Today My Gratia is For...

MULTIPLICATION...yep it is true. To explain a little I have an extreme distaste for math. I have since pretty much the beginning of my education decades ago. I struggled and when it got harder of course I struggled more and more. I skimmed by in high school and  when my college days arrived I slugged through it. Despite my dislike I did graduate from college and said good bye to dreaded numbers, as much as I could.

Today though, I felt happy for my limited math ability. Our son is in third grade, starting multiplication. I, me, the math hater actually explained some of it to him. My husband, the engineer, will always be the go to guy, but today he was at work and I put on my math cap and stepped up to the plate. The knowledge came flooding back and for a brief moment I was happy that I drudged through the times tables and slapped them in my long term memory (never to be used again, so I thought). Granted our son is only on the threes in his learning of the times tables but I helped and damn it it felt good. The knowledge rolled off my tongue like prose. It may not be what some people would consider a triumph but it was to me. Thanks multiplication you made my day a little better.

 My Gratia today is for the little things in life...

 As I sit and write this today I am doing it with a bit of pain and self pity. I tore my AC joint in my shoulder on Sunday. It was a spectacular attempt at catching a hard hit softball by diving into the air and landing with a hard crunch on my shoulder. The really sad thing is I didn't even catch the ball! Now I sit with my arm in a sling and sad at missing the last of the season of softball action that I really do love. Life does that now and again, throws you, literally, a curve ball. I have been feeling sorry for myself the past couple of days and being in pain doesn't help. I decided today, though, that I need not act like this. Suck it up and feel proud I was playing hard enough to hurt myself.

After taking my kids to school today and having to explain for the umpteenth time what happened to me, and being irritated about it, I needed to find something to be grateful for. The first thing that caught my eye when I got home was our big red "hand chair." It is sitting outside on the deck where it was left after the big birthday bash we had for our son this past weekend. I smiled when I saw it, first time today, and thought that my shoulder felt a bit better. It reminded me of how wonderful my life is. How happy our son was on Saturday and that life is just fine right now, pain or no pain. So, I am stopping the pity train and getting off and enjoying the little things today and I know I will feel even better tomorrow for it.

My Gratia today is for the realization that I can be a real loser of a friend...

Sometimes we all need a reality check in realizing that everything isn't always about us. I had one of those this week and I am truly grateful for it. I needed to come out of a self obsessed world I have been in lately. I feel better to have found out how I was living. Thanks world for those great checks that we all need sometimes.

Oh, I am also grateful for the Bob Marley vinyl that I just bought. That made my day!

My Gratia today is for 12 jars of jam...

I finally got to the two flats of raspberrys that have been slowly starting to rot in my fridge. I bought them last week with the grand intention of canning many many jars of delicious jam for  my family to swoon over. Life and general laziness got in my way and finally today, with the drizzle of rain outside, I very reluctantly decided to take on the task. It will be tasty I know but the sour mood I am in today has made it a little less appealing. In the end it is done. A third of the expensive raspberrys made it to compost and I practically threw a fit like a three year old in the process but, it is done. I am thankful for having that task over with. The irritation of the entire process did remind me that life isn't always about inspiration and beauty but just getting shit done and I am thankful for it.

My Gratia today is for awareness and acceptance...

I seem to have a new heightened sense of awareness and acceptance. Awareness of who I am, what I am surrounded by and where I want to go. Acceptance in who I am, what I am surrounded by and where I want to go. I am grateful to my bones for this ability we all have to feel inspired by ourselves and love ourselves and become who we need to be.

My Gratia today is for the simple experience of living... 

After spending 5 days in the back country hiking with no modern distractions, the love of my life and two of the best friends anyone could ask for my perception of life has been to be rebooted. It is simply amazing what spending time immersed in nature for days and days and having to work my ass off to reach my goal does to my soul. I feel like a new person these days. Life is great!

Paintbrush Divide, Grand Tetons National Park

My Gratia today is for nine little kids...

I recently wrapped up a great season coaching little league T-Ball. Nine five and six year old kids who for the most part were very clueless about everything baseball related. I expected that, remembering playing when I was five with my mitt on my head most games. Even though they didn't know much It was so much fun coaching them and a fantastic distraction from all of the craziness that has been our lives. I avoided the thought of being a T-ball coach but when the rec center called and said they didn't have a coach for Wren's team I told them I would do it. I stewed over that decision knowing it was out of my comfort zone but I decided to roll with it, relax, and have fun. I did and I would do it again in a heart beat!

My Gratia today is for getting back to normal...  

