9 Days to Gratitude: a Thanksgiving Novena {Day Nine}

For those of you just joining in, this is the last part of a series on cultivating gratitude in preparation for Thanksgiving. You can see Day One here, Day Two here,  Day Three here, Day Four here, Day Five here, Day Six here, Day Seven here, and Day Eight here.

I have to admit that this novena has been a challenge for me. Challenging because I promised I would post for 9 consecutive days (something I have never done before). Challenging because it forced me to really reflect on what I was thankful for that particular day. Challenging because life is not perfect, and I am not perfect, so about halfway through I considered forgetting the whole thing. But I believe in persistence and discipline, and, like I mentioned in Day One, it's so much easier for me to default to ingratitude and grumpiness. The past week and a half has been just as full of ups and downs as any other time in my life, but what made it different was having to take the time to see the good in my life. Andy and I found ourselves jokingly reminding each other to lighten up. Crankiness is extremely contagious, and all it takes is one comment about the refugee crisis, or terrorist groups, or finances, and the gloom sets it.

One of our favorite exchanges on The Dick Van Dyke Show is between Rob Petrie (Dick van Dyke) and his dentist friend and neighbor Jerry Helper. Rob has gone to another dentist, and doesn't want Jerry to know about it. He thinks if he doesn't show Jerry his teeth, Jerry won't find out about his lack of loyalty:

Jerry Helper: Hey, Rob, I'm glad the girls are gone. I heard a couple jokes at the convention I gotta tell ya. Come on, sit down.
Rob Petrie: Uh... Jer... I'd... d'I'd... I don't think we ought to be telling any jokes right about... Hadn't you been reading the papers?
Jerry Helper: What, what?
Rob Petrie: Well, there's a lot of... FAMINE and DROUGHT and PESTILENCE.
Jerry Helper: Where?
Rob Petrie: Well, it's around. A lot of it's going around, Jer.

When the conversation is getting a bit too heavy, one of us tries to lighten the mood, by exclaiming, "War! and Drought! and Pestilence!" It never fails, and we're soon laughing at the thought of Dick Van Dyke's hilarious antics. 

From "A Man's Teeth are Not His Own" 

Day Nine

Today I am grateful for the little things.

What I have realized over the past 9 days is that Andy and I are incredibly blessed: both in the big things, like our beautiful and energetic son, our loving family and friends, our home and work that provides for our needs, and in the little things, like nap time, the Dick Van Dyke Show, drinking hot cocoa, enjoying a brisk walk, reading for pleasure, playing on the floor with Mr. D. 

Not me. But doesn't it look like she's really enjoying her drink? 

It is, of course, the big things that tend to get the most attention. The milestones, birthdays, graduations, weddings. But the little things add up, and bring texture and warmth to our days. In his book, Essentialism: the Disciplined Pursuit of Less Greg McKeown tells a story about a man whose young child had suddenly past away. The man was looking through his videos of his daughter, and realized that very few of them were actually of her. There was footage of all the places they had been, activities they had done together, but little of her on an ordinary day. It was these ordinary moments, perhaps the way her eyes crinkled as she laughed, that he craved now that she was gone. 

These days, I have been trying to slow down, to put my phone down, to take in all that is around me. Mr. D cruising around the coffee table. Andy reading to Mr. D before bed. Steam rising from my morning cup of tea. Birds feasting at the feeder on our back deck. A favorite song playing on the radio. These little things are so easy to ignore. But, my prayer is that this year, even beyond this Thanksgiving, I will continue to pay attention. 

I just can't get enough of this little guy. Melts my heart. Every time.

9 Days to Gratitude: a Thanksgiving Novena {Day Eight}

For those of you just joining in, this is part of a series on cultivating gratitude in preparation for Thanksgiving. You can see Day One here, Day Two here,  Day Three here, Day Four here, Day Five here, Day Six here, and Day Seven here.

Day Eight

Today I am grateful for my work. 

