Do you love to count your blessings or your burdens? I used to be a burden-counter, and have consciously made a switch to counting my blessings and focusing on the positive. While I’m not perfect at it, I try to recognize anytime a negative thought creeps into my mind and switch it to a positive. Keeping a gratitude journal and updating my list of blessings are two things that have really kept me centered on all things good.
My family 2021
My family tops my list of gratitude for 2021 for sure! And, by family I mean my immediate family and large extended family. My husband celebrated his 60th birthday this year, still enjoys his chiropractic practice and is an amazing dad, husband, friend and provider. My son Jacob is in his third month at the Salvation Army ARC in Minneapolis, and is actively working at recovery — and I’m pleased to report he’s doing really well! Danny is a senior at Hudson High and enjoying all things “senior year” including being captain of his adaptive cheer squad The Rhinestone Raiders. I have loved being able to gather with our extended family again this year, most recently at our nephew’s wedding.
Second on my list is our new getaway; we purchased a “lake home” in 2021. A place in northern Minnesota has long been a dream of ours, but not one we actually thought we would realize. Having two homes seemed like a fantasy. I grew up quite poor, and even our primary home is a dream come true. We began looking at cabins in the Brainerd Lakes area; however, there was little inventory and the prices were extremely high.
Our Townhome View
We happened to be up north for Danny’s spring break, and a townhome on Crosslake in Cross Lake became available. We had only been considering cabins, but the townhome seemed a perfect fit. We are not able to head north every weekend, and our place rents out providing us income when we aren’t there (making it much more affordable). We also have very little maintenance, so our time away truly is a vacation. We have loved spending time in our new lake home, exploring the lakes, towns and meeting great people. In fact, you are welcome to rent out our place by visiting this link. If you visit, please leave us a not about your visit in our guest book, and we truly hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
While there are many more wonderful memories and blessings from 2021, these are the two big ones that stand out in my mind. Good health is always a priority for me, and a blessing I thank God for daily. The holiday season is upon us, and I always look forward to this time of year.
Hugs & Health – Michelle