They look happy – don’t they? Hmm, what’s the catch?

You’ve probably already read hundreds of posts with lists of things people are thankful for. You’ve smiled, shook your head in agreement, and maybe even sighed.

Then you throw in all the foodie blogs and Pinterest pins. Of course, each one is displaying and encouraging ridiculously complicated recipes for your holiday meal. Certainly, these Thanksgiving delicacies are laid out on picturesque tables with cute decorations.

By this point, you are a little sick of all this sweetness.

Come on. Admit it.

Look, I like Thanksgiving. Love it actually. It’s my favorite American Holiday.  I’ve written that post.

So this year, I’ve compiled five things that appear on no one else’s list of gratitude.

FIVE THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR

MULTI ROOM HOMES AND ELECTRONICS: My children fight. All the time!! They are at each other’s throats 24/7. 99% of these fights are over complete nonsense. If one has something, the other wants it. They tell on each other, tease each other, and hit each other. Know what I mean? Thought so.

And that’s where electronics and multiple rooms in our house comes in handy. You come into our house practically any evening and you will find SJ watching television in the master bedroom and BR on  the computer in the den. They are entertained and peace reigns in my home.

For this, I am oh so thankful.

SNORING WIFE: Really. I know once told you how her Three Stooges like snoring keeps me awake and how I sort of kind of try to suffocate her.

But I have seen the light.

If there was an Olympic Sport for falling asleep, my wife would win. The light goes out – or not, she turns over, she is asleep and she is snoring. It pretty much happens in the same .3 seconds it took you to read the last three seconds.

She is clearly exhausted after all she does at work and home. The fact that she falls asleep so quickly gives her the strength to do the routine all over the next day – or a few hours later, depending on the night.

For this I am truly thankful.

THE THUMP THUMP OF HEAVY FEET:  SJ is one loud boy. I know I’ve mentioned this before. Rather than get annoyed – okay I do that plenty of times, I am striving to see the good.

SJ believes the day starts at 6:00. Every day! Now, I am out of the house by that time during the school week.  Therefore, I usually miss him except for three or so mornings a week when he goes to the bathroom (this is not a complaint. Remember this post is about being thankful).

Anyway, SJ plays the role of human wakeup call. Who needs a stinkin alarm clock? Not I my Lord.  No, I have the thump thump of my 7 year old’s feet to wake me up.  Wonderful – ain’t it?

Indeed, this is something to be grateful for.

THE MONTHLY ELECTRIC BILL: Remember I told you last summer about how my electric bill ate my budget? Well, now I see that threat makes me useful.

Confused? Don’t be. I am here to explain.

See in my house an empty room does not equal a dark room. Oh no, the concept of turning off lights when leaving a room does not seem to exist. On top of that, the necessity of closing the front door seems to have evaded my family members.

But not me. In fact all this leaving on of lights and open doors gives me a purpose. You see I spend precious moments going around the house and shutting off lights and closing doors. These actions give me a purpose.

And I feel useful and I am thankful for that!

JUNK MAIL: I’ve told you about my love decluttering. That hasn’t changed. If anything it has grown.

You see when I got through mounds of snail mail and bundles of email. I am not annoyed for having to push delete. Instead I feel a sense of accomplishment. I might have gotten nothing done that day of significance. However, if I am getting rid of mail, well then I am productive.

For this nearly meaningless act, I am thankful.

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Are you with me? Aren’t these things to truly be grateful for?