Thursday, October 25, 2007

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful today for home; it is good to be back! We so enjoyed our time in Ireland, but there's truly, no place like home.

I am thankful for options; like being able to be a stay at home Mom long after 2/3's of my children are grown. It seems as my "job" has changed a bit during the last years, my appreciation for the years at home continues to grow even as their physical presence lessens. For all of the SAHmom's of little ones in bloggity-ville--let me affirm the great value of your choice.

I am thankful for the lunch I shared with my grown daughter this week. We had a very nice lunch at one of our favorite restaurants and then did a little window shopping at a nearby mall. To my delight, Christmas has returned in store displays. It is a very good thing.....as I never did put my Christmas tree away last year! It's so nice that the Season has caught up with my housecleaning!

I bet you're wondering how it is that my Christmas tree has been up an entire year! Back to options! It is an artificial tree (of course) and it is decorated with birds, nests, and colorful pinecones and such. As our lower level is more cabiny-in-decor--it seemed to fit! Plus, with these maturing children, our storage room has grown substantially with the items they bring home after each move! Since I had to reorganize the storage room before I could put the tree away--I decided to leave it up as a creative decorating item! Ya think I've started a trend?

I'm thankful for my family, for our love, and for our happiness. Yes, we have our struggles, but underneath each trial is a heart filled with gratitude that we belong to one another and are journeying through this life together.

I am thankful for community--both IRL and not-yet-met (further known as NYM!) I am thankful to Crystal for hosting Thankful Thursday; and to Iris for her faithful dedication to all of us in blogland. We are a blessed community!
Thanks for stopping in--be thankful!

Have a great TT!

(Still looking for those leprochauns and Bono!) Diane


29 comments:

Mary said...

Whatever it takes. I'm very low on storage space myself and it seems that over the 15 years I've been here, it has continued to dwindle.

Enjoyed reading your list.

Blessings,
Mary

Dawn said...

Lovely pix yesterday - somehow I missed coming over until this morning! Must have been the phone call, I thought I had heard it all. Hmmm.

Anyway, love your comment today - I am intimately acquainted with the Pillsbury Doughboy, too, and put an amendment to indicate that I only do those rolls for special occasions! I'm not THAT ambitious.

I'm going to have to put my Christmas tree(s) up early this year, because we need to have one gathering before we leave for Hawaii on the 7th, not to return until the 17th. YIKES. I need to get busy with Christmas shopping!

Becky Wolfe said...

I love that you have your christmas tree up all year. I wish I could do that. I love Christmas trees. If I had a bigger house, there would be lots of them up at Christmas.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Anonymous said...

what a wonderful list! love this:
"Yes, we have our struggles, but underneath each trial is a heart filled with gratitude that we belong to one another and are journeying through this life together."
thank you so much for sharing!
Blessings...

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your comment on my blog. Oh my husband would love to go to Ireland!

Hope you have a wonderful day!
Karen
http://thetagblog.blogspot.com/

Crystal said...

Ireland would be a country I would love to visit as well...sounds like you had a great time and I agree with you. Coming Home is the best thing after a trip!

Thanks for sharing your grateful heart with us this week!

Blessings

Ms. Kathleen said...

What a wonderful list of thanks and to travel to the Emerald Isle...Fantastic and being a SAHM is a SUPER blessing.

Hugs!

Beth/Mom2TwoVikings said...

Diane - thanks for stopping by my bloggy home! Your recent travels sound wonderful!

someone else said...

This is a wonderful list of Thankfulness! I'm really glad you had such a nice trip to Ireland. I enjoyed your pictures.

Denise said...

Enjoyed your list, bless you.

Roo said...

i'm thankful to read your list! shalom to your home!

Nise' said...

Sounds like we are at the same place in life with 2 kids gone and a sophmore son at home yet. Beautiful pictures of your trip, glad you had a wonderful time.

Heather said...

Hmmm...I like that idea - I love Christmas trees and I could see keeping it up all year too, but I prefer the fresh kind. Good thing my yard is lined with blue spruce (not decorated though :)

Diane@Diane's Place said...

Hi, Diane. As Dawn said, great pics from yesterday, and I'm looking forward to seeing more when you post them.

