Thank You, LIFE! I LOVE YOU!

It's true what they say with the phrases "home sweet home" and "absence makes the heart grow fonder".  Returning home to our beautiful Portland, Oregon after a week away is such sweetness!  As much as I LOVED the city of San Francisco and was actually sad to say goodbye so soon, there is nothing quite like walking into your own home again.  And with sunshine, blue skies, green grass, and birds welcoming us with their happy song it is all just a little sweeter.  Some serious feelings of rebirth around here! We've had a long winter of grey and rain and this glorious golden sunshine is a much needed medicine for all of us in the pacific northwest.  Perfect time for our celebration of Easter tomorrow.  Even the houses in Portland seem to be smiling wide with this day of sunshine and a promise of hope for new growth and change!  I know our house is smiling.  The french doors are open, eggs boiling, Jack Johnson wailing on the radio, and kids running in and out of the house with dirt on their faces, grass stains on their clothes and grins a mile wide....so obvious is their JOY at being HOME and being together as a family in this house of ours...our house, our home, our slice of life buzzing with gratitude!


Still have a run to get in, laundry to do, unpacking, dying some easter eggs, and playing Easter bunny later on tonight so I'll end this post with a list of gratitude.  Listing my gratitude is one of my favorite ways to journal these days.  It is quick, easy, gives a snapshot of my life, and it just feels good to express all that their is to be thankful for in this beautiful life!


Thankful for:
*  A fun vacation in an AWESOME city.  San Francisco has got to be one of the best cities I've ever been to.  Such great vibes coursing through it.  So much to say for another day about San Fran!
*  Stopping by New Seasons Market on our way home from the airport and stocking up on all our favorite veggies and fruits.  
*  The protein Kale smoothie we all had as soon as we walked in the door.  Much needed nutrients after a week of living in a hotel, eating out (french fries, beer, bread, pasta...so much tasty but not so healthy eating).  My body is buzzing with energy and gratitude at the veggies...like a plant that is finally watered after a week of nothing!
*  The sound of music on one side of the house and my family playing outside in the back yard as I do laundry, boil eggs, and get important stuff done like typing my gratitude out on this blog. 
*  Our neighbors who had Easter eggs hidden all around our yard for us with a sidewalk chalk message welcoming us home.  
*  New Friends...even those of you I have not met yet but are more like a pen pal.  I never expected to make so many genuine genuine connections!  
*  My own bed to sleep in!
*  My small home that is under our means and that allows us to be cozy and close, live simply, and experience so many other things in life without having to worry about making ends meet!
*  My early morning run tomorrow at marathon pace...a run to let me see where I am at and hopefully help me grow in confidence as a runner.
*  The Joyful and gracious spirits I see in my children today.  I can tell they've had a wonderful vacation, are happy to be home and are so thankful for their little lives.  
*  Easter tomorrow...an opportunity for reconnecting with my faith.  I know that every day can be a day for this but I am especially thankful that Easter is tomorrow.  Let's just say I need it and it couldn't come at a better time.  
*  Opportunities for NEWness in our life.  It is never too late to try something new or make some big changes in our life!  So much to learn, places to go, hobbies to try, relationships to build, new directions to take with our life.  The possibilities are endless and our life is short so now is the time! Thank God for fresh starts of every kind. 
*  And of course, DEEPLY Thankful for these precious people in my life.  The love of my life and my three beautiful children.  Love them with every fiber in my body.

Last night in San Francisco

1.  Thank you so very much for your heartfelt, open, and genuine comments and e-mails after my post Gentle Redirections...Hitting the Reset Button.  I had no idea that something so personal and off the cuff would resonate with so many of you.  Love the new connections I've made because of it and Love that it meant something to so many of you.  Thank you for your words!  They mean a lot and I'm also glad to know I'm not alone. 

2.  What are a few things in your life that you are most thankful for right now?

Amanda