30 Days of Thankful

The candy is (mostly) eaten, the heat has been turned on, and what I lovingly call The Season of Chaos is upon us. These next two months are my favorite – I love Thanksgiving, love Christmas, and everything that comes in-between. But for the last few years, as my kids have gotten older and we’ve all gotten busier, the days slip by in the chaos of all that’s going on around us and I find myself looking back and wishing that I’d stopped to take a few breaths.

I’m a sappy sentimental soul and miss having toddlers around during the holidays – and the calmer schedule that came with them… But this year, I’m focusing on the right now and encouraging my family to do the same (which, let’s be honest, will keep me accountable, too). No one has Little People on their Christmas lists any longer – now, it’s Xbox games and iPhones and Uggs – and Christmas mornings look very different. There will be social events every weekend and many weeknights (and homework, projects, and tests right up until that last day of school in December!). Throw in two working parents and it’s easy to see how all of the good things about this season get buried underneath the crazy.

iPhones are a constant presence in my whole family’s lives, so for the month of November I’m putting them to good use. I’ve done lots of Photo-a-Day projects (usually dwindling off before the project comes to an end) and am encouraging my husband and kids to join me this time.

We’re going to stick with it together.

Yesterday I challenged my family to take a quick photo of something we’re grateful for. It was a quiet Sunday, the first one with no plans on the agenda for a while, so it was easy and everyone was game.

I loved seeing what each of us focused on. My husband sent me a gorgeous photo of changing trees. My son’s focus was, not surprisingly, on Halloween candy – I knew that one was coming. We had our first fire of the season and my daughter snapped a sweet pic of our dog in front of it, his favorite spot for the next few months. And my photo, also not surprisingly, was of the gorgeous port wine cheese I picked up at Kroger. I savored each little Weight Watchers portion I’d carefully measured out and was so thankful for that deliciousness I don’t get to enjoy very often.

As the days get crazier I know it will be more challenging, but hopefully the competition factor will keep all of us going – and maybe some of the gratefulness will start to inspire us, too. 🙂 Even on the craziest of days, there is always something to be grateful for. I, especially, need a daily reminder of that. Whether it’s a gorgeous sunset, an alarm clock, or just a really delicious scoop of cheese, focusing on what we’re thankful for is so important when our lives are chaotic. I would love to put together a blurb or Shutterfly book for my family after the month is over. Putting this challenge out here will help keep me accountable and focused on what really counts. I would love for you to join me – tag your photos with #KMB30Days and we’ll make it through this Season of Chaos together.