For these I am thankful

This time of year everyone looks at the things in their lives that they are grateful for. I am truly blessed with the people and multitude of things that I have everyday.

For these I am thankful....

Shane- he loves me no matter what and puts up with all the crazy ideas I think of. He deals with my obsession of holidays and traditions and supports the decisions I make. He is a fabulous dad to Lincoln and a provider for our family. He makes me laugh (and usually when I don't want it) and strives to live out his commitment in our marriage.
Lincoln- This boy brightens my day daily. He is quite the jokester and I love his silly personality that he is developing.

My family- I seriously have the greatest family ever. Anytime we are together there is lots of laughs and fun. I wish I could live even closer to all my family because I am sad when we part ways.

(Sorry this picture is missing a family member, Isaac. For some reason blogger wouldn't upload one of our professional pics that we took that has everyone in it. He did make this post though!)

This is typical for our family gatherings, as many people that can fit on a little couch and that is the desired spot.

My parents- They have always been my greatest encouragers and led to make the right decisions in life. There are many times even now as an adult that I turn to my parents to advice and guidance. They have accepted Shane as one of their own and supported our little family through the tough times.

My nephews and niece- These kiddos make life so fun. Eli and Phoebe showed me what loving a child really meant. I love that Lincoln loves to be with his cousins and is learning to say their names. Eli is a great big cousin and enjoys spending time with his cousins, no matter their young age. This group of kids makes me smile.

My in-laws- I was blessed with not only a great family but I married into one as well. I really was blessed with the my in-laws because I know so many who can't even get through a holiday with theirs. They have accepted me into their family from the beginning and supported Shane and I from the beginning.

I tell Shane a lot that we are part of a minority with both of us coming from a family of non-divorce. At our wedding, both sets of parents were still married and grandparents as well. I feel like Lincoln will have such a legacy to look to for what true commitment looks like.

Modern medicine- Lincoln would be as healthy and normal as he is today (or possibly even here at all) without the knowledge and advance technology doctors today have. We were truly blessed with the staff that was in the operating room when Lincoln was born because one nurse knew instantly of his condition. His surgeon was a blessing. He not only fixed Lincoln's esophagus but was caring and compassionate with Shane and I as new parents. Lincoln has had his share of surgeries in his short 2 years and I am blown away each time by the knowledge and skills of the doctors.

Our home- I love our house. It is big enough to grow in but not too big to clean. Shane and I work hard and love that we can afford this house. I can't wait to see Lincoln and his siblings grow up in this house and create memories like I did in my childhood home.

All my girlfriends- I have some pretty awesome friends. As I have started having babies and a career, I realized my true friends were the ones who I didn't have to talk to every day and we could pick up right were left off the last time. I have friends from childhood who know my past and share all the crazy stories of being pre-teens and teenagers with. Learning to drive, early boyfriends, high school drama, and so much more is shared with these friends.

My college friends are different from my childhood friends. They were my second family for 4 years. We shared late nights, Saturday morning chats in our beds of the nights before, pledging, trying to juggle the "stress" of college and just getting by without our parents in the same house. I love these girls and I am sad that I don't see them often enough.

My school friends are the ones who know me pretty much as a mom and teacher. This group of ladies were my first team and they helped me become the teacher I am today. They saw me struggle those first couple of years and I learned so much from them. I loved having lunch with them everyday and sharing about our daily lives. We would spend half a work day (no students) just talking and then have to ban each other from our rooms or we would get nothing done. These ladies came to my rescue when Lincoln was born and didn't make me worry about what was going at school when I was trying to deal with Lincoln. I miss these friends so much!

I think friends are harder to come by the older you get. You probably have fewer but they are the best for you.

Lincoln's daycare- I am truly thankful for the daycare he attends. It is a huge relief to know that when you drop your baby off somewhere that he is getting the BEST care possible. He loves going to school and will talk about his friends all night long. The staff there is amazing and it shows that they truly love their job and it's not just a paycheck. These ladies really will never know my gratitude to them fully.

My job- Teaching has always been what I wanted to do. I have had the privilege to work at two great schools. There are days were I am not thrilled about being there but I am thankful that I have a job that allows me to enjoy what I do. It allows me time off with my little dude.

Fall/ Winter- I love the cooler months. I would rather deal with snow and cooler temps than heat year around. Don't get me wrong, I love to swim in the summer but the weather now is perfect. Sweatshirts, scarves, jeans, boots and cuddling on the couch on a cold day is amazing.

DP and sweets- I really don't know if I will ever be able to not eat sweets or drink DP for long periods of time. They are simple pleasures that sometimes make the day better.

Even when I don't say it enough, I know I am blessed everyday.