I am thankful

So my sister and some others have been doing this cool blog posting thing where they post something they are thankful for everyday for the month of November. I thought it was a totally cool idea, and although I have many things to be thankful for, I had to be real with myself - I knew I would not be posting everyday and I would constantly be playing catch up and it would just cause me more stress. And obviously, as you can tell from my total lack of blog updates lately, that it has just been one of those months and I am just wondering when it all slows down. But, I am thankful for so many things - so I thought I would share a few with you on this quiet Thanksgiving night.

First off I am very thankful for my boys. They make me smile, laugh, and cry daily, they push me to be a better person. I love them!

I am also thankful that I have the ability and the means to take care of them. Many, many times when I am up at night rocking a baby, holding my boy waiting for the tylenol to kick in, or sitting in a steamy bathroom with one of them trying to avoid another asthma attack - I think about all the mothers and children I have worked with in other countries. I have it so easy! How would it be to have this sick, crying child and live in a one room hut, with no water, no medicine, none of the things we take for granted. My husband has a job and I get to stay home and care for my kids. When they get really sick, we can take them to our doctor, the insta-care, or if all else fails we can go to the ER. I am so thankful for these things!

Guatemalan girl helping her mother sell crops at the market

Going along those same lines, I am thankful for my home and the comforts I have. I have seen so many with less and sometimes I feel ashamed at the things I think I "need". But I do love my home, I love my yard, I love my neighborhood, I love that we live on a cul-de-sac, I love Corbin's school. I am so blessed!

working on a two room house in El Salvador

the shelter it was to replace

I am thankful for this country, for the rights we have, for our government (yes, I said that I am thankful for our government), and for what the future holds. For anyone who has ever lived or spent time outside of the US, you know how much we have to be grateful for. This is starting to sound like diatribe on how our country is so much better than others and that we have so much more. Maybe it is just the way I think about things. I am grateful for all these things and I think sometimes it takes seeing the other side to make us realize what we have.

For example, sleep, I would love to put in here that I am thankful for a good night's sleep - but it has been a long time since I have even gotten a decent night's sleep, but now when I do get it, I know I will be very, very grateful. And in an effort to get closer to achieving that ever sought after sleep, I am going to simply list a few more things that I am grateful for (more for my benefit than yours, but I hope you will read them and feel the same).

I am thankful for:

• my husband
• my sister (and the rest of my family, of course)
• my parents
• my friends - new and old
• my in-laws
• modern conveniences (dishwasher, vacuum, telephone, online-everything, washer/dryer, etc, etc.)
• education
• opportunities to serve
• working with people I can learn from
• people who are willing to work in low-paying, under-appreciated jobs (teachers, garbage men, etc.)
• ability to stay connected with friends and family (I guess that goes along with internet, etc)
• music and people who share it
• hot baths
• food storage
• I think I could keep going forever . . .

Happy Thanksgiving!