Happy Thanksgiving!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving…What are you thankful for?

I am thankful for so many things. Most of all I am thankful for my wonderful family. I’m thankful for the time I get to spend with my family. And thankful to John and Lisa for hosting Thanksgiving dinner. I know it’s a lot of work, but they always welcome us with open arms. I’m thankful that we are all healthy enough to get to eat Thanksgiving dinner together. And I’m thankful that (for at least one day) we can all put our differences behind us to spend the day together. I’m thankful for the smiles on the kids’ face. And the smiles on the adult’s faces too. I’m thankful for the laughter that we get to share with one another. I’m just so thankful to be a part of it all.

This year I am extremely thankful for my Uncle Keith’s recovery. There are still many obstacles to battle, but he has come a long way. I thank God for answering our prayers and I thank our family and friends for speaking those prayers.

I’m thankful for Justis’ hard work. I was really sad to see Justis move back to Wisconsin, but I’m so proud of him for standing up for his decisions. I am also proud of him for working so hard in school. His grades have really improved. Other then a D in math and a C+ in German, Justis has all As and Bs. I know he is starting to take school seriously and I am so happy he is working so hard to make us and his mom proud.

I’m thankful for Keaton’s sense of humor. In hard times I can always count on Keaton to make me smile. He is so silly and so funny. And he can come up with the most off the wall comments. He cracks me up. He is such an intelligent young man and is filled with personality. And even when he’s silly he still remembers to give me hugs and tell me he loves me. He makes me so proud to be his mom.

I’m thankful for Skyler’s creativity. She is always drawing beautiful pictures or dancing across the living room. She can come up with some of the most creative ideas too. She loves to make forts in her room and play house. Her imagination is amazing and she makes me daydream too. She really reminds me to not always be so serious and to think ‘outside the box’.

I’m thankful for Spencer’s hugs and kisses. Spencer is such a wonderful child. On one hand he is such a boy…constantly wrestling and climbing and getting in to trouble. But on the other hand he is so affectionate. He will stop watching cartoons and walk over to give me a kiss for no reason whatsoever. When I come home from work, he is usually the first one to see me and run to welcome me. When I tuck him in to bed he will get mad if I don’t take a few minutes so we can discuss our days with each other and talk about what we will do tomorrow. He loves to go through the alphabet with me before bed. And he loves my tickles.

I’m thankful for Caleb’s smile. Caleb has been through a lot for that smile and just this year he endured another surgery. But he is always so good about it. Plus Caleb is so adventuresome, we can’t keep him bruise-free for even one day. I often comment that my dare devil toddler is in training for Fear Factor. But just when your mad at him for risking his life by leaping off the couch or yelling at him for getting in to the peanut butter, he flashes that beautiful smile and my anger just melts away.

I’m thankful for Lee’s love. Lee and I just celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary and it was wonderful. The seventh anniversary gift is wool so Lee got me seven wool roses. They are so beautiful. They are sitting on my desk at work (so the kids can’t reach them) and I look at them every day as a reminder of just how lucky I am to have Lee in my life.

I’m thankful for the gifts my mom gives us. Not just the material gifts, but the gift of time and attention. I talk to my mom almost daily, whether it be on IM or by phone or in person. Having my mom back in the state has been such a wonderful gift. It’s been great having the kids get to know her better as they spend more time with her. And I know Keaton really appreciates Mom and Grandma O coming to his soccer games. It makes him so proud to see his grandmas cheering him on from the sidelines.

I’m thankful for my dad’s understanding. Dad raised me, for many years, by himself. And that in itself takes some patience. But Dad is always so calm. And we are still close as ever. Dad calls me about every other week so we can catch up. And I love to hear his voice on the other end of the line.

Finally, I’m thankful for my friends. In the past Lee and I have lost some friends. Unfortunately, a lot of times you don’t think about how lucky you are to have such good friends until you lose one. I have a lot of good friends who are always willing to lend me their ear for listening or their shoulder for me to cry on. And, of course, my friends are the best when I need somebody to celebrate with. This year we did a lot of celebrating since many of us turned thirty and it was so awesome to spend so much time with all them. It’s a great feeling to wake up in the morning with my stomach aching from all the laughing we did the night before. I thank God every day that he has blessed me with some of the best girls to share my life with.

Thank you everybody for being a part of my life. I am so lucky to have you. I appreciate you all!