Friday night grateful moment

This is a special week in so many ways. It seems like a very long time ago that we were surrounded by snow and ice, and yet we've only been in paradise a few short days... I've been looking around for my "pause time" button, but so far, no luck. Happily, time does seem to pass in a leisurely way...

I'm grateful for the sunshine, and for this amazing setting where the waves crash all the time.

I'm grateful for this occasion to celebrate (five years of marriage!) and this wonderful man to celebrate with.

I'm grateful to still be connected to Seth via his highly entertaining texts and IMs. I swear, if I hadn't known better, I would have thought I was texting with Scooby Doo today... Ha!

I'm grateful for house-sitters and dog-watchers and all those making sure our place is a-ok while we're away.

I'm grateful that someone else cooked Thanksgiving dinner and all I had to do was show up hungry. That picture is only a part of the dessert buffet, which was beautiful and bountiful and of course I was too full to really tear into it by the time I got around to it... next time I'm starting with dessert!

I'm grateful for sunrises that aren't too early so I can sleep in a little and still see them, and for some lovely sunsets too.


I'm grateful for tree-ripened papaya and fresh pineapple spears, and passion-orange and guava juice that come in really big containers.

I'm grateful for catching up on sleep. And for guilt-free naps.

I'm grateful for friends and family and knowing folks are safe in their holiday travels. I'm especially grateful that the power's back on for family on Bainbridge Island.

I'm grateful that we have more days of this ahead! There are still botanical gardens to walk and waves to snorkel and tropical gelato to eat...

I'm grateful we got here in the first place. It was quite a wild ride through snow and ice to the airport (angels on our bumpers, truly) and then the delays and postponements... and, I'm also extremely grateful to have slid right through the TSA web of groping and pat-downs! No big deal getting through security on the way here, hoping for the same on the way back.

I'm grateful that as we go home, even though I'm sure it will be snowy and icy and feel freakishly cold, we'll also be going into that magical holiday season that I love so well... and as much as I heart the tropics, I just can't really think Christmas while looking out across the beach... must be that Canadian upbringing...

Wherever you are tonight, I hope there's a little piece of paradise there for you.