Happy Thanksgiving!

I, of course, am going to be cliche and do a post about all the things I'm thankful for. Because I really do have a lot to be thankful for this year.

1. I'm thankful for my family. I have a wonderful, funny, charming husband who is one of the most active father I know. I have 3 beautiful children who are all very healthy and strong. This was the year that I had our last child and I'm thankful to have baby Elizabeth in our lives. She has completed our family and enriched all of our lives. Lucas keeps us laughing and on our toes. Zachary is the sweetest kid and lets us know all the time how much he loves us, and the feeling is mutual.

2. I'm thankful for my job. After much concern this year about Chuck and I both being laid off, it didn't happen. So while I don't necessarily like my job, I am thankful that I have one that allows me to work the hours I do so I get maximum time with my kids and allows us to raise them ourselves.

3. I'm thankful for my friends. I've been attempting to keep in better touch with my friends. I feel like I'm reaching back into being Lisa again...instead of just Mom. I don't know why that switch so suddenly (midlife crisis maybe?) but I'm enjoying having those adult conversations with good friends.

4. I'm thankful for email...because without it I wouldn't be having such conversations with friends...I enjoy having my nightly or bi-nightly email chats with Matt and Dave.

5. I'm thankful for our financial place right now. We are doing much better than we have in the past...especially with Christmas so close. Normally I'm scrambling to get things paid for and robbing Peter to pay Paul. This year we are already almost done with Christmas shopping all together and having enough money every month to do #6 on my list..

6. I'm thankful for our monthly date nights. This only recently started but I love it. I look forward to our date night every month...and in December we get TWO date nights. Yay! It's so wonderful to reconnect with my husband and be goofy and silly and crazy again.

7. I'm thankful for my home. Because even though it's small, we have a home. After the tornado ripped through our town late this summer, I'm all the more grateful. I know what I could have lost and we didn/t Plus, they say love grows better in small houses.

8. I'm thankful for our laptop because without it I wouldn't be doing this post on the road to my in-laws. It's gotta be the greatest thing ever!

9. I'm thankful for my health. The dr. couldn't believe how healthy I am given my weight. My BP is low, my blood sugars levels were low, my cholesteral was normal, etc. The dr. said he didn't know how that could be given my weight...but I do. I try to eat healthy for the most part (minus my ice cream emotiaonl binges) and I've got good genes.

10. After spending a few hours Thanksgiving evening with my SIL, I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO thankful that she lives over 2 hours away. I wouldn't be able to handle it otherwise.

Lucas did a list of things he was thankful for at preschool yesterday. I'm very proud of my son. His number one thing he's thankful for is that mommy and daddy came and ate lunch with him at school. It makes me feel like we are doing something right with our children because they value relationships and memories over material things. That's what I want them to remember forever. Happy Thanksgiving!