What I'm Thankful for...

I know that if your family was anything like mine, you went around the Thanksgiving table and each person had to name at least one thing that they were thankful for. It's funny how our lists change over the years as well. I remember when I was little (8 years old or so), and I would mention that I was thankful for Barbies or some other kind of toy that I was obsessing about at that current time. But, we tend to realize as we get older that the important things to really be thankful for are not of material wealth or value but are of the love and relationships we have in our lives. We are truly so blessed and have SO many things to be thankful for! I'm going to narrow my list this year down to 10 things...Here goes:

I'm thankful for...


1. A wonderful, supportive, loving husband who is a strong Christian example to others as well as an amazing father to our precious daughter.

2. My sweet almost 10-month old baby girl, Lila!! I cannot even begin to imagine life without her, nor do I want to! She has brought so much joy into our lives, and continues to amuse us each and everyday with something new that she has learned.

3. Our family. Josh and I are blessed with amazing parents and siblings, who would give anything for us to move back home :) sorry, no can do (read onto my 5th point)! 

4. Grandparents! I am so thankful to have 3 living grandparents that are healthy, happy, and able to play and hang with our sweet and very busy Lila Boo. 

5. The Coast Guard. They frustrate the heck out of me most of the time (well maybe just some of the time!), but if it weren't for them, we wouldn't have this amazing life where we can live in many different areas, make many different friends that come from all around the country, have incredible insurance (gotta love military insurance!), and have tons of other benefits that come with being a military family. 

6. Our Home. In the midst of the recession and the housing market failure, I'm thankful to have a roof over my head, and not just any old roof. We are so blessed to have a beautiful house that is a home! There is so much love between these walls, and I just love the busy-ness of the day-to-day here with an almost walking baby and a golden retriever that is two years old but still acts like a new puppy.

7. Our dog, Chevy! Sometimes I'm not so thankful for him when he scratches off the dry wall or sheds his clumpy, yellow fur EVERYWHERE...but I don't know what we'd do without him. Heck, I don't know what we did do without him! I think Josh and I must have just stared at each other before we got Chevy to keep us on our toes. He is such a good dog, and Lila just loves him. He loves her back most of the time, but tries to steal our attention away from her. 

8. Our small group. Josh and I joined a small group back in September and have met five wonderful Christian couples that are coming together to grow in our faith. We look forward to each and every Wednesday when we all get together and discuss the study. We always leave there with our cheeks hurting from smiling and laughing so much, as well as with a sense of community in which we know we are being prayed for and supported.


9. Our church and our faith. I know I combined these two, but I'm running out of numbers! (This part should be #1 on the list--but the list isn't organized in order of emotional value) I'm so thankful for our Lord and Savior who gave His life so that we could live forever in Him. Every time I think about what He sacrificed for us, it brings me to tears, literally. It just blows my mind how someone could love us that much that He would be willing to end His own life just so we could live ours. It's incomprehensible to me! I'm also thankful that we have a place to worship Him and that we are free to do so in our country. 


10. This one I'm keeping to myself, but you can use your imagination :)