Thankful 2012

Disclaimer: This is a happy blog! Shocker, I know…

 

I figured I wouldn’t do the “I’m thankful for this” and post it on Facebook every day. I wanted to do a blog instead… This way I can elaborate more on each topic than I could in a Facebook status.

 

Day 1: First and foremost, I am thankful for my husband. He may irritate me and get under my skin every now and then, but what husband doesn’t? We have our obvious differences – gender, political affiliation, and things like that – but we also have a difference of opinion most of the time. Over the years, we’ve learned to tolerate each other and somewhat compromise. It’s harder than it sounds since we’re both incredibly stubborn people. But besides that he is my foundation, my support system, and my best friend. There will never be anyone else like him and I am thankful every day that he chose me to be his life partner.

 

Day 2: I’m thankful for the boys. Granted they aren’t biologically mine, but blood isn’t always everything… I know from experience. We are a family and that’s all that matters. 

Day 3: I’m thankful for our home. We live in an 1800 sq. ft, 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with an equal size basement. The house has a huge living room and an eat-in kitchen. The master bath has a Jacuzzi tub, a shower with two seats, a dual vanity, and two walk-in closets. Brian laid the brick walkway and the wood floors in the kitchen and laundry room himself. He also removed a concrete slab that was outside the garage door and we all worked to put down a new brick walkway in its place. We have hosted Brian’s family reunion the last two years and have had room for almost 80 people. Yes, it was slightly cramped, but well worth it.

 

I may fuss about wanting to live somewhere else, mainly because I want to be closer to town or closer to Brian’s work, but I still like the house that we have. We’ve turned it into a home.

Day 4: I’m thankful for my furry friends. My cat has been in my life through some really difficult times and sometimes was my “shoulder” to cry on when I needed it. I found Shadow in the middle of winter 2006. I worked at a fast food place and there were a bunch of feral cats that ate out of the dumpster. He had gotten into a fight with some of them over some food and they had attacked his tail. I fed him and he wouldn’t go away… he even kept trying to climb in the drive-thru window to get inside. So I took him home. When I moved back in with my parents after my ex and I split up, I couldn’t take my cats with me so Shadow went to the lady next door to my parents. After she moved out, I moved in. While I was bringing things into the apartment, my mom yelled for me… Shadow had walked up to her on her porch. I said his name and he came running back to me. At that point, I promised him I wouldn’t ever let him go again. A few months ago, he got an infection in his jaw bone and the vet told me it was likely bone cancer. He told me the best thing for him would be to put him down. The only reason he gave me antibiotics to try was because he had a slight temperature. If I had listened to the vet, I would have ended my cat’s life long before it was time for him to go. But I wasn’t going to give up on him like that, just like he didn’t give up on me.

Our dog was something that took a lot of “convincing” to Brian to get. He was avidly against getting a dog. But he finally gave in and we got Rico when he was 8 weeks old. He has been a member of the family since. We put in an invisible fence for him which gives him about 4 of 11 total acres to run around. He wrestles with Brian, is a pillow for the kids, lies in bed with us sometimes, and is afraid of the dark. But regardless of how sweet he is, he is still very alert and lets us know when there’s something around the house that shouldn’t be whether it be a bunny rabbit or someone walking through a neighboring field. He especially lets us know when there is a combine within hearing distance. He doesn’t bark at cars driving by… just combines.

Day 5: I’m thankful for my job. In these economic times, it’s hard enough to find a job, let alone stay with the same company for 4 years and have the ability to advance within the company. At this moment, I make enough to pay for health and dental insurance for the four of us, put 3% into a 401k, $250/month into a health savings account ($125 of that each month goes towards paying off Timothy’s eye surgery bill… more on that to come), $183/mo cell phone bill, $85/mo for phone and internet, $80/mo for student loans, $443/mo car payment, and $250/mo in gas. And I still have enough to spend about $300/mo on groceries, household items, etc. After that, there’s normally a little left over. None of that would be possible without my job so every day I’m thankful that I am able to contribute to our household.

Day 5: I’m thankful for my health. Even though I have had a struggle with my weight, I finally have it under control. I have a little more that I need to lose, but as of this morning, I have lost 55 lbs since March.

Day 6: I’m thankful for my family. Without them… all of them… and the decisions they’ve made, I may not be where I am today. That being said, there are certain people in my family that have been there for me through thick and thin. We may not see eye to eye all the time and may have gone periods of time not talking, but it’s nice to know that they’ll be there in the end.

Day 7: I’m thankful for my friends. It’s hard to find people that are true friends, and I think I’ve been fortunate in that area. I have friends that I don’t see as often as I would like but we can talk like the last time was yesterday. There’s a few people that actually understand me and it’s really nice to be able to have an ear to listen and to have people to unwind with occasionally.

