One of those happy, blessed days!

Photo from St. Joseph's Peninsula State Park, Port St. Joe, Florida -- America's #1 Beach, 2002

Don't ya love those days ...
when life greets you with a smile ...
when everything goes according to plan ...
when you hear from someone unexpected ...
when you realize the world really is on your side ...
when someone you know apologizes first, and you apologize too, and you don't even remember what you fought about to begin with.
Now I know that not all days are like this,
but when one does come my way
like today ...
I feel so happy and so blessed and so lucky to be alive
so I just want to say
Thank you.

Snow Grateful . . . Ponderings of a Summer Dreamer during Winter

"I am not fond of snow. Cold, wet winds neither exhilarate nor enthuse me. To praise with joy the glory of harsh winter would be -- for me-- to sing a lie. . .

And yet ...
What graceful glory, serenity of silence, as the full fat moon sends tiny beams to reflect on snowflakes resting, like bridal lace, on the arms of great trees. The absolute stillness of mid-winter's eve unites above with below in such perfect symmetry that my heart swells, and I almost cry at the deep beauty, deeper quiet, deepest Oneness of it all. Thank you. . .

"My spirit does not gleefully jump at soggy mittens, wind weepy eyes, cold ears, runny nose, almost frozen fingers and toes, icicles forming in my hair, or leaving my gloves in the car overnight." ~ Elizabeth A. Johnson from Gratitude: A Way of Life by Louise Hays & Friends
And still . . .
Happily I extend heartfelt gratefulness to: chicken soup, fuzzy slippers, woolen mittens, fluffy pajamas I can wear all day, cozy fireplaces, hot cocoa with cream, tankless hot water heaters, my dog fearlessly dodging into snow drifts, my cat purring cozily on my lap, dressing in layers, snow boots, the smiles snowflakes bring to my children's faces, the laughter that sleds and snowballs bring, the sun brightening up the sky and initiating the great thaw.

"**It is not terribly thrilling for me when parts of life are closed or cancelled like school" or dance classes, or grocery stores, Super Bowl parties, neighborhood roads, or the base hospital. And snow. Snow. Shoveling more and more SNOW. And melted snowy footprints upon which my son slips and breaks his elbow when roads and othopedic clinics are closed.
But also . . . I turn to the window and see the neighborhood children laughing and snowboarding and sledding and building igloos. I join in a snowball fight with my children and fall and giggle until my sides ache. My dog slushes through the piles intentionally as if her life-mission is to conquer the snowbanks in her path. The neighbor's lap dog runs circles around her, taunting her, teasing and prancing atop the snow. My children create snow angels. And then . . .

** I am reminded that God loves to smile!

And I smile too. Nothing to do but savor my daughter's joy at catching a snowflake on her tongue, and my sons' thrill at zooming down sled hills at break-neck speed. Freedom. Happiness. Appreciating the moments when real life slows down and we are FREE to laugh and play and just BE. . .

Wishing you all the blessings of Winter and Life as well,
Leisa

All quotes in the above post came from my reading today in Gratitude: A Way of Life ... which inspired me to expand and share my own story of gratitude here. **Quotes from Elizabeth A. Johnson

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Can Hug

I love this photo of my daughter at play near our Summer Dream beach house at WindMark in Port St. Joe, Florida . . . It captures how I imagine her frollicking in dreamland each night.

A Magic MOMent in Dream Making. . .

We nestled down in my daughter's "flower bed" (a name my daughter sweetly coined when she first received her adored floral comforter) at dusk to partake in our nightly ritual of bedtime "dreammaking." Dreammaking weaves gratitude for today's blessings with our heart's special wishes into a blanket of dreams to comfort my daughter while she sleeps.
On this day, she was thrilled her Daddy had spent the better part of the afternoon painting her room to create a dreamy pinkaliscious retreat. We decided her room had been magically transformed into a fluffy pink cloud~ a perfect place to dream.

Each night, during dreammaking, I try to offer a little bit of wisdom and whimsy for my daughter to carry into her night. This night, the wisdom and whimsy was not mine to claim. No, it came wrapped in a five-year-old's innocent curiosity ~ a question.

Mommy, is a dream a wish? A wish that comes to you? So then you can hug it?

I nodded and said, "Yes, I believe you're right. A dream is a wish your heart can hug!"
I hugged my little dream come true, and kissed her goodnight.

Later, in my own room, I said a prayer of thanks, and carried the sweet dream my daughter had woven for me into the night.

Do Good With Your Vacation Home -- Paying the Blessings Forward

Winning the WindMark Idea House still feels surreal to us. Certainly, it was a tremendous blessing for us to receive such a beautiful home in the breathtaking coastal community of WindMark Beach -- but for that home to be located just 1 1/2 hours from my Northwest Florida hometown is an absolute dream come true! (Which is why we named the home --Summer Dream.)

