Zoom in on Gratitude: Days 8-10

Day 8- Favorite Color

At first, I was a little stumped on this one.  What is my favorite color?  Do I have a favorite color?  But then a quick browse of my Profile Pictures on Facebook made the answer to this question readily apparent... Various shades of teal.  And reflecting on my clothing & home decor choices over the past few years, I can confirm that teal- in it's many shades & variances- is indeed my favorite color.

Day 9- Inspiring Person(s)

The Day 9 challenge called for a photo of an inspiring person.  I quickly realized that I would not be able to narrow this category down to just one person.  My husband and I are both inspired by our parents and the models they have provided us with how a successful marriage should look and feel.  Not that every moment for them has been bliss. And not that every leg of their journeys together has been easy going.  They have faced and still face challenges in their lives and their marriages.  But they face these challenges TOGETHER and with love.  We are truly blessed to have them all as an example of the love & the sacrifices that need to be made to stay happily married for 35 years and 40 years, respectively.

Day 10- Nature

My husband & I were headed out to run errands.  Neither one of us was much looking forward to this task that evening when we stepped out the door.  It was cold out.  I was still recovering from my awful cough & my husband had not had a good day with the job search.  But the world doesn't stop, and groceries still have to be bought.  This is what we saw as we walked to our car.  Nature is awe-inspiring & beautiful.  We took pause for a few moments to take in the colors.  I am grateful for these small gestures from nature that cause us to stop in our tracks & take notice of that which is bigger than us.

Zoom in on Gratitude: Days 5-7

Day 5- Morning Sky

I am thankful for this sunrise, for this gorgeous morning sky because this meant the start to a wonderful weekend that I have planned with my two favorite guys, my son & my husband.  WVU football, a home-cooked meal, a day in the city...  <3

Day 6- Books

Grateful every single day that these books are being read, spread out across my coffee table & not hiding, stashed away in a box in the back of my closet.  

Day 7- Something Funny

Yes, this may be a Halloween photo, but this is typical of myself and my two guys.  Having fun, laughing...  I am so thankful for my goofy husband and my silly son. <3

Zoom in on Gratitude: Days 2-4

Day 2- Smile

This is the smile that has been lighting up my days for the past 13 years.  I am thankful every single day for my son, my first baby.

Day 3- Happiness

This is happiness.  Right now.  My husband and I have shared hours the past few weeks with our hands on my belly, feeling our little girl squirm, and bop, and poke.  This pregnancy has truly been a blessing for us.  There was a time not so long ago that I believed I may never feel a baby move within me again.  We are so thankful and blessed.

Day 4- Leaves

Fall is my favorite season.  Hands down.  The gorgeous leaves.  The smell.  The crunch under your feet.  I have always loved fall.  As a little girl, I remember my mom having my sister and I run outside and find pretty fall leaves.  We brought them into the kitchen and then laid the leaves under paper and colored crayons over top, capturing the shapes and veins of each leaf. My mother cut them out and then hung them up all over the kitchen.  It was beautiful, and I have been in love with the season ever since.  Despite my many complaints about the snow and freezing temperatures of winter, I could never move South.  I could never give up fall.

Positively Present's Zoom In On Gratitude Website

Zoom in on Gratitude- A 30 Day Photo Challenge for November

Yesterday the calendar page turned and November is now upon us.  Often we are reminded in this month of what we are thankful for in our lives.  We even celebrate a day called Thanksgiving here in the United States.  (Though I will refrain from my real thoughts & true feelings on the historical inaccuracies of what our children are taught about that day in their American history classes, I like the idea of sharing a gorgeous meal with loved ones and being thankful for what we are blessed with in our lives.)  Most people who know me also know my love for photography.  It started with an old Pentax manual camera in 1999.  I am thankful for digging up that old camera, for a photography class I took & it's talented & patient instructor, for the beautiful baby photos of my son, the senior portraits I could do for cash-strapped aunts & uncles, for the wonderful wedding of a friend I was able to capture with it.  I have long since entered the digital age of photography, but I still have that old Pentax and it's lenses sitting in it's case in my living room.  I keep telling myself that one day I will dust it off and see if I still have it.  ;)  

For the next month I will participate in Positively Present's Zoom in on Gratitude: 30 Day Photo Challenge .  Since I missed yesterday's photo, I will go ahead and post it here.  But in the future, I will post my photos of gratitude every 3 days.  I do not want to bombard my followers with daily blog posts. ;)  

Day 1:  Favorite Food

Not the prettiest photo, but risotto is my all-time favorite adult comfort food to make.  I love it because it is so versatile.  You can add just about whatever ingredients you like (or in my case crave).  Pictured above is actually a butternut squash risotto I made a few weeks ago.  Warm, creamy, and hearty.