Thankful Complaints

I've realized our society as a whole

(me included) 

seem to have a looooot to complain about.

To often we're moaning and groaning 

about the missed parking spot at the mall,

or the slow check out line at the grocery store,

or a million and one other trivial things.

I'm just as guilty as the next person.

The second things don't go "my way"

I'm the first to get suuuuuper grumpy about it. 

And you know what I've realized,

it's just so pointless. 

On this annual day of thanks, 

we're forced to remind ourselves of all the blessings we have in our lives

and to give thanks for them.

However, giving thanks is something that should happen every single day.

Especially when we all have so much to be thankful for.

Sure sometimes things are disguised as frustrating annoyances,

but even those little things that drive us crazy

are still things we should be thankful for.

So instead of listing the obvious blessings that surround me

I'm choosing to look at the ugly things in my life

and find a way to be thankful for even them.

1.

I'm thankful for the massive amounts of dog hair that constantly cover my floor.

Sure, I hate the fact that as soon as I'm done sweeping,

a huge tumbleweed of black dog hair rolls past me.

But all the dog hair in my house means that my home is filled with sweet puppy love.

And I wouldn't trade one day of sweeping for my sweet Roxy girl.

2.

I'm thankful for cluttered man caves.

Mainly because they have doors that can be closed

and, just like that clutter is forgotten.

But really because they make my man so happy.

He loves his clutter.

And even though I think it's junk, it's special to him and 

I'm thankful he has that. 

3.

I'm thankful for my 5:50 AM wake up call.

(Yes, if you've been paying attention, it used to be 5:30. I've slacked off. Sue me.)

I still think waking up before Mr. Sun is all kinds of ridiculous,

but that wake up call means that I have a job.

A fairly decent one at that. 

I'm doing what I love,

and what I went to school for. 

That's two for two.

I'm able to provide for my family 

and I'd like to think I'm making some type of difference in the world.

I also get to work with some bomb.com ladies.

I think I've mentioned them once or twice?

4.

I'm thankful for grocery shopping.

As annoying as it is,

making a list,

searching for the items on said list,

maneuvering your cart through the teeny tiny aisles

crammed with screaming babies and slow poke shoppers,

being able to go grocery shopping is something I can do on my own,

physically and financially.

And in times like this, that's something to be thankful for.

5.

I'm thankful for my parents' divorce.

This was tricky one, and was actually pretty painful to type.

But hear me out,

I, in no way, approve of divorce.

I think it's cowardly and selfish

and shouldn't even be allowed.

However, if my parents hadn't gotten divorced

they would have never met their second spouses

and literally quadrupled the love and laughter in my life. 

Obviously, I still wish my parents were together. 

But I wouldn't trade our "Plan B" for anything.

I couldn't imagine my day-to-day life without my step-parents and step-siblings.

I'm thankful for Sam and Caroline and the new dynamic they've brought to our family,

especially around the holidays.

Christmas 2009 - we're a beautiful mess.

I know that I am blessed beyond belief. 

Definitely beyond what I deserve.

I could sit here for days and days

going on and on about the blessings in my life

and why I'm thankful for them.

But I'll save that for the dinner table rotation.

On this Thanksgiving, I hope you all find something to be thankful for.

And I hope that moment of thankfulness continues on throughout the days to come.

Despite the hardships and negatives that might seem so ever present,

I promise you, there is still something to thank God for.

Now, go eat your weight in turkey 

(or pork chops, since apparently that's what half of my first graders are eating this year)

watch a little football, 

get in a fight with a family member,

(it is the holidays after all)

take 3.5 naps on the couch,

whatever floats your boat.

Just be thankful!

Oh and make THIS!

I blogged about it (and my mini panic attack) yesterday.

It turned out sooooo tasty.

And it was suuuuuuper easy.

You won't be dissappointed.

P.S. Evaporated milk wasn't that tricky to find. Who knew?

Gobble-gobble,