Being Thankful on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time spent with family being thankful for all our blessings. I know that the Turkeys are thankful for our Turkey-Free Thanksgiving and I am thankful for life as well. I am thankful for so many things that I have decided to make a gratitude list this year.

- I am thankful for my husband who puts up with my not-so-normal ways..lol He has stood by my side for nearly 12 years now. How great to have a man that is so supportive of my views that he let me remove both TV and microwaves from our life...now that's love! He is a wonderful man that devotes every spare moment to being the family tickle monster,human jungle gym and playground builder all rolled into one huggable Daddy. He works hard so that I can stay home with our little brownies. I am so thankful that I my kids have such a wonderful Dad and that I have such a wonderful husband. 8)
- I am so very thankful for my three little brownies. My life is hectic and sometimes downright exhausting but I would not trade it for anything in the universe! I have three incredible children that love me unconditionally and that is God's greatest gift. They are full of love and kindness and I am so thankful they have such a close relationship with eachother I am thankful for their wonderful imaginations, creative love notes that I recieve daily, their hugs, sweet little giggles, their love for animals and Mother Nature and most of all the pureness in their hearts. When I hear them say their prayers thanking God for their family I am hit with just how blessed I am.
- I am thankful for my health and the health of my husband and kids. I have learned the hard way that without good health nothing else matters. I am reminded of this everytime I see a young child in a hospital bed, a teenage boy in a wheelchair or an older woman wearing a hat to cover a bald head that chemo has left behind. Everyday is a gift and we do not know what tomorrow will bring. So today I will thank God that we are healthy..
- I am thankful for my freedom. I know that it did not come free. I am thankful for those that fought for it and paid the ultimate price so that I can step into a church and pray without fear for my life. I am thankful for all of the men and women that to this day are fighting on a battlefield so that I can lay my head down peacefully at night.
- I am so very thankful for my parents. I am so blessed to have two wonderful parents that love me unconditionaly. I am very thankful for the way that they raised me and the support they have always provided me. I would be lost without the relationship I have with each of them. I have never doubted their undeniable love for me or had to worry about them not being there for me and that is the greatest thing a child could ask for. I am so very thankful for both of them.
- I am very thankful for my Granny, my rock, the woman I strive each and every day to be just like. As far back as I can remember she is the one person that I can turn to for advice. She has never judged me, tried to change me and always knows what to say to make me feel better. I would not be the person I am today if it had not been for her wisdom, unconditional love and her devotion to God. When I think of her presense in my childhood I think of her daily devotionals, her solid faith, and her teaching me about Christian love. She recently turned 86 and is still my rock. :)
I have a lot to be thankful for on this wonderful holiday. There really is too much to list. All thr little things that we take for granted each day. A warm home, clean water, local churches, money for food and clothes. All these things seem small to us but to those without this Thanksgiving they are huge blessings. I hope everyone has a wonderful thanksgiving spent with those you love most!! Happy Turkey-Free Day..lol