Thankful . . .

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I don't think I will have time to do this then. I wanted to write down some of the things I am so thankful for. I wish I could sit and reflect on these things more throughout the year because I truly feel blessed. . .

I am thankful for my husband . . . many times I don't give him the credit he deserves. He works very hard to provide for his family. He never brings his job home with him and never takes things out on me even though he probably could. He is a great father to our two children and I know he loves me more than anything. He is a good man and I am blessed to spend my life with him.

I am thankful for Dallas . . . this boy just melts my heart. There are so many times in the day that I wonder how I got so lucky to be his mommy. He is so kind and thoughtful. I don't think I have ever seen him try to hit another child even when he was hit first. He is so funny and charming. I think he is going to be a star one day because he is always performing! He told me today out of the blue that he loved me and it just made me melt. Even when I am having a bad mommy moment and losing my patience with him, he always loves me and never holds a grudge. I could learn a thing from him about forgiveness.

I am thankful for Phoebe . . . this girl is my test. She challenges me to have more patience and be a better mother. She keeps me on my toes and has such spirit. She has a smile that could melt even the hardest heart. Each day she does something new and I am so proud. She has a determination to be a big girl and I wish she would stay my baby forever. Some of my favortie moments are when she is nursing in the middle of the night and is so peaceful. It is at that moment that I feel so thankful to call her mine.

I am thankful for my mom and dad . . . they mean the world to me. My mother is my true best friend and I don't know where I would be without her. She puts up with my numerous phone calls a day and is always encouraging to me. She humors me when I tell her how bad things are sometimes and feel like I am the only one that strugges when I know she is thinking that she went through this too and survived way worse, but she never makes me feel like my issues aren't important. My dad has the softest heart of anyone I know. Just yesterday he was telling me a memory of his from his childhood about his dad playing catch with him after being gone for weeks at a time. He would get home and play ball with his boys before even going in the house to see my grandma. When he was telling me this story I could hear the emotion in his voice and it touched me so much. When they came to visit me and surprised me, it just made my year!! Thank you for the awesome gift and thank you for being such amazing parents! I hope I am half the parent you are to my kids as you are to me. You have always made me feel so loved.

I am thankful for my maw in law Sharon and my father in law Ron . . . I feel truly blessed with our relationship. I never imagined that things would turn out the way they did but I am so thankful that we are where we are. I truly love you both dearly. I am so thankful that you both are such amazing grandparents to Dallas and Phoebe. It melts my heart to see how happy Dallas is when he is with you. He talks of you both so often and I am so thankful that we live near you so that he can have these memories.

I am thankful for my brother Steve . . . I think back to my childhood and so many of my memories include him. He is ten years older than me but he and I have always been so close. When he was in high school and I was just a young girl he took me everywhere with him. Looking back, I can't believe he did it all the time and he never seemed to complain. I was just his little tag along. Thank you for being so great to me Steve, I am lucky to have you for a brother.

I am thankful for my sister Tina . . . I am thankful that Tina has survived another year alive. She has been through so many things in her life. I pray that she gets clean this year and realizes the true beauty she has in her heart.

I am thankful for Merrie . . . I doubt she will see this, but I am so thankful for her. She is my true friend that I don't know how I will survive without her when we move. We are both going through the same things with our kids and I know if anyone understands my joys and struggles, it is her. When I need an encouraging thought or a kind word, she is there.

I have more but don't have any more time. I will try and come back to this later.