinary events, and I'd love it if my children were able to really know and create memories with their only great-grandparents.
As it is, extraordinary visits will have to do (hoping for one in 2014!), and I will do my best to teach my kids to be grateful for their extraordinary heritage.
This short video Shelly sent me is what got me thinking about our grandpas today. I love the sentiment at the end: "I don't know what else to be but grateful. Honest, I just don't."
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Shayne
Shayners is growing up so much! His sense of humor is really developing and he can really make me laugh with his antics.
He is responsible, conscientious, and helpful. Up and at 'em bright and early each morning to get his chores done, so careful in his schoolwork, and great with Alex and Aubrey when they need help (sometimes to the point I have to remind him who the parent is ;) )
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He still. loves. birds. I'm not kidding y'all, this is a lifelong love. I guarantee that as an adult he will be an ornithologist at most, a serious hobbyist birdwatcher at the very least.
And if he doesn't become an ornithologist, it will be because he pursues his other dream--the owner of Shayne's Pizza Palace. Just earlier this evening he was upset that Gracie had taken and hidden his notebook of pizzeria ideas: "I'm going to need that, Grace!"
This kid. I'm so proud to be his mom.
"We all face times when our focus is on what we lack. Maybe our time, means, patience, or even feelings of love do not measure up to our expectations. At such times, we would find it helpful to adopt President Brigham Young’s attitude and view our difficulties with a grateful heart: 'There is not a single condition of life [or] one hour’s experience but what is beneficial to all those who make it their study, and aim to improve upon the experience they gain.'
"Miracles can happen in our lives as we look to God with a grateful heart. Understanding comes, and strength to endure increases.
"One sister struggled with negative feelings after a divorce. She found it difficult not to dwell on what she no longer had. Her marriage had fallen apart—along with so many hopes and dreams. She would sit next to families at church and wonder what was wrong with her. During this difficult time, she remembered the counsel of her patriarchal blessing: 'Sister, be grateful for all your blessings.' And so she sincerely tried to be.
"Each day, as she paused to thank God for all He had given her, a healing took place in her soul. She was able to fight off feelings of bitterness and despair and feel an outpouring of God’s love.
"'Gratitude,' she says, 'kept my heart soft.'"
From "With a Grateful Heart" from the August 1999 Liahona.
An inflatable boat on the slip-n-slide? Why not!
He is responsible, conscientious, and helpful. Up and at 'em bright and early each morning to get his chores done, so careful in his schoolwork, and great with Alex and Aubrey when they need help (sometimes to the point I have to remind him who the parent is ;) )
Trying to be helpful even while sleeping, with a note:
"Only wake me if important or you need help or other good reasons!"
He is obsessed with Minecraft, and this has been a total Harry Potter year for him. He finished reading the series and watched all the movies on some special movie nights with Mom and Dad or with Ethan.
Halloween 2012 (He'd just started reading the series.) & 11th Birthday Minecraft Cake
He still. loves. birds. I'm not kidding y'all, this is a lifelong love. I guarantee that as an adult he will be an ornithologist at most, a serious hobbyist birdwatcher at the very least.
His own Lego owl creation & Halloween 2012: Dr. Birdbrain the Ornithologist
And if he doesn't become an ornithologist, it will be because he pursues his other dream--the owner of Shayne's Pizza Palace. Just earlier this evening he was upset that Gracie had taken and hidden his notebook of pizzeria ideas: "I'm going to need that, Grace!"
This kid. I'm so proud to be his mom.
"We all face times when our focus is on what we lack. Maybe our time, means, patience, or even feelings of love do not measure up to our expectations. At such times, we would find it helpful to adopt President Brigham Young’s attitude and view our difficulties with a grateful heart: 'There is not a single condition of life [or] one hour’s experience but what is beneficial to all those who make it their study, and aim to improve upon the experience they gain.'
"Miracles can happen in our lives as we look to God with a grateful heart. Understanding comes, and strength to endure increases.
