There are so many things I take for granted or even resent in all my entitled audacity. Every now and then it’s nice to stop to notice a few them. Here are a dozen of mine.

1. The freedom to just walk in the hills with my kiddos. I do not notice this enough. I often fall into resenting that for the most part I do plan my life around my kids. But really, thanks to unschooling and the privilege of staying home, we are really free to choose what to do. Someday I want to get all of our stamina up enough to go for an all day hike. Or even just a most of the day meander with a pause for a picnic on the trails nearest us.
2. The goodhearted love of my kids. Even when I am the one being a crankypants, they’re still pretty sweet overall. I’m going to start looking for the good a little more and try not to be quite so reactive when they push my buttons. Because of course they do that too, they’re normal and intelligent.
3. A family to fall back on to help me see straight when I’m overwhelmed or just need someone to point out different perspectives, and tell me they love me and reassure me I’m doing fine. Some reliable outer voices to counteract my own inner critic that just tells me I need to get it together.
4. An abundant supply of excellent books and enough time to read at least a few of them.
5. A smart puppy, who, even though she’s still a puppy doing puppyish things, is definitely intelligent and learns new things quickly. I appreciate that in a dog.
6. Endless nearby trails for exploring.
7. Learning to read in a laidback fashion. My 6yo just started to learn to read. It turns out he can read three letter words rather easily. He calls the starts and stops and we’re both happier for not pushing it when we’re tired.
8. A mom who has been there and done that in the homeschooling department and the having little wild kids department and can respond to needy texts with wisdom, reassurance, and a focus on the grace of God. Tis a blessing. Someday I’ll just write a book of all the things Mom has told me so you all can learn it too.
9. Ridiculous and fun movies/shows on netflix to keep me laughing. Most recently: Drop Dead Diva. It was so hilarious, super smart, and just lovely characters all around. Might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I loved it. (If you’ve watched it, can we talk about them end, please? DM on Instagram.)
10. A house and yard that just keep working for us no matter what we ask of it. Neither house nor yard is large. In fact the yard is tiny. The house is not tiny, more smallish normal. But we keep morphing the arrangements to suit our needs and it keeps working well for us.
11. I definitely take the provision of God for granted. But these last couple years it’s been a show of provision even when it doesn’t look quite how it could have been, his hands are still there guiding, providing, and growing us into whoever he wants us to be. Which is basically unclear most of the time. but still. He provides.
12. Apparently, I can morph into being a somewhat night-owl if need be to get these posts out. And sometimes the kiddos don’t wake me up to early. So it all works out.  Another example of God’s provision.

Anyway. Everyone makes grateful lists in November. It’s a little overdone, I know.

But it is still important.

And honestly it doesn’t even feel like November yet to me. It’s not particularly cold, I haven’t been awash in Christmas thoughts, I’ve just been enjoying this mild fall with much normal life to live.

So maybe it’s good to keep the reveling in the fall and move toward embracing the gratitude side of fall as well. Even if everyone does it.

Maybe the kids and I will have to make a thankful tree, too. Hmm :) I think yes. Sometimes being whole together is acknowledging what you already have.

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What are some blessings you take for granted or don’t even see because they are so normal to you?

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This month I am joining the #write31days community to explore the idea of the Whole Together Family because I believe we get be who God created us to be – together. Find the whole list posts here or click on the image.