Inspiring

The alarm clock went off at around 6am this morning and the work day officially commenced.  "Time to make the donuts" is what came out of my mouth while walking into the kitchen to feed Riley.  The ho-hum monotony of the daily work day routine setting in.  The drive to work, the phone call at 7:45am from my husband, and pulling into my parking spot at 7:55am... all the same as any other day. 

It's not until lunch that I come to realize just how much I take for granted.  I attended a brown bag luncheon entitled "Overcoming Obstacles" with the ladies in my office.  What an eye opener.  The speaker was John Robinson, President and CEO of Our Ability, Inc.  John is 3 foot 9 inches tall and was born with congenital birth defects.  I hate to use the word defect though after having heard him speak, watched him move about, and learned all that he's working towards.  The word defect does in no way belong associated with him.  

He shared several comical stories about living with his disability: walking through deep snow, attempting to grab the girl scout cookies from on top of the fridge, and devising a way to button his pants.  What really hit home however was when he said "I just wanted to be normal."  Normal, to me, is a terrible word because it brings to mind conformity and assimilation, the opposite of unique and diverse.  He went on to explain though that his idea of normal was the aspiration to have the Monday through Friday job, the mortgage he couldn't afford, a wife and a family.  Simple things.  Things I have and complain about.  

So I'm taking a moment to reflect on just how wonderful my "mundane" life is:  

• The mortgage and taxes that I hate to shell out.  At least I have a roof over my head and a gathering place for family events.  
• The dog that I argue about who's turn it is to walk.  Rain or shine that little guy loves me unconditionally and I cannot see my life without him.
• My husband and his predictable morning phone call.  At least I have a counterpart to go through life with and he's thinking of me, letting me know he got to work safely.
• The Monday-Friday job that promises a hassle at least once a week.  I have income and I did not face nearly the challenges that some do when applying/interviewing for a job.
• My ability to easily grab the girl scout cookies from the cabinet even though I don't need the calories.   God blessed me with a fully capable body (and a little too much free will in the chocolate/sweets department).  For that I should be thankful.

Take a moment to reflect on your own life.  What are you thankful for today?

26 & Counting

Since 2009 the hubby and I have selfishly taken over the holiday of Thanksgiving.  I say selfishly because we host both sides of the family which means we don't have to bounce houses for once.  The first year two years we had 27 people.  This year we had 26 as my cousin Richie wasn't in attendance.  You are probably wondering how we pull off such a feat.  Well, we have a wonderful sunroom which converts very nicely into a long dining room.  We borrow tables and chairs from the local high school where my mom works and everyone brings a dish to pass and/or a dessert.  My sister-in-law and I take care of the turkey, the stuffing, and a couple sides that we can make on the stove top (since oven space is at a premium).  I will tell you the first two years were chaos.  Year one was just mainly because we had no idea what we were doing, our timing was off, and we over did it on food.  Year two would have been perfect except for the fact that the turkey took forever since it was still a tiny bit frozen inside.  This year was a piece of cake.  We had a 26 lb turkey and he was thawing in the fridge since the Thursday before the holiday.  This year I can especially count as a success because the left overs fit in one fridge.  The prior two years we had so much food left over that a majority of it ended up in fridge out in the garage, aka Jay's "man cave."   I guess it's like they say "third time's the charm."  

Every year seeing all of our family in one place makes me feel extremely blessed.  Usually one of the kids, either a cousin or a sibling of mine, will say the standard "Bless us oh lord" grace, however, this year my Grandfather came prepared.  He said such a beautifully touching prayer over the meal and followed it up with "and that was from Dear Abby" which of course had us all chuckling, but the prayer itself was awesome enough that I thought I'd share his version on here:

Dear heavenly Father:

We thank you for the food we are about to enjoy here today and 

we ask you to help us to remember the hungry.

We thank you for our health and ask that you help us to remember the sick.

We thank you for our family and friends here with us tonight and 

ask that you help us to remember those who are without.

We thank your for our freedoms and ask that you help 

us to remember those who are oppressed.

For all these blessings we are thankful in Jesus name, Amen.