"One sister struggled with negative feelings after a divorce. She found it difficult not to dwell on what she no longer had. Her marriage had fallen apart—along with so many hopes and dreams. She would sit next to families at church and wonder what was wrong with her. During this difficult time, she remembered the counsel of her patriarchal blessing: 'Sister, be grateful for all your blessings.' And so she sincerely tried to be.
"Each day, as she paused to thank God for all He had given her, a healing took place in her soul. She was able to fight off feelings of bitterness and despair and feel an outpouring of God’s love.
"'Gratitude,' she says, 'kept my heart soft.'"
From "With a Grateful Heart" from the August 1999 Liahona.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: J-O-B
I know I whine about grading papers, both online and in real life (just ask Brendon), and just like any teacher, I have done my fair share of grumbling about particular situations or students (definitely not online).
But I really am thankful for my outside-the-house teaching job.
I love being on a college campus. There really is nothing else like it. I love the feeling of school spirit (a major reason why I chose A&M) and right now it's soaring high at my school. But that's not really what I mean when I say there is nothing like college. It's something more intangible than even that; it's that feeling you get when walking across a beautiful campus on a crisp, fall day. A feeling of promise, maybe? Do you know what I am talking about?
I really enjoy teaching writing. I enjoy the exchange in the classroom with students who are figuring out life and ideas for themselves, who are on the brink of their futures, like when we had the greatest class discussions about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s classic "Letter from Birmingham Jail" last week.
I also enjoy this time of the semester, where, while we still have some hurdles to cross before the finish line, things start to ease up a bit--definitely an advantage of a writing class as compared to one with a heavy emphasis on tests and final exams. Hitting Thanksgiving week brings a big sigh of relief for me. So bring on the turkey!
"A recent study by Bersin & Associates underscores the bottom-line implications of saying thank you in the workplace. It reveals that companies that 'excel at employee recognition' are 12 times more likely to enjoy strong business results.
"My own academic research on trust has revealed not only that gratitude makes a difference but that people don’t require big gestures, just heartfelt ones. Simple but genuine thank-yous or small, handwritten notes of appreciation can mean the world to people. So if it’s so easy, why don’t we do it more often?
"When it comes to business, I think we fall into the trap of not seeing people when we work with them. We take them for granted and just assume they don’t need a show of gratitude. This oversight can have huge consequences, particularly if you’re the boss.
"On a personal level, what are the qualities that attract you to another person? When I ask this question during speaking sessions, I often hear words like charisma, kindness, or physical appearance. The audience is usually surprised when I tell them that the most magnetic trait is not charisma or even a smile but gratitude....Few things stick in our minds like those moments when we learn that people appreciate our efforts or we acknowledge how others have helped us.
"I promise that when you make the effort to make gratitude a central part of how you think and act, you won’t be disappointed with the results."
From "Your Most Powerful Forgotten Weapon: Gratitude" by David Horsager for Forbes
Monday, November 18, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Social Media
I only have a quick minute today, so I thought I'd give a shout out to social media. No, it's no substitute for real conversation, and yes, it can create a black hole of wasted time in your day. But, I still appreciate the way it keeps me connected. Even when I wasn't blogging, I was still instagramming, or pinning, or liking posts. Because...
Of course, some social media sites I still don't get. I don't use or follow anyone on vine, and I think places like ask.fm and snapchat are bad, bad ideas. Tumblr just seems like a bunch of bad blogs--why you need a separate platform for "micro-blogging"?
What else is out there that I'm missing? LinkedIn? No need. But should I start using twitter?
To go along with our theme today, how about an internet quiz: Is There Enough Gratitude in Your Life? You can share your results with all your facebook friends or twitter followers. ;)
I also adore using feedly now that Google reader has gone the way of the dodo. The app is the best.
Of course, some social media sites I still don't get. I don't use or follow anyone on vine, and I think places like ask.fm and snapchat are bad, bad ideas. Tumblr just seems like a bunch of bad blogs--why you need a separate platform for "micro-blogging"?