I know I haven't mentioned this much (if at all?) on my blog, but I work on a very part-time basis as a FertilityCare Practitioner. Essentially, for those who are not familiar, I teach women how to maintain and monitor their gynecologic health, and foster an awareness and appreciation of their fertility. I also teach couples how to make decisions regarding their fertility, so as to naturally achieve or avoid pregnancy. 

Since I deal with very sensitive matters, the work I do is as much draining as it is rewarding. I have learned, since becoming a mom myself, that I need to make sure that my work, as fulfilling as it is, does not interfere with my primary vocation as a wife and mother. This can be hard, since I am a people-pleaser by nature, and I used to think that I needed to say yes to every person who sought my help. No longer. I am privileged to have a number of colleagues in the Puget Sound area, who I can refer people to, and, thanks to technology, there are numerous other teachers just a Skype call away. 

I am thankful to have this work to keep me sharp, allow me to interact with adults, and address a very real need. Clients come to me for a wide variety of reasons, but I have to say my favorite part of my job is witnessing the growth that occurs. Couples, struggling with infertility, learn how to nurture their relationship with each other. Women, armed with self-knowledge, demonstrate an awareness of their dignity. 

I am so grateful to journey with my clients, to rejoice with them, and to mourn with them. It may not be easy, but it is so worth it.

For more information about the Creighton Model FertilityCare System, and to find a teacher near you, visit http://www.fertilitycare.org/

9 Days to Gratitude: a Thanksgiving Novena {Day Seven}

For those of you just joining in, this is part of a series on cultivating gratitude in preparation for Thanksgiving. You can see Day One here, Day Two here,  Day Three here, Day Four here, Day Five here, and Day Six here. 

Day Seven

Today I am grateful for my home.

The spring after we bought our first home.

Our house has its share of quirks, some more serious than others (eg popcorn ceiling vs. bad wiring). It's a true "fixer-upper" if there every was one. In the past, I have thought of the long list of house projects that need to be done with a sense of frustration and annoyance. Housing prices in the Seattle area are extraordinarily inflated.  So the same house in my Missouri hometown would probably cost us a third of the price we paid for this place. I would fume (mostly to myself), "We paid how much for this money pit??" 

But, as the inspector told us, our house has good bones, and they don't make them like this anymore. Our house has probably another 20 years before it will truly be our "dream home," but isn't that how long it should take? Sometimes I forget that things done well, usually take time. It's like the difference between a piece of furniture crafted by an Amish artisan, and one you set up yourself from IKEA. We don't expect the crib we bought from IKEA to be passed down to our grandchildren. But, a home, on the other hand, is a place where you want to take your time. We daydream about what our home will be like: 

We'll finish the laundry room, and add shelving for storage. We'll re-do the kitchen so it's more of an open floor plan. We'll extend over the garage, and build a master bedroom with a double-sided fireplace. We'll add skylights and windows...

So many dreams, so many items on the to-do list. But in the meantime, I have been learning to be grateful for our house, our home, just as it is. Right now, we have more than enough space for our family of three. Enough space for me to have an office where I meet with clients privately. Enough space for a guest room/Andy's office. Enough space for love, and laughter, and life. 

I pause in my dish-washing to spy a squirrel scamper up and down our blue spruce tree, its mouth full of leaves and twigs. The squirrel knows what materials to use to build a good home, a safe haven for the winter. Today, I want to make sure that I have a mouth full of gratitude, so that I can build up my home, and provide a warm haven for my family.  

Mr. D plots his escape from the photo shoot so he can take a nap...

9 Days to Gratitude: a Thanksgiving Novena {Day Six}

For those of you just joining in, this is part of a series on cultivating gratitude in preparation for Thanksgiving. You can see Day One here, Day Two here,  Day Three here, Day Four here, and Day Five here. 

Day Six

Today I am grateful for our Church community.

For some reason, I am feeling grumpy today. Mr. D decided to skip his morning nap, which is never a good sign. Then, during Church, all he wanted to do was be on the floor, so he could crawl around. Andy and I took turns taking him out when he started squawking. By Communion, we were exhausted, and decided to leave early so we could get Mr. D down for a nap. Sometimes Most of the time it's hard to be be an adult, especially an adult with small children. 

