Give Thanks in Everything

my Fall/Thanksgiving chalk board, merged together from a few ideas on Pinterest

 

I drew out this chalkboard design a few minutes before we had friends over this past weekend to watch the A&M v LSU game.  We made jumbalaya and had hurricanes.  We had 3 other couples and their +1 kid each over for some football and fun.  It was really nice to have everyone over.  When we first moved to Austin 7+ years ago, we didn't have many friends from school that lived here.  And when we had H, we had even less friends with kids. So it is nice to have some couple friends with kids that just want to hang out at the house as opposed to go out to a bar, or even out to dinner!  Ha!

 

This year I am really thankful.  I have been thinking about this for months, not just this week because it is Thanksgiving.  I have a good job that allows me to balance work and family.  Yes, it can be very demanding at times (I worked until 4 in the morning on Sunday/Monday).  Yes, I am attached to my phone because clients expect to get an answer immediately.  But no matter what, if my family needs me, or I want to go eat with H for her school Thanksgiving, they make sure I can leave and do what I need to do.

 

I have a great family on both sides.  My parents are always there for me and will help me with whatever I need.  We spend a lot of time with The Husband's family (football + hunting weekends in the Fall) and I could not ask for a better MIL or SIL.  I hear so many horror stories from people about how they can stand their husband's family.  But I got lucky big time in that department.

 

But I am most thankful for my little family of 3.  Blake and H are my favorite two people in the world.  We have such a good time, the three of us.  Home is my sanctuary and I love spending time with them.  Our house is small, warm, cozy and calm.  As a person that gets overwhelmed and needs down time, calm is important to me.  At night, in the living room with our PJs on, I sometimes tear up because I am so happy with the life we have created.

 

So many articles float around on the Internet and Facebook about work life balance, being more patient with your kids, how Pinterest is killing Christmas and stressing us out, blah blah blah.  You know what might help?  Stop reading Facebook all the time.  Don't compare your Christmas wreath to your neighbors.  Don't stress out about gift giving.  Turn off the computer and play with your kids on the living room rug.  Be grateful for your life, your health, and the roof over your head.  Get back to the basics and don't let the minutiae overwhelm you.  I try really hard to focus on my family and the things that are important, and not get caught up in things that I don't have time for or can't control.  So take some time this weekend to decompress, and focus on the spirit of the holidays, rather than the stuff of the holidays.

 

And just so you know, I am not doing Elf on the Shelf.  Really, that is an option.  You don't HAVE to do things you don't want to!