Thirty Days of Gratitude-Part 1

Many people I know did the thirty days of gratitude thing on facebook and usually I write a thankfulness post on the actual day of Thanksgiving, but this year was different.  This year I have been in the midst of taking care of a sick baby (now going on five weeks) and blogging hasn't been at the top of my priority list.

So, I decided to combine the two, a thirty days of gratitude blog series with 15 reasons today and 15 before the end of the month.  Honestly, I have way more than 30 things to be thankful for.  Don't we all?  So here, in no particular order, are my first 15 reasons. 

1.  My husband.  Talk about one major blessing.  The reasons that he is so amazing are lit-ra-lee endless.  Besides being a wonderful best friend and an outstanding father, he is also beyond talented at his job, an incredibly hard worker both at work and at home and he is funny and handsome on top of all that!  I am one lucky lady.

2.  My kiddos.  I am so blessed to be their mommy.  Being a mom has made me a better person, has brought me closer to the Lord and has taught me more than I ever thought it would.  They are each so special and unique and I am so thankful for each of them.

3.  My health.  No, I am not the skinniest or the fittest, but I am healthy.  I can't imagine being a sick mommy.  I am so thankful that I don't have to worry about not being able to be there for my kids 100% each and every day.

4.  My family (like my extended fam).  I am so lucky to have a wonderful family.  Yes, we have our issues, but I think everyone does.  Mostly we love each other and enjoy spending time together which I think says a lot.

5.  Jason's job.  It is true that I wish that the postman would just bring money to our mailbox each and every week without J having to work for it so that he could stay home and spend his time with us, but since we know that isn't going to happen, I am thankful that he has his job to go to everyday.  I am thankful that his boss is a kind and honest man who treats his employees fairly.  I am thankful that Jason enjoys his work and the people he works with and that he comes home in a good mood instead of a terrible one from hating his job!  And I am thankful that because of his job I can stay home with my kiddos.

6.  My house.  I complain sometimes about not having a bigger or nicer house, but the fact remains I have home in a nice area with electricity and indoor plumbing.  I am better off than most in the world. 

7.  My country.  I am thankful that I live in the USA.  I was watching the news the other day while Israel was being bombed and they showed a little girl run to her bomb shelter that was in her house and I was so thankful to live in a country where my kids know nothing about bombs or bomb shelters or any of that. 

8.  My church.  I love Church on the Move!  I love the kid's ministry, the preaching/teaching, the worship, all of it!  I am also pretty thankful that they are opening a satellite campus right by our house.

9.  MOPS.  I am so thankful that I decided to join and am beyond thankful for the friendships I have made!  I can't say enough good things about MOPS!

10.  Social media (facebook, pinterest, instagram and my blog).  I know, social media seems like a dumb thing to be thankful for, but because of f/b I am able to stay in touch with friends who live far away, because of pinterest I have found lots of fun recipes and crafts and through ig and my blog I have made new friendships!  Not everyone is a fan of social media, but I am and I am thankful to have a place to connect to people during this season of my life.

11.  The legacy of my grandparents.  For some reason I have been missing my grandparents a lot lately.  Perhaps just the time of year.  My grandma loved Christmas.  Whatever the reason, I am so thankful for the role they played in my life and for the example they set for their kids and grand kids.  I am so sad that my kids will never get to know them and sad they will never get to have the great memories of them like I do, but I am so thankful that I will have a million stories to share about what they did right that made such a lasting impact on me.

12.  My sister.  Yes, I know I already said family, but I am super thankful for her.  She is my bff and my life would not be as fun or as full without her.  She is a great encourager when I am feeling down and because she is such a great mom herself, I can always count on her to give me straight advice about parenting.  I only wish we had more time for sister stuff because we have such a great time together!

13.  My minivan.  I never, never, NEVER thought I would drive a minivan.  Then I had three kids.  I was so worried when I was pregnant with Lawson that we would never find a van that was nice, in our price range and wasn't going to have a lot of work that needed to be done.  God answered our prayers with that van and while it isn't the nicest, doesn't have the lowest miles or a DVD player, it is clean, safe and reliable.  I love my van and I am thankful to have it!

14. Pioneer Woman.  I know, I know.  This seems really crazy.  What kind of weirdo is thankful for Pioneer Woman?  Me.  I am that weirdo.  Sometimes when I am in the kitchen, cooking something new, I realize that it wasn't that long ago that I could only make tacos and spaghetti.  Now, I have the confidence to try things I have never tried before and have actually learned how to make many, many, many dinners that my family will eat.  The reason I have this confidence....Pioneer Woman.  Her cookbook and blog changed my life.  I told her that when I met her, that she had changed my life, and I meant it.

15.  The freedom to homeschool.  I haven't decided 100% that this is the route we will take with the kids.  But, it is nice to have the option.  I can't imagine not having this freedom. 

There you go, my first 15 in my list of 30 things to be thankful for.  What are you thankful for this month?