The funny thing is, when we were deciding on which parish we would join, one of the factors in our parish's favor was all the children. The number of families is a strong indicator of the strength and life of a church. Even on the hard days, like today, we feel the support and warmth of the other families, who we know have been in our shoes. We feel blessed to have found such a strong, welcoming Church community. 

Our involvement with our church has introduced us to so many dear friends. We have enjoyed the camaraderie of other young adults and married couples, the wisdom and experience of older parishioners, and the celebration of both the seasons of this life and the liturgical year. We have found a home  and a family here.

A very special day, Mr. D's baptism. 

9 Days to Gratitude: a Thanksgiving Novena {Day Five}

For those of you just joining in, this is part of a series on cultivating gratitude in preparation for Thanksgiving. You can see Day One here, Day Two here,  Day Three here, and Day Four here.

Also, just as an FYI, these are in no particular order, in case you were wondering why I am rating nap time alongside my friendships and in-laws. These are just the persons/things that spark gratitude in me that particular day. That being said, back to our regularly scheduled program.

Day Five

Today I am grateful for Andy.

This is an obvious choice. Not a day goes by that I am not grateful for Andy. So why today of all days to highlight him and our relationship? Well, it started with last night. We had a friend over for dinner, and I was feeling a bit stressed about getting everything done in time and taking care of Mr. D. As soon as Andy got home (from a very busy and stressful week, I might add), he asked me "What can I do that would be most helpful to you right now?" So, he took out the recycling, inspected and figured out why the dishwasher wouldn't start, reset the table with a fresh tablecloth and napkins, and finally, corralled and played with Mr. D so I could work on meal prep. After our guest went home, I was exhausted, and I asked if Andy would mind cleaning up. He assured me that he would take care of things, and then encouraged me to get ready for bed. This morning Andy took Mr. D on an adventure to Lowe's while I got to sleep in. 

                       

I am so blessed to have such a loving, considerate husband. When Andy and I were just dating, I hosted a birthday party for my roommate and friend Christina. Throughout the night, Andy filled drink orders and bustled about to make my guests feel welcome. I know he often doesn't get the praise he deserves, because he is not one to draw attention to himself. He just gets the job done. 

He is the love of my life, my best friend, a great dad, and today I am reminded of just how lucky I am to have him on my team. I love you, Andy.  

Pre-Mr. D at the Mariners' game in 2013

9 Days to Gratitude: a Thanksgiving Novena {Day Four}

For those of you just joining in, this is part of a series on cultivating gratitude in preparation for Thanksgiving. You can see Day One here, Day Two here, and Day Three here.

Day Four

Today I am grateful for nap time.

Mr. D usually takes a morning and an afternoon nap. Mostly these are fairly short, under an hour. But every once in awhile he surprises me by sleeping 2 or even 3 hours. I spend nap time catching up on chores around the house or writing a blog post (if I'm feeling ambitious), surfing the Internet or reading a book (if I'm feeling lazy), or taking a nap myself (if I'm feeling tired and/or sick). Today is one of those latter days. I woke up with a sore throat and have felt really sluggish and short-tempered all day. 

It didn't help that Mr. D has taken to protesting being put in his car seat or stroller. Protesting=screaming and bucking. It's hard not to feel like the worst parent in the world when my child is screaming bloody murder. One of the neighbor children called into our garage during one of these screaming matches, "Is everything okay??" Needless to say, these situations take a lot out of me, even when I'm feeling my best. Today was not one of those days. 

So, today I am grateful for Mr. D's nap times. I was able to close my eyes and even snooze a little bit. But most of all, I enjoyed the blissful quiet. I'm not sure how you mamas of multiple children make it through the day, with naps at potentially different times. I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. 

Isn't he just the cutest?

9 Days to Gratitude: a Thanksgiving Novena {Day Three}

For those of you just joining in, this is part of a series on cultivating gratitude in preparation for Thanksgiving. You can see Day One here, and Day Two here.

Day Three

Today I am grateful for my friendships. 