I know what you mean about storage space being limited. Wait until you've lived in the same place for 22 years! And make it a tiny 4 room apartment, LOL! ;o)

That's why I have a regular clean and purge party. ;D

Have a great Thursday evening and Friday, my friend.

Love and hugs,

Diane

Sharon Lynne said...

A nice post.

I'm thankful that you are back safely and that you had a nice time.

I had to smile about your Christmas tree being out still. And now its coming back into fashion. (Just like a lot of the clothes in my closet--if I keep them long enough!)

Unknown said...

what a great list! thanks for sharing!

ZAM said...

Isn't it great that you're saved from the task of setting up a Christmas tree. We still have to set up ours, and I'm not sure when that will be. :D

And it's cool to hear about the time you had with your grown daughter.

And I love looking at some of your pics. Thanks for sharing.

Living Beyond said...

I love your thankful list - I love that you have left your Christmas tree up all year - hillarious - but still perfect!! lol

I'm very jelous of your Irish trip!! I am a british girl who misses the English/Irish country side!! Just beautiful. Thanks for stopping by and visiting me.
Have a wonderful day!
Shelley

Anonymous said...

Diane,

You carack me. Christmas catching up with your housekeeping. Fun.ny...

Great TT post. Love you!

Nadine said...

What a lovely post.

Now about that Christmas tree...you must take a picture.

Susan said...

Dearest Diane,

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, I really appreciate the kind comments. Sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry!

I've just spent a long time reading many of your posts and why you started this blog. Oh my...

I'm so grateful God put that burden on your heart, I'm sure you and your friends have been a tremendous amount of support to so many!

I have dealt with many difficult things, too many to mention here, and believe it or not, more difficult then my son having cancer was knowing 2 of my other sons were not living for the Lord. Yes, I have 2 prodigals!

My greatest desire as a mom, is to know ALL my children will serve God and spend eternity with Jesus!

It's just so nice to meet you, I will be checking back often.

Oh, welcome home from your trip to Ireland, what a trip of a lifetime I'm sure!

May the Lord continue to bless and guide you as you minister HOPE to so many,

Susan

Barb said...

I think your Christmas tree sounds adorable and I'd leave it up year round too, Diane.

The photos from your amazing trip are beautiful and you have no idea how lucky I think you are that you got to go to Ireland.

I never got to be a SAHM but let me tell you, I'm loving being a stay at home nana!

groovyoldlady said...

Yeah...You gotta wonder how the stuff multiplies when people move OUT. It's like some sort of inverse disparity.

Heather Smith said...

Glad you're back! I'm trying to catch up on blogs. Great pics of the Ireland trip!

Karen H. said...

Good Afternoon Diane,
Wanted to come by and visit for a few. I hope you are having a great week. I want to wish you a "HAPPY HALLOWEEN". I went to Pea's Halloween Bash earlier today. She is a great host. Her house was just spooktakular. I enjoy visiting her. I love the pictures of Ireland. I would love to go there someday, but unfortunately, that ain't gonna happen, cause I'm skeered of heights. I have flown a few times, but believe me, I was such a baby. Anyway, I guess I can pretend I'm there when I look at your pics. Every year on QVC on St. Patty's Day, they show some scenes from Ireland as well. It is some pretty country over there. I have been out trick-or-treating my friends and I think I have just about finished. Take care and come back for a visit soon. Again, HAPPY HALLOWEEN dear friend.
Hugs,
Karen H.

Ella said...

Loved your post, the christmas tree idea sounds good, I will have to keep that as an idea still as I have a 5 year old bundel of energy who will want to play with all the ornaments.

God Bless

Mary said...

Sounds like you had an amazing time in Ireland! What a great joy! I had to chuckle cause my christmas tree is still up also. In fact I had red and white lights on it last year...so it was beautiful for valentine's day! The red lights burned out, looked kind of silly. Then we had our family pictures taken in front of it for this Christmas. We put fresh white lights on it. And now it's all ready for the season~! Wow, I'm ahead of schedule! Thanks for sharing today. Blessings!

C. H. Green said...

Hello lady...wondering what you been up to..I know you're catching up from being gone. How are things your way?

Vicki said...

What?? You went to Ireland without me?:-) Looks like I've got some serious catching up to do with you. Loved your post. Have a wonderful week...now let me peruse these beautiful photos a bit longer...

hugs,
Vicki