Gratitude Journal Monday

Peanuts at Five Guys Burgers and Fries

When you thank and appreciate and welcome gratitude to dwell in your heart as a permanent resident, the results and events in your life simply leave you awestruck. But, it's a hard nut to crack if you were like me years ago. Before, when things didn't go my way, I'd sulk and complain about those let-downs. But, when I changed my mind's focus away from the disappointment and turned it, instead, to the events, people, and situations that were positive and truly offered a grateful heart towards it, the Universe rewarded me with something so much better than I ever could have imagined! It's a mind-set change and it's a hard one to practice if you, like I used to be, easily saw what was wrong and not what was gloriously right. I encourage you to try it and see if gratitude begins to make a change in your own life. I'm positive it will.

221. I'm grateful to the parents who allowed us to steal-away my son's best friend and take them out for a fun birthday dinner and ice cream celebration on a school night.
222. I'm grateful my son's Harry Potter birthday party is over and turned out to be a blast - as much fun as it was to plan, we've lived in that world for over 2-months and I'm ready to move on and live in the muggle world permanently now.
223. I'm grateful for all the invented tools that helped us pull-off this great, seemingly impossible party: tools like X-acto knives, duct tape, sponges, foam core, color printers, glue sticks, hot glue guns, pink foam insulation, and much, much more.
224. Huge thanks goes to my parents for their wonderful sewing job of Super Hubby's Dumbledore costume: the workmanship was superb and their willingness to do the impossible for me never goes unnoticed and unrecognized - love you always!

That's me as Professor McGonagall

225. Most gracious appreciation to all our friends that helped us pull-off this party. To my longest friend for all the chemistry supplies that made the potions and spells class real, the witch's hat, and dry-ice cauldron. To my newest friend who's caring heart helped us set the mood just right with all her Harry Potter memorabilia. To all our neighbors that saved their glass jars and left them at our doorstep week after week to be used in the Honeydukes candy shop. And the biggest surprise of the party; my husband's bestest friend showing up to the party dressed like Hagrid, complete with 6-inch platform shoes, padded stomach, and long haired wig and beard. This was a last-minute request and he surpassed our expectations beautifully. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Enjoy the journey and feel free to share your experiences here. If you're not quite sure where to begin, here's where I got started, click here.

Look for Harry Potter Party details on this week's What I Made Wednesday!