We had a wonderful Sunday, with surprises abounding. Breakfast with my niece Jessie and her boyfriend Rob. Then an invitation from Court to watch the Broncos play their season opener against the Giants, and WIN. I was reminded about my commitment to thinking of things that make me happy, and occasionally sharing them with you.

Here are five things for which I’m thankful today:

Grandkids are about the best thing that God ever thought up. All the love, very little of the worry. My brother was blessed with his ninth grandchild this weekend. Zoey Alivia was born to his daughter Kacy, who, I might add, already has four daughters. The household could use a bit more testosterone, but my brother is used to being around girls. Join the club, Zoey. As for my grands, we saw Kaiya, Mylee, and Cole on Sunday. Well, perhaps it’s more accurate to say we saw mostly Cole, since the girls are 11 and 13, and prefer spending time in their bedrooms. Cole, on the other hand, sits as close to me as he can get. As we were leaving, he hugged us both. As the door closed, I heard him holler, “I love you Nana.” Aw. Yesterday Alastair came and mowed. He doesn’t stick around long after he’s finished, but he always comes into the kitchen to see what I’m making for dinner. “What’re you making today?” he asked. “It smells good.” As it happened, I was just putting a baked ziti casserole into the fridge to take to Jen’s tomorrow for her birthday dinner.

I’m happy that the nights are mostly starting to cool off, indicating that Autumn might be quietly making its way to Colorado. Our trees haven’t started changing yet, at least not in our neighborhood. The days are still exceptionally warm. But when I climb the stairs to go to bed at 9 o’clock or so, the temperature is usually around 70. It won’t be long before it will be much cooler, and we can put our comforter on our bed. A chilly room with a heavy comforter makes me happy.

Every year I plant at least two tomato plants. I put them in an Earthbox, and they always grow big and strong. The production, however, is always a mystery. This year, my tomatoes were very prolific, especially the grape tomatoes. Bill and I have been eating tomatoes for our vegetable so often that I’m surprised our skin isn’t tinted red. I’m getting to the bottom of the bunch, but I’m thankful for my fresh, delicious tomatoes.

Having said that, I’ve begun pulling my tired annuals out of the ground in preparation for winter. I said bye-bye to my grape tomato plant first, saying a silent thank you for all of my little tomatoes. As much as I love planting in the spring, I equally (well, maybe not quite equally) love putting my garden to rest. It makes me feel productive, like the squirrels who are clearly getting ready for winter themselves.

Finally, I am ready for some football. Even if I’m not watching the game, hearing a football game in the background is about as satisfying as it gets. Football means autumn. The CU Buffs won their first game handily, and nearly beat fifth rank Texas A&M this past weekend. And the Broncos showed real promise on Sunday, handily beating the New York Giants. Our QB looked good, and didn’t have the deer in the headlights look on his face when the defense was heading his way like our last QB. Bless his heart.

There are many things for which I’m thankful.