Happy 2020! Here we are again, at the start of another new year.  Time goes by so quickly! The days always seem to go by in a blur, weeks blend into months, and pretty soon we’re at the end of the year already. This year happens to be a leap year, which means one extra day for hopefully more joy and adventure! 

There are so many things and events that occur in the span of a year. Some of the circumstances of life turn out to be blessings, things to be thankful for, or just the stuff of wonder and mystery. At the beginning of last year, I decided to keep a journal of them. This blog post is a follow-up to the one I wrote back in June, where I shared with you some of the big and little things in my life that brought me joy. Here’s the link if you missed it or just want to refresh your memory of it.

We sometimes underestimate the influence of little things. –Charles W. Chesnutt

So now, here are some entries from the other half of this past year that I felt were worth sharing. (Just a reminder that I’m a teacher, hence the stickers and doodles. 🙂 )

July 12, 2019– Thankful to have more green traffic lights than red ones when needing to get somewhere in a hurry.

July 27, 2019– Thankful to have a clothesline in the backyard to hang up wet swimsuits, soggy towels, and the like, outside in the hot sun to dry.

August 2, 2019– Thankful that [my city] has a number of splash pads for the kids to enjoy on a hot day, without me worrying about them possibly drowning.

August 24, 2019– Grateful for our awesome public library! Books, movies, kids programs, yoga classes, color printer, and access to the inter-library loan materials!

September 30, 2019– Grateful that both of my dear children were born in autumn, my favorite season!

October 8, 2019– Thankful we live on a wide, quiet, tree-lined street for Emily to learn how to ride her bike!

October 16, 2019– Grateful to live in a place that has a fairly sunny and warm climate year-round!

November 19, 2019– I’m glad our house has a fireplace! Makes the cold autumn and winter nights a bit more cozy.

November 21, 2019– Thankful that I’ve been on some grand adventures, with (hopefully) many more to come!

November 27, 2019– While chatting online with 2 of my best friends, it made me realize how grateful I am for the technology to do so, especially since one of them lives on the other side of the world in England!

December 17, 2019– Thankful to see the beautiful, snow-capped mountains in the distance on a clear day.

Overall, it was a good year! Writing down these joys and feelings of gratitude really has helped me to be more aware of the blessings, good fortune, and miracles in my life, both big and small. I’ve still got pages left in the little notebook, so I’ve already started writing down material for this year.

As always, thanks for stopping by. ❤