With Thanksgiving In My Heart

If you live in America, you know that this week we celebrated Thanksgiving.  Some people think it's a day marking a time in history of mass genocide, celebrated by gluttony and waste. To me, it's a day that I get to spend with family I may not otherwise see, eating food I don't usually get to eat.  It's time set aside that I might not otherwise prioritize for.  Though I'm thankful every day, this is a time where I focus on all of God's blessings.
I always get a little nostalgic around the holidays, so if you'll indulge me.  This past year has been amazing for me.  In April, my dream of being a mom was realized.  It didn't happen the way I'd always hoped and dreamed of.  God had better plans.  In September, I was able to quit my job, where I made a very good wage doing work I loved.  My dream of being able to stay home to care for a child had finally come true.  To say that I am thankful for these events is a gargantuan understatement.
Every day, I am thankful for my husband.  He loves me (the good, the bad, and the ugly), takes care of me, spoils me.  He provides for my needs and wants and supports me in following my dreams.  Without him the previously mentioned life events would not have happened.  I'm so glad he said yes when I asked him out 19 years ago and thankful I said yes when he asked me to be his wife 11 months later.
Every day, I am thankful for the little girl God has entrusted to us for this time in our lives.  Every morning when I go to get her out of her crib, she greets me with squeals and smiles.  Even though it seems she's always sick (right now we're dealing with hand/foot/mouth disease), I would rather have a baby who may get sick easily than have no child at all.  I am thankful that this year, my husband and I were able to go to ToysRUs and buy Christmas gifts for our kiddo.  Did we go overboard?  Most likely.  Did we have a blast doing it?  Definitely.  I'm so thankful we had a baby to buy for this year.  I finally get to see a little one opening gifts on Christmas morning.  I finally get to experience the joy and wonderment of the holidays thru the eyes of a child.  For the first time in well over 25 years, I'll put out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa.  These are things that some people take for granted that I've yearned for years.  I am so very grateful that God saw my sorrow and heartache and was merciful to bless us with a child.

So very grateful