Thursday's Ten (on Saturday)

hanging my head in shame on this one. But in my defense (kind of) I went out with the girls on Thursday night which was the coldest night of the year--nearly down to 0 in Nashville, TN people--and well...my brain just thawed out. Doesn't sound possible? Ok...I just suck then. :)

10 Things I am TRULY Thankful for in 2009

1. Good friends who are keeping me afloat in this tumultuous sea I find myself in. I'm not a big "talker" when it comes to things that are wrong, and I love that my friends GET that. And still, they seem to know what I need.

2. Time to just get away and be with those I love

3. Silly tv shows that just make me laugh.

4. My boyfriend--I'm truly blessed to have a wonderful, God-seeking man in my life.

5. A newfound (well within the past 3 years or so) love of cooking and nutrition. With my history, it's somewhat amazing that I love to cook even for just myself and share my meals with others as well.

6. People who feel they can confide in me for pretty heavy stuff. I've been reminded of that a lot over the last few weeks.

7. Odd jobs here and there from people who are trying to help me in whatever ways they know how

8. My animal and child magnet. I love it that I'm pretty much surrounded by small creatures when I'm in the same room as any of them. :)

9. Vodka. Hey, I really am thankful for it. I suppose I should be classier and say "wine" here, but really...vodka is it for me. And Baileys. And...yeah.

10. God's constant reminders that He is all around me. Even in those places I am not looking for Him in.

Seriously...I know I've done a lot of ten lists on this same theme over the last few (well, 5 to be exact) months. But the thing is...as dire as my circumstances are, as hard as the road is...there is NEVER a lack of things to be thankful for. I have a teeny tiny decorative pillow that hangs on my banister. It reads "Delight in the Unexpected". And I try to. Every day unexpected things happen. It's easy to categorize them as "good" and "bad" right away. But I'm learning that sometimes it's not that easy, not that black and white. Sometimes the unexpected just needs to be celebrated as what it is. Unexpected. Messy. But ultimately, it's just a celebration of life.