Just to name a few....

What am I thankful for?

I'm thankful for parents. Parents who raised me to be a strong, independant woman with a mind of my own. Parents who loved each other and their children enough to stay married for 29 years and are looking forward to at least 29 more. Parents who not only taught me to think for myself but allowed me to act on my own thoughts and decisions and supported those decisions, even when it cost them money or caused them pain. Parents who showed me that it's ok to follow your dreams, even when following them takes you far away from your comfort zone. Most of all, I'm thankful for parents that lived and breathed a real relationship with God and made sure that no matter what, I know where my salvation and safety lie.

I'm thankful for a husband. A husband who I can laugh about the stupid things with. A husband who "gets" my weird sense of humor and actually laughs at my jokes! A husband who moved us halfway around the world because I "thought it would be cool". A husband that doesn't just accept my (terrible) style, but truly likes it!! (or at least lies convincingly enough that I believe him). Most importantly, I'm thankful for a husband that loves me for me.

I'm thankful for a daughter. A daughter that is beautiful, smart and healthy. A daughter that never fails to make me laugh when I need it the most. A daughter that loves me unconditionally because in her eyes (at least for another year or two), I am "Momma" and I am magic and I am amazing! Above all of that, I am thankful for my daughter, because in my darkest hour, on my worst day, she is the light that shines through and reminds me that there is something worth living for.

I'm thankful for a list of things to be thankful for. A list that goes far beyond what I could begin to tell people in a simple blog. A list that, if it were fully inclusive, would probably take more than a month to write. A list that reminds me how blessed I truly am. I am thankful for a list that can be summed up in two simple words...."my life".