This year, I am thankful for:

1.    My great husband, lovely kids, supportive family and wonderful friends.

 

2.    Our brand new car. We’d been searching and researching for that perfect one. It took almost as much time, resources, determination, abilities, hope and willingness to walk that extra mile that took us in finding each other, 11 and a half years ago.

 

3.    My new blog. I’d been trying to post in my blog for a year now. Just got stuck at the thought, “What if I exhaust all my thoughts after the first 10 posts? Would I have anything left to say? What if nothing interesting happens in my life after I start the blog? What if I have all these amazing ideas for posts and not enough time to actually post them?” And finally a day after thanksgiving I said, “What if I don’t have a blog…ever”? Ladies and gentlemen, introducing, “Thoughts and Keystrokes”!

 

4.       My 8 year old son who punched my nose so hard in the middle of the night, while fast asleep, that he permanently knocked off the troublesome bump above my new piercing and solved my puzzlement – to keep or not to keep the nose ring.

 

5.    My 5 year old daughter, who, so ruthlessly proclaims that “her daddy is the best and he’s the boss of the house and he can do whatever he wants”. Thanks honey, for constantly reminding me of another little cheerleader thirty years ago who always sang the glory of her hero, daddy. Yeah, that was me and, wait till you have a daughter of your own.

 

6.    My sometimes untidy house with loads of clean laundry waiting to be folded, kitchen full of done dishes waiting to settle in their respective spots, wet mop waiting to be used, expensive dress waiting in my closet for that one perfect occasion, child’s reading log waiting to be filled…all constant reminders of a great blessing - to have a roof and four walls to cover all these imperfections of my life.

 

7.    Friday nights when my kids dash to spread comforters and pillows on the game room floor for a movie and co-sleeping night, a tradition we started about 4 years ago. My husband and I get traded, shared, tossed around like a stack of poker chips while who sleeps next to whom negotiations are in progress. Sure we’re all uncomfortable and sore from sleeping on the floor between two squirming, giggling, fighting, snoring kids, but the contentment and the sense of security it brings, makes it all worthwhile. Thank God for Fridays!

 

8.    Morning coffee in peace is my biggest guilty pleasure. It tears me up from inside if I have to finish my coffee in a rush, as it gets cold in the mug; I’d rather skip coffee that morning. Kids leave the house at 7.30 AM, I pour my coffee at 7.32 - laptop, morning news and liquid angels in a mug…3 steps to paradise. “Can you leave a message, Mr.President”? 

 

How was Turkey Day, y’all? Had fun?