I am Grateful

Hard to believe that the end of November is upon us, and we are just 26 days away from Christmas!  Where has this year gone?  Well, I can tell you my year has gone into growing a newborn into a toddler.  What an experience that has been.  I am so grateful to be able to stay at home with my Little Boy and watch him grow, learn, and love.  He is my greatest blessing.

I know there are a lot of people on social media who think the whole “30 Days of Thanks” is stupid.  (I, in fact, love scrolling through my newsfeed and seeing what people are thankful for.)  I think the month of November makes us more aware of our blessings, and I think people are more intentional about what it is they are thankful for on a given day because they have to post to Facebook what they are most thankful for.  I think that’s great accountability!  I love seeing the brutal honesty of people’s thankfulness- if it’s just a simple, “I’m thankful who the lady who paid for my coffee”, to “I made it through 65 traffic without killing anyone!”  I think it’s awesome! 

I did not participate in the 30 days of thanks on Facebook this year- though I have for the last four years (thanks to my timehop reminder).  So I thought I would write to you about what I am most thankful for in one place. 

1.    I am thankful for love.  God created it, He allowed me to learn it, and He allows me to show it. 

2.    I am thankful for the people who are in my ‘love bubble’ and who have let me into theirs.

3.    I am thankful for stubbornness.  Without it, I don’t know if Mr. and I would be married.

4.    I am thankful for stretchy pants.  I have learned that my body is not going to ever be the same…and I’m ok with that.  I love the fact that elastic waits are now apart of my wardrobe. 

5.    I am thankful for temper-tantrums.  Although they are not fun to deal with, they are a reminder that my Little Boy is growing and developing accordingly.

6.    I am thankful for mindless entertainment.  Sometimes it’s nice to watch a TV show and realize that there are some really pointless shows on television- but they allow me to escape the reality of the messiness that surrounds me in the basement.

7.    I am thankful for glasses.  Without them, I don’t know if this post would make a whole lot of sense.

8.    I am thankful for Mr.’s job.  It allows me the opportunity to stay home, and I am so proud of how hard my Mr. works to provide for his family.

9.    I am thankful that I am called mother.  I don’t know what my life would be like if I did not have my Little Boy.  He is simply amazing. 

10.I am thankful for my education.   It will allow me to re-enter the work force one day.

11.I am thankful for Savannah, GA.  This is where we honeymooned.  I think of this place often and it just makes me happy.

12.I am thankful for vacations.  It’s always nice to get away and live someonelse’s life for a week.

13.I am thankful for a basement.  I no longer am afraid of storms…and the fact that we have a place to store Little Boy’s toys is a bonus.

14.I am thankful for friendships that span over decades.  I am blessed that I have friends that have been in my life since I was in elementary school.  I may not see these people everyday, talk to them everyday- but I know I could call them and they would be there for me in a heartbeat.

15.I am thankful for the influence of my grandparents.  They endured and conquered.  They are overcomers.  (And I really do miss them!)

16.I am thankful for my Mother.  She is in a league of her own. 

17.I am thankful for my Father.  He is a pillar in our family.

18.I am thankful for my Sister.  She is one of my best friends. 

19.I am thankful for my youngest Sister.  She is the comic relief our family always needs.

20.I am thankful for the two guys who married my two sisters.  They are just like brothers to me.

21.I am thankful for my in-laws.  I was blessed with good ones!  They have always taken care of Mr. and me…and they take even greater care of our Little Boy.  Mr.’s sister and I are sisters and I am thankful for the relationship she and I have.

22. I am thankful for the fall season.  I think it’s the season where God shows off His artistic ability.

23. I am thankful for books.  I love to read.

24.I am thankful for Dave Ramsey’s principals.  We are debt free! (Except for our house.)  I couldn’t be more ecstatic about that.

25. I am thankful for gifts (it is my love language), big or small.  I love gifts.

26.I am thankful for good days.  (You know those days where you get everything on your to-do list done.  There are no problems that pop up.  Things go according to plan.  I love those days!)

27.I am thankful that Mr. allows me to be me.  He doesn’t judge me.  He just lets me be me.

28.I am thankful for good photographers.  We have so many great pictures because of these professionals.

29.I am thankful for my church.  I always leave feeling recharged.  (I also leave convicted.)

30.I am thankful for Jesus.  My relationship isn’t perfect with Him.  It’s a work in progress.  I am so thankful that He understands I want to draw nearer to Him, and some days I screw that up.  I am thankful that He loves me, and saved me. 

Thanks for sticking around and reading this.  I am thankful that you read this blog and allow me to share my thoughts, opinions, and feelings.  You make me feel like you’re really listening to me, and for that I am grateful!