What else is out there that I'm missing? LinkedIn? No need. But should I start using twitter?
To go along with our theme today, how about an internet quiz: Is There Enough Gratitude in Your Life? You can share your results with all your facebook friends or twitter followers. ;)
Sunday, November 17, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Good Music
Today I am feeling thankful for the good music that is woven into our everyday lives. Shelly has asked all our family to tell her our favorite songs of the year, and it has prompted lots of good discussion about what kind of music we listen to and what our favorites are.
Speaking of the MoTab, traditional hymns, and gratitude, here's a favorite:
- We listen to quite a bit of pop/Top 40 music in the car, as evidenced by the number of Taylor Swift and Phillip Phillips songs my kids can sing along with.
- I had on a praise and worship Pandora station while getting ready for church this morning, and Alex was doing so much more dancing and singing than getting dressed that I had to threaten to turn it off. It was awesome. I credit our affinity for this music to my college days at Breakaway with the girls of apartment 1811. Since LDS members tend to stick with more traditional fare, like our beloved Mormon Tabernacle Choir and their beautiful hymns, it was a mostly new experience for me back then, and there is certainly something to be said for an energetic praise song.
- Of course, we love the Primary songs, too. Do any of you listen to the Jenny Phillips/Kamie Bolen Primary songs? We really like their arrangements, and listening to the cd in the car on the way to church every Sunday is a great way to practice the program songs they need to learn each year.
- The kids also love, love The Piano Guys.
- I've realized I love pretty much any song with clapping (think "Brighter than the Sun" by Colbie Caillat). I can't resist. Weird?
- We are all just itching to listen to Christmas music. The best! I want to get the new Kelly Clarkson Wrapped in Red and The Lower Lights Sing Noel albums this year. Has anyone listened to them yet?
Speaking of the MoTab, traditional hymns, and gratitude, here's a favorite:
Saturday, November 16, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Brendon
Brendon has taken the kids from here (basketball game) to there (a friend's baptism) and everywhere (grocery shopping and errands) today so that I can sit here in a quiet house and get some papers graded. And I am buckling down and getting it done--minus this blog break, of course--to show my appreciation.
But thankful doesn't even begin to cover how I feel for him.
For a dad who dresses up according to the whims of his children and their favorite tv shows.
Who helps coach their sports teams.
Who sets up lego car races for them and their friends--with marshmallow trophies to boot.
"New studies support the idea that gratitude is an integral part of healthy relationships. As marriages move past the honeymoon stage, couples go from appreciating and loving every little detail about each other to taking each other for granted. Amie Gordon, a psychologist from U.C. Berkeley, blames this for the downfall of many relationships: 'You get used to having [your spouse] in your life and forget why you chose to be with them.' We become deadened to our spouse’s special qualities and instead focus on things that annoy us about them.
"Dr. Gordon’s study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology explores the role of gratitude and appreciation in maintaining long and healthy relationships. In the study, 50 committed couples were given a week to fill out appreciation journals. On days when one partner reported feeling more appreciated, he or she tended to appreciate his or her partner more the next day....The researchers concluded that a nourishing cycle of encouragement and appreciation provides extra incentive to maintain our relationships. In other words, when we appreciate our partners, we develop trust and respect. When we feel appreciated, we feel needed and encouraged.
"Luckily, our behavior and thoughts are malleable; just as we fell out of patterns of love and gratitude, we can grow back into them....Start with small and easily achievable goals, such as giving your spouse five compliments a day, or simply smiling at her more often."
From "Does Gratitude Matter in Marriage?" by Dr. Susan Heitler for Psychology Today
But thankful doesn't even begin to cover how I feel for him.
For a dad who dresses up according to the whims of his children and their favorite tv shows.
Who sets up lego car races for them and their friends--with marshmallow trophies to boot.
For a husband who spends his weekends and nights building bookshelves for me.
