Full of Thanks Friday

"...Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." ~Psalm 100~



for the next few weeks, i thought it would be good for me to think about and write about 10 things for which i am thankful... :) don't we all need a little reminder now and then? :)


1. my baby girl... who would have thought that a little 7 pound bundle of joy would have changed my life so? in the months before her birth, i was in denial that i was pregnant (until i saw that ultrasound), i couldn't believe i was going to be a parent, i didn't know how i was going to juggle life with a baby, and i figured life would just return to "normal" (aka: heading to school to teach, working late at school each night, grading papers, sleeping late, etc.). Once she was born...boy my world changed almost instantly... i have never known love like the love i have for her... :) <3


2. my husband... first my pen pal and then through 4+ years of a long-distance relationship, and then even more time before saying "i do," 'my guy Ry' has shown me unconditional love...and for that, i'm so thankful... he's faithful, he's helpful...and he tries his hardest to make our life as wonderful as it can be... but, even more, i stand amazed and am so thankful for the daddy he is to K... he plays with her, sings with her (melts my heart), reads to her, puts on the strainer hat to make her laugh...and he's amazing. :)


3. my family... funny how years and experience add wisdom to your life... i've always had great parents and family...but you don't really realize how incredible they are until you're a little older. through the years of being annoyed that my dad wanted to read my papers for school (and thus critique them...which translated to more hours of work for me)...to those rides in his car, windows down, when we'd stop for a water ice in Roxborough... :) so many memories... :) and my mom...without a doubt, my hero... i want to cry just thinking about how incredible she is...and being a mom myself now, i understand, just a little, how she has loved me for 33 years... from the days of shopping for dresses (hehe - i was not a fun girl to shop with!) to sitting next to her on the couch with my head on her shoulder and holding her hand... i'm so blessed... :)

and, while my grandma is really my only close relative who is still living (she's going to be 88 in a few weeks), how blessed am i to still call her house and hear her voice? and my grandparents who have already passed away....again, still molding me... :)


4. the decision and opportunity to be a stay at home mom... it was probably one of the most difficult decisions that i've made, but being about to stay home with K has been, without a doubt, one of the best decisions i've made in my 33 years of life... every single minute is a gift... :) and i'm so glad that my husband supports me...even if that means a tight budget for us... :)


5. friends... i don't have an abounding number of friends, but i do have a few close friends that i am so thankful for... only a few are "old" friends - from my childhood...and the memories we share are so fun and neat... and my "shorter time" friends, even if we're not really close, they offer advice, confirm my feelings, support me in an instant (even when i don't i need it), make me laugh... i am so thankful for their presence in my life... :)


6. a house... seemingly simple, but as the winds and rains of tropical storm Ida hit in the last few days, i'm so glad to be in a house that is strong and sound... so many people in our world are living in sub-par conditions...and having a roof over my head and 4 walls keeping us safe...we have a lot to be thankful for (even if the house IS a little messy :))


7. my eyes... i am someone who looks at everything that i encounter... from the yellow leaves on the trees to the tiny bird nest that's now exposed in the leafless bush in our yard... we have so many incredible sights to take in and appreciate...and i try to always see the beauty around me...


8. good teachers... i have been so incredibly blessed with talented and loving teachers throughout my schooling... this isn't just limited to a 'classroom' teacher, either...because there are many people who have taught me a lot without a classroom setting. :) from my very first pre-school in England...to my years through college and beyond... i could name every single teacher... :)


9. the military... i stand in awe of the soldiers who fight for my freedom... we forget, as we're here in the US in relatively safe surroundings, what these men and women are doing for us... we have freedom...and that's something that i never want to take for granted... and, i wish there was a way for me to tell the men and women fighting for our country how thankful and appreciative i am...


10. good health... while i could do some things to be healthier, i am thankful to be in generally good health... i need to drop some serious Lbs., but i am thankful to be free of disease or serious illness so that i can experience life to the fullest....