Giving Thanks For What I Don't Have

What's going on at your home this morning - turkey basting, pie baking, family on their way to visit? Things are on the down low at the Rosendahl house today.

We're looking forward to a breakfast buffet at home for three, an early afternoon showing of Catching Fire and homemade spaghetti Bolognese for dinner. The  seasonal what nots are on tap for Saturday and I am going for a thyme/roasted garlic  turkey. Stay tuned. This will be my second time cooking a turkey and the first time was a bust.

Photo credit: iStockPhoto

I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful for the things I have yet I am more thankful for the things I don't.

I don't have it all. I am driven by security and have enough doubt for all of us. Because of the things I don't have, I am challenged to be better, to try new things, to break out of the same routine, to see myself through the eyes of others, to learn from my friends, to accept (and work through) uneasiness or fear rather than succumb to the desire to just throw it all away.

I don't have the perfect balance of what I need right here, right now and that's ok. If I did, I wouldn't have geared up to get back into shape, I wouldn't have met Jenny, stuck with CrossFit or been in the shape I am now. I'd still be whining. If I did, I wouldn't be taking a look at what I eat and how it impacts how I feel. If I did, I wouldn't be observing how I spend money (and how I get nauseous when I spend) or accept that I value experiences much more than things. If I did, I wouldn't be focusing on my relationships with others and what I can do better on my end to be present for the long haul, and not just in the moment.

Happiness, and acceptance, to you and yours.

Laughter and Thanks: A Day in the Life Sunday

Parenting. With the trials, tribulations and tons of responsibility that come with the gig, there are also unending opportuities to laugh.

Here's a peek into my world last week:

Jumping into the backseat of the car after school, the kid informed me she wanted a "Yonk." You can imagine the mother-daughter exchange with my, "you want a what?!!" being met with the incredulous "don't you know anything" stream of descriptors of the middle schooler . . .

I had one today at school. They're at the store. They are my favorite. I love them. Yonks, you know.<insert eye roll here> It's candy . . . they're chocolate. . .  and minty.

I couldn't stop laughing when I quickly realized what she was talking about:

And there we have it - the ties that bind. I can see it now . . . candy dishes, graduation, wedding and yonks all around!

On this Thanksgiving weekend I give thanks for my husband and daughter, that they hang with me no matter what and above all, their ability to always make me laugh.

Who makes you laugh?