Day 8: I’m thankful for Timothy’s sight. Last year, he had to have surgery on his eye. He had somehow managed to get something into his tear duct and it had gotten infected. His pediatrician told is initially that it was pink eye and prescribed medicine for it. The medicine hadn’t started working by the next morning, so back to the doctor he went. At that point, we were referred to a specialist at Dayton Children’s. He got more medicine there and needed to be seen again the next day. The medicine started working, but not enough to where the doctor was comfortable leaving it alone, so he was in surgery that week. Up until his follow up appointment the next week, he had told us that his vision was really blurry. But thankfully, his doctor was able to remove the infection and clean everything out without compromising his vision.

Day 9: I’m thankful for the boys’ overall health. Neither of them have any physical deformities or mental disorders. They are able to fit in normally, aside from normal peer pressure situations. They do not have to deal with extra challenges that would accompany a deformity

 

Day 10: I’m thankful for the boys’ teachers. Both of the boys have incredible teachers this year. Thomas has a teacher that is very understanding and patient which is great for him because he can be a handful at times. She’s figured out ways to get his attention and keep it. Timothy’s teachers are able to challenge him without it being too much. All of them are very open to new ideas and have the boys’ best interests in mind.

Day 11: I’m thankful for Springfield Ford. Without this place, Brian and I never would have had the chance to meet.

Day 12: I’m thankful for the boys’ individuality. They are both their own person. Timothy is the baseball/ tennis playing artist. Thomas is the football and baseball playing/ wrestling jock. They like a lot of the same things, but have their own individual likes and dislikes. Thomas is a cheese-a-holic. Timothy is anti-cheese (unless it’s white cheese or if it’s on “straight macaroni” or pizza. Thomas really doesn’t draw too well. Timothy can look at anything and draw it – and make it look just like the original. Timothy doesn’t like contact sports. Thomas loves sports, as long as he gets to knock some people around.

Day 13: I’m thankful for Brian’s job. Yes, it’s further from home than I would like and I dislike the time he has to spend driving, rather than at home with us. But it also is a means to support our family and I can’t complain about that.

 

Day 14: I’m thankful for my heritage. There are a lot of different kinds of European and some Native American. Granted I’m not into genealogy very much, but I wouldn’t be who I am without all of it.

Day 15: I’m thankful for my experiences. Some people reading this may think “she’s only 24, she couldn’t have experienced much”. It’s ok to think that, but the truth is, I’ve experienced a lot up to this point. Read my other blogs if you don’t think so.

 

Day 16: I’m thankful for Brian’s sobriety. Our relationship went through some serious trials while he was drinking. But I’m thankful every day that he made the decision to stop and followed through with it. He is a much better person because of it.

Day 17: I’m thankful for stability. As I said before, Brian is my rock… my foundation. I know he is here with me through everything – no matter if I’m right or wrong or if he’s right or wrong. We are in this marriage together and are stronger together because of it.

Day 18: I’m thankful for food… obviously… because I like it.

Day 19: I’m thankful for social networking. Sounds silly, I know. But it gives me a way to keep in touch with people that I wouldn’t normally be able to. I can follow my sister’s pregnancy this way. I can keep in touch and see pictures with my other siblings that don’t live around here and I can keep in touch with friends that are deployed.

Day 20: I’m thankful for mountains. I grew up in the mountains. There isn’t a season where the mountains aren’t absolutely beautiful. They are so green and lush in the summer and have the biggest variety of colors on the trees in the fall. Springtime brings all of the multi-colored wildflowers. And the snow on the bare trees is breathtaking.

Day 21: I’m thankful for Brian’s family. My family wasn’t the only ones that had an issue with our age difference… I know no one in his or my family expected us to work. But over time, my family has accepted Brian and I feel accepted into his. His family has been there for us more times than I can count. I appreciate them every day.

Day 22: I’m thankful for flowers. I love flowers, especially the ones in my garden. They smell delicious and are beautiful.

 

Day 23: I’m thankful for Brian’s ability to give me a perspective other than my own. I may not like his perspective all the time, but it at least gives me another side to look at.

Day 24: I’m thankful for technology. Technology has given me a shower, a toilet, my flat iron, washer and dryer, dishwasher, etc. Ok, so maybe I’m spoiled, but I like the amenities.

 

Day 25: I’m thankful for our material possessions. I know, I know… material items aren’t everything. But there are a lot of people out there that don’t have much, so I’m thankful for what we do have.

Day 26: I’m thankful for my sanity. Granted, it may temporarily leave… but I don’t have dementia or some other kind of serious break from reality – regardless of what my husband tells you!

 

Day 27: I’m thankful for chocolate. This one should be self-explanatory. It helps me during certain times of the month. And it’s delicious.

 

Day 28: I’m thankful for the sun. Yes, for the basic things such as it’s needed to support life in general, but it puts me in a good mood for the most part.

Day 29: I’m thankful for my past. Everything that has happened and has not happened has led me to this point in my life. I love my life and the people that I choose to have in it. But if one thing had gone differently, my life could be at a very different place.

Day 30: And finally, I’m thankful for Brian’s past. This one and the previous one go hand in hand. If he had not made the choices he did or had been in a different place at a different time, we may not have ever had the chance to meet.