It’s a special weekend over at Ten Things of Thankful.

Lizzi and her co-hosts are celebrating the 50th week of the hop.

And I certainly wish to join in the celebration and well wishes!

I’m so very thankful to have found this hop (number #1) and connected with so many wonderful bloggers through it.  The experience has been truly enriching and continues to have an altogether positive impact both on my point of view and life more generally.

So THANKS to Lizzi and all her co-hosts for creating this space online.  While I may never be frist, I always feel welcome.  I hope you are still going strong 50 weeks from now and beyond!

Moving the thankful train along, while it has been a busy time here, I’ve had much to be thankful about.

This past week, I’ve been very thankful both for great volunteer opportunities, and for the supportive husband who spent much time with the kids this week to allow me the time to dedicate to the causes I care about (number #2).

I had none less than three different volunteer related meetings this week!  Tuesday night we had our first alumni planning meeting for this year’s Throwback celebrations (Carleton University’s homecoming) in October.

I was also involved last year and we’re hoping for even better turnout this year!  Wednesday, I was back at Carleton for a meeting related to the re-institution of the Athletic Hall of Fame.  This year during Throwback, we’ll be inducting the first new class since 2003, which will be very exciting.  And today?  I spent the morning at the Carleton University Alumni Association AGM; and tonight I will be enjoying an evening out at the Carleton Alumni Leadership Gala (Evening out?  That’s number #3).  Next week, I’m back to regularly scheduling parenting, but it’s been a fun and busy week out on the town, event planning and catching up with friends and former classmates.  Go Ravens!

We’ve also been blessed with good weather over here for the last little while, so I’m thankful for good time outdoors with my daughters (number #4).  We now have more dandelions at home than I know what to do with.

Hanging out near home picking flowers on a lazy Saturday morning.

I’m thankful that I finally finished my macroeconomics assignment and booked my final exam for my course on June 30.  So thankful that the end of that odyssey is officially in sight (number 5).

There is also much less chance of it getting broken now that it’s hanging on the wall….

I’m thankful that my husband finally hung the dolphin plate in our bathroom that has been sitting on the counter in there since the bathroom renovation ….

…. last summer (number 6).

I bought it while island hopping in Greece over 10 years ago and it just makes me happy.

I’m thankful for the wonderful fun and time suck that is Pinterest (number 7).

My Pinterest account pre-dates my blogging days, and I largely credit Pinterest with teaching me how to cook, but since I started blogging I’d largely ignored it until recently when I again started spending some time there.  In the past month or so, I’ve had a wonderful time starting boards on various interests and just finding things there that make me happy.  Case in point?  Yesterday, I was invited to start pinning my “happy pins” on this board here:

All it takes is a few quick clicks here to lift my mood.

I’m thankful for the good friends who get introvert me to go out because sometimes I need the push (number #8).  Last Friday, at the end of a not wonderful week, I got a last-minute invite from a friend to grab a drink.  That quickly turned into meeting some new people, two pubs and seeing a band.  Just what I needed to unwind.

I’m so thankful that my husband and I were asked to be godparents to my new nephew (number #9).  His baptism is tomorrow.  We’re very honoured to be part of that special day and to be able to play that special role in his life.  As an aside, I’m equally thankful that my parents are hosting the reception afterwards.  And that my husband is eager to contribute by smoking cheeses, leaving me in the simple role of find the perfect gift (done!) and then just show up and be Godmother (I’m an awesome guest, and good at holding babies, so this should work).

While this may come as a shock at the end of a very active listing of recent events, I was in last night.  So my husband grabbed the opportunity to go out with friends and my daughters and I had girls night in.  By request from my eldest, we baked and decorated cookies; did our nails; and read Dora books.  I’m thankful for these evenings with my daughters (number #10).  Even though I was still doing nail touch ups this morning before heading to my meeting.

My eldest’s cookie…

My youngest, inspecting her cookie…

So there is my 10 for this week.  For the extra special 50th week of Ten Things of Thankful.  May we share many more thankfuls yet!