30 Days of Thankfullness...

1- I am thankful for life and the opportunity to get up each morning and live it

2- I am thankful for the Lord's wisdom and strength, which has taken me through some really tough times in this life.

3- I am thankful for my husband. He is the epitome of a "good man" who has loved me when I least deserved it and given me the most precious blessing of my children.

4- I am thankful for a warm bed and a place to call home.

5- I am thankful for my sister who has recently become the newest addition to our home and who gives me complete comfort when I leave home and have to leave my babies behind.

6- I am thankful for the unconditional love and support of amazing friends. I am thankful that they know me well and still love me anyways!

Day 7- I am thankful to have been given the blessing of children. I have met far too many mommies who have struggled, like me, to bear children and know far too well the pain of feeling as though it would never happen. I am ABUNDANTLY blessed and very thankful ;-)

Day 8- I am thankful for my parents. After 43 years of marriage, they are still together and have set an example that I pray Chris and I are able to set for our children. I am blessed to be able to pick up the phone and talk with them, even if it is to talk about nothing at all. I am blessed to have two people that may not always agree with my choices in life but who support me and love me through it all, no matter what. I love you both...

Day 9- I am thankful for my husband's parents. I am thankful for their generous support and constant open-door policy. I appreciate everything they give to my girls and look forward to them becoming grandparents again to their first grandson!

Day 10- Today I am thankful for the opportunity to know my birth mother. So many years were spent wondering and searching and often times feeling like I'd never get the chance to know the person that gave me life. I am thankful to that scared young girl who made the hardest decision of her life and allowed me to be raised by parents who were able to meet those needs that she could not at the time. As she prepares for her wedding day tomorrow, I hope she knows how truly thankful I am to her and how excited I am that she has found such a wonderful man to spend her life with! Congratulations!

Day 11- I am thankful for all those who serve our country. Thank you for doing the job that so many of us do not want to do and for doing it with dignity and respect. I am thankful for your families who do without so often in order to allow you to be away. Thank you for defending our freedom...

Day 12- I am thankful for the companionship of my four legged friend. Timber has been with me a long time and I am thankful to get up each morning and see her still by my side. I am missing my sweet Sydney, who left us far too early and know that Timber has been enjoying Sailor visiting us this week. Sailor is my friend Jessica's dog and I am so honored to have been trusted to care for her while they are away. These four-legged friends sure do make life much more grand!

Day 13- I am thankful to be a woman living in the United States. I am thankful for all of the rights and privileges that come with being a citizen of this great country. I am thankful that my girls will grow up in a country where they will be encouraged to dream big and be anything they want to be!

Day 14- I am thankful for my job. I don't always love it and hate the way it takes me away from my family, but I am thankful for it. I know that finding a job in today's economy is so difficult, that I am thankful to have a consistent paycheck and the ability to support my family.

Day 15- I am thankful for my warm and (mostly) comfy bed. A friend of mine reminded me of the rough conditions we faced in Colorado during a week in 2007 while doing some work with at risk teens. During that week I slept on the equivalent of a yoga mat with no pillow. I know that there are many men, women and children around the world that don't even have that to sleep on each night. Today I am thankful for the opportunity to have a snugly bed each night and someone to share it with who keeps me warm!

Day 16- Today I am thankful for the gift of modern medicine. There have been many times in my life (and my children's) that doctors, nurses and advanced medicine have quite possibly saved our lives.

Day 17- Today I am thankful to have a telephone. I am thankful for the opportunity to pick up the phone and speak (almost) instantly with those near or far away. When those we love can't be right next to us, it is comforting to know we can pick up the phone and stay connected.

Day 18- Today I am thankful for computers and the internet. I am also thankful for the ability to turn them off.

Day 19- I am thankful for my days off at home with my girls. I spend a large majority of the week missing my girls and get to spend such little time with them during the week that it is so wonderful when I get to have an enjoyable day at home with them!

Day 20- I am thankful for the Washington Redskins. Sure, there's a lot to NOT be thankful for when it comes to my boys, but none the less, I am thankful that each week they run onto the field and evoke excitement in me (if only for a little while) that they might win a game. I haven't always been a football fan so I guess I'm also thankful to my husband, and our season tickets, for encouraging me to develop my love of the Skins. HAIL!

Day 21- I am thankful for my vehicle(s). I am thankful to have reliable transportation that not only takes me to where I need to go but also to where I want to go. I recognize that having a car is a luxury that not all have and I am blessed to have two!

Day 22- I am thankful for social service agencies and programs. I know that I personally have benefited from these programs and have enjoyed giving back by being able to provide service to the foster care program in our area. I know that at times, these issues are hotly debated but my bottom line is that these are people that want to do good for the people they serve and want to make the world a better place for people who struggle. That's ok in my book and today I am thankful for them.

Day 23- I am thankful to have all five senses. My mom scared me about a year ago when there began to be issues with her sight. This has made me constantly thankful that I can watch my babies grow, hear them laugh, smell their sweet skin after a bath, taste their new found love of cooking and give them big hugs and feel them grow. I know those that don't have all 5 still survive, but I am terribly thankful to blessed with all of them :-)

Day 24- I am thankful to still have my grandmother and to have her actively involved in my life and my family's life. My mom's mom is such a sweet and special lady and I am so thankful that my girls have gotten to know her and that she's been around for all of their big life events. I love you Memere!

Day 25- Having worked in retail, I am thankful to not have had to work today. It was a wonderful day spent cleaning and playing with my family. I am thankful that we are not slaves to the greed that has become the retail world and thankful that there was nothing we "needed" so badly that we had to brave the cold and dark night in order to do some shopping.

Day 26- I am thankful for the hard days. Days where nothing seems to go right, I don't have enough money for the things I need, I am tired, stressed and hope is low. These days teach me to appreciate more the days that are great and to recognize the things in my life that are truly blessings.

Day 27- I am thankful for sunny days; warm sunny days are an even bigger bonus. I am thankful to play outside and enjoy that which surrounds me. I am thankful for being able to watch my girls eat lunch on the porch today with no socks and no jackets and not be fearful that they will become cold. I am thankful to be able to watch them play on their swing set and to be able to do work in the yard.

Day 28- I am thankful that I am not in control. Most days I like to think that I have some sort of control over some parts of my life but on days like today, I am thankful to be reminded that my life is in the Lord's hands. His plan is greater than my own and I am humbled and thankful for this.

Day 29- I am thankful for hot showers and clean water. Both are cleansing and refreshing and certainly do wonders to make me feel better when I am not feeling so well.