I Am Thankful For....

As I now have children old enough to understand what it means to be thankful, I try to ask them (at least the older one) what he's thankful for. They have been asking these questions at school, too, so d1 has had some less-vague answers lately, most recent saying he was thankful for his family. That's great and I agree but I want him to eventually be more specific so I thought I would make a list of all that I am thankful for in my life. Maybe you readers can join along and post what you are thankful for.

* My husband who cooks dinner every night, cleans the house, does laundry, plays monsters and tractors with d1 & d2 (and he thoroughly enjoys it), changes the oil in the car/van, mows the yard and is the spiritual leader in our family. His family has been so good to me in the 8+ years we've been together and have really taken me as their own. We will enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with my father-in-law and all of his brothers and sisters and we can't wait! They are great people to be around....and they can all cook well, which I really appreciate as I LOVE to eat!!

*My little boys who know how to make Mommy smile (and frown at times but we won't discuss that in this post) by 'mauling' me on the morning drive to work, telling me that I look pretty, sharing their snacks with me, helping me bake blondies and pumpkin muffins on Sunday afternoons, napping with me and thus giving me some cuddle time, waving good-bye to me when I take them to school and telling me to 'hab good day' and saying 'buv you' when I leave and for their pure, innocent character that shows me that they will become the example we set for them. I am also thankful for the lil' guy growing inside of me. He is making me rounder and rounder by the day (or is it all the Bruster's ice cream and burritos?) but I already know he will have his own personality and we will have a special relationship, unique in its own, just like his brothers.

*My health and the health of my family. Praise the Lord we have all been flu/ear infection/strep throat-free this season and we are so blessed for that. For as long as I can remember (about 4 years, I guess), we have battled all of the above with one or the other (or both) and it was always continuous. This year we are striving to be more germ-free and really doing all that we can to keep our family healthy. I know there are times you just can't help the circumstances but I think we can attribute a little of the healthiness to the new environment the boys have been in since August. We love Covenant CDC!!!

*My awesome job that I started in August. Not only do I really like what I'm doing, I LOVE who I work with everyday. My co-workers are wonderful - we do some shopping at lunch, some dining out, and even some scrapbooking (love ya, CG!). My boss' are super flexible and accommodating to my schedule if necesssary....I no longer miss class parties, parades or programs!! WOO HOO!!!

*My friends, new and old. To say I have not have had a 'nuclear' family life would be the understatement of the year. I have a great brother, awesome aunts, uncles and cousins around the US but for the last 13 years, my friends have been my 'family' and have always been there when I've needed them the most. You know who you are and I wouldn't be the wife, mother, professional woman I am today without you! Thanks!! To my new friends - you have all made the transition to the South easier for me by showing such love and support. Thank you and I'm so glad you were placed in my life!

*My house! Yeah, now I'm being material but I love my house. So what if I'm 30 minutes from civilization....I love my house! We have lots of space for the 'monsters' to roam freely, we're less than an hour from the mountains, 4 hours from the beach.....it's great!

*My faith in God....this is a big one and one that has only grown with time. I've mentioned before that Dallas and I didn't have a Christian background until our good friends, the Schuman's, led us to a fantastic church many years ago. Since then, we have both grown so much as Christians and have such a different perspective on life. It's truly amazing what God will do for you if you will just LET him!

I could probably go on and on and on with all I'm thankful for but that's a good start. I would love to read what others are thankful for so if you get a chance, post it up and be sure to tell those in your lives that you are thankful for them today!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!