Who goes back to school to protect his family's future and set an example for his children.
Who goes out of his way to demonstrate his love--like when he buys me Diet Dr. Pepper or peanut butter M&Ms but hides them away so that he can deliver them like a hero when I have a craving but the store is already closed or it's a Sunday. Or like when I come home to unexpected clean bathroom and vacuumed floor. These are my love languages, for sure.
For a partner in this crazy life who makes me laugh and feel grateful every single day.
At the Cinco de Mayo party this year, in the sombrero one of the sisters made for him. Ha!
Nope, thankful doesn't even begin to cover it.
"New studies support the idea that gratitude is an integral part of healthy relationships. As marriages move past the honeymoon stage, couples go from appreciating and loving every little detail about each other to taking each other for granted. Amie Gordon, a psychologist from U.C. Berkeley, blames this for the downfall of many relationships: 'You get used to having [your spouse] in your life and forget why you chose to be with them.' We become deadened to our spouse’s special qualities and instead focus on things that annoy us about them.
"Dr. Gordon’s study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology explores the role of gratitude and appreciation in maintaining long and healthy relationships. In the study, 50 committed couples were given a week to fill out appreciation journals. On days when one partner reported feeling more appreciated, he or she tended to appreciate his or her partner more the next day....The researchers concluded that a nourishing cycle of encouragement and appreciation provides extra incentive to maintain our relationships. In other words, when we appreciate our partners, we develop trust and respect. When we feel appreciated, we feel needed and encouraged.
"Luckily, our behavior and thoughts are malleable; just as we fell out of patterns of love and gratitude, we can grow back into them....Start with small and easily achievable goals, such as giving your spouse five compliments a day, or simply smiling at her more often."
From "Does Gratitude Matter in Marriage?" by Dr. Susan Heitler for Psychology Today
Friday, November 15, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Friday!
Image from the lovely bee
A cheating post, yes, but it really does just about sum up my feelings this evening! Thankful for Fridays, free redbox codes, and a bag full of yummy treats (chocolate covered cinnamon bears, oh my!)--a special delivery from Brendon's mom--to enjoy during the movie. Now, what to watch?
Happy Friday!
“To remind myself to feel grateful for everything I had, and for my dear ordinary life, I decided to ‘Follow a threshold ritual.’ Each time I stood at the top of my steps, as I fumbled for my keys to turn off the alarm and unlock the two front doors of our building, I repeated, 'How happy I am, how grateful I am, to be home.' Every time I crossed the threshold from the street into my building, I took a moment to reflect lovingly on my family.”
From Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin
Thursday, November 14, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Humility
I am thankful for children who occasionally serve Mom a slice of humble pie. You certainly can't keep up much of an ego when you find video clips with your kids mocking you left on your phone...
"Anyone who shops with children has had 'the conversation' with another mother. On this particular day, a grandmotherly woman in a motorized shopping cart pulled up next to me in the crowded produce department and declared, 'Your girls are such angels. Doesn’t it make you want one or two more?'
"Let me paint a picture. We had already been in the store for a long time. My girls, two years old and five years old, were sitting in the front of the car-shaped shopping cart, eating giant chocolate chip cookies. Their faces were covered in chocolate and their hair was not done. The cart was overflowing in groceries....my girls had been running circles around me in the bakery department, screeching at the top of their lungs. I was wearily trying to get their attention and rein them in before they injured themselves, someone else, or an entire rack of beautifully frosted cakes. I was exhausted.
"This entire painted picture flashed through my mind when she asked, 'Doesn’t it make you want one or two more?' Then, I had an epiphany. This woman saw their dirty faces and the full cart of groceries. She knew. She was a mother....She laughed a deep, hearty laugh. I laughed. We discussed due dates, ages, and the challenges of motherhood right there in the produce department. The girls finished their cookies and exploded out of the cart with more energy than ever. I started disciplining again. We had a pleasant conversation, and I walked away from the whole experience less weary and more optimistic.
