30 Days of Gratitude: Week 2

I am making a point of savoring a little "me time" before it gets busy. Starting this afternoon, then next few weeks I will be going 100 mph at life. So many exciting things I look forward to coming up. But I'm also a little stressed, as our house has sat vacant for 4 months (ahhh!) -- and we have a party hosting about 30-40 people just 6 days after we get home! So this is my moment to breath.

Okay, okay, I lied. I'm procrastinating. All the luggage bags and totes are nicely laid out, I'm supposed to be packing, and then going to the gym, and then packing more, and then picking up Ryan's family at the airport. But I am avoiding packing like the plague. So decided, "I really should drink my coffee and play on the computer...."

I'm not going to be able to do my 30 days of Gratitude post tomorrow, as tomorrow is going to be a very busy day with Ryan's pinning ceremony starting at 9 am! I have major butterflies in my stomach thinking about the next few days!

4. The best thing I smelled today was...........Well, it's only 7:30 am - so I haven't smelled a lot of things yet. But I'm going to say "jet fuel". Odd answer, right? That's what fills the air every morning when I step outside at this hour, as our hotel is located right next to the T-38 runway. Sometimes it's loud. There's a constant humming of the jet engines starting up almost all day long. Throughout the entire day, you hear that firing screech of the take-off. My description sounds terrible, but it's pretty dang cool! There are not many times in my life where I will say "I lived next to a runway where fighter jets (trainers, actually) took off". Living on an air force base has been a new experience for me this summer, and I'm glad the opportunity presented itself!

5. One of the memories I'm most grateful for is ..........I have endless memories that make fill my heart. But lately, the memory I'm most grateful for is 4th of July 2012. It was spent at my parent's lake cabin. It was the hottest, most humid MN day, and most of the day was spent in the lake to avoid melting to death. Most of my siblings were there, Ryan and I were there, and all of my dad's siblings were there. I have a vivid memory of sitting around the table talking about life with my Aunt Betty, who we lost this summer to a long battle with cancer. That was my last memory of her, and it was a beautiful memory. If I close my eyes, I can almost hear the hum of laughter & chatter among my family and my nephews.

I've been really homesick lately, and sometimes feel a sense of fearful urgency. I worry and stress about when I'll see them again.

6. Thank goodness someone taught me how to.........Life weights! Being I have been out of commission with running right now (I'm only allowing myself to run 3 days/week going forward, too), sometimes that takes a hit to myself confidence. So I've really put my focus fitness on weight training. I actually feel in better shape when I'm lifting than when I'm running. So not being able to run isn't as depressing as it could be! 

Flexibility is the key to success!! (That is the annoying quote my husband tells me almost daily, especially while we've been in San Antonio. I now laugh at him when he says this and tell him he sounds like "a Dad". In fact, when he says this, I say it with him in a mocking, playful, sing-songish voice. But he does have a point.....and I love him for it.)

What are you grateful for this week? Play along!