1. I am thankful for my husband. He makes me laugh. He is an amazing father. As Aidan says “he’s my best buddy!”
2. I am thankful for my boys. Aidan who is so goofy and so sensitive. He asks me all the time “Do you still miss Hoppa? It’s okay mom, you can be sad sometimes” and gives me hugs that never end. And my little Lucas, sweet, kind, loving…such a funny little man. His smile melts me every time. They are each so special and I don’t know how I could love them more.
3. I am thankful for our home. With so many people losing their homes these days I am grateful to have one.
4. I am thankful for my mom. She is ALWAYS there for me when I need her.
5. I am thankful for my siblings. Each one. Love them so much I could cry. Happy cry.
6. I am thankful for my MOPS group. It’s so good to have other moms that are in the same season of life as you to talk to and keep you sane.
7. I am thankful for Chloe…the only other girl in my house (our dog). She drives me crazy sometimes, but she is so sweet and a good watch dog. Every time I come home she is jumping to see me. I don’t get a reception like that very often. I took her to the groomer today and she looks so cute, pink bows and all!
8. I am thankful to be here. A little over a year ago my life was saved and changed. I am thankful and grateful. I am thankful for a network of Christian friends that prayed for me and for my family, that helped take care of us during our time of need, that continue to check in on us and see how we are doing (BTW- we are doing great!)
9. I am thankful for all of my friends, but today I am especially thankful for my friend Sandy who can relate and gets where I am at these days. Missing my dad. Having many tough days still. She gets it. She’s a better friend to me than I was to her in those early days of her losing her dad. I hadn’t gone through it – now I know. I will be a better friend to my next friend that goes through it because of her.
11. I am thankful for those people who serve our country in the military today on Veteran's Day. I am in awe of people who do that - I don't know that I would have enough courage. They are amazing and their families are too!
12. I am thankful for the sunshine today. I've been a little "blue" lately and the seeing the sunshine always makes me feel better. I really should live in a state that has more sunny days.
13. I am thankful for our huge extended family. I love that I can email my uncle about Garrison Keillor's cabin being for sale and get a response from him and know that I am loved. I love that Nate and I both are from large families with parents that taught us how important family is. They also taught us how important it is to make time for each other apart from our kids. We both always knew that we were loved and that our parents loved each other. That's what I want for my kids too.
14. I am thankful that people are actually willing to pay me to do what I love - take pictures! I have been having so much fun reigniting my photography business and am so grateful for the people have invited me to capture moments in their lives!
15. Aidan did something really nice for a friend who was being mistreated at school yesterday. I am thankful for the compassion he feels towards other people. Like he says "that's what I do Mom, I help people!" Love that.
16. Today I am thankful for my brother Ken. He totally hooked us up with paint for our new house! I can call him for computer and photoshop advise - he is an amazing artist. But what I am thankful for most of all is that even though we don't talk all the time it's always nice when we do. He has such a gentle spirit and a kind heart. He is just a good guy and I love him tons.
17. I am thankful today that our house is almost finished!!! I stopped there today and they are starting painting. They should be done December 1st - it can't be soon enough in my book - I am so ready to move in! I can't wait to have our first family Christmas there. Soooo excited!
18. Today I am thankful for heat. Our heat went out last night and we couldn't get someone out until today to fix it. It got down to 54 degrees in our house. It was such an inconvenience. Not only was I cold, the boys were cold and we had to cancel a playdate. As I was complaining about it to Nate he said "hey, some people don't have heat at all..." I got mad at him for saying it...then I really thought about it. Heat in our homes is just one of those things we expect to be there and we take for granted. I am grateful and thankful to have a warm home.
19. Phew! This being so thankful every day is getting hard! Just kidding - today I am thankful for Saturdays and family time. When I owned Little Green Baby I would be so sad/jealous that Nate and Aidan would drop me off at the store on a Saturday to work and they would get to go play all day. I missed those family days. Glad I have them back. We are heading down to the Festival of Lights today on Michigan Ave - should be a GREAT family day!
20. I am thankful that a friend that I haven't seen in a long time is coming to Thanksgiving at my mom's this year. She and I were inseperable growing up - it will be so good to see her. So glad after all these years our family connection makes her (and her brother) feel comfortable coming on Thanksgiving.
21. Tonight I am thankful that my lovely husband made Ghiradelli brownies after dinner...they are my absolute favorite brownies and they were so good today!
22. Today I was thankful for some time alone. Don't get me wrong - I love my kids and spending my days with them. But tonight I had to drive out to Ikea and the traffic was terrible because it was raining. I was alone and in the car and played my crazy 80's music as loud as I wanted and sang at the top of my lungs! I don't get to do that very often...so fun!
23. Today I am thankful for cancer survivors. For those people who fought and are fighting against this nasty disease. I think this exercise on a month of thankfulness has been really good for me. As the holidays approach I am missing my dad so much. It's hard to be thankful every day when I am still pretty sad and angry that he isn't here to share these days with us. He isn't here to see my boys. He's missed a whole year of them. Until you go through losing a parent you just don't really understand. I know I didn't. I think you hit the one year "anniversary" and everyone just expects you to kind of be over it - life goes on. And it does. But a big part of my life is missing and it still hurts. It catches me off guard at times - I'll hear a song that reminds me of him, or I'll talk to a man this is around my dad's age and something about him reminds me of my dad. But there are still constant, every day reminders. Every night when Aidan goes to bed I hear "...and Jesus, please be with Hoppa because we miss him soooooo much." I have a picture on my refrigerator of Aidan and my dad. It's the only picture on the front of my fridge. Our new house will have stainless steel appliances....no magnets. Where do I put that picture? Anyway, I know we will get through the holidays surrounded with family and love. Amazing family and amazing love. So today I am thankful for survivors and hopeful for the future that someday there will be a cure for this disease.
24. Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful today for friends and family to share Thanksgiving with.
25. I am thankful Nate's parents came to town and we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with them today. Thanks to Paula for hosting it at her house! I am thankful to be a part of this family as well. My boys are loved. On the selfish side - I am thankful that with everything going on right now we didn't have to drive 5 hours to Almont for Thanksgiving!
26. I am thankful (again) for my husband. We had an argument yesterday and he apologized. It's amazing that what he says/does can affect me so much that I run the full spectrum of emotions in one day. Must be love. Either that or I am just crazy. Who knows.
27. I am thankful that the flu bug I had yesterday appears to only have been a 24 hour bug...so far so good.
28. I am thankful that Baby Jude arrived safely yesterday! Anna and Jeff had their baby - he is beautiful. I give special thanks now each time that a baby is born healthy and safely. We love him so much already!
29. I am thankful that we are moving shortly and I will be done with renovating this house! It's not fun anymore! ;-)
30. I am thankful that I did this challenge. On days when I wasn't feeling very thankful it forced me to think about what is important and how lucky I am.
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