Blessings

As Thanksgiving is once again upon us I want to take a moment and reflect on some of the many blessings in my life. For whatever reason I have been reminded more of the many blessings in my life this year. 2009 has been a very tough year for us and thru the tough journey's we've been on I remember more and more what really counts and how lucky and blessed we really are!

So with that 10 Blessings in my life that I am Thankful for:

10) A wonderful home to call my own. There is still so much that I would like to see done to it, but it is ours! It is warm and cozy and is big enough that we can grow our family in it. Almost everything in the interior is still new and we have a yard full of projects to keep us busy! I love my big bedroom! I feel safe in it and it fits our needs perfectly!

9) Living in the land of opportunity. I do not understand why God blessed me with a life of opportunity and security, but am so glad He did! A place where I can worship God without hiding or facing persecution. A place where I can earn good money and seek numerous opportunities. A place where we go to bed every night safe and secure because other's are protecting us.

8) Our jobs. As much as I do not enjoy my job, I am thankful for it. It has provided us with numerous opportunities. It allowed us to get married while Peter was still in college. It allowed us to buy our first home. It has allowed us to pay off lots of debt and it has also allowed us the opportunity to adopt a child! The way they have treated us employees with integrity and honesty when a lot of company's are doing the opposite right now truly makes me proud of the company I work for! I am thankful that Peter works for a company who treats him great! I am thankful he only had to endure 6 weeks of unemployment when other's have faced far worse. I am thankful I have a husband who loves what he does!

7) Our puppies. Our animals truly do bring us happiness. I love my unique little hairless boxer. I love how she always tries to sneak up on the bed in the middle of the night. I love how she always give me the sad eyes when I talk to her. I love how her whole body wiggles when she wakes up in the morning and how excited she is to face another day! I love how she curls up under blankets. I love how she curls her little tail to keep it from hitting things :) I love my little boy puppy! I love how he truly loves me and gets so excited to see me. I love that he always wants me to carry him. I love that he is spoiled rotten. I love his green eyes. I love how he runs around like a crazy dog! I love that he growls at Peter when Peter tries to move him away from me :) They really do add so much fun to our lives!

6) I am thankful for a birth mother who is going to give us the greatest gift! I am so happy that she carried this child. I am so thankful that she will continue to care for this child for days after birth. I am so thankful that she is going to make the most difficult decision a woman ever could make and give her child up in the hopes that someone else could give her child more opportunities. Truly an amazing woman!

5) I am thankful for in-laws who truly treat me like part of their family! They listen, they encourage, and accept me. Not many people are so lucky with their spouse's family. I really feel like I have been accepted like a daughter as part of the family! When I married Peter I inherited 2 more sets of grandparents and 2 more brothers! They are willing to take care of the grandpuppies on a daily basis and they enjoy having us be a part of their lives! They are looking forward to being grandparents and offer encouragement on this adoption journey as they just walked this road a few years ago.

4) I an thankful for my family. They gave me a solid foundation in my faith. They support us and pray for us constantly. They can't wait for us to bring our baby home and they pray for our adoption and our baby all the time. I have 2 adorable niece's who have been a constant source of happiness for the past 8 years. I could not love and care about these 2 little girls anymore and I would do anything for them! I am thankful that I get to be an aunt again in just 6 short weeks (not that I'm counting!) I am thankful to be part of a family who loves me and cares about me. I am thankful that they have also accepted Peter as part of their family!


3) I am Thankful that I get to be a mother. I have wanted this for so long and knowing that I have a child out there in this world and my dream is going to come true makes me truly joyful! I am thankful God asked us to take this journey through adoption. I am thankful for an awesome agency who walks with us and offers encouragement every step of the way! I am thankful that God has picked out a baby specifically for our family! I am thankful that I am going to get to see my baby very soon and hold him/her in just a few short months. I am thankful that God has provided "special mothers" who will care and love on my child until I am able to take over. I am glad that I can rest in peace knowing my child's needs will be me while we wait.

2) I am thankful for the most amazing husband! I am so thankful that bus broke down 5.5 years ago :) I am thankful that he takes his role as my husband seriously. He is my best friend and so much more! He provides diligently for his family. He takes care of things around the house. He is always there to offer a hug and an encouraging word. We've weathered some really tough storms in the past year but he has not faltered. He takes his commitment to me very seriously. He trusts me and thinks I am capable of anything. He has the most amazing faith in God! He is honest! He is loving! He has the biggest dimples :) He is truly my life-mate and I love him so much and can't imagine life without him! He is looking forward to being a daddy and is already taking that role seriously. He can't wait to learn how to care for our baby! He already loves this baby so much and my heart melts when he prays for our baby! I know he is going to be an amazing father and our child is already getting a great daddy!

1) I am so thankful for a God who loves me and adopted me! I am thankful that he forgives me over and over and over again and welcomes me back into his arms. I am thankful that I am allowed a personal relationship with him. I am thankful for a Savior who suffered and died so that I can live with him. I am thankful that He desires and pursues me and is patient with me. There is no God like our God!!!