caution: CHEESE alert

on a day like today, one which is set aside for everyone to actually give thanks, i thought i would do just that and rattle off the top of my head the things i'm thankful for tonight.

1. dr. pepper. cut me some slack. it's the first thing that came to my mind. (is that sad?)


2. my brother and his family. i love that i have ALWAYS gotten along with my brother and that now we have become friends. i LOVE his wife and my nephew and nieces. and i love that even though we only see them once a year, my kid still thanks Jesus for them every other night. yay...we get to see them in a month! (

(wow, what a cool aunt i appear to be!) :)


3. brad's brother's family, who we got to spend today with. i'm thankful that i get along SO well with my sister-in-law, and that henry knows who his cousins are.
   
   
4. my in-laws. i absolutely love my father-in-law. he is so fun and always makes me feel so special. and my mother-in-law is the most excited person in my life. meaning, i don't know a soul who gets more excited about the good things going on in my life or the lives of my spouse or children.



5. my mom and dad. my mom lets me call her every morning (sometimes more often) to talk about nothing or everything. we talk so often that when henry picks up any phone, he says in a very serious voice, "i better call nana." and then there's my dad. gosh, he is wrapped around my little finger. he would go to the ends of the earth and back for me, and i love him for his quiet spirit. sweet ace.



6. my friends. some that i have spent time with recently: kelly, who i miss on a daily basis and wish that we could go grab a burger together right this very minute; weentrab, who i have my girl crush on; bff, who is on vacation and i miss terribly; biscuit, who i have a tendency to cross the line with; kerri, who endures a LOT with me and my child and who loves me anyway; and my sweet marino, who makes me smile just thinking about her. if you are not listed, forgive me. i am sleep deprived and just want to get this posted.


7. thomas the tank engine empire. it is the very reason that my non-speaking child began to communicate.



8. my car. that it's seen me through almost every life change. college, grad school, st. louis, kamp, my move to dallas, marriage, 1st child, 2nd child. and it continues to be SO reliable. again, i'm sure it seems so trivial, but these are things i think about on a regular basis.


9. the pharmacist at kroger. gosh, she makes my day. we get a lot of medicine there. (sad that she knows us.) but she makes my experience there so wonderful. thanks, meg.


10. my camera. with it, i can capture and save memories that i wouldn't be able to do otherwise. i have been able to watch henry grow up on my computer and can now see greta do the same thing. (thanks to buz and my parents for the gift and for weentrab for constantly teaching me.)


11. the hospital in ft. worth. because of them, my husband recovered from something very scary this summer.


12. my ob, dr. brough. the dearest man, who successfully and safely delivered both of my children. i am forever grateful to him for keeping me calm.


13. our pediatrician. "doble boble" is the best. for henry to run the entire length of the hallway into his arms and kiss him and tell him that he loves him. i mean, are you serious? trust me, we used to visit the office quite frequently. scary to think what we've spent in copays. :)


14. our ENT. he did the best job on henry's tubes, and because of those tubes, henry started talking almost instantly. hasn't had an ear infection since last october.



15. my big h. he is the reason for all my gray hair. and he is the reason for the joy in my heart as i write this. he is the reason behind most of my smiles during the day. he thanked Jesus tonight for lightning mcqueen. i love this kid. we drove home last night from an attempted family dinner, and he said, "mama, i am really, really sleepy. i prolly just need to go night night, ok?" and if you haven't heard this kid's voice before, oh how it melts my heart.



16. big h's communication, thanks in part to our buddies over at ECI. because of henry's communication, he is a much happier (and more independent) little boy. and we are happier knowing exactly what he's saying.


17. goo. period. she makes my life bright. her smiles are so few and far between because of her chubby little face. but wow, when you get one or two at a time, i can't help but cry at her. i am sure she thinks i'm the most emotional person around, but i just get so overwhelmed with her. i LOVE buying girl clothes. (buz doesn't like that i love buying girl clothes.) :)





18. buz. oh my sweet, sweet buz. i'm sure by now you all are sick of hearing about him. but i can't help myself. i love the socks of this catch. i mean, i am sitting at this computer with tears in my eyes because i realize EVERY DAY how blessed i am to have him in my life. not only to have him in my life, but to have 100% of him every day. he gives everything to me, big h, and the goo. i can say with all the confidence in the world that there is no place he would rather be than with the 3 of us. who knew that when i started at Presby Dallas and oriented with the ONE MALE social worker (and thinking that he was gay), i would fall so madly in love with him.

(seriously, who is that fox???)


19. finally...my Savior. without Him, i would NOT be where i am today. i wouldn't have the peace that passes all understanding. everyday, i know that whatever happens, i am resting in the palm of the hand of the almighty God. i'm sorry...are you kidding me? technically that could be the only thing on my list and i would be ok with that. thank you, Jesus, for giving me life eternal.

happy thanksgiving to all of you!