It's wrong that Thanksgiving is only once a year. I'm not talking the traditional dinner and pies and oh-so-important leftovers. I'm talking about a day that we can set aside and truly show gratitude. This should be done daily and those we love and appreciate should be told at every opportunity. As we gathered around our dinner table on Thursday, we each had five kernels of corn to state what we are thankful for, one for each blessing. It's funny how shy I was about sharing them out loud. These are things I make a point to thank God for each day in my prayers, and today I thought I would take the opportunity to make them public, with no embarrassment. I am abundantly blessed.
- My husband, and just as importantly, our marriage. Neither of us is one to gush, so I will keep this brief and say that I look at him and am amazed at how good we have it. We cherish, respect, and are truly kind and courteous to one another at all times. We build each other up and he takes wonderful care of me -- encouraging me to take Mommy time, cooking gourmet dinners most nights, dishing me ice cream, taking the early morning shift with Adam so I can sleep in (to 7am), always taking out the trash and recycling (even if I try to), and countless other ways. We don't hang up the phone or leave the house or go to sleep without an "I love you", and I hope that this is always our way. I realized the other day that I have loved him for 10 years now! He is my whole other half.
- Our son. Amazingly he will by 10 months old in a couple of days. What a year it has been! It's been a tough one for us due to this economy and job situation, but I will be forever grateful that we both have been home with Adam every day, since Michael works from our house. He brings such JOY to our lives and each day I am amazed at what he notices and discovers and how quickly he learns. He is definitely a gift from God and I don't want to imagine my life without him. I will work each day to give him the love and attention and care and guidance that he deserves.
- Our families, especially my Mom. We count on her many times each week to keep another eye on our little crawler/explorer. It's a huge help for me to be able to drop him off in the evenings while I go for a run, and though I try try try to not take her for granted, it is easy to expect her to be available since she is always so enthusiastic and excited about watching her grandson. Thanks, Mom!
- My health. This year my body endured 12 hours of labor and 2 hours of pushing! This body will also allow me to run 13.1 miles in two weeks for my fourth half marathon. A few months ago I had a stomach bug and whenever I'm sick I always think I can't remember what it feels like to be well again. Then when I get well, I don't always appreciate my health. There are so many who suffer with pain and discomfort daily, and I am truly appreciative that I am healthy and strong.
- Our friends. This year we have grown closer to some wonderful people who have touched our lives more than we imagined. We cherish their friendship. We've also walked through life's milestones (babies, marriages) with friends who continue to help support, encourage, guide, and share with us on our marital and parenthood journey. Really, they are more like family. Adam has four little buddies he sees regularly, and we love our playdates.
This year we spent Thanksgiving with one of our most generous and best-est families in Fort Lauderdale. We made a whole day out of it, arriving at their house at 9:30 in the morning! The men prepared the oil and turkey for frying, Adam played with his little buddy Ryan, and Christie and I prepped and baked the side dishes. Mr. Jim took the boys for a long walk in the wagon, and after the bird was good and crisp we sat down to too much food. Adam LOVED his first turkey dinner and devoured the turkey, beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, bread and stuffing. That's my boy! He has been enjoying leftovers as well and I keep trying to warn him that very soon the meals won't have such variety! After we were all sufficiently stuffed, we played some fun board games late into the evening. It was a good day.
I intended to upload some photos with this post, but I can't seem to find my camera cord. I'll put them up once I track it down (which I hope is very soon!).
You are all a blessing to me. I hope each one of you had a fulfilling day as well. Happy Thanksgiving!
No comments:
Post a Comment