"My house was full of toys, clothes, and clutter. My day was full of chores, projects, and appointments. However, my heart was overflowing with gratitude for this time in my life. The cheerful grandmother at the grocery store knew the secret. Motherhood is a sisterhood, and for one brief moment, I felt loved and understood. It is not always easy, but it is good. It is worthwhile.
"The woman in the produce department reminded me that my life is full, and for that I am truly grateful."
Excerpted from "My Life is Full...Maybe a Little Too Full" by Emily Allen for Power of Moms
In case you didn't catch that, Alex is pretending to be me, and apparently pretending to be me means wearing my Aggie hat, stomping around, and commanding people to do my bidding. Yeah...awesome.
"Anyone who shops with children has had 'the conversation' with another mother. On this particular day, a grandmotherly woman in a motorized shopping cart pulled up next to me in the crowded produce department and declared, 'Your girls are such angels. Doesn’t it make you want one or two more?'
"Let me paint a picture. We had already been in the store for a long time. My girls, two years old and five years old, were sitting in the front of the car-shaped shopping cart, eating giant chocolate chip cookies. Their faces were covered in chocolate and their hair was not done. The cart was overflowing in groceries....my girls had been running circles around me in the bakery department, screeching at the top of their lungs. I was wearily trying to get their attention and rein them in before they injured themselves, someone else, or an entire rack of beautifully frosted cakes. I was exhausted.
"This entire painted picture flashed through my mind when she asked, 'Doesn’t it make you want one or two more?' Then, I had an epiphany. This woman saw their dirty faces and the full cart of groceries. She knew. She was a mother....She laughed a deep, hearty laugh. I laughed. We discussed due dates, ages, and the challenges of motherhood right there in the produce department. The girls finished their cookies and exploded out of the cart with more energy than ever. I started disciplining again. We had a pleasant conversation, and I walked away from the whole experience less weary and more optimistic.
"My house was full of toys, clothes, and clutter. My day was full of chores, projects, and appointments. However, my heart was overflowing with gratitude for this time in my life. The cheerful grandmother at the grocery store knew the secret. Motherhood is a sisterhood, and for one brief moment, I felt loved and understood. It is not always easy, but it is good. It is worthwhile.
"The woman in the produce department reminded me that my life is full, and for that I am truly grateful."
Excerpted from "My Life is Full...Maybe a Little Too Full" by Emily Allen for Power of Moms
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Bargains
I really appreciate a good bargain. Though I'm no extreme couponer, I always have my eye on the clearance racks and aisles. And though we don't camp out for Black Friday, we do do most of our Christmas shopping that day and following weekend. I'm always on the lookout for an online steal and subscribe to feeds from websites like Moneysaving Mom and Pinching Your Pennies so I don't miss out on a killer sale.
I also have been loving a few daily deal websites lately. The Plaid Barn and Pick Your Plum always have fun items on the cheap.
And I have become obsessed with checking Jane.com every day lately...
What are your favorite places to find a good deal? Only 33 shopping days left! (If you don't count Sundays and the week of Christmas--better be done by then!)
Now that I've covered the commercialized part of the holidays, check out the ideas below from Ann Voskamp on "7 Ways to Have More Grateful Kids this Christmas." I absolutely love the first idea and will definitely be starting that this year.
1. A “Gifts We Already Have List”
Hang a long paper on a wall or on the fridge or back of door. Fill that list up before Christmas — with all the countless ways God blesses you all as a family. Count 1000 (or a bit more or less) of the gifts you already have this Christmas!
2. Thanks Mob the neighborhood
Set out a basket of Thank you postcards and leave a pen and stamps in the basket. Add a stash of chocolate bars. See if you can empty the thank-you card basket, accompanied by chocolate bars, by Christmas — a thank-you card and chocolate bar for the postman, the garbage collector, folks at the hair salon, the crossing guard, the church janitor.
