Thanks I Give Today

*I am thankful for my family- my gorgeous little girl who amazes me more each day; the loving husband who has been with me through thick and thin for eight years; my Mom who has supported me in every way she could for my entire life and who has grown to be one of my best friends; my Father who teaches me things, tells me what I need to hear, and gives me sound advice when I am down in the dumps; my step-parents, both of whom I adore incredibly- I think they are perfect matches for my parents, they have taught me so much, and I am beyond glad that they are in my life; my brothers, all of whom are unique and fun and loving, who could never be replaced; the family I have inherited from my hubby... I know everyone jokes about evil mother-in-laws and tragic family visits, but I truly love them and feel like I lucked out with my new extended family- I care deeply for each of you and I hope you already knew it. And the rest of my extended family, who I am closer with than most people- my cousins, who are some of my best friends, my Aunts and Uncles, who I have had so many fun times with, and the wonderful grandparents who helped spoil raise me. I am so happy to have you all today. I appreciate each and every one of you- thank you for being there, for living life along with us and bringing your own experiences to the table.

*I am so very grateful for the job I have now. Today is my one-year anniversary since I started this job! I love my position, my boss, my co-workers (except one, but we won't count him. *ahem*), and the company I work for. My job is stable and I work for a company that is in no danger of going under like so many others right now. I also feel like we truly do something meaningful (I work in the research field), which makes a huge difference to me. I am also grateful for the benefits my job provides- so many people right now are living without health care, and if we were in that boat right now, we would be seriously screwed. I won't go into why, but we REALLY needed the insurance. I sometimes think what would have happened to us if I didn't get this job, but it's a scary thought that I don't need to indulge, because THANKFULLY it's not the case. When I was pregnant, and after I had Ilyana, I couldn't find a job for a long time, but I believe it's because I was meant to end up here.

*I am grateful for my daughter's good health.

*I am grateful to have good food and a roof over our heads. It seems simple, but there are a lot of others right now just struggling to make ends meet.

*I am grateful that my husband found a position at a company that appreciates him and is quickly moving him up. I'm grateful that they see his potential and are giving him the opportunity to work with computers, which he has always wanted to do, even though he is self-taught.

*I am grateful that we are slowly working towards fixing our credit and ultimately achieving our goal of owning a home. Hopefully *fingers crossed* before Ilyana goes to school!

*I am grateful for the chance to shop celebrate and appreciate my friends and family on the holidays. *maniacal high-pitched voice* I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!

*I am grateful TO HAVE HEAT! WOOOOOOOoooooOOOOoooooOOOooo... Yeah, if you don't know about this little gem, you can read about the heat situation here

*I am grateful for my new camera to take photos of the people and things I love, for Dora the explorer, for dark chocolate, for Bavarian Wild Berry tea, for gifts from Mother Nature, for frozen strawberries (smoothies!), for Weeds and Worst Week and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia... for Soap & Glory, Origins and Old Navy.... For so, so much more... I could go on all day...

So, what about you? What are you thankful for today, in this moment?