My first Blog Award!

I got back from taking Romy and Teags to the doctor for their 4 year and 1 year checkups. Yeah, three hours in that icky, germy place, thank you. But the wait was worth it because we switched doctors and I love love loved the new one. Such a difference! Anyways, after 9 combined shots and a knocked out toddler (No! I did not! She was just worn out, thank you very much.) But I will admit I would have liked to have been knocked out while waiting in that teeny tiny room for so long with two restless kiddos! Anywho...I came home exhausted and depleted and much to my surprise found this:

It's my very first blog award given to me by a bloggy buddy, over at

This Is The Year. Thanks so much Xazmin!

It made my day (and I love reading your blog, too!)

The Rules of Accepting and Sharing this Award:

1.Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs that show an attitude of gratitude.

3. Link to your nominees within your post.

4.Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received this award.

5.Share the love and link to this post and the person who nominated you for the award. Tell us how you've come to have an attitude of gratitude.

I don't think I've mastered the art of having a grateful attitude but I do know that it's one of the most important attributes we can have. I believe every good thing we have in life is a gift from God and truly I give Him credit for everything wonderful in my life and the list is a long one. It includes the basics like my husband and children and the Gospel, but also encompasses the little things like finding a new doctor that I really like or the oomph to finish my exercise in the morning.

Once I read a book ("Simple Abundance" by Sarah Ban Breathnach) that recommended writing down five things that happened each day that you were grateful for. I tried it for quite a while and was amazed to find myself watching, waiting, on the ready to spot it the moment happened--that thing I was grateful for that I could write in my Gratitude Journal that night. After awhile I began to notice something: it wasn't the spectacular moments in my days that determined my mood or whether or not something was going to be important. It was the day-to-day occurrences that I wanted to remember, cherish, and be ever grateful for: the way my daughter's eyes sparkled when I pushed her on the swing, the moment my son rested his head on my shoulder as I read him a story, the three squeezes from Jimmy's hand in mine--our special way of saying, "I. love. you."

And the funny thing is that the more you are looking for things to be thankful for the less you are looking for things to complain about. And that is a beautiful thing. Perhaps I should pick up an old habit again!

Now...I nominate this award to go to the following 10 grateful bloggers: Shalene (private), Sally, Holly, Alyson (private), Channy, Gene, Ashley, Lisa W.(private), Gayle, and Suzi. Your blogs make me smile!