3. Love-in for a Shut-In
Adopt a shut-in this Advent. One person who is homebound or elderly or in a nursing home — and have the kids think of one thing they can do for that shut-in face to face over Advent. Sing Christmas carols with them one evening? Bring them a very small tree in a pot and every week of Advent pop in with one more meaningful ornament for the tree? Bring them a meal? Find a way for the kids to be face-to-face with blessing someone.
4. Thrift Gifts
Before every trip to the mall — check out one thrift store. Before any online order — check out kijji or ebay. Help kids to thrill in the hunt for thrifted gems — and see it as a way to make gifts keep on giving! Think Thrift Gift!
5. Lower expectations to heighten Joy
“Expectations kill relationships — and joy.” (One Thousand Gifts) Consider ways of sharing with the kids that Christmas is going to be smaller and holier this year. Set low spending limits for all gift-giving and make the creativity with little part of the Christmas fun. Live by the small rule: Only buy for Christmas Day what can be paid for by New Year’s Day. Lower the expectations to heighten the joy!
6. Giving Lists not Getting Lists
Spend quiet time with each of the kids thinking and planning on what they can give and how they can be the gift, give a blessing — so that they can live out the truth of: It is more blessed to give than to receive. What can they make? Bake? Create? How could they surprise? Bless? Who is on their Giving list? Let’s focus on our Giving Lists — and not so much on any getting lists.
7. King Gifts
Hear Jesus whispering it: “When You give to the least of these — you give to Me.” Consider how to make this Christmas radical — and get out the King’s Catalogues and get excited about giving bringing gifts to our King! Gather the family around with all the catalogues and make it a family birthday party for Jesus — will you bring the King a goat, clean water, a chicken, a Bible for a new Believer, a warm coat?
I also have been loving a few daily deal websites lately. The Plaid Barn and Pick Your Plum always have fun items on the cheap.
The Plaid Barn had these cute camera straps for $9.99 today. Great gift idea!
And I have become obsessed with checking Jane.com every day lately...
So many inexpensive fun finds! (Shelly, did you see those personalized wood state ornaments on there this week? Would be adorable for your family ornament this year!) What are your favorite places to find a good deal? Only 33 shopping days left! (If you don't count Sundays and the week of Christmas--better be done by then!)
Now that I've covered the commercialized part of the holidays, check out the ideas below from Ann Voskamp on "7 Ways to Have More Grateful Kids this Christmas." I absolutely love the first idea and will definitely be starting that this year.
1. A “Gifts We Already Have List”
Hang a long paper on a wall or on the fridge or back of door. Fill that list up before Christmas — with all the countless ways God blesses you all as a family. Count 1000 (or a bit more or less) of the gifts you already have this Christmas!
2. Thanks Mob the neighborhood
Set out a basket of Thank you postcards and leave a pen and stamps in the basket. Add a stash of chocolate bars. See if you can empty the thank-you card basket, accompanied by chocolate bars, by Christmas — a thank-you card and chocolate bar for the postman, the garbage collector, folks at the hair salon, the crossing guard, the church janitor.
3. Love-in for a Shut-In
Adopt a shut-in this Advent. One person who is homebound or elderly or in a nursing home — and have the kids think of one thing they can do for that shut-in face to face over Advent. Sing Christmas carols with them one evening? Bring them a very small tree in a pot and every week of Advent pop in with one more meaningful ornament for the tree? Bring them a meal? Find a way for the kids to be face-to-face with blessing someone.
4. Thrift Gifts
Before every trip to the mall — check out one thrift store. Before any online order — check out kijji or ebay. Help kids to thrill in the hunt for thrifted gems — and see it as a way to make gifts keep on giving! Think Thrift Gift!
5. Lower expectations to heighten Joy
“Expectations kill relationships — and joy.” (One Thousand Gifts) Consider ways of sharing with the kids that Christmas is going to be smaller and holier this year. Set low spending limits for all gift-giving and make the creativity with little part of the Christmas fun. Live by the small rule: Only buy for Christmas Day what can be paid for by New Year’s Day. Lower the expectations to heighten the joy!
