Thankful Me

  Photo of a business center in a hotel. A white electrical cord is plugged into the wall, and the cord disappears underneath the carpet. John noticed this while we ate breakfast this morning. We returned home to Utah at the end of last week, took care of some things at home, then came back to Oregon to assist my parents when my mom was released from the hospital. She is doing great--moving around easier and faster than she was even a week ago.  1. I'm thankful for safe travels. With the exception of some icy and foggy patches in eastern Oregon, roads have been clear.  2. I'm thankful for reliable transportation. We got back to Utah just in time for the final "covered with the purchase of the car" service appointment. Nice to have that done, even if the next oil change is on us.  3. I'm thankful for parents. We took John's parents for a drive out to Antelope Island, and although we didn't see the resident bison herd this time--(were you expecting me to say...

  A red sign with white lettering that reads, "YOU ARE HERE" sits in a window in Southampton, England Last year, John and I traveled--a lot. Sometimes, it took a minute to remember exactly where I was. (The sign above was oh, so helpful!) This year, we haven't made future travel plans. We find ourselves in the stage of life where we see the possibility of generations above and below us needing more of our attention. So, we are dancing our way through limbo-land; being present in the moment while thinking ahead of things that might make the future easier.  1. I'm thankful we took last year to do so much traveling. It was a bit of a whirlwind. Even though I love seeing new places, I'm also a homebody by nature. I have no regrets about saying "yes" to so many vacations. No matter what the future holds, we made those memories together.  2. I'm thankful that while a new year can signify a new start, a new moment can, too. So what if I didn't consisten...