HUGE gratitude post, part 1

Well, it has been about a month since I posted a gratitude post and my list of items ... blessings ... is formidable. I'm not entirely convinced that you want to read ALL of them but seeing how this is my blog, I can post them all and seeing how it is your computer, you can read how much you want.

#1676 - #1724

- safety in all of our travels
- our car, selflessly cleaned by my husband
- the car ride up to the cabin, spent talking with Eva
- Penny sleeping in my lap
- relaxing with friends
- being back at the place where our marriage/relationship basically began

this empty bench

- getting to sleep at the same time as my husband =) it doesn't happen all that much working nights
- yummy drinks served lakeside
-picnic tables on the beach
- Ray's mean fire-making skills
- the lighting for this photo: (can you see the littlest dog ever in the middle)

- lounging in hammocks
- pasta salad in the summer
- bedtime hugs
- praying on the pontoon boat
- perfectly cooked marshmellows
- the kids, making faces with their peas and squash (from here on out, "the kids" refers to our niece and nephew)
- seeing Loki after a few days away
- finding a little boy's shirt mixed into our laundry
- an etsy sale to a non family/friend buyer. yay!
- my little patio garden is growing!!
- Crooked Lake!!

- the eagle perched above our dock
- birds at the bird feeder
- Loki being part of the "paper plate club" (wondering what that is ... come up to the Schumann cottage)
- going up to the cottage and only bring watermelon and brats (i.e. not being in charge of all the meals)
- my mom who DID plan all the meals
- tubing and realizing that my arms are much stronger (because I have been working out) than in previous years
- harp music, played by our neighbor
- seeing deer each morning while walking Loki
- the American flag over the lake

I know this picture was in my previous post, but I love it

- sail boats
- doing crossword puzzles on the shores of the lake
- my mom's potato salad
- changing from my pj's into my swimsuit because it is just that nice out
- coffee on the pier
- the smell of sunscreen
- my grandpa's hat on my husband's hat
- listening to my dad talk about summers at the cottage long ago
- taking Loki in the kayak

He loved it!

- Loki was also pretty excited about boating

- eating around the table that my grandpa built
- playing Indian with my family
- water lily flower

 - seeing fireworks as we drove home the night of the 3rd.
- going back to Rochester (again) to see the Butz family
- being present for Megan's baptism
- silly kids jokes
- seeing Lindsay while she was in Rochester - unexpected and totally wonderful
- a DQ run with my girls
- fireflies
- a huge, joint effort city in Carcassonne


Well, this is a little more than half of my list that is accumulating in the drafts folder of my gmail account but for now, it is more than enough!