I started out the day visiting with a dear friend and neighbor who recently had her third child, a sweet little girl. We met up for caffeinated beverages and pastries at a local French bakery. It is such a blessing to have a friend like her, and even more so since she lives a short walk away from our house. I love being able to go for walks together around the neighborhood, have a tea party (with nice teacups, a variety of tea, and honey sticks), and visit local eateries and attractions. The best part? Even though we are the same age, I can benefit from her experience as a mom of (now) three children. And she speaks from a place of humility, quickly admitting that she's in the trenches, same as the rest of us. I feel as though I have found another kindred spirit in her. And for that, I feel very grateful. 

I ended the day learning that another good friend will not be moving to California. As much as I would try to put on a good face, and be excited for my friends' opportunity, it was such a relief to hear that they would, in fact, be staying. I remember a time, about three years ago, when I felt really lonely. I had just moved from my Midwestern home, and I knew no one (well, besides Andy, of course!). The only friends I had were really just friends of Andy's. But I remember that one of Andy's friends in particular struck me as being very intelligent, thoughtful, and kind. Since then, we've become real friends. We've both been through the sometimes challenging transition to motherhood. I value her insight, and really enjoy her company. 

I don't want to ever take my friendships for granted. These are just two friendships that I decided to highlight, but I am lucky to call many of you, my readers, friends. I thank God for you.  

What are you thankful for today?

9 Days to Gratitude: a Thanksgiving Novena {Day Two}

Yesterday, I began a Thanksgiving Novena of sorts. You can read Day One here. 

Almost as soon as I posted my first day of Thanksgiving, our power went out. A huge windstorm knocked the power out throughout the Puget Sound area, and we were one of the thousands affected. Last night, as we sat in our dark living room, the only light coming from the ten or so flickering candles that we rounded up, Andy mused, "Well, I guess we know what you'll be grateful for in tomorrow's post!"

Yes, I am grateful for electricity, the power that makes life so much more pleasant and convenient. I am grateful for the men and women who braved the elements to restore power to us within 24 hours. I am grateful for my snug, little home, and for the connection that can come from technology.

Day Two

But today, I am most grateful for my parents-in-law, Ron and Merrie. 

Merrie was with us through the long labor and delivery, and was a tremendous support through those challenging first weeks. She continues to be my go-to for everything to do with motherhood and homemaking. We couldn't have made it through without her. 

Ron  and Mr. D at 4 days old for the Superbowl Game. Mr. D loves Grandpa Ron's serenades and expressive eyebrows. I know Andy looks to Ron as a role model for how to be a great dad. I can see why. :)

This morning, as we faced the reality of relying on electricity to power everything from our heat, to our lights, to our refrigerator, the one thought that kept us afloat was that we could always go down to Andy's parents house (where they fortunately never lost power). Andy sent a quick text, checking to make sure that it was okay for us to come down there. In response, Andy's dad assured us that we were always welcome. "You don't even have to ask. You're family."

We spent the afternoon in the warmth of their home. I always feel at home with Ron and Merrie, but today I was struck by just how blessed I am to call them family.

Thank you for welcoming me into this "crazy clan," as Grandma Sue would say. I hope you know how much I love you.

9 Days to Gratitude: a Thanksgiving Novena {Day One}

I've been feeling the pull of ingratitude lately. The past few months we have seen more than our share of disappointments and hardship in nearly every area of our lives. It's been really rough. St. Ignatius of Loyola recommends that the key to combat desolation is to act against it. So, if I am feeling ungrateful, I need to practice gratefulness. It's as easy, and as hard, as that.

About a year ago, I decided to repurpose our wall calendar to be a documentation of our blessings. Each day of the month, we would (ideally) write down what we were thankful for that day. By the end of the month, we would have about thirty items to be thankful for.

Here's an example from the month Mr. D was born. 

Some days I really had to look hard for the good in the day...especially those newborn days where there really didn't seem to be a distinction between night and day. Some days, my entry was repetitive: "Andy" was a common one. We haven't done this every day, but the days we have remembered to do it have certainly increased our awareness of God's love and presence in our lives.

