Thankful on a Thursday: effort

It's funny how much the little details of life can have an effect on the big picture. Often it's the small stuff that really blesses me, but the things that irritate me are also fairly insignificant. If I'm not careful I let these small annoyances really sour my mood. Just last week I was writing about how blessed I felt, and this week it's going to take a little more effort to come up with 10 things I'm thankful for. It's not because I'm less blessed this week, or even less thankful for those blessings. It just seems that over the past few days I've let a bad attitude creep in.

There are numerous things contributing to my negative outlook. My son had his first fever on Monday and still has a terrible cough, he's so congested that he has a hard time eating and he fights the aspirator. The dishes piled like crazy this week. Our front room and guest room are riddled with boxes. We have a giant list of house projects that once I check one thing off I seem to be adding two more. My husband and I need to go on a date, just because.

All these things don't give me the right to have a nasty attitude and spread it throughout my household. I feel it and hear it in my tone. I take things that my husband says the wrong way and get irritated with him over the smallest things like his alarm going off when he's in the shower and I'm still sleeping {sorry love, I know you didn't meant it}.

So I'm turning it around. I've always said that you can choose your mood. I'm choosing to be joyful, grateful, and loving.

Today I'm thankful for

121. The flowers that keep blooming in our yard. It's like opening a gift each time a new one pops up.

{cell phone photos, I have less time lately to take real pictures and upload them}

122. The clutter and chaos that surrounds us, because it means that I'm busy playing with my son.

{let's zoom out from the previous photo}

{this is after having cleared it off once that day}

123. how cuddly Malakai is lately. It might be because he's not feeling good, but I can't help but enjoy his little hugs.

124. sleep. Malakai has slept 7 straight hours the past 2 nights and gone down easily when he does wake. This has been glorious as he doesn't sleep through the night normally and he needs the rest!

125. funny stories. my roommate from college and her husband are both counselors and they always have some interesting and often hilarious anecdotes.

126. watching Malakai experience sand for the first time at the park. {I'll try to post photos of this soon}

127. the rain. I love the sound of it pounding hard on the windows. It also makes it more bearable to be stuck in the house.

128. babbles.

129. phone conversations with far away friends. even when they're cut short.

130. shopping for bridal showers. It's so fun to celebrate love!

So, what are you thankful for despite the stress of every day life?