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Thankful

I have so much to be thankful for today (and every day).  I am fearful to write this post because I am going to forget so many things and I'm going to not mention so many people that I'm afraid of hurting someone's feelings, but I'm going to overcome those fears and say what I woke up thankful for this morning.

My family.  For sure!  I'm thankful for Andy and that he is willing to stick it out with me day after day. I'm thankful that he knows I need encouragement and support and he gives it to me.  I'm thankful for my first born, Hays.  He has been a great and easy child and now teen and I'm thankful that we can laugh together and dream together.  I'm thankful for Maggie and her friendship.  I'm thankful that she trusts me and I'm thankful for her childlike spirit even though she is growing up so fast.  I'm thankful for Tiki.  I know that God has him in our family for a reason--for many reasons and I am thankful that he is stretching me out of my comfort zone.  I'm thankful that Dax loves me so much and likes to snuggle with me and really is aware of my emotional needs.  I'm thankful for the laughter Gabby brings to our family.  I'm thankful for her love and the way she brings Andy out of his shell!

I'm thankful for my dad and the way he loves me and really wants to know my heart.  I'm thankful for my mom and the dear friend she has become.  I'm thankful for the way she has given such a huge effort to be there for me even when it pulls her out of her comfort zone.  I'm thankful for Andy's dad and the consistent support and love I know he gives me.  I'm thankful for Andy's mom and the big way she loves and supports me in whatever I'm doing.

I'm thankful for my siblings and their spouses and kids.  I wish our relationships were closer and I wish we saw each other more, but I'm thankful for my big extended family (on both sides).

I'm thankful for my British family--the Bowrings.  I love them so much and I am so thankful that God connected us more than twenty years ago and gave me British parents and British siblings.  Lyndon, Celia, Daniel, Emma and Andrew (and now Hannah and baby to come), I love you all so much!

I'm thankful for my cousins and that they are friends.  I'm thankful for Cody and Lori and their girls.  I'm thankful that our families are close and that our kids are friends.  I love them so much!  I love that Cody is one of my dear friends and that Lori is one of the sweetest people in my life!  I'm thankful for my cousin Chelsea and her family and that our families love each other kids and all.  I'm thankful for her sense of humor and honesty!

I'm thankful for friends.  My forever friends who have been in my life for twenty or more years and who have seen me grow and laugh and cry and change and who are still here for me no matter what and no matter the distance.  I'm thankful for my new friends that have been put in my life just this year through grad school (I really love my cohort from all over the world) and through my new business.  It has been such a joy to reconnect with a couple of girls from college who I would have never reconnected with and now I feel like I have dear new friends in them.  I'm thankful for Luke and that we work together so well.

I'm thankful for my jobs.  I'm thankful for my home.  I'm thankful for my dog.  I'm thankful for the places I get to go and the fun things I get to do.  I am so blessed and so loved and so happy and my heart is overflowing with thankfulness today and every day.  Nothing in the world is better than family and I have a wonderful one.  Who could ask for anything more?

The past 14 months have been my "yes" months and I've loved that.  I want these next months to be "thankful" months and I really want to intentionally focus on all I am thankful for each day.

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