Giving Thanks

Another Thanksgiving has come and is almost gone already. It seems like time flies by even faster as the kids get older. Probably because I have to move so much faster to keep up with them these days!

We had lunch with my side of the family and dinner with Steve's side of the family. Steve had to work, but he was able to meet us at his parents' house about an hour after the kids and I got there. :)

I have to be proud of myself, because this month a friend challenged me through Facebook to write something I'm thankful for as my status update every day. I got the notice 18 days ago, and today was the 18th day I did it! I know we say constantly how blessed we are, but when you start challenging yourself to count ALL of the ways, you become even more amazed by all the blessings. So I thought I would copy my "thankful" notes into my blog so that I'll have a way to look back and remember them once in a while. Some of them are very small, others are very large, but it's not the size of the blessing that makes it so important...it's just the fact that it's a blessing at all.

One more note I should mention is that I didn't get to work on this for the whole month because I didn't receive the challenge until the second week of the month, so it's just from November 9th on. :)

Nov. 9 - Today I am thankful for two children who are 100% pure energy and sunlight, because it means they have their health...and that's a blessing.

Nov. 10 - Today I am thankful for my husband, who is my best friend. I am truly blessed to be in love with someone who understands me (and all of my quirks!), and my children are blessed to have a father who takes such wonderful care of them.

Nov. 11 - VETERAN'S DAY - Today I am thankful for our nation's veterans who have fought for the freedom we enjoy in America every single day. I salute my father, other relatives, friends and everyone else who have served in the past, as well as all those who currently serve and those who will serve in the future. God bless our veterans and the country they serve to protect.

Nov. 12 - Today I am thankful for the roof over our heads and the warm beds we sleep in each night, especially when the Florida temperatures (finally) begin to drop a little more at night.

Nov. 13 - Today I am thankful for Fridays, because even when you don't work a typical Monday-Friday job, Fridays are just so much more fun. :) I hope all of my family and friends have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Nov. 14 - Today I am thankful for the opportunities I have to work from home while staying home with my kids during their early years. I'm also thankful for the great people I get to meet as a result of these opportunities!

Nov. 15 - Today I am thankful for the love of God, who knows what even our smallest hopes are and takes care of us. We may not always understand why things happen (or why other things don't happen), but there are reasons for everything.

Nov. 16 - Today I am thankful for the opportunity to substitute teach from time to time, because there are those moments when you're working with the students and you can actually see that they're listening and learning from you (even when they're trying to be stubborn teenagers!). It makes me happy to know that I might make a glimmer of a difference somehow.

Nov. 17 - Today I am thankful for my friends! I grew up as part of a Navy family and we moved all over the map as a result, so I have friends from almost every station. I am blessed to have friends who know me and understand me (and also friends who may not understand me but accept and love me anyway). And I'm thankful for the long-ago friends I've reconnected with on FB because they are wonderful reminders of my younger years. I may not ever be a millionaire, but I'm rich in friendship and that's what counts!

Nov. 18 - Today I am thankful for my health. Even on days when I wake up with sinus trouble or a little twinge in my back that reminds me not to overdo, I know I am very lucky. I am also thankful for Steve's health and the health of our kids.

Nov. 19 - Today I am thankful for the simple things I sometimes take for granted. We have piles of laundry, but that means we have clothes to wear. We have a car payment, but that means we have a safe and reliable vehicle for our family to travel in. We have a stack of dishes in the sink, but that means we are lucky to be able to provide food for our family. We are blessed in so many ways!

Nov. 20 - Today I am thankful for my parents, because I know that they love and support me. My parents always let me know they were proud of me...they celebrated even the little milestones and reminded me that I could do so many things if I worked hard enough. I have many valuable lessons that I have learned from them, and I wouldn't be the person I am today without them!

Nov. 21 - Today I am thankful for my friend Cindy Sturgill...and she knows exactly why. :) [Cindy decided she was thankful for me that day, too...so we exchanged thankful posts!]

Nov. 22 - Today I am thankful for my brother Kris and his family, as well as my brothers- and sisters-in-law and their families, because having an extended family adds so much love to our lives! The kids are always so excited to see their aunts and uncles and cousins. :)

Nov. 23 - Today I am thankful for all the photos I've taken/had taken of the kids for the past four years. We're rapidly approaching their fourth birthday, and it's so nice to be able to walk down memory lane and remember them in their "smaller" days. :) Time flies when you're having fun...but each day is a miracle and we appreciate them all!

Nov. 24 - Today I am thankful for Steve being back on day shift for a couple of months! The kids and I love him so much, and we get to see much more of him during daylight hours now.

Nov. 25 - Today I am thankful for my children (again). Sometimes I just sit back and watch them play together, and I realize how lucky we are to have them, and how lucky they are to have each other.

Nov. 26 - THANKSGIVING DAY - Today I am thankful that I've had 17 other days to count my blessings, and I am reminded that I have SO much to be thankful for. I wish you and your families all the best the season has to offer...we are truly blessed, and we give thanks to God every day for everything!