Thankfulness

Thanksgiving was not traditional this year for my family in that we weren't sitting around mom and dad's table eating all the traditional foods we have been raised to love. We didn't drive around looking at lights, set up the trees, play games, watch a Christmas movie together or any of the other many things we traditionally do together. I have always loved tradition and I have a lot of traditions from my childhood that I continue with my family. Rick and I have added some of our own traditions to our family and we love it that way! Our kids love planning on things and looking forward to the traditions each year. But, this year our Thanksgiving was not traditional but the main thing remained. We were together, albeit in a hospital room, but we were together and in many ways the time we got to spend together was priceless. We shared some funny memories, laughed, talked and just spent time together with the people we love. We prayed together, encouraged one another and supported each other throughout the past several days~We've seen and talked to so many friends~ I am thankful for that and even though Thanksgiving was yesterday, I have for sometime been trying to live in a state of thankfulness which is why this blog begain in the first place. So, I wanted to just jot down some of the many things I am thankful for each day!

I am thankful......

That Jesus died for me! I am forgiven and my eternal future with Him is secure!
That my children love Jesus and have received Him as their savior!
For God's word that I depend on daily!
For my health and the health of my family!
For Rick
For Hunter, Kyleigh, Addison and Preslie
For my childhood
For our life!
For my friends!
For Rick's job
For my ability to be home with my family
For great teachers
For a warm, comfortable home
For all of our many needs met daily
For chocolate!
For tradition
For freedom
For modern conveniences
For laughter - especially Addison's contagious laughter!
For the gift of being a mom

There is so much I am thankful for and I pray I daily live in a state of gratefulness. We are so blessed and I never want to take that for granted! I have a picture hanging in our den that says The things that make us happy are not things! So true. In many ways we have been given a huge gift this past week. We see how precious life is, even tho we've known it all along. I am thankful my dad is on the road to recovery. So thankful he is so strong and is rebounding so well! I look forward to him being home again soon and I look forward to our postponed Thanksgiving dinner! I look forward to continuing to make the most of each day and never looking back with regret about how we spent it! Cliche or not, each day truly is a gift!