Feelings of Gratitude

I have been given a week of numerous blessings, and I am bursting with feelings of immense joy and gratitude that I want to share.

Our 22 year old son came to visit from South Carolina this week, and he brought his little fluffy friend with him.

The middle part of the week brought warm days with temperatures around 70 degrees.

The children were out of school for several days due to parent/teacher conferences and an inservice, which meant we were able to spend these warm days together outdoors.  Reports from teachers were very positive, and our children have adapted to their new school quite well.

Amidst the autumn colors everywhere, there were these rare patches of bright green that stood out dramatically.

This little guy stood out noticeably too.

Many of these photos were taken by my teen daughter who was photographing and videotaping with her phone, sometimes unbeknownst to me.  Did I ever mention how grateful I am for yoga pants?

This is the view from the bridge on our lane which I get to see every day on my way to and from the mailbox, and I am eternally grateful for being fortunate enough to live here.

On Friday, the sky was the most vibrant shade of blue I have ever seen.

The golden yellow leaves were spectacular against the backdrop of that blue sky, and I am so grateful for the autumn colors we experience up here in the northeastern mountains.

I am grateful for sweet little boys and smelly beagles who are nearly impossible to walk on a leash.

On a "not-so-preppy" afternoon, our children shot arrows, bbs, and even threw a tomahawk at homemade targets in our backyard.  Our 10 year-old son even made his own bow that works remarkably well.  I am grateful for being able to live out in the country where our kids can be kids and not have to worry about neighbors or neighborhood ordinances.

We took our grown son and his fiancee to dinner at a quaint, locally-owned, country restaurant, and I am grateful for the time with them and for the fact that all of our children are now old enough to sit for several hours in a restaurant without a tote full of activities to keep them entertained.

Most of all, I have immense gratitude for being blessed with this large, loving, beautiful family with whom I get the privilege of sharing all these other blessings.

May you all have a lovely weekend full of people and places that fill your hearts with gratitude.