I scrubbed the floors of the new house yesterday. I mean on my hands and knees with a little scrub brush and bucket of water imagining I was some kind of 19th century scullery main. It felt awesome. Strange thing, I know, to enjoy but, it was the last step in my plan of getting life back to normal. I had been waiting to do this um...wet, grimy, work on your core kind of a job for three weeks now and I finally got to that point that it was the last big task to do. For some reason I needed to scrub away the previous owners and have the feeling that it is our grime and dirt that we are living in, not another families. I feel really relaxed this morning like a hurdle has been jumped over and my sore abs are a testament to all the hard work we all have put into this new home. The house is starting to feel more and more like ours everyday.

What are you thankful for today? Share what makes your life great today or just keep it in your thoughts and heart with you and see what comes of it.

Today my Gratia is for new beginnings...

When ever something big happens in our lives I think of it of a new chapter in the story that is us. Today we wrote the first lines of a new chapter. We Closed on a house that has been, what seems to me, a long time coming. We are excited and it will be really nice to start anew, so to speak. The kids and I are a bit sad to leave this old place, we have lived for the past eight years and the neighborhood and school that we have become so accustomed too. We are working on staying focused on what will be new like more space, another bathroom and a yard that will be twice the size. I keep telling the kids that life is boring if you do not have change and how can you grow as a person if you always stand in the same place. They may not understand now but I am sure they will get it sometime. Although there is sadness and even a few tears it will be a wonderful and exciting new chapter in the story of us.

Today my Gratia is for having my babes home with me...

School is OUT and although I haven't always sang this tune, I am glad for it. For some reason last year this time I was really not excited to have the kids home all the time. My thoughts have changed and I am so thankful for it. We have fun summer stuff planned, a new house to move to (on Tuesday) and lots and lots of fun in the sun. Most of all I am excited for having them close by me for a few months.

My Gratia today is for my last day with out kids at home...

Wren is or was in kindergarten that lasted only for 2 1/2 hours every day. It wasn't much time so I took the most advantage of it as I could, and I have adored my time alone. Don't get me wrong I dearly love hanging with the kiddos but as the stay-at-home parent time by yourself is precious. Today was her last day of school for summer break. I did Yoga, went for a long bike ride and sat in the tub and read for a long long time. It was a glorious morning and will be missed. I guess when fall rolls around in no time at all my time alone will seem all the more sweeter.

My Gratia today is learning how to cope with pain...

I mean literal pain. I have had my share and with last nights kidney stone that attacked my I handled it like a pro. Funny thing to be grateful for I know but I am happy that I have this learned skill. I used Hypno-Birthing techniques when having my babies and the control of pain has served me well time and time again. Feeling better today but not through it yet. Tomorrow will be even better yet.

My Gratia today is for good music... 

Some days not much happens in ones life. That can really be a good thing and today I have been working online all day and listening to music. There is so much good stuff out there and I have really enjoyed every song I have listened to today.

What are you grateful for today?

My Gratia today is for dancing in the car... 

Thanks to "Thriller"on the radio Wren and I had a great time getting our groove on in the car. I sure we looked a little nut-zoid trying to do the dance moves to the song while driving down the road but we were having a blast. Thanks Wren for being the best car dancer I know.

Today my Gratia is for not being an old lady like I thought I was...

Last night was our first practice of the Co-Ed softball team Jake and I are playing on. I love, love, love playing softball and I haven't in um, well, 13 years or so. A long hiatus. Having babies and such got in the way of sports but now I or we are back in the game. We had so much fun last night and it was only the beginning. I was a bit worried that my time away from the diamond would be to big to overcome but the homer I ripped in the practice game helped boost my energy. Can't wait for the first game next week.

Today my Gratia is for the wrenches life throws me...

I guess it is good to have some hiccups in life once in awhile. I imagine that if everything were always easy going then things would become quite boring. How can we know the good when the bad never happens. I am trying to stay on the brighter side of things.

My Gratia today is for working out and realizing I am really out of shape...  

Jake and I are going backpacking in the Tetons with some dear friends of ours. The big trip is in July so I am in the need to get in shape now. I realized today that I have a long way to go. The quick hike I did this morning kicked my butt. Now I know that I have to get serious.

My Gratia today is for spending time with some pretty cool mothers... 

For Mother's day we went to my husband's parents farm for the weekend. I must admit I wasn't sure if it sounded to appealing to leave our packing needs, our new chicks and all that we need to get done for the move to spend time with lots and lots of family and kids. I was wrong in my assumptions and we had a wonderful time and the kids weren't so bad after all.

My Gratia today is for my baby brother...

who is 31.

We just had a wonderful visit from my brother, his wife and their cutest two year old ever. Thanks so much for the visit we love having you and I am so grateful for being able to have the privilege to call you my brother.

My Gratia today is for eating a picnic lunch really fast...

My wonderful husband loves to have us come to his work eat lunch at a cute little table behind the building. Today we ate really fast watching the HUGE encroaching thunderstorm bear down on us. We could feel the air temp dramatically drop but we were determined to enjoy ourselves for as long as possible be it for only about 15 minutes.