www.sandraevertson.com
10 years ago
Posted by
Victoria
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I have seen a couple of people on Facebook doing a week of thankfulness. I spend time each day in prayer thanking God for so many things, but I normally only write thankful posts around Thanksgiving. This week has been a nice reminder that thankfulness comes all year and should be shared sometimes. I have enjoyed reading what people are thankful for and what they count as blessings in their lives. Some are things that I can relate to and some are things I may not even think about, but reading them reminds me not to overlook the joys that surround me everyday, no matter how small. I am reading the play "Our Town" for a literature class and one theme of the play is that you shouldn't take things for granted. Pay attention to the details because you can't get those moments back once they are gone. I spent the past week with my family on the Outer Banks of NC and these things made me think about what I was thankful for while there and helped me to focus more on the little moments that were here and gone in a flash. I decided to share them here so that I can remember and to maybe inspire someone else to think about what moments they are most thankful for day to day.
Things I was thankful for on vacation...
1. I am thankful for the opportunity to go on vacation every year. Jason works hard all year and vacation is our little break from the world, to rest, regroup, and show our children that there is life outside of our small town. There is a whole world out there and I want them to experience it. Some people save their money for electronics, shoes, clothes, or technology, we save ours for travel, and I am thankful for every minute I have spent doing it.
2. I am thankful for my little family and for the time I spend with them. They are my favorite people to hang out with, and my favorite people to experience life with and I thank God for each of them.
3. I am thankful for my parents who graciously offer pet sitting services, house cleaning, and even donate funds to spoil their Grandchildren (and their children) and allow us to do more than we could ever do on our own. My Dad spent the whole week at our house, mowing, walking and feeding dogs, and tending the garden so we could have a stress free time away.
4. I am thankful for my husband who makes sure we are spoiled while away. He spent his vacation in a place he didn't choose ( the beach) doing activities he didn't pick ( antique shopping, swimming in the ocean, carrying seashells, flying butterfly kites,etc.), and bought us souvenirs while he went without, all because he wants to make us happy. He never once complains even though I know that the beach and the crowds, the sun, and the sand, are all things he could do without, but he just wanted to spend time with us and see us smile.
5. I am thankful for two children who are easy to please, who never want more than what is offered, who never complain about what they can't do, but focus and enjoy the things they can. Nighttime walks on the beach, flying kites on a sand dune, swimming in a hotel pool, eating ice cream and picking up seashells, chasing crabs on the sand and throwing a beach ball into the wind. Vacation doesn't have to be about how many activities you can cram in or how much money you spend, it is about enjoying the little things and just being together. I am thankful my children understand that.
6. I am thankful for our health to be able to enjoy the time away. So many people right now seem to struggle with illness and pain and sickness. I am so very thankful that God has allowed us to remain healthy and that we were all without illness on our trip.
Moments I enjoyed on this trip...
Early morning walks with Emma on the beach collecting rocks and shells. Lydia holding my hand when we walked and squirting water guns with her in the pool. Sitting on the balcony with Jason while we waited on the girls to go to sleep, just watching the ocean and talking. Climbing the lighthouse with the girls just to see the view. Laughing at Lydia covered in sand. Building sand castles and watching them get washed away. picnicking on the beach, the balcony, the lighthouse grounds, and anywhere else we could find to spread out a lunch. Listening to bedtime prayers of thankfulness for being at the beach, for having family, and having fun. Duck Donut runs. Watching my husband digging a "ginormous" hole in the sand just because Emma wanted to. Laughing at Emma chasing crabs across the sand, Lydia counting seagulls and pelicans, and Jason throwing the girls across the pool, having water fights, and catching them as they jumped off the side over, and over and over again.
What did I do on my Summer vacation? Spent quality time with my family making sweet memories... and for that I am truly thankful.
Things I was thankful for on vacation...
1. I am thankful for the opportunity to go on vacation every year. Jason works hard all year and vacation is our little break from the world, to rest, regroup, and show our children that there is life outside of our small town. There is a whole world out there and I want them to experience it. Some people save their money for electronics, shoes, clothes, or technology, we save ours for travel, and I am thankful for every minute I have spent doing it.
2. I am thankful for my little family and for the time I spend with them. They are my favorite people to hang out with, and my favorite people to experience life with and I thank God for each of them.
3. I am thankful for my parents who graciously offer pet sitting services, house cleaning, and even donate funds to spoil their Grandchildren (and their children) and allow us to do more than we could ever do on our own. My Dad spent the whole week at our house, mowing, walking and feeding dogs, and tending the garden so we could have a stress free time away.
4. I am thankful for my husband who makes sure we are spoiled while away. He spent his vacation in a place he didn't choose ( the beach) doing activities he didn't pick ( antique shopping, swimming in the ocean, carrying seashells, flying butterfly kites,etc.), and bought us souvenirs while he went without, all because he wants to make us happy. He never once complains even though I know that the beach and the crowds, the sun, and the sand, are all things he could do without, but he just wanted to spend time with us and see us smile.
5. I am thankful for two children who are easy to please, who never want more than what is offered, who never complain about what they can't do, but focus and enjoy the things they can. Nighttime walks on the beach, flying kites on a sand dune, swimming in a hotel pool, eating ice cream and picking up seashells, chasing crabs on the sand and throwing a beach ball into the wind. Vacation doesn't have to be about how many activities you can cram in or how much money you spend, it is about enjoying the little things and just being together. I am thankful my children understand that.
6. I am thankful for our health to be able to enjoy the time away. So many people right now seem to struggle with illness and pain and sickness. I am so very thankful that God has allowed us to remain healthy and that we were all without illness on our trip.
Moments I enjoyed on this trip...
Early morning walks with Emma on the beach collecting rocks and shells. Lydia holding my hand when we walked and squirting water guns with her in the pool. Sitting on the balcony with Jason while we waited on the girls to go to sleep, just watching the ocean and talking. Climbing the lighthouse with the girls just to see the view. Laughing at Lydia covered in sand. Building sand castles and watching them get washed away. picnicking on the beach, the balcony, the lighthouse grounds, and anywhere else we could find to spread out a lunch. Listening to bedtime prayers of thankfulness for being at the beach, for having family, and having fun. Duck Donut runs. Watching my husband digging a "ginormous" hole in the sand just because Emma wanted to. Laughing at Emma chasing crabs across the sand, Lydia counting seagulls and pelicans, and Jason throwing the girls across the pool, having water fights, and catching them as they jumped off the side over, and over and over again.
What did I do on my Summer vacation? Spent quality time with my family making sweet memories... and for that I am truly thankful.
