Gratitude

Many blogs I follow have had recent posts including what that blogger is thankful for, and I thought it was such a good idea with Thanksgiving tomorrow. While it is easy to get discouraged by the little struggles that pop up in our lives daily, it's important to take stock of all the things (big and little!) that we are thankful for. In my case....

(1)Two words….Alexandra Grace.

(2)That we live in a charming home that provides warmth and shelter for the little family growing within its walls.

(3)That we have our health.

(4)That Ryan and I are raising our daughter in a world where she can do anything she puts her mind to – while there is still a great deal of room to improve, the road for young women now is much better than it was 25, 50 or 100 years ago.

(5)That I am greeted each morning with sloppy and stinky kisses from our dog Pearl, a warm hug from my husband, and the sweetest smile that a mother has ever known.

(6)That I have an incredible support system, consisting of said husband, dog and baby girl; my wonderful parents, sister and in-laws; and a tightly knit group of girlfriends.

(7)That the price of gas has dropped to $1.66 a gallon and it no longer costs a small fortune to fill up the tank of my SUV!

(8)That I am the lucky sole recipient of my daughter’s first version of a “kiss” (she basically grabs the hair on either side of my head or both my cheeks, pulls me in close and then “bites” [no teeth yet] my bottom lip – sounds somewhat painful, but it is endearing!).

(9)Little "indulgences" like Caffeine Free Diet Coke, soft sweaters, my BlackJack, SIRIUS satellite radio, warm bread from Panera, and indulgent fashion magazines.

(10)That I am a Southerner, particularly a Kentuckian.