The struggle is real....but so many reasons to be Thankful

The struggles I have are very minor compared to many people out there who are struggling to pay bills, sort out childcare, mourn the loss of loved ones.  And I have so many reasons to be thankful!


Being here in Louisville with my mom is what I am most grateful for right now.  She is mourning the loss of her dear friend who had a long battle with lung cancer.  I am so thankful the kids and I can be here to distract her and spend time with her.  She came over last week, and brought some tulip bulbs for us to plant, which was good.  The dirt here is SO full of clay, I got a great arm workout with the bulb planter.

Here are few thoughts from me today.

The struggle to get out of bed everyday, because my bed is so warm and cozy and it's dark outside.  Thankfully, I have a dog who greets me with a wagging tail and lots of kisses and I have coffee to help me welcome the morning.  And a husband who does not usually leave for work until after 8 AM.

The struggle to get the kids to do something that is not their phone, laptop or Xbox.  Thankfully, Alison is enjoying her bar in the basement.  And Drew enjoys playing football both in the family room and outside, especially with our neighbor.  And Lauren will run errands with me, and then she is really chatty.

The struggle to figure out what to make for dinner since I have made dinner for the past 10,345 days in a row (oh and the kids are so picky if they don't like what they see when they sit down the ruin dinner before it's even started.)  Thankfully, I have signed up for HelloFresh and HomeChef, which have inspired me to try out a few new recipes.

The struggle to keep random things out of Archie's stomach.  He apparently swallowed something without us knowing it, and he was vomiting and had diarrhea last week, so he stayed overnight at the vet on fluids last Friday.  Thankfully he didn't have to have surgery!  He will put absolutely ANYTHING in his mouth.  So far, he has had to have the following foreign bodies extracted from his body: scrunchie, sock (at least three times!), wipe, silicon gel packet, grape.  And the number of things we have coaxed out of his mouth: stress balls, socks, shoes, glue sticks, pens, pencils. Thankfully, he doesn't chew the furniture or the house.

The struggle to exercise.  I have not gotten into any sort of routine around running or doing classes since we have been here.  Thankfully I have a dog who loves and needs a good long walk everyday AND there have not been too many brutally cold days........yet.

The struggle to be social.  I have not yet figured out my place here.  The outlets of just meeting up with someone for coffee is not that easy, especially now that the kids are home full time.  Thankfully, the neighborhood court has people who plan get togethers and last night I was able to go to the movies with a few of the neighbor women.  And in non-corona times, it looks like they meet up once a month.  I look forward to that because everyone is so friendly.

As I reflect on the past year of craziness, I am thankful to all the healthcare workers who have gone above and beyond to care for the people who contracted this illness that this time last year no on even knew exited.  I am thankful for all the people we met in London, as well as all the different places we were able to travel while living in Europe.  I am thankful for my family and the chance to see them more often now that we are back in the US.

Happy Thanksgiving Week!



Comments

  1. BobNovember 23, 2020 at 1:38 PM

    I am thankful you are back in USA to be with your mom

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sara Lewis DeanNovember 24, 2020 at 3:43 AM

    I am thankful that God has a plan and that it was his plan to bring you back to Louisville!

    ReplyDelete

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