As we inch closer to the celebration of Thanksgiving, I felt the need to recall my blessings. So, in the spirit of the Novena, I will post for nine days about one person or thing that brings joy to my heart.

Day One

Today I am grateful for Mr. D. 

All photos credited to Josh Dietrich

His goofy grins. His fearless determination. His sloppy kisses that can quickly turn into "love bites" if I'm not careful. His wonder and growing awareness of the world. His heart for people: that kid loves people, especially babies and women. His exuberance--he literally bounces when he is excited. The look of joy on his face when he sees his daddy.

He holds a piece of my heart, and that will never change, no matter what life brings. He has made me change, and want to change, for the better. I want to be happy and healthy and holy so he has a happy, healthy, and holy mother.

I love you, my sweet Mr. D. You bring us so much joy. We love you so much.

3rd Anniversary Recap {or to Salish or Not to Salish}

As I mentioned a while back, I was so excited to score a Costco deal on a night's stay at the locally famous Salish Lodge and Spa (more widely known as the real-life Great Northern from the cult classic Twin Peaks), which overlooks Snoqualmie Falls. Both Andy and I were really looking forward to having a relaxing getaway to celebrate three years of married life.

Source

So how did the experience measure up to our expectations? Read on, friend, read on.

We arrived early to the Lodge, so we could make full use of all of its amenities. In typical Seattle fashion in November, it was raining. We were greeted by the complimentary valet service, and I was spared raindrops by the courteous valet's handy use of an umbrella. Nice touch! We entered the lobby with its double-sided fireplace and friendly receptionists, and were given an itinerary for our stay. Fancy. Then we dropped off our bags and took in our new digs for the next sixteen hours.

A view of the Snoqualmie River that leads to the Falls.

Tell me the girl in the middle isn't texting.

Andy planned on us having three-and-a-half hours to swim and soak in the spa's hot tub before our scheduled massage later that evening. Well, it turns out that a soaking pool is just a fancy term for hot tub. No swimming, then. Darn! To ease our sorrows, we watched the conclusion of the Seahawks game. Fortunately, the team managed to pull off a win, just barely, for a final score of 13-12.

Will we win?!?

Cutting it reaaaallly close. 

Phew! Now we can get this vacation started.

The Spa

Included with our package was two hours to use the mineral soaking pools located in the Spa. We donned our swimsuits and the provided robes and one-size-fits-all slippers and prepared to soak all our cares away. After a brief mix-up, in which I wore the larger-sized robe, and Andy wore the smaller one, we were on our way.

Andy had never had a massage before, and my only experience was a massage at the Gene Juarez Salon for Mother's Day, so Andy's standards were average and mine were really high. Turns out the mineral soaking pools were two salt-water hot tubs with no jacuzzi jets. Oh, and did I mention that the Spa was co-ed? Andy and I were the only ones in the pool area for about five minutes. Then we were joined by two men. Then several sets of couples. I'm sure we all felt pretty awkward about sharing the space.

Not content to just sit in a pool of essentially still, hot water, we explored the other parts of the Spa: a steam room (Too much like a Missouri summer, I decided), a sauna (It burns when I breathe through my nose!), two showers, a unisex bathroom, and a lounge area with nuts and water/tea. I felt like we were playing a game with the other guests...Okay, we're going to hide, and you're not going to seek us, okay???

Finally it was our turn to get our individual massages. My massage was relaxing, and well-done. My massage therapist and I discussed her failed marriage, the joys and challenges of raising children, her theories about what causes infertility and PCOS, and how she decided at the age of 40 to go back to school and become a massage therapist. 18 years later and she still loves her job. Not everyone can say that.

The Attic

After our massages, we headed upstairs to The Attic, for a late dinner and drinks. The Attic has a trendy, loft vibe, and they make a killer wood-fired Bacon and Onion pizza. I had to try a Twin Peaks' themed cocktail, The Dale Cooper: cloves and honey mingled with gin. We were seated by the Falls, and marveled at their power. I had a funny thought of someone going out at night to turn off the Falls. Nope, it doesn't sleep. We ended up seeing the Royals beat the Mets in the final game of the World Series. Very impressed with relaxed atmosphere of The Attic, the excellent pizza and drinks, and the great view of the Falls. I would definitely come back again.

