Gratitude

Lately I've been feeling like this is a really great stage in my life.  My oldest and dearest friend came over yesterday and as she asked about how life was these days, my answer was simple: really good.   That conversation just made me stop and think about how blessed I am.  How there are different seasons in life and sometimes we don't stop to enjoy the good seasons.  We're always thinking ahead for the next thing, next big worry, or the next bit of excitement.  So I want to stop for a moment and just relish in the happiness that is life right now. 

I'm grateful for Cary.  I'm grateful for our relationship together...for the amount of laughter that we share.  For the little daily things that happen in our lives.  For his willingness to help with whatever I need help with.  I'm grateful that he'll take a day off work to stay home with sick kids.  And that he loves to be active both for his health and with the kids.  I'm grateful that it matters to him whether or not I'm happy and that we get to go through life together.  Mostly I'm grateful that we still love each other and truly enjoy being together.  I know God had a hand in this when we met at age 18/19 and helped us grow into adulthood together.   

I'm grateful for my kids.  All three of them are so unique and blessings in our lives.  I sometimes can get caught up in the day-to-day things...sibling arguments, whining, parenting dilemmas, etc.  But then I remind myself that these three kids were given to us to take care of and to raise and to bring up as wonderful people.

Lia: The newest, sweetest, most innocent.  Her smile, her coos, her sweet nature, her smell, the way she makes my heart stop when I see her each morning.

Brynn: The helpful, spunky, full of personality one.  Her laugh, her constant singing, her love of helping and love of her mama, her girliness, her ability to be responsible, her love of attention and still needing reassurance.  

Carter: The rule-follower, loving, kind-hearted, sensitive, excited one.  His laugh, his stories, his ever-changing obsessions, his need to please, his quirks, his long eyelashes, his dark eyes, his self-confidence, his ability to be friends with everyone.

They're going to grow up and do great things. 

I'm grateful for my parents.  My mom's willingness to help and her new retirement so that she can be available more often.  

I'm grateful for Cary's parents who we miss now that we don't see them weekly.  I'll never take them for granted again.

I'm thankful for siblings that we enjoy spending time with and make our lives full with friendship and family ties.  

I'm grateful for nieces and nephews who are all so different but who are little people that make life exciting for all of us.  That my kids have cousins who they adore and can get into trouble with.

I'm thankful for friends who make boring times seem fun. 

I'm thankful for my house, my car, food on the table, clothes on my back.

I'm grateful for fall.  Even though I'm EXTRA thankful for summer.  I'm thankful that the weather is still beautiful enough to be outside each night. 

I'm thankful for dreams of vacations and the future.

I'm grateful for faith and knowing that all of these things are gifts, not to be taken for granted, but to be appreciated fully.  

I am blessed.