Giving Thanks

I have to say, it's fantastic to see so many people taking the 30-day challenge to post something they're thankful for each and every day of November.  I wish it were like this all year long.  Everyone has a right to post what they want on Facebook, of course, but sometimes I just get so depressed reading up on everything that's wrong when I know there are so many things that are right that we're not focusing on.

Yesterday, we drove down to Indianapolis and back with one of our good friends and two of her daughters to see our daughter and her son march in the State Marching Band competition.  Our band came in sixth and hers came in fifth, and everyone seemed pleased.  I'm looking forward to some whole weekends coming up, and very grateful for the 'fall back' of Daylight Savings Time today.  It's nice to be this wide-awake and writing at 9:30am instead of 10:30am, though in the grand scheme of things I still appear to be lazy.  Not true, of course -- appearances aren't everything.  I just need some down-time now and then. 

I'm gearing up for Thanksgiving now -- I want to shed a few of these pounds I've put back on so I can keep myself from going overboard in a few weeks.  The family is coming over for Thanksgiving here, which is my favorite -- I like having everyone in one place.  I'll have to do a little extra grocery shopping over the next couple of weeks to stock up, but I'd rather do that than buy everything at once. 

We're doing well with our budgeting and financial stuff (we learned a lot before the financial class we're taking, but that's helped, too) so things are in a good place for us right now.  We're not rich (and I'm sure we never will be) but we're not struggling, either, so it's a good balance, I feel.

There is a lot happening around me, and inside of me, but I'm happy.  I love my husband.  I love my family.  I love my friends.

I'm at peace.

(It's kind of strange... I'm not used to it.)

Stephanie Jean