A Post-Thanksgiving Post

Thanksgiving came and went in a flash. I feel like a broken record when I say that life is busy, but it's true. Days, weeks, and months come and go so quickly that I feel I can barely keep up with what is happening. It feels like time is going faster all the time, and there is nothing I can do about it. All I can do is appreciate each moment as it passes and try to keep a handful of them alive by sharing them here.

I don't want to let the year end without writing a few words of thanks. Life is so good and I have countless reasons to be grateful. I want to take a few minutes and list some of the more specific things that I am thankful for...

Walks with Tucker: I take him out for 30-45 minutes before bed as many nights a week as I can. I love our time together and know he does to (you should see him when I reach for his leash- it's like he gets Christmas morning several times a week). I love the fresh air and the chance to chat with my mom or listen to some new music.

Chats with my mom: my mom and I talk on the phone every single day, usually more than once. I can't (and don't want to) imagine a day without talking to her.

Hazel's healthy eyes: having a healthy and happy Hazel once again has been one of the best parts of the year. Her eyes are so clear and bright now. I can tell that she is seeing and feeling much better now that we have her on the right meds. Just thinking about it puts a huge smile on my face. I know that probably sounds quite silly to most of you, but I don't care. Hazel has a pretty special spot in my heart. Before Harper and before Colt and before anything else that I have in my life right now, there was Hazel. Every day of my life starts and ends with her. She is very special to me.

My preschoolers: I am so proud of them and am forever grateful to them for their patience with me and their willingness to listen to me and to let me love them.

Good music on my iPod: right now, I am especially thankful for the music of Amos Lee and Shoshana Bean.

Choir Wednesdays: it fills a hole in my soul that only singing can fill. I love singing with a purpose and seeing my choir friends each week. Our Christmas concerts are next weekend and I'm really looking forward to them.

Evenings with Harper: Once the work day is over and everyone has gone home and things are put away, Harper and I have a few hours to read, shop, play, dance, color, watch movies, snuggle, and hang out. I know that Harper won't always want to spend every evening with me so I'm soaking up as many of them as I can while I can. I truly enjoy our time together, just mom and daughter, and I love getting to know Harper more and more each day. She is constantly surprising and amazing me.

Of course I am thankful for all of the big things in my life, too. Colt, Harper, my parents, my piano, my job, Colt's job, and our extended families are among my greatest blessings. I don't know what I would do without any of the things that I just mentioned. I don't want to imagine life without any of them. They are the things that anchor me down and the things that keep me rising at the same time.

I hope that everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. We sure did. We stayed in Utah this year and had dinner with Colt's parents. We had a really fun and productive weekend that ended all too soon.