thankful tuesday, 3/19

writing thank you notes

while fueling up with a pretty lunch
seemed like a perfect time for a

thankful tuesday too!

here's to gratitude and
how it turns everything into enough...

patience, understanding and

quiet voices.

car pools, playdates

and helpful recommendations.

dark rooms, ear plugs

and sunglasses.

rest, snuggles, prayers
and podcasts that inspire.

baked treats, casseroles

and hearty soups made with love.

flowers, happy mail, texts 

and phone calls.

my mr., kids, friends
and family.

"i'll be brief...thank you."

game on

we defoyds spend a lot

of time in basketball gyms this time of year.

some of you may remember 

the pitter patter feeling i get over the sound

of squeaky sneakers and bouncing basketballs.

{blog post}

it brings me way back to high school in all the best ways.

but today i want to
tell you about something that gets my heart pumping
in a very different way.

***

throughout a season we visit lots of gyms,

old & new,

and as a parent,
i hold the door for lots of players,

from home teams and away.

some of them are sweaty coming out of the gym after a game,

and some of them have their game face on as they head in for a game.

but here is the thing...

these players, teammates and their siblings 

do not say thank you.

seriously,
it's a real problem.

i did a little experiment this past sunday,

at our home gym.

of the 53 kids i held a door for before or after the game,

only 7 of them said thank you.

7.
seven.

S E V E N.

and let me tell you,

the kid wearing medway on the front of his jersey,

and defoyd on the back was NOT part of that 7.

dude,
seriously?

son,
this is not okay!

our town is in big letters on your chest,
so people know where you hail from.

and,
your last name is in capital letters on your butt,
so people know exactly who the punk kid belongs to.

me!

***

so,
let's have a little review
defoyd children,
players from medway,
competition from surrounding towns.

first,
none of you are named
kyrie irving, lebron james or stefan curry.

second,
when someone holds the door for you,
look them in the eyes and say
"thank you."

third,
this is not hard.
you can do better.
i believe in you.
good luck in your game.
i love you.

***

today is another game day,
and let me tell you,
this mom will have her door holding game face on...
i may even bring my boom box!

thankful tuesday, 2/5

thankful tuesday

is all about 50 degree days in february!

we've had two in a row,

and we know just how special they are.

we are smart enough to not let them dupe us,

but also to make sure we make the very most of them! 

over the past few days...

we've read outside,

snuggled a friends' new puppy,

mucked in lots and lots of mud,

opened windows,

wore t-shirts,

drank lemonade,

soaked in lots of vitamin d,

conducted a parade to celebrate the patriots,

rode bikes,

and gathered under the twinkle lights.

here's to gratitude and how it 

turns everything into enough.

beauty in the chips

while setting the table 

for company

i realized how chipped our

bowls are.

for a moment i dwelled in

frustration and embarrassment,

wondering if our friends would notice or care.

but then i remembered that

we've had these bowls for fifteen years.

that they have been the faithful

carriers of countless

bowls of soup, ice cream, cereal,

grapes, chili, oatmeal and popcorn.

that they've been packed 

and moved into the 

kitchens of a

newlywed couple's apartment in the city,

and a young family's homes in the country.

that they nest inside each other

creating unity in our cabinets,

but also awkward angles,

meaning they get bumped and nudged

on the daily.

that when the lopsided towers

are out on the counter,

it means that company is coming,

and that there is soup or chili simmering on the stovetop,

or that there is ice cream and toppings in the fridge.

that being a vessel

for preparing, serving, gathering,

slurping, scraping

and dish washing is bound to 

come along with some bumps, bruises and breaks.

that i can

relates to these chipped up bowls.
very much.

that filling a bowl

is like

filling a cup...

filling tank...

filling a heart...

filling a soul.

and when a few chips

break off in the midst,

that there is beauty in the chips.

***

sisters,

are you feeling a bit chipped?

if so,

i'd love to invite you to a workshop

i'm hosting next thursday with my friend molly.

m&e's

{me}

winter wellness workshop

you can find

details and registration

here.

or just reach out!

thankful tuesday, 1/29

let's start by saying

how grateful i was to receive this

most beautiful piece of fruit.

not only was it

the best orange EVER...

i loved the classic old fashion simplicity

of gifting a single piece of fruit.

i took it's picture

before i event took a bite.

i just knew it would be special.

it reminded me of one of the scenes in little women,

when laurie leaves a single orange in the march sisters' mailbox

to let them know their friend was home.

i love that scene

and always hoped someone would 

leave an orange in my mailbox...

this was kinda like that.

and lastly because,

getting to see my orange gifting friend

during the small window we

both had in our week 

blessed my socks & my tastebuds off.

thankful indeed.

• a night away just the five of us
• being a new englander
• grandparents in the bleachers
• doing hard things
• when your song comes on at the gym
• self-inflicted haircut ridiculousness
• sweet potato fries
• jane's reading
• hand-me-down therapy sessions
• super bowl excitement
• educating with educators
• m&e planning with molly
• letting your kids see you cry
• berea with ella
• fingerprints on door jams
• bennett explanations of fingerprints on so many door jams
• family meeting and that wes and i are the ones in charge

thankful tuesday, 1/8

new year,

new beginnings,

more thankful tuesdays.

"the real things haven't changed.

it is sill best to be honest & truthful; 

to make the most of what we have; 

to be happy with simple pleasures; 

and have courage when things go wrong."

(laura ingalls wilder)

• the practice of gratitude
• almost 7 years since my first thankful tuesday post
• lots of christmas break snuggles
• moving more
• charcuterie boards
• getting out of town
• dribbling basketballs (outside, not inside)
• staying at home
• being neighbors
• sharing with ella
• visiting & gathering
• lingering in christmas
• cousins who get each other
• jane's missing two front teeth smiles
• glimpses of the the future
• blasting hype jams with bennett
• passages that get me every time
• winter hikes
• baby hand giggles
• card games with fellow cheaters
• wide open calendar spaces
• my new roomba named harold
• anticipating new babies to meet and to love

here's to gratitude,

and how it turns everything

into enough.

christmas instabits

we enjoyed the last of our 

christmas celebrations yesterday.

our tree is still up,

the cards are still hung

and the christmas music is still being played.

tomorrow the trimmings will begin to come down,

but in the meantime let's linger,

in the joy and the blessing that it was.

a joy and a blessing

far bigger than my "baby hands" can capture,

so i'll let these christmas instabits do it for me.

(note...the baby hand above...a yankee swap gift that keeps on giving 

in laughs and creepy greetings wherever i go!)

until next year

dear friends...

happy christmas & good tidings

to you and to yours.