What Am I Thankful For?

Photo by Sigmon Taylor Photography.

I do my best to remember to appreciate what I have every day.  It tends to keep my life in perspective, especially when I am going through hard times or am just feeling a little off.  Since today is Thanksgiving I have decided to share just some of what I am thankful for.

First and foremost I am thankful for my wonderful family, Chris, our three young men and now the three lovely young ladies who have become part of our family.  My family is my life.  They are the reason I get up every morning.  They are the reason I work so hard.  They are everything to me.

I am thankful for my boys.  Raising them has been the most amazing adventure I have undertaken.  I am thankful that I could be a stay-at-home mom for their early years and was able to share in all of their activities…sports, school plays, scouts and just general everyday stuff.  We managed to make it through the teenage years pretty unscathed and intact.  I am very thankful that they have grown into well-adjusted and promising young men.  Do they have it all figured out?  No, but they are all on a good path to becoming successful adults.

I am thankful for my wonderful partner in life, Chris.  He was a breath of fresh air when he came into our lives.  Getting into a relationship with me was no small feat.  I was definitely not looking for a relationship when he came along.  Not only did he manage to get into my soul, but he took on a huge responsibility.  I don’t know that there are many men who would have taken on an entire family at one of the most difficult periods of child-rearing…the teenage years.  Not only has he treated me like a goddess, but these boys have become his heart and he would do anything for their happiness.  We live together, work together, play together, and are pretty much together all day, every day, and we like it that way.  I couldn’t ask for a better partner to share my life with.

I am thankful that Joe has found a wonderful girlfriend in Bridget.  She has managed to ground him just a bit.  It is nice that he has met someone who “gets” him and is ok with his quirkiness and loves him for it.  I don’t know Kevin’s girlfriend, Theresa, all that well as we haven’t had much opportunity to spend time with her as of yet, but I am thankful for her as she brings a great deal of happiness into my son’s life.

I am thankful for John who has had a wonderful influence on our boys as both a friend and mentor.  It was so helpful to have an extra “parenting” influence when our boys couldn’t or wouldn’t listen to us.

I am thankful for Chris’s best friend, Wil, and my best friend, Jenn.  Even though we don’t see each other as often as we would like (that pesky thing called life) when we are together it’s as if we had never been apart.

I am thankful for my job.  While I sometimes get frustrated and am not always happy there, it has given us the opportunity to not only take care of our family but also the freedom to enjoy our family as well.

I am thankful for all the small pleasures in life that I am able to experience on a day-to-day basis even if it is something as simple as a seagull sitting on our car while we wait for the ferry or finding edible mushrooms as we walk through the woods.

I am thankful for the new lifestyle that we have adopted in the past year.  I have never been happier.  We love being able to go on a new adventure every month.  We love being able to explore all that the outdoors has to offer.  Those trips are our sanity and peace.

I am thankful for the bright and beautiful future that we have planned.  In less than a year I will start a new adventure with the love of my life.

I am thankful that I am able to live this ever-changing, roller coaster of an adventure that is my life.

2021 – This past year has been a whirlwind.  We are thankful for the opportunity we have had to travel and see the natural beauty this big country has to offer.  While life has not been perfect, it has been good, and we are happy.  We haven’t had the opportunity to travel much over the summer, but are now in a position to get back to our exploring.

All three boys are doing better than ever.  Joe has launched a career as a DJ, which he thoroughly enjoys.  Even better, Bridget has joined him in this venture.  It is a lot of fun to watch them play back to back.

Nick is studying to be a firefighter, something he has wanted since high school.  He has a lovely young lady, Jordan, in his life.  We are happy to have her as part of our family.

Kevin has also started a new career in construction and is doing very well.  We have had the opportunity to get to know Theresa and we absolutely adore her.

As this year draws to a close, we look forward to the future with high hopes and grand plans.