August was an amazing month. I don’t even know where to begin! It was so busy, it just flew by.

We have several issues needing immediate resolution in the span of a week and a half that kept us running every day. The brakes and tires on the van had to be changed. We developed a hornet infestation in our front eave rendering our front door unusable. The AC on our car went out and had to be fixed. Andy’s phone completely stopped working one day and he had to replace it. It has been a whirlwind of chaos and commotion over here!

Amidst all of those negative events, however, were lots things to be grateful for. There is always something to be grateful for. The weather started to cool down a bit allowing for some fun trips to the park with Zach. There were quick and less expensive solutions than expected to all of the problems we had. I also started to see progress in the way of increased strength from my new workouts (yay!).

So after a thoroughly full month, here are a few of the top things I’m grateful for!

Why a monthly grateful post?

So often we get stuck in the day-to-day hustle and forget to acknowledge what’s really important. If someone were to ask “What’s most important to you?” we would be quick to respond with things like family, friends, being a good person, and so on. Unfortunately, we allow ourselves to get sidetracked a lot and temporarily “forget” our priorities. Unanswered emails clamor for our attention, deadlines and “to-do” lists clutter up our minds and steal our attention. As a way to temporarily silence these outside distractions, I like to look back over the past month and remind myself what is beautiful in my life. I try to identify three things that have happened in the past few weeks that I am grateful for and recognize them. I remind myself that these small moments are what make up my life and have value. And for them, I am grateful.

Let’s get into what I’m grateful for this month…

What I’m Grateful for in August

1. Andy was promoted!
   Since changing careers and making a transition to a new job 3 months ago, we’ve struggled a bit financially. Not a lot, we just haven’t been comfortable like we were before. Now that Andy’s been promoted to supervisor, we’re back in a good financial position. We have a little catching up to do so we might not feel it right away, but it’s wonderful to not have to worry about it anymore!
2. Personal training/gym
   On the 3rd, I started meeting with the personal trainer at work. He provided me with specific workout routines to make me stronger. I’m on the second one, about the move onto the third, and I definitely feel it. There isn’t a tremendous difference, but it’s obvious that my strength has improved and I’m so thrilled with that. Additionally, Zach is getting to see the importance of exercise and health since I do most of it at home. He’s even tried using my resistance bands!
3. Zoo trip with Zach’s grandparents
   In August, work had an employee zoo day and we were able to each bring a guest. Since we go to the zoo every year with Andy’s parents for his dad’s work picnic, we brought my parents. The day started out rainy, but after about an hour or so it cleared up and turned into a beautiful day. We had a wonderful lunch, saw some animals, rode on the train, and had a nice family day. It was the first time my parents had been able to go to the zoo with Zach.
4. State Fair!!
   We love the State Fair. Absolutely love it. In a way, it’s kind of a bittersweet day because the arrival of the state fair means it’s almost the end of Summer. That’s always kind of the kickoff to all of the final church festivals that are crammed in before Autumn arrives.

This month, I’m looking forward to planning Zachary’s Halloween costume, making some pretty huge dietary changes in our family, and spending some more time with distant relatives. Should be an amazing month!

September is also the last month of the third quarter for my goals, so be on the lookout for the next update near the end of the month.

I’d love to hear about some of the things you’re grateful for and looking forward to! What are you grateful for last month?

Link up to your own gratitude posts below!

-To your Better Life-

Kira