the grateful game.

it's all about the gratitude today, people. it has to be.

things i am grateful for:

1. i felt adorable in my kitty cat costume for last night's church halloween volunteering activity.  i took pictures of myself.  i had fun seeing all of the families all dressed up in their costumes.  they were really cute and it was fun to play with the kids, even though it involved me chasing after little balls and putting up bowling pins over and over again.  it was good.

2. the person i backed into in the parking lot before said halloween volunteering activity (who had backed up behind me without me knowing it) said it was likely his fault and didn't really have any damage so essentially said not to worry about it.  the damage to my bumper is paint and minimal.  it could have been so much worse and more traumatic. it wasn't. people are genuinely kind.

3. i got to talk to my mom last night.  that was good. it's been too long.

4.  in the course of talking to her, i came up with a good and merciful idea for one of my rural cc classes.  it felt like a revelation of sorts.  they have been my guinea pigs and have gotten the short end of the stick for that; i let up on them SERIOUSLY for the last few weeks of the semester.  yes, in the course of doing that i have eliminated some of my work, but it was mainly for them. and i loved sending them the email to tell them.

5. my awesome quintessential teachergirl idea for musicboy's birthday is coming together. and it involves multiple types of baking. hooray!

6. the pile of grading is getting smaller. or my attitude toward it is becoming less rebellious and angry. either way, it's better.

7. sleeping well, even if it did involve some sort of strange dream where i was both on a movie set and in the collegetown stadium and dumping milkshakes or smoothies on girls who were trying to steal my man. and i'm pretty sure that there was a long interlude that involved peter, paul, and mary and a bookstore.  hey, at least i'm dreaming and at least they're entertaining.

8. i worked out yesterday. i'll work out today.  i'll work out tomorrow.  that's three in a week.  that's my definition of success.

9.  despite me being selfish and mopey, my wonderful musicboy knew exactly what to do.  we were running late and i was all sorts of stressed and freaked out and who knows what all (see earlier post about NO BUFFER AT ALL).  instead of letting that ride, he pulled me close and we said a prayer to start our day.  it was exactly what i needed; it was, in fact, exactly what i thought i should do right before he did it.  i have the best husband and best friend in the world.

10.  as i prayed, my heart full of gratitude for a husband that most days i don't deserve, i felt the burdens of this week and this day lift off of me. in my prayer, i asked that Heavenly Father be my buffer until i can figure out where mine went.  and almost immediately, i felt peace. i haven't felt that kind of peace in a while, since i've been letting chaos reign supreme. 

today, i just feel grateful...for everything that i've been given and offered and provided despite me being a whiny wimp about most of it every day.  for all of the days when i seem to willfully refuse to recognize the incredible awesomeness that populates and punctuates my life and instead choose to feel overwhelmed and burdened, He fills in the blanks and seems to wait patiently on me to have a day like today--when it all hits me very hard how incredibly merciful He is and how blessed i am. 

its challenges don't make this life any less amazing.