Thankful Thursday Thoughts (Friday April 13th)

I've been a bit...absent 

from the blogging world 

over the last several weeks.

I felt some stress about missing Thankful Thursdays

(I've never missed this many weeks since I began typing up thanks)

I wondered if I was doing myself a disservice by ignoring it all

while I've been on *vacation mode* 

(and pre-vacay, post-vacay, and visitors-from-out-of-town mode)

And then, I felt a sort of satisfactory relief from the pressure

I realized that I should only DO it 

if it makes me HAPPY ...

If it is still giving me JOY and a weekly upLIFT

I realized that I should not put such pressure on myself 

to keep up a blogging roll or present photo collages

When my real focus should

be on myself,

keeping up with my babies' rolls and being present in my mothering collages

I thought about giving it up

(I tend to have a self-defeating 'ALL or NOTHING' attitude about things like this)

Then I reminded myself of the positive energy and calming refresh I feel 

when I sit down to 

think, type, and share

my Thankful Thoughts

So on we go...I'll not pressure myself to post

EVERY SINGLE Thursday if I don't want to.

I will enjoy it when it works, 

and I will not fret when it doesn't.

And for a quick roundup of the weeks missed:

March 22nd: I'm Thankful for a wonderfully spacious van to travel in; I'm thankful for the safe travels we enjoyed, I'm thankful for the  fun energy of a road trip, I'm thankful for my happy travel babies, I'm thankful for my handsome co-pilot, I'm thankful for our families that have welcomed us home for our spring visit!

March 29th: I'm Thankful for a beautiful blessing Sunday, I'm thankful for fun family gatherings with siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grands & great-grands; I'm thankful for Southern hospitality, accents, & cooking; I'm thankful for green sprouts and white dogwood trees; I'm thankful for in-laws that love me & my babies; I'm thankful for my beautiful family and the promises we have to be together forever from a 

very loving Heavenly Father.

April 5th: I'm Thankful for safe travels home from TN; I'm Thankful for easy travelers all along the way; I'm Thankful for my amazing husband who drove, served, laughed, and unpacked; I'm Thankful for a washer & dryer; I'm Thankful for General Conference weekend at my parents house; I'm Thankful for sweet downtime with my babies and my parents; I'm Thankful for reminders of who I am; I'm Thankful for one of my BYU roommie favorites--here for a nice long visit!

April 12th: I'm Thankful for the Mr.'s job; I'm Thankful for lazy mornings and late nights with my girl Kendra; I'm Thankful for fun things to do in our area; I'm Thankful to live so close to the airport, I'm Thankful for quality down time; I'm Thankful to be able to have the option of doing the work of a SAHM; I'm Thankful for jelly bellies; I'm Thankful for the sacrifice of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ--his atonement allows us to find hope & peace through His love.

And you? Feeling Thankful?