Thankful in 2009

It is Thanksgiving Eve, and we have a busy day tomorrow and Friday. As I've been cooking and working around the house, I've been thinking about what a lucky person I am. I wanted to share my top 9 things that I'm thankful for in 2009. (In no particular order...)

I'm thankful for...

1. For my husband, John. He is wonderful and I truly mean it! We've been married for 7 years and still enjoy being together. He is an awesome father to our children. I love you John.

2. Mitchell - my first born child. He is such a blessing in my life. He is such a sweet older brother. He has such a big heart.

3. Marshal - my little man. He is almost 8 months old and is going to start crawling soon. He is such a happy child and I can already tell that he is going to have a big heart like his brother.

4. My family - I have such wonderful parents, brother, and sister. My parents taught me what a loving relationship looks like and so many other things about life. They continue to be wonderful grandparents. In fact my mom keeps Marshal each day while I'm at work. It is such a blessing to know that he's with someone who loves him each day.

5. John's Family ... I know many people don't really get along with their in-laws but I love my in-laws! I enjoy spending time with John's family as much as I do my own. Being the oldest in my family, I  gained older brothers and sisters when I married John. We are really close to John's sister, his brothers and their wives, their children. I love that Mitchell and Marshal know their cousins so well.

6. Being saved by grace - The Lord Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior! I accepted Christ as a teenager and God is such a big part of my life. I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home and now our children are too. I pray for the day that Mitchell and Marshal will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

7. Shelter, food, the essentials- Many people are going through some difficult times right now. We are blessed to have a home and able to put food on the table. At school, I see it daily - students without their basic needs being met and it is so sad.

8. My co-workers- (This may seem weird) I'm blessed to work with such great people. Many of them love the Lord and it makes the day more enjoyable when you can relate so closely with the people you work with. The other teachers in my grade-level take care of each other. When I was out last year on bedrest they took care of my classroom so that I wouldn't have to worry about anything. It was not something that I asked them to do...they just did it because they care.

9. My grandmothers - I have two amazing grandmothers! Ma and Mawie you are both such a big part of who I am today. I'm thankful that I've been able to spend so much time with both of you. They, too, have set the example of a Godly woman in my life. You both mean the world to me!