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Since Annalyn was born, October flies by. We start with a birthday party and speed headfirst into Halloween. I love planning parties and finding the cutest costume, but I don’t love the way my favorite month disappears faster than the leaves turn red and yellow.

As the month came to a close, quicker than I wanted as usual, I decided to be more intentional about November. It’s impossible to stop the freight train that is the holidays, but I can pay more attention to the good parts of the days leading up to them. So – to get to my point already – I kept a gratitude journal during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

My list is a mixed bag, with some serious and some shallow. But it all adds up to a whole lot of blessings. November – and EVERY month – is good.

What I Was Thankful for in November 2010:

• My computer still worked after spilling water on the keyboard. (Kind of.)
• Having the right to vote – and an impartial website created by the local paper to educate voters.
• Good books (namely, the Harry Potter series that I’m finally – a decade later – reading).
• Awesome neighbors who take care of me when Mark is gone – and the other neighbors are, AHEM, less than awesome. (In other words, our friends across the street came over to check out our late-night “intruder,” who turned out to be a prankster kid from next door.)
• A new Chipotle way closer to our house.
• Smitty.
• Quiet days without plans.
• Our small group.
• Opportunities for change and to grow. (This was on the day I went to a professional conference, learned a lot and met some great people.)
• Highway 635 and its lack of traffic.
• Getting to eat lunch with Mark.
• Psych and Burn Notice are back.
• Parents who love me and my child (and let her spend the night, so I can get a break)!
• Date night.
• Not being sick. (Mark had a man cold that lasted for EIGHT DAYS.)
• A husband who is normally very sweet and laidback. (See above point for my inspiration.)
• Having the money to buy a new laptop. Knowing where to find a new USED laptop. A new (to me) laptop that is so small and zippy!
• Chelley.
• Not being sore after trying a new workout video. (This feeling didn’t last and my ankles and shins paid later, but it’s what I wrote down early on that day.)
• Miss Linda, the director at Annalyn’s preschool.
• Friends who GET me.
• The opportunity to participate in Operation Christmas Child.
• A church that gets real and addresses serious issues with compassion.
• Josh and Brittany – and any friends who make me laugh so hard I cry.
• A healthy child. (I wrote this on November 23, the day Annalyn was supposed to be born.)
• Instant messaging.
• Annalyn is such a sweet girl. And no, I’m not biased.
• My cousins. I love them. That’s all.
• A new microwave for free! (Mine BROKE the week before Thanksgiving, but my brother and sister-in-law donated their extra one. On a side note, who has an extra microwave laying around?)
• A few good family photos, with a few genuine smiles, despite the drama.
• Sunday. Aren’t you thankful for a day of rest? (Even if your day of rest doesn’t happen until Monday or some other day of the week?)
• The Internet. Despite its great ability to distract me like nobody’s business, it’s also full of great ideas, thorough information and beautiful friends.

What are YOU thankful for?