Today is the 6th

I recently read a blog post about gratefulness that inspired me to TRY to post something that I am thankful for every day of the month of November. Coming up with things that I am thankful for will not be the issue, but posting every day during this crazy time of year might be.
Since today is already the 6th, I have some catching up to do. I invite you to join me, fellow blogger friends. Take a moment to add a quick thankfulness post with me today, or leave your grateful comment.

My first five things (and, yes, I am going to sound a bit cliche on some of these, but I want to express what I am genuinely thankful for):

1. The gorgeous fall colors that the Lord is painting for us right now. The leaves here in the south are at the peak of color change, and it is spectacular. This is my favorite time of year for many reasons, but the beauty of the earth at this point is one of those reasons. As I sit here with my laptop looking out over my back deck, I am filled with awe at the beauty of His creation.
2. My morning cup of joe. I love spending the quiet morning moments with the Lord and a cup of coffee- especially when The Man makes the coffee before he leaves for work. There is nothing better than coming down the stairs and experiencing the aroma of fresh brewed java hitting you in the face. I'm euphoric just thinking about it.
3. While I'm at it, let me add The Man to my list! I am so thankful for my wonderful husband who loves me even when I'm a little bit crazy, who is the most fantastic father to our boys, who works all day and still comes home to work around the house, who serves the Lord in leadership at our church, and is the perfect man for me!!! LU, Babe!
4. I hate that this one is now number four, but I also need to give a shout out to my heavenly Father. I am so thankful for His unfailing love and provision in my life, and the fact that He sits on the throne no matter what is going on in my world and wraps me in His loving arms every time I fall.
5. My sweet, precious boys! I must say that it is so much easier to type that while they are still in the bed, because in about half an hour, the words sweet and precious might not be the adjectives that I would use. I am so blessed to be able to parent them and love them. I was talking to a new mommy yesterday (my friend, Anna, who had her sweet boy, Dylan, on my birthday last week) about those early feelings of motherhood where you feel overwhelmed that the Lord would even entrust these little boogers to you. I remember nursing J and thinking what did I do to deserve this blessing in my life? And now, there are some days that I just think... What did I do to deserve this? Just kidding, boys!!!

So, that gets me through yesterday. Now that I have that done, I think the most difficult thing about this challenge will be narrowing it down to the things that I am most grateful for without being overly cliche. I promise to add some random, fun things to the list as well- just to keep all three of you reading. :)