And now, with the tremendous rental success it has experienced (each week of Spring Break has been booked SOLID and most of June & July are already rented, as well!). The joy of sharing such a blessing with so many other families is just overwhelming. To honor our blessings during the Christmas season last year, we donated a week stay in the home to our Air Force squadron booster club. During May, a military family will be vacationing there free of charge. I know the family who received the gift, and am thrilled they will be spending a much-deserved week at the beach. But . . . you know, given the level of abundance we've enjoyed this year, I truly felt we could give more.

So, we decided to offer discounted stays at Summer Dream to ALL active-duty military and veterans. This is an easy gift for us to give, of course. As an Air Force spouse and mother to three children who miss their Daddy when he's away -- I know first-hand the sacrifice of all military families.
My heart still felt that we could do more . . . so I did a little research.

I found a few organizations that utitilize vacation homes as a way to give back. Vacation Homes for Charity auctions stays in luxury homes, then appropriates the proceeds (which equates to hundreds of 1000s of dollars each year) to a variety of charities. In Cananda, cottage owners may donate a stay in their rentals through Cottage Dreams to cancer survivors and their families -- offering them a chance to recuperate and rejuvenate after treatment.Vacations For Veterans is a nonprofit organization created to provide recently wounded veterans of the United States Armed Forces with a week of free lodgings donated by a vacation homeowner. Wounded veterans face many challenges when they return home. They are reconnecting with family members and rebuilding their lives. Their honorable service and family sacrifices certainly merit relaxing time away -- but a vacation in a dreamy destination with professionally designed accomodations is a luxury few veterans would be able to afford.

Through Vacations for Veterans, our family will be able to give a worthy military family the Summer Dream vacation they deserve.

In this year when dreams keep coming true for us for us, the greatest way to express our gratitude, I believe, is to keep paying those blessings forward. I hope my children learn it is truly in giving that our hearts receive.

Today, may you also feel abundantly blessed.

Leisa

A Thanksgiving List

Photo of the Port St. Joe Sea and Sky, courtesy of VisitFloridaBeaches.com

I was listening to Oprah's Soul Series today on XM Radio. Her guest, Sarah Ban Breathnach, is one of my favorite authors. Her book, Simple Abundance, was life changing for me. After reading it, I began the daily ritual of keeping a gratitude journal --writing down at least five things each day for which I am grateful. Once I began this practice, I found that the only thing difficult about it was limiting the list to just five things each day -- so, of course, I don't limit it. I just allow that gratitude to grow and grow. . .

And you know, this process of daily blessing counting has caused those blessings to multiply exponentially in my life. So today, as we prepare for Thanksgiving, I give thanks for the last few amazing weeks of my life where BIG dreams truly have come true. Also, I wanted to offer a little inspiration of my own to you. Below is an updated version of My Abundant List . . . may it inspire you to make a list of your own today, and

Feel the joy of realizing your own dreams have ALREADY come true!

Make a list today.

A list of things to feel grateful for right now, in this moment.
A list of happy childhood memories you can share with your children.

A list of positive attributes others would use to describe you.

A list of little things in life you will no longer take for granted.

A list of dreams in life that have already come true for you.
A list of moments you won something in life . . .
And a list of moments you learned something valuable instead.

A list of memories that take your breath away.

A list of kindnesses bestowed upon you within the past week, month, or year.

A list of facts the world would be surprised to learn about you.

A list of choices you’ve made that made a difference in your life.

A list of values you hold most dear.

A list of opportunities open to you right now, just waiting to be seized.

A list of qualities your children possess that make your heart sing.
A list of people who have touched your life in such a powerful way that you will always feel their presence.

A list of every moment that made you smile during the past week.

A list of books you think everyone should read.

A list of what you can do today to brighten another person’s life.

A list of the reasons why you fell in love with your husband and . . .

A list of reasons why you love him even more today.

A list of all the people who have ever called you friend.

A list of what you find beautiful in your home.

A list of lessons your children have taught you.

A list of practical items you are grateful to own.

A list of all the things that make you happy right now.

Give thanks for a life so abundant that you were able to make such a list!

A Thanksgiving List

Make a list today.

A list of things to feel grateful for right now, in this moment.

A list of happy childhood memories you can share with your children.
A list of positive attributes others would use to describe you.
A list of little things in life you will no longer take for granted.
A list of dreams in life that have already come true for you.

A list of memories that take your breath away.
A list of kindnesses bestowed upon you within the past week, month, or year.
A list of facts the world would be surprised to learn about you.
A list of choices you’ve made that made a difference in your life.
A list of values you hold most dear.
A list of opportunities open to you right now, just waiting to be seized.
A list of qualities your children possess that make your heart sing.

A list of every moment that made you smile during the past week.
A list of books you think everyone should read.
A list of what you can do today to brighten another person’s life.
A list of the reasons why you fell in love with your husband and . . .
A list of reasons why you love him even more today.
A list of all the people who have ever called you friend.
A list of what you find beautiful in your home.
A list of lessons your children have taught you.
A list of practical items you are grateful to own.
A list of all the things that make you happy right now.

Give thanks for a life so abundant that you were able to make such a list!