I am so thankful for...

....so many things.



1. I reflect today on just how blessed I am. Last year at Thanksgiving my little sister brought tears to my eyes as she prayed for a baby for us during the Thanksgiving blessing. I would never have guessed that just a year later we would be anxiously awaiting the arrival of our sweet baby girl. I am so very grateful for this miracle in our lives.



2. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband. It sounds so cliche, but he really is my very best friend in the world. There is no one I would rather spend my life with. He is always there for me, loves me unconditionally, and will be such a wonderful daddy. I love him for all of those things.



3. I am so grateful for my family. Both Jared and I were blessed to grow up in loving and supporting families. They have given us a wonderful model for what families should be, and a very stable base for starting our own family.



4. I am thankful that I have a job that I find to be very meaningful and fulfilling. Though my job can be very challenging at times, I enjoy it and I love the people that I work with. I realize that I am lucky to have a job that I find enjoyable and rewarding.



5. I am thankful for my health and the health of my unborn baby. I am also thankful that my family is healthy.



6. I am thankful for my friends. I have a wonderful group of sweet friends. Some who I have known for a very long time and some who I have known less. They all touch my life in different ways and I am grateful for them all.



7. I am thankful for my home. This is something that I know I take for granted on a daily basis, but today I reflect on how grateful I am to have a safe and warm home.

8. At this advice, I am also going to add something that I don't feel thankful for, but as I write this I realize that I am actually thankful for it. I am thankful for our struggle to conceive our baby. I know that I look at pregnancy and motherhood much differently than I would have if it had come easily. It makes me feel grateful for even the not-so-fun moments of pregnancy, and I have a feeling that it will carry over into some of the not-so-great moments in raising a child. I want to embrace even those moments, because there was a long time that I thought I would never have a chance at those moments.

Today I remember that I have so many things to be thankful for. I also remember those who are less fortunate than I am and I pray that I can find ways to help others not only during this holiday season, but throughout the year.