Thankful in January

1. 1. Friends who are kind to watch Lucan on their snow days off
   2. 2. New Year’s Day friend brunches
   3. Downton Abbey returns!
   4. Friendly chats with the librarian at Target – because I’m the cool kid.
   5. Engagement announcements
   6. Friends who are super-moms who will watch Lucan in daycare pinches
   7. A clean house = guests are coming
   8. 90’s music stations at work. Oh the memories!
   9. Spending MLK day off and cleaning up the “dumping ground” in our house.
   10. A husband who will make multiple trips to the grocery store in one day to pick up ingredients I’ve forgotten.
   11. Cooking club’s theme of New Year’s Resolutions and lots of pasta. Our resolutions must have something to do with carb loading :)
   12. Crazy hot yoga classes and sweating out of my shins. But I'm more thankful that Lance encourages me to go to yoga classes. It's one of those things that energize me. I don't think that I'll ever be a runner, but I've fallen in love with yoga.
   13. Discovering that Hy-Vee carries their own generic brand of almond milk.
   14. Fabulous decaf chai lattes at Smokey Row with friends for a birthday celebration.
   15. Friends who affirm that I’m not crazy.
   16. Generous parents who watch Lucan during date night.
   17. A handy husband (I think this is a reoccurring blessing as we live in a 20 year-old house with the original appliances and drive cars with old age “twinges.”
   18. Having the opportunity to go to a friend’s house for supper instead of being the one hosting for a change. I won’t turn down the chance to NOT cook!
   19. My new camelbak water bottle and spending 2 cents on it - bargain win.
   20. The opportunity to exam why I write. Look for a future post on this.
   21. Finally figuring out how to facetime. I know - I’m so “with it.”
   22. New daycare opportunities.
   23. Making new blog friends.
   24. Letting myself say "no" and not beating myself up over it.
   25. But saying "yes" to something and being really blessed by it even though I was dragging my feet. 
   26.  Having a kissing contest with Lucan. So sweet.
   27. Emails from friends who keep me grounded. 
   28. Checking out and watching Person of Interest Seasons 1 and 2 from our local library. Again, I'm such a library nerd. 
   29. The bonding of our small group. I'm reminded on Thursday nights how much these people mean to me.
   30. Finally getting to read some of the book recommendations off of Goodreads.com - "The Orphan Train," "Looking for Alaska" and "The Fault in Our Stars."
   31. A lot of my friends have birthdays in January and I'm thankful and hopeful that on that day each year they feel special and loved.