A Dale Cooper and a damn fine cup of coffee, naturally. 

No, that's not Santa's beard. It's a fuzzy picture of the Falls at night.

The Sleep

As we were settling down for a night of unbroken sleep, we heard some strange noises coming from upstairs. And then some more noises. What was going on up there? Obviously, we didn't really want to know. Let's just say we were really thankful that we packed earplugs.

The Dining Room

The next morning we awoke late (for parents, anyway), so we could make our 9 am reservation for breakfast at the Dining Room. We reluctantly removed ourselves from the comfortable and warm bed with visions of eggs, bacon, and biscuits dancing in our heads. The Dining Room is charming, but the main attraction is the stunning view of Snoqualmie Falls. Originally we were seated away from the window, but I boldly asked if we could move to a window table when it opened up about ten minutes into our meal. I never used to do things like that, but after having a baby, I'm a lot more fearless. I figured the worst thing that could happen was that the waitress would say no.

Once we moved to our new table by the window, we settled into our gourmet breakfasts: Andy ordered the Country Breakfast, a multi-course tour-de-breakfast, with scones, fruit, oatmeal, pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits, and gourmet coffee. I opted for the Crab Eggs Benedict with fried potatoes. We split a Mimosa, because, you only have a third anniversary once. It was oh-so-delicious, and way more than we could eat. So we requested to-go boxes, and headed down to the Falls.

All that's missing from the Country Breakfast is a tweed coat. 

Crab Eggs Benedict

The Falls

The Falls were at near flood conditions, so it felt almost intimidating to stand near the railing. I was so nervous about accidentally dropping my phone camera to the surging water below that I took part of a video through the railing bars.

Twin Peaks used exterior shots of the Salish Lodge and the Snoqualmie Falls for its opening credits.

Fun fact: Snoqualmie Falls is 100 feet taller than Niagara Falls.

This was the only shot we managed to get before the downpour.

Just as we tried to get our picture taken by the Falls, it started to pour. And I mean, pour. Even with our rain jackets, we were not prepared for such a deluge, and so we headed back to the car, soaked and chilled. We had already checked out of the Lodge, and still had a few hours before we were expected back, so what should we do now?

The Chatty Docent

We decided to head to the quaint, sleepy town of Snoqualmie, in an effort to warm up a bit before the half hour drive back to Andy's parents' house. We were greeted by a very knowledgeable and chatty docent at the Northwest Railway Museum. She was more than happy to finally have visitors on a slow and rainy Monday morning. She regaled us with the local history, and suggested we come back for their yearly Santa Train.

Downtown Snoqualmie

The Brew

We finished our getaway with a stop at the Snoqualmie Brewing Company for their porter and stout (we be dark beer kind of people). Then we meandered our way back to reality, where a very well looked after Mr. D awaited us.

Andy wasn't sure what I was trying to do...a peace sign? No, three years, silly! 

Will we return to Salish Lodge? 

Probably not. We will definitely return to see the Falls, which is such a short drive from us anyway, and never fails to impress. We will probably also eat at the Dining Room again for their amazing breakfast and views. But, honestly, our experience staying there overnight was pretty average. The room was nice and all, but we've stayed at nicer places (here, for example, last year in Leavenworth) for a fraction of the price (even with the Costco deal!).

Now we know that Salish Lodge is like a lot of things here in the Northwest--way overpriced. So while the location is incredible, you can get the same experience by eating at the restaurant. And you definitely can find comfortable beds and jacuzzi tubs elsewhere for less.

The mystery is gone, Salish Lodge.

Fortunately, we still had a great time. Good food, good views, and best of all, the love of my life.

For all those married readers, how did you celebrate your last anniversary? And for those who have stayed at Salish Lodge, how was your experience?