Thankfulness Cannot be Overstated

Its odd that for a week where we had an actual blog-meet, I feel very un-bloggy.
I'm wondering if its the weather? The sick child? Or simply my lack of photographic inspiration.
Its funny how much I reply on images for my blog posts, especially considering I'm not what you would call, a "photographer".

Since today is Friday, my thankful "things I'm loving" day, I have sat down to type something up quickly.
A list of gratitudinous love. A collection of loving thankfulness.
And I will just have to recycle some old images from somewhere, since my camera has been on holiday lately.

Firstly, I'm thankful for school holidays.
The children have been tired and grumpy, dragging themselves to the end of a long term, courtesy of the Rugby World Cup timetable. I'm looking forward to two weeks of not having to get out of PJs until we want to. Two weeks of not pushing kids out the door. Two weeks without lunchboxes. Two weeks without tantrums over hairdos and outfits.
And probably in two weeks time I'll be saying "Thankful that school holidays are nearly over and its back to school on Monday." I can almost guarantee it.

Secondly, I'm thankful for my Parents Moving Up.
My gypsy folks are finally returning to their roots after thirty-one years shifting all over the country. Their house has sold. Their stuff has travelled north in a truck and been put into storage. Tomorrow they get in their car for a one-way trip to Auckland. Where they will now be living. Permanently.
My dad has finally retired. No more delivering mail in all weathers for him.
I simply can't get my head around the fact that after more than half my life having to travel hours to see them, they will finally be living around the corner.
My kids will have grandparents on tap for the first time ever.
My dad is looking forward to watching Dash play soccer. And Dash is counting the days til Grandad gets to come watch him.
Still. Can't. Believe it.

Finally, I'm thankful for the Simple Blessings. 
I may sound like a broken record but the blessing of my everydayness can not be underestimated.

 The blessing of children. These little humans were built inside me. Three small people walking the planet on two legs, who were formed inside my body. How freaky is that? And what a privilege.
Sitting around the table the other night my eyes darted from one to another, marvelling at the children my husband and I had produced. My eyes there. His grin. My freckles. His ears.
Amazing.

The blessing of shelter. As the wind has howled and the rain has poured we give thanks that the roof does not leak and that we are not out in the storm.

The blessing of a planet. Clean water to drink. Clean air to breathe. These things are not to be taken for granted. Have you noticed the wild weather happening so many places? I watched Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth last week and was stunned. The seasons are completely out of whack. In my garden I have a bunch of confused trees; some still wearing their autumn leaves; some with spring blossoms. My roses are still blooming. Winter has come very late. Watching Mr Gore's documentary has made me switch off lights each time I leave a room. I want our planet in good shape to bequeath to my children.

Have you seen An Inconvenient Truth?
Very sobering. I wish everyone could watch it (and that next time TVNZ wouldn't banish it to a rubbish 11pm time slot).

Thankful for the gift of Reading.
Thankful for The Library. And our Book Club {join in here}
Being able to read gems like A Thousand Splendid Suns for free.
Thankful to Leonie for choosing this incredible book for Book Club this month.
I have read it before but was blown away all over again by Afganistan.
And its made me so thankful to be a woman in a country where I am not a second-class citizen because of my gender. Thankful I didn't have to have a Cesarean without anaesthetic. That we have free hospitals and good doctors. Thankful my daughter can go to school; that she can grow up to be anything she wants to be.

So many blessings I take for granted.

What are you thankful for this week? 


{Linking in with You-Know-Who...}