Monday 5

1. The sun reflecting off the lake while I drove to work today. It was beautifully golden, giving even the air a golden feel.

2. Homemade Beef with Mushrooms for lunch. Mmmmm so good.

3. My sweetest Pea in the pod, who greets me at the door when I come home, and excitedly runs and jumps in the truck when I say we have to go bye-bye! She didn't care that we were only going to Staples to return something. She treats every trip as an adventure!

4. Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. No need to elaborate on THAT!

5. My beautiful pink fountain pen ink, because it makes me smile. Smiling is a good thang.....everyone needs more reasons to smile.

Sunday 5

1. Sleeping in until 10 am!

2. Falling asleep to the sound of his breath in my ear.

3. A day spent curled up on my favorite sofa, completely lost in a book. It was a gloomy and crappy day out, so I gave myself the gift of doing nothing!

4. Photos of good friends that make me smile!

5. All day mimosas with a bottle of champagne you forgot you had left from New Years Eve. Ummm yep...kinda contributed to the whole #3 thing happening! *giggle*

New Years Thanks

1. For this coming year, and the promise it holds for me.

2. For one more day of work before I get 2 more off from the place.

3. For my beautiful new tree skirt and stockings from my favorite store, Pottery Barn! They are white quilted velvet and have just enough bling to make them sparkle under the lights! Mmmhhmm, this girlie loves her sparkle!

4. For a day spent relaxing and watching the kitties cuddle.

5. A long walk with the Pea to look at beautiful Christmas lights that are still up.

Wednesday Thanks

1. For bloggers who have already committed to granting me my Christmas wish! I know some of you only read this gratitude blog, but I ask each and every one of you to please read my Christmas Wish post in my main blog and consider granting my Christmas wish! Please....pretty please!

2. For chocolate creme pie! Ohhhh dang. Do I need to say more? Uhh huh. Thought not.

3. For the memories of Christmas Eve at my Grandma's house. Even though she is gone, I have years of wonderful memories to warm my heart this evening. Grandma and Grandpa, I miss y'all! I miss your pierogis Grandma, and I miss the way your home smelled when I walked in the door. I miss your decorations, and all the little things that made your house a home. I know you are making pierogis for Jesus now, and I know He loves them as much as I did, just don't feed too many to Fany and Lucy! The butter makes Fany's tummy upset. Take care of my puppies until I can get there to do it. I love you both. Merry Christmas with love from your favorite granddaughter. :) Don't worry Grandpa, I never told my sisters you called me that! *wink*

4. For a beautiful snowy walk with my Sweetest Pea in the pod to look at the Christmas lights. I love our walks so much this time of the year, and the soft tinkling of the bells on her collar.

5. For the greatest gift ever given. The reason we celebrate this day. For the birth of our Lord and Saviour. Happy Birthday, Jesus.

Monday Thanks

1. A late night call that becomes a lullaby of my favorite Christmas songs. What a beautiful and peaceful way to drift off to sleep.

Thank you, You...it made me cry! Good happy tears.

2. The beauty of nature. There is a coating of ice on everything, and in the morning sun it sparkles and shines. The sun glints and dances off it, like thousands of tiny diamonds. My world looks like it has been sprinkled with fairy dust! For a girl who loves sparkly things nothing could be sweeter. Ok, maybe if it wasn't so e-ffing cold....but it's at least a gorgeous, sparkling cold!

3. A short week at work. Only 8 more hours and I'm free for 5 whole glorious days!

4. My Christmas tree. I wish I could have it up all year. It makes the house smell heavenly, and calms me after a long stressful day at work.

5. My Sweet Pea, who goes out and walks in this crazy cold with me, looking at the beautiful holiday lights.


*My little camera is on strike today, and so I'm using a photo I took last Christmas of my sweet Cali girl under the tree.

Saturday Gratitude

1. For the beauty of nature. We had an ice storm, that left us without power, and forced our Christmas celebration to be a wonderful deep dish pizza enjoyed in the glow of a gazillion candles!

2. For a roof over my head I can call my own. This bitterly cold night I know there are people struggling to stay warm on the streets, and my heart breaks for each of them.

3. For warm cuddly down quilts to snuggle in while we played Monopoly by candle light without heat!

4. For friends who don't run out when things don't go as planned. They anticipated a night of grilled steaks and lobster tails, great wine and Christmas movies. Instead they were greeted to a cold house, lit only by candles. One called for a pizza and another drove to pick it up, and we enjoyed the wine and the night anyway. I love y'all sooooo much for the amazing hearts that beat inside each of you!

5. For electricity, in the face of this weekend storm, as sporadic as it may be! We have an hour or two of it, and them we lose it again, so we just taken advantage of it while it is gracing us with its presence!

Wednesday Thanks

1. The smell of evergreen greeting me when I walk in my door. I love the smell of Christmas in my home.

2. The feeling of relaxing on the sofa, the living room lit up by nothing but the tree and a few candles.

3. A really great Pinot Noir. Damn. No elaboration needed there.

4. Late night calls that cause happy tears.

5. Christmas panties and stockings....and whispered words of how they will be gently removed.