Celebrate today!

GUess wHat?! Today is Nitty. Gritty.'s 1st birthday! It hardly feels like I've been blogging here that long, but that's the truth. Check out the archives if you don't believe me. =)
SO, hubby probably thinks that I am just looking for a good excuse to get all of you to leave me comments today. The fact of the matter is that I don't need a blog birthday as an excuse to party or celebrate life. That's been one of the core 'messages' here all year long. Everyday we can find something worth getting excited about, or doing something out of character for someone in our life- simply to spread love, joy or just to catch someone off-guard.
Today, to celebrate what Nitty.Gritty. means to you I hope you will do just that. It might be letting your kids get away with extra splashing in the tub at bathtime. Or maybe you want to "act" like me and do a little dance in the car while you wait at a stoplight. Or it could be something very different...like making a tie-dye shirt just because you haven't done something creative and colorful for awhile. Maybe you've snapped at a neighbor or co-worker this past week and you need to say that you're sorry. Then leave a piece of chocolate on their desk or doorstep with along with a small handwritten note. You'd be surprised at how much better it will make YOU feel- not to mention how it can't help but smooth things over with your acquaintance. See? It doesn't take a miracle to make the world a better place...just a little dose of old-fashioned kindness goes a long way.
Today then, I am thankful that I don't need a special reason to whip up a batch of Buttercream if I feel like it. I'm celebrating Nitty.Gritty. style! I'm thankful for the concept of blogging that somebody dreamed up and put into place. I'm thankful that I started believing that I actually had something worth writing, week after week, and it hasn't always been that boring. (Has it?!) I am thankful for over 10,000 people who have stopped by here to take a peek at some of the stories of my life. I am grateful for the friendships and connections I have developed as a result of putting myself out here for all of you to see.
I never would have guessed I would have Nitty.Gritty. t-shirts and magnets, tumblers and supportive fans all from simply clicking the button "Create your own blog" one year ago. More importantly, I am thankful for the things I have learned about myself, my faith, and the things that I truly believe are possible in life.
Now I leave you with a bit of Nitty.Gritty. trivia. It's not that well-known that this blog didn't start out as Nitty.Gritty. For the first 24-48 hours it was titled, Life- This side of Heaven. I thought I was going to focus on my life as I live it- looking forward to Heaven every single day. Oh, wait. It is. It is all about my life as I live it, looking forward to being in Heaven someday. That's how I came up with Nitty.Gritty. It's about all the stuff that happens from now until then- the Nitty.Gritty. details of the journey along the way. Whether it's big stuff, little stuff, "chick stuff", or lessons I've learned. It's about the important things in life- the details!
On that note, I wish myself a Happy Nitty.Gritty. birthday, and I look froward to the journey of the next year. I hope that I've made some of the time you've spent here worthwhile too. Now, go out and do something a little bit out of the ordinary. Afterall, everyday is worth remembering in it's own way. Extraordinary or not!