The Gratitude Project 2011 - Day 1

Today is the first day of November. Where did the year go, I would just like to know! It seems like the scorching heat from a summer in the Deep South has finally given way to some cooler Autumn breezes before I could even blink my eyes. One day it was hot, and the next morning I woke up to a sweater and some hot chocolate. Ahhh, such is life where I live. Anyways...

Since this marks the first day of November, it also begins this year's Gratitude Project. Here's the quick run-down of the project. For the next 25 days leading up to Thanksgiving, I will spend some time each day reflecting on the things for which I am truly grateful. I will be purposefully grateful, which means that, even on days when I really don't feel like I have anything for which to give thanks, I will FIND the blessings in life and give thanks. And each day, I will blog about those things in my life for which I am most thankful. In an effort not to completely duplicate what I shared last year (because my priorities are pretty much the same - God, family, friends, anything else), I will be looking for the not-so-obvious things in my day that God has blessed me with! And so, here we go.

The thing for which I am thankful today are these two sweet little girls I have who are crawling all over me showing me the hot dog pieces in their mouths! Some days, I just feel like they are completely in the way, and I just need a break! But when I really think about it, I wouldn't trade them for the world. Both Little Sister and Baby Girl just make me smile so many times in a day. My day would be so boring without them. So today, I am thankful for the two of them. :0)

 Baby Girl said, "Look me, Mommy! I exercisin'."

Little Sister couldn't be outdone by Baby Girl's exercising, so she had to do a "trick". 

I encourage you, for the next 25 days, to take the challenge and join in The Gratitude Project! You can show your thanks via social networking (Facebook or Twitter), blog post, giving someone a call on the phone, shooting someone an e-mail, or even send a card in the mail. And if you feel so inclined, leave me a comment each day telling me what you are thankful for, so I can share in YOUR Gratitude Project! 

And a BIG, HUGE THANK YOU to my friend, Ray, who started the project last year. If not for his challenge, I would very likely be going through this month with hardly a thought to being thankful, except for on Thanksgiving Day specifically.