Thankful Thursday - Rarities Addition

Well, I've been really up in the air about Christmas this year.  What to do?  How much and when to decorate?  Where should we go?  Should we stay home? blah, blah, blah...

Thankful #1 - My counsellor gave me a book on grief and bereavement the other day.  I just read this morning that it's ok to skip the cards, the extra decorating and running around like a crazy person, when you're grieving the loss of a loved one.  So I'm not going to send out a bunch of cards this Christmas.  We didn't do cards last Christmas because we knew we would get family pictures done in April with Anna's 2 year pictures, and that we'd do them again this fall with "the new baby".  So this year I'm thankful that someone has let me feel that it's ok, that we skip this little tradition. 

Thankful #2 - Crafting - Well, I'm not skipping the tradition entirely... I am making cards for our Awesome Mama's group.  So yah, I'm only doing about thirty... not a lot right??  I've been crafting with Anna;  cutting, pasting, Anna spilling 1000 of those little metallic craft stars all over the place, two days in a row.  Why, you ask do I keep giving them back to her?  Hello, it occupies her!  She gets out my measuring spoons and cups and pretends to  make "soup" or "chocolate chip cookies"!  I like that she sits at the table with me and stirs the stars around and around.

Thankful #3 - little metallic craft stars (see above!)

Thankful #4 - My Markers - I'm also enjoing my old markers from Interior Design school.  Oh, how I've missed you my over intoxicating marker friends!  That dizzy high I get from their smell, which quickly fades into a headache!  Brings back memories.  I have to apologize to my mommas... who ever gets the first couple cards, they aren't that pretty, but wow, are my rendering skills improving as I go!

Thankful #5 - my family, and friends who are so patient with me.

Thankful #6 - God for blessing me

Thankful #7 - Snow, yah I said the "S" word.  It'll be 5 years, next week, that Jeff proposed to me.  So we are hoping to go back to the mountain where the proposal took place.  We need snow.  61cm of fresh snow so far this week @ our mountain. :)

Thankful #8 - Peppermint bubble bath.  I'm skipping my run tonight to splurge on bubbles.

Thankful #9 - I'm really looking forward to "the cookie exchange".  Very thankful to be invited to join.  So thankyou for  thinking of me.  This gives me that little Christmas "magic" feeling.  Something so simple.

Thankful #10 - Lattes from Starbucks!  Try the Caramel Brule, or Peppermint Mocha - but don't forget the "skinny"

Thankful #11 - That the nearest Starbucks is 102 kms away! or I'd be broke and a little extra "jolly" around the middle.