Thankful

It's often hard for me to be thankful. I'm a cup half-empty kind of gal, as my husband often reminds me. I pine for things I don't have, while overlooking all of the great things in my life. Someone once suggested writing something you're thankful for everyday. Maybe I should do that, just to remind me that, okay, I have it pretty darn good.

I'm reading a memoir my sister and niece both suggested -- "Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls. I bought it two days ago and am almost finished. It's good. Anyway, it's the story of life with parents who are irresponsible, selfish, and basically unfit to parent. Neither of them can hold down a job, and the four children end up fending for themselves, to the point of digging through the school garbage to find the remains of other kids lunches to eat. Their shack of a house has no running water and they can rarely afford electricity. Once Jeannette becomes an adult and becomes a successful reporter in New York City, the one thing she's most thankful for is a hot bath and being clean everyday.

So what am I thankful for? After reading this book, I'm thankful for a warm house, money to pay my electric bill, a hot shower everyday, parents who worked hard to provide for me.

I'm also thankful for a loving husband who makes me dinner and cleans the kitchen (among other things), good friends, a cute cat curled up next to my computer, siblings who are fun to be around, my 10 nephews and 3 nieces who have made being childless a little easier, my dad who taught me to love to read -- and encouraged me to write, and the Sufjan Steven's Christmas CDs.

Most of all I'm thankful for the hope that Christmas brings.

Here are a few photos from our Thanksgiving in Iowa.

Siblings who actually like each other.


Niece Ellie likes to cook. For the record, my waist was never this small.


David teaching my youngest nephews how to play "Casino". He's such a good influence.


The little boys adore their older cousin Alex.


There were 23 of us all together. We were only missing 2 nephews and a spouse. This i s a typical scene when we're all together -- some watching football, some getting ready to go somewhere (to the mall? To the coffee shop?), and basically just hanging out. I'm thankful I get to hang out with this gang.