6. Giving Lists not Getting Lists
Spend quiet time with each of the kids thinking and planning on what they can give and how they can be the gift, give a blessing — so that they can live out the truth of: It is more blessed to give than to receive. What can they make? Bake? Create? How could they surprise? Bless? Who is on their Giving list? Let’s focus on our Giving Lists — and not so much on any getting lists.
7. King Gifts
Hear Jesus whispering it: “When You give to the least of these — you give to Me.” Consider how to make this Christmas radical — and get out the King’s Catalogues and get excited about giving bringing gifts to our King! Gather the family around with all the catalogues and make it a family birthday party for Jesus — will you bring the King a goat, clean water, a chicken, a Bible for a new Believer, a warm coat?
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Hometown Parades
One of the perks of homeschooling is getting to attend the Veteran's Day parade every year. Though we have been going for several years, it's just in the past few years, as the kids have gotten older, we have been making a real effort to help them understand and appreciate it for what it represents, which is more than just a fun event with marching bands and lots of candy thrown at you. (Seriously, it is a lot of candy.)
This year each of the kids created a sign (with Mom's mad lettering skills help--thank you junior and high school student council election posters!) to hold up as they watched the veterans pass by.
It was really touching to see how well the posters were received and how much they were appreciated. The kids got so many thank yous for their thank yous! It reminded me that even little gestures can go a long way. And it really was such a little gesture, compared to the incredible sacrifices and service offered by the men and women we honored yesterday. I am so thankful for them and their families, and thankful for the opportunity we had to express our gratitude at our little hometown parade.
"Much time has passed since the first colonists came to rocky shores and dark forests of an unknown continent, much time since President Washington led a young people into the experience of nationhood, much time since President Lincoln saw the American nation through the ordeal of fraternal war--and in these years our population, our plenty and our power have all grown apace.
"Yet, as our power has grown, so has our peril. Today we give our thanks, most of all, for the ideals of honor and faith we inherit from our forefathers--for the decency of purpose, steadfastness of resolve and strength of will, for the courage and the humility, which they possessed and which we must seek every day to emulate. As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.
"Let us therefore proclaim our gratitude to Providence for manifold blessings--let us be humbly thankful for inherited ideals--and let us resolve to share those blessings and those ideals with our fellow human beings throughout the world."
From President John F. Kennedy's 1963 Thanksgiving Proclamation
This year each of the kids created a sign (with Mom's mad lettering skills help--thank you junior and high school student council election posters!) to hold up as they watched the veterans pass by.
A picture of Alex with his poster showed up in the newspaper this morning. And I missed a pic of Shayne with his poster, but it read "Thank You Freedom Fighters."
It was really touching to see how well the posters were received and how much they were appreciated. The kids got so many thank yous for their thank yous! It reminded me that even little gestures can go a long way. And it really was such a little gesture, compared to the incredible sacrifices and service offered by the men and women we honored yesterday. I am so thankful for them and their families, and thankful for the opportunity we had to express our gratitude at our little hometown parade.
"Much time has passed since the first colonists came to rocky shores and dark forests of an unknown continent, much time since President Washington led a young people into the experience of nationhood, much time since President Lincoln saw the American nation through the ordeal of fraternal war--and in these years our population, our plenty and our power have all grown apace.
"Yet, as our power has grown, so has our peril. Today we give our thanks, most of all, for the ideals of honor and faith we inherit from our forefathers--for the decency of purpose, steadfastness of resolve and strength of will, for the courage and the humility, which they possessed and which we must seek every day to emulate. As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.
"Let us therefore proclaim our gratitude to Providence for manifold blessings--let us be humbly thankful for inherited ideals--and let us resolve to share those blessings and those ideals with our fellow human beings throughout the world."
