I'm thankful for...

I am completely stealing this from my friend Chris. (See his blog by clicking on Xsturmination in my blog roll.) He created a list like this on his blog & I loved it! I am always intrigued by different ways people can express their gratitude & this is such a fun way to do it. Write your own on your blog & let me know when you do it. I'd love to see your list!

Things I am thankful for (in alphabetical order), some serious & some silly--enjoy!

A healthy marriage. The older I get, the more I realize how rare that is. And the more willing I am to work hard to keep it that way!

Boy child. He changes my perspective every day and brings so much laughter to my life. Seeing the changes in his heart, mind & body surprise me, overwhelm me, and move me. So grateful that God gave me 1 boy...even if I will never completely understand him. (Seriously...boy brains are wired SO much different than girls'!)

Children. My own & the ones I teach. So much potential, so much promise in them. Could anyone name anything that sounds more beautiful that a child's giggles?

Differences. Growing up, I mostly only knew people who were just like me. The older I get, the more I meet people who are different. I learn so much from those people, good & bad.

Every person who has been a part of my life, whether in a good or bad way, in my past. You helped shape me into the person I am today. Thank you.

Friends who love me despite all my weirdness & who love my kids like their own.

Girls (the ones I am raising). I love seeing the world through their eyes, watching them grow into beautiful young women.

Hands. To touch, hug, caress, rub, lift, stir, mold, climb, fold, type and more!

Insects. Seriously, I love the week my class studies bugs at the preschool. I am so totally a 10 year old boy in this regard. Engaging their little minds and eyes while they are either totally intrigued or completely grossed out is awesome! And I love watching my son's face when I pick up a slug or a worm or whatever in front of his friends. It's like he's nudging me & saying "Way to be cool, mom."

Joy. Based on nothing circumstancial, completely & soley given by a loving God who fills me with it because of who I am in Him, where I stand eternally and what He's done for me. Joy that doesn't change from day to day based on what's going on in life. It only comes from one source.

Kisses. The ones from friends (on the cheek, y'all!), from my kids, the ones I give to EVERY baby I've ever held...it's instinctive, I swear....and the ones from my adorable squishy-lipped husband.

Larry. There is absolutely NO way in a million bazillion years that I could summarize all the reasons I am thankful for him. The laughter, the tears, the years of struggles lived through together, the memories we've made, the family we have built......so much! I love you, baby.

Music. Nothing speaks to my soul more deeply when I am in the middle of a trial. Specifically music full of Scripture that drives me to my knees, that pushes me to worship despite my pain & through my struggles.

Newspaper. Specifically, the one that hired me to write a weekly column back in January. It tickles me to no end to write about my crazy life & hear that people are actually reading it.

Open relationships with all 3 of my kids. They know there is no subject that is taboo. Sometimes that means I get to squirm a little or blush or have to ask them to give me a minute while I google it (ha!) but they know we can talk about anything.

Puzzle books. I love logic puzzles, framework/fill-ins and sudoku puzzles. Books full of math/logic puzzles make me purr. I figure everyone has at least one geeky pleasure. Right?

Quick wit. My husband's. He can make me laugh til I snort...and he does on a regular basis. Usually because of something completely inappropriate or stupid. Or both. I love this guy!

Random acts of kindness. I love hearing stories of things people have done. Being on the giving or receiving end makes my heart flutter. Just an example that I loved reading about: http://www.momtog.com/2011/11/31-on-my-31st/ If you hear stories of people performing (or receiving) random acts of kindness, email me! I'd love to hear about it! Lizreeves2@aol.com

Solitude. I am such a homebody. The hours at night when the rest of the house is quiet, where I can read, write, sit still & pray. Powerful stuff, folks.

Theater. And I don't mean the ones you'll find on Broadway in New York. (although I'm sure those are great, too.) I'm referring to the movie theaters that my sweetie & I and our family go to see movies in. We don't go too often, but it's always a treat when we do.

Umbrellas. I have enough trouble with having naturally curly hair & having it go frizzy without having to worry about getting drenched walking to the car.

Vans, specifically mini-vans. I've been driving one since 2001. Not such a fan of the Ford Windstar, but I've loved my Honda Odyssey & Kia Sedona. They fit my family without being the gas hog of a Suburban or Tahoe.

Work. Larry & I both have jobs. So many don't. We may not be rich, but every need is covered.

Xrays. So maybe it's the only X word I could think of right off the top of my head, but you've gotta admit that Xrays are pretty cool. I'm thankful that the technology exists!

You. Seriously, if you read this blog on any sort of a regular basis, I am blessed & honored. I'm kind of amazed that anyone reads it at all. Ya know, other than my mom & I think she's bound by some sort of mommy code to read it every time I post. :) Love you, mom!!

Zebras. Because it's the only "Z" thing I could think of right now. And zebras are cool. God has a pretty neat way of showing us his creative, artsy side in funky animals like zebras, don't ya think?