Thankful

For the past few years I would write one thing I'm thankful for as my Facebook status for each day in November.  It was something I always looked forward to and something a lot of people thought was somewhat annoying (although why this was annoying I've never understood). I've been such a slacker lately with a lot of things (aka why I haven't blogged in FOREVER before this week) and I didn't start up my thankful statuses.  I felt weird starting it in the middle so I figured I'd forgo this year and pick back up next year.  And after seeing all of the thankful post on facebook (my news feed is filled with them) I'm kinda bummed I didn't do it.  It was a nice exercise for me to start my day off in the right frame of mind for the day.

But this doesn't mean that I've given up on being thankful this year and what better day than Thanksgiving to talk about thanks.  I have been so blessed this year.  It's unreal.  Sure, I've had some rough patches but overall, I'd say this year was a good one.  A blessed one.

First and foremost, I'm thankful for the blessings of each day.  For the ability to wake up, see all the miracles right in front of me, and to be able to share this with my family.

I'm thankful that God blessed me with the Hubs.  Yes, most of the days I'm left wondering why I married him or why haven't I killed him yet, and frankly, there are times when I wonder why I'm hanging around.  But at the end of the day, I cannot imagine my life without him.  We have highs that are extremely high and lows that are VERY low.  But every day we make the important choice of one another.  I love him with all my heart and soul. And every day I choose him.

I'm thankful for my most precious blessings, my children.  My sweet boy Noah and my angel Emily.  My life was completed when I saw their sweet faces.  Any reason for living I had was erased the minute I knew I was pregnant.  They are the loves of my life.  My purpose in life.  I strive to be the best mother in the world and while I know I fall short of this goal on a daily basis, I know I'm doing the best I can for them and I'm being the best mother I can be for them.  They are the reasons I get up in the morning. They are my world.

I'm thankful for my family.  I have had the best role models as I've grown up.  My parents are amazing and continue to be.  My brothers are turning into outstanding men.  My family has rallied together as we said goodbye to my grandfather.  I've witnessed my grandmother finally put one foot in front of the other, in order to begin figuring out how to live without the love of her life.  I'm thankful that I have such amazing memories with my family.  And I'm so grateful that I have been fortunate enough to have my grandparents be with me until this time in my life.  Not many people my age could say that they lived 29 years of their lives with all of their grandparents.  

I'm thankful for my health and my children's health. Every day I go to work and see how horribly cruel our bodies can be to one's self.  I have seen how quickly lives can change and how much we are not in control of anything.  While I've been dealing with health issues of my own, I am not facing a horrible disease or fighting for my life.  I cannot begin to imagine what my life would be like if either of my children were sick or if the Hubs were sick.  I thank God every day that we are healthy.  It's truly a blessing we take for granted.

I'm thankful for a job that I am so passionate about and love so dearly.  I am blessed to be one of the very few who can say they have found what they are meant to do with their life.  Being a nurse is who I am.  I have been told by many parents that they are thankful that I do what I do but it is the complete opposite.  I'm so thankful that every day I get to go to work and be a part of so many different families's lives.  I am truly blessed to know each and every one of them.  I'm grateful that they are willing to let me join them in their journey through treatment.  Grateful to witness the bravery, strength, and the faith that exudes from my patients.  They are more of a blessing for me than I am for them.  There's no doubt in my mind about that.

I'm thankful that I have amazing friends.  I've been blessed throughout my entire life with beautiful friendships.  Some of those friendships have stood the test of time.  Some of them have faded and some have been rekindled.  There are some I'd like to mend.  But no matter what, I can confidently say that I have the best friends a girl could ask for.

I'm thankful for my faith.  I'm thankful for the awesome presence of the Lord in my life.  I might not be as active in the Church as I'd like right now but I'm slowly becoming renewed in my beliefs.  I'm starting to feel the Lord's presence again.  Starting to hear His voice again.  I'm starting to see the path He's chosen for me.  All of this brings me to the most peaceful place I've been in a long time.

While we're all sitting around the table, probably on our second helping of turkey, remember all the blessings in your life and say a little Thank You for all the amazing things in your life.

Have a great Thanksgiving!!!