From President John F. Kennedy's 1963 Thanksgiving Proclamation
Monday, November 11, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Layovers
When it comes to flying, one is usually much more thankful for non-stop flights than long layovers. But today, I am thankful for a long (but still too short) layover in Dallas that allowed us to see Brendon's parents on their way back from a weekend in Ohio. It was a treasured, fun afternoon with Grandma and Grandpa.
Love them so!
"Our world is pretty messed up. With all the violence, pollution and crazy things people do, it would be easy to turn into a grouchy old man without being either elderly or male. There's certainly no shortage of justification for disappointment and cynicism.
"But consider this: Negative attitudes are bad for you. And gratitude, it turns out, makes you happier and healthier. If you invest in a way of seeing the world that is mean and frustrated, you're going to get a world that is, well, more mean and frustrating. But if you can find any authentic reason to give thanks, anything that is going right with the world or your life, and put your attention there, then statistics say you're going to be better off."
From "The Neuroscience of Gratitude" by Ocean Robbins
We ate at the Rainforest Café. Alex's reactions to the whole experience were priceless!
Love them so!
"Our world is pretty messed up. With all the violence, pollution and crazy things people do, it would be easy to turn into a grouchy old man without being either elderly or male. There's certainly no shortage of justification for disappointment and cynicism.
"But consider this: Negative attitudes are bad for you. And gratitude, it turns out, makes you happier and healthier. If you invest in a way of seeing the world that is mean and frustrated, you're going to get a world that is, well, more mean and frustrating. But if you can find any authentic reason to give thanks, anything that is going right with the world or your life, and put your attention there, then statistics say you're going to be better off."
From "The Neuroscience of Gratitude" by Ocean Robbins
Sunday, November 10, 2013
30 Days of Thankful: Sisters
When Shelly was here on Friday she said that she'd better see a post soon about how I am thankful for my sister. Not sisters, plural--she wanted her very own post in honor of her birthday this weekend. Ha!
Well, sorry Shelly, but since my sisters, plural, are inextricably linked in my mind, and since there's no telling if I'll still be blogging in May to give Jenny the same courtesy, and since I've been holding on to this particular set of pictures to blog since the spring, you guys are getting the 2-for-1 special today.
I am so, so thankful for my sisters. Without them, who would have I these kinds of conversations with?
“Ordinary happiness depends on happenstance.
"Joy is that extraordinary happiness that is independent of what happens to us.
"Good luck can make us happy, but it cannot give us lasting joy. The root of joy is gratefulness. We tend to misunderstand the link between joy and gratefulness. We notice that joyful people are grateful and suppose that they are grateful for their joy. But the reverse is true: their joy springs from gratefulness. If one has all the good luck in the world, but takes it for granted, it will not give one joy. Yet even bad luck will give joy to those who manage to be grateful for it.
"We hold the key to lasting happiness in our own hands. For it is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful."
From Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer by David Steindl-Rast via Brene Brown
Well, sorry Shelly, but since my sisters, plural, are inextricably linked in my mind, and since there's no telling if I'll still be blogging in May to give Jenny the same courtesy, and since I've been holding on to this particular set of pictures to blog since the spring, you guys are getting the 2-for-1 special today.
I am so, so thankful for my sisters. Without them, who would have I these kinds of conversations with?
P.S. Nice 'N' Easy was not so nice to me. Do not advise!
P.P.S. Happy Birthday, Shelly!
P.P.S. Happy Birthday, Shelly!
“Ordinary happiness depends on happenstance.
"Joy is that extraordinary happiness that is independent of what happens to us.
"Good luck can make us happy, but it cannot give us lasting joy. The root of joy is gratefulness. We tend to misunderstand the link between joy and gratefulness. We notice that joyful people are grateful and suppose that they are grateful for their joy. But the reverse is true: their joy springs from gratefulness. If one has all the good luck in the world, but takes it for granted, it will not give one joy. Yet even bad luck will give joy to those who manage to be grateful for it.
"We hold the key to lasting happiness in our own hands. For it is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful."
From Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer by David Steindl-Rast via Brene Brown
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