It's Day Four Of My November Gratitude Project

It was a last minute decision. I decided to participate in the November Gratitude Project. Year after year, during the month of November, I see more and more people participating. It's a Facebook thing, really. Each day, you post something that you're thankful for. I'll be honest, I used to think it was kind of pointless. Why give thanks and extend gratitude only during the month of November? It's right up there with how I feel about Christmas presents. Why purchase a ridiculous amount of presents just because it's Christmas?

I shifted my thoughts around a bit. Not a day goes by that I don't give thanks for the many blessings in my life. Participating in the November Gratitude Project does not mean I'm only grateful during the month of November. It simply means I want to share some of the many things I'm thankful for.

And, that's okay.

Day 1: Today, I'm thankful for my wife. We met 20 years ago. In 2012 we got married. Almost everything about that day was unconventional. We danced in the rain. Shortly after, we went inside and danced with family and friends as Justin Jaymes played his guitar and belted out his incredible voice. No matter what's going on in our life, we dance. We sing. Off tune. Clumsy. I've broken out in song and dance at 4 in the morning, on the porch, or late at night. This photo speaks a thousand words.

Day 2: I'm thankful for our kids. None of our kids "were planned." The universe shifted. Did a little shimmy shake. I grabbed the hands of the universe for a silly and sloppy tango. Our kids chose US. They just knew. I wouldn't change a thing. They're our world. We love 'em to the moon and back and beyond.

Day 3: I’m thankful for my mother-in-law, Maxine. I met this phenomenal woman almost 2 decades ago. Maxine has a big heart. Kind soul. She’s free spirited. Embraces the simple things in life. Down to earth. I can tell her anything without fear of judgment. She’s one of the most incredible women I know. A lot of us younger women could learn a thing or two from her. It‘s an honor to have her as my mother-in-law…or as I call her, “Mom.”

Day 4: I'm thankful for our kitchen. Don't get me wrong, I love our entire home, but the kitchen is my happy place. So much good stuff happens there. It's where I bake and prep meals for Lisa and I and our babies. It's where we bake homemade dog biscuits for Bodacious Biscuit Love. It's where our kitchen table is, the one passed down from my Grammy after she passed away last summer. Lisa and I eat dinner at the kitchen table every evening. Friends have gathered 'round the table to enjoy scrumptious food, adult beverages, conversation, and lots of laughs. We've made memories at that table. The kitchen is also where I've had some of my most memorable "graceful" moments.

That's it for now...