Gratitude Part 1

Hey There!

I'll be honest, the past couple of weeks have been rough on my mental health.  There is a lot going on in the world right now and I feel like the walls are closing in on me daily in my state.  It's not a good feeling to be on the defense all of the time.  

I've been living in this constant restless, anxious state for the past 18 months or so.  It's gotten old.  In fact, it's gotten real old.  It's so easy to get wrapped up in all that is bad in the world right now.  I certainly do.  Since November is the perfect month to share gratitude I thought I'd give it a try and throw some positive vibes out into the universe.  

Here are a few of my favorite things to be grateful for.  (In no particular order)

• Of course I have to start with my mini's.  Oh how they drive me nuts some days!  However, I have two small humans who keep me on my toes, make me feel loved even when I feel unloveable and are always eager to demand a snack.  They also create a ton of laundry which gives my life purpose and allows me to feel needed.  Ha!
• My husband definitely makes the list. He wins the "who can drive me crazy first" contest every time but he's mine and I'm grateful for all he's given up for us.  He's a redneck trapped in the city who is ready to ride a cow out of here and live his best life in front of a campfire while working on some type of engine thingy.  Did you catch all of that?  
• My mom.  The lady who is way more stylish than I am and who probably rolled her eyes at me every time I came out of my room as a teenager with crumpled pajamas on and no makeup.  The one who will answer the phone anytime I call, drop everything to come to my rescue and snuggle my babies like they are her own.  There are no words to describe how much a mom loves her children.  I feel it and I can love my own kids so fiercely because of it.  
• Good coffee.  Sometimes I'm thankful for crappy coffee too, depending on what kind of day it has been.  I must admit, I'm a literal coffee addict. I drink waaaaayyyyyy too much coffee than I should and I'm just not ready to admit that it may contribute to my massive sleep issues and ridiculous inability to sit still.  Hmmmm.....
• My friends in various capacities. I've definitely lost some friends as I've gotten older and the ones that were barely hanging on, fell off these past two years. The ones I do have now are solid though. I've cried, screamed, laughed and bitched with these ladies. Each one of them have had a special place in my life and I don't take for granted how special it is to have a friend who you can complain about your husband with and then also share when he did something amazing.  
• Jack and Oliver, the twin orange tabby cats who my daughter wanted but I take care of.  Seems par for the course right?  I do love them and I am grateful to have mammals in my house who I can snuggle but are small enough to not run me out of my bed.  I have always really loved cats and no one I've ever lived with has ever loved cats. Sometimes I stand in the living room and hold both cats and tell my husband that "this is what I dreamed of my whole life."  I'm sure he's silently cursing me because in reality, the cats have destroyed most of our furniture and have shed approximately five billion hairs directly onto his clothing.  But they really are cute, I promise!  

I am going to make a conscious effort to add to this list throughout this month and beyond.  Not only am I hoping to change my outlook on life but I'm trying to be really conscious of how I model going through life for my kids.  I'm really trying to avoid the "my mom is a complete nutcase and screwed up my life" therapy bill when they are older.

What are you grateful/thankful/proud of? 

Leave a message in the comments so I can get to know you!

Sincerely,

McKenzie