I got knocked down. And getting knocked meant taking time to get back up. Time I haven’t really taken for a while. Not while I was pregnant. Not after Mira was born. Shingles demanded it.

It hasn’t been fun but it could have been far worse. Seeing Dan deal with shingles a year and a half ago has given me great thankfulness for how my case didn’t go. My healing has been nothing short of miraculous and for that I’m full of gratitude. I still have a little ways to go until I’m feeling back to normal but I’ve been spared the worst of it.

Shingles being at least partially caused by stress has given me cause to consider the stressors in my life. While there is certainly stress in the day to day of this life, it’s the emotions I’ve let overwhelm my system – guilt being the heaviest oppressor. Mama guilt, homeschooler guilt, friend guilt and, heck, even blogger guilt. None of this guilt has been laid on by anyone but myself. The time I’ve been down and out this week has given me time to think about the changes I need to make.

I haven’t come to any conclusions or solutions but I’m remembering my priorities and starting there. In the meantime I’m full of fresh joy and peace in the moments of my days.

Thank you, friends, for the prayers, well wishes and kind thoughts. They have been felt.

This mid-october weekend passed us by in a blur.

I’m feeling somewhat worn down and worn out thanks to letting myself get stressed by a lot of nothing. Forgetting truth and remembering truth. Hoping it’s nothing a day of letting myself off the hook can’t take care of. There were frustrations, stress and tears but mixed in with that was a whole lot of good.

And that is what I’m remembering now.

There was a whole lot of good in the shape of:

applesauce and apple pies

costume planning for my least favourite holiday but one the kids look forward to for months

enjoying lots of this album

five little people having so much fun in the simplest of ways

some sweet thrifted finds including costume additions and fabrics not to mention the $1.50 snow pants

a two-year-olds most wonderfully charming vocabulary

a fabric store and onion rings

baby sister so happy to be home and sleeping in her hammock again

a pie eating party with friends we’d missed

remembering this great song and this one

a market visit which sent us home with a beautiful box of apples and our kettlecorn treat

a special friend’s first birthday and the wonderful friends we celebrated with

early into pyjamas, pie and tea with hubby and snuggles on a chilly night

..and a little brother who is so good to his little sister.

:::

joining Amanda for weekending

It’s Thanksgiving here in Canada. We’re celebrating by enjoying this last weekend on the West Coast before heading back home next week.

There are wonderful smells as a chicken roasts with all the fixings, football on the television as Dan laughs in despair as his team loses yet again, a knitting pattern on the needles (perhaps the provisional cast-on has been conquered) and plans for an autumn walk while the bird cooks.

I am full of gratefulness as I reflect on this wonderful and blessed life.

Amongst other things, today I’m thankful for baby smiles, little boys, darling daughters, men in the kitchen, pitter-patter feet (and even their elephant clomp companions), grandchildren loved on by grandmas (and grandpas) and love. Love, love, love. There’s lots of it here and for that I’m ever thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for today?