ABC's of Thanksgiving 2008

A few years ago, Dan mentioned that every year growing up he and his family would name something they were thankful for using each letter of the alphabet. Sounds corny, I know, but I think it's such a great way to appreciate all the wonderful things you have in your life. There are so many things that we take for granted on a daily basis. This thankful exercise helps you realize just how extremely blessed you are; at least it does for me. Try it! You'll find that you're thankful for some things you wouldn't have thought of at first-check out my list to see! Regardless of whether you choose to do this thankful exercise or not, remember the real reason we celebrate Thanksgiving. Sure, there's going to some great good, awesome football games, plenty of family and friends to visit with, but it's a time to reflect and think about how blessed we are. God has so richly blessed our lives. Use this day and every day after this to thank him for all he has done for you and your family!

A- Automobiles. Can you imagine if you had to walk everywhere? Well, maybe that would be a good thing. I don't guess we would have such problem with obesity in America. Still, I'm very thankful that Josh and I both have automobiles that we can get around in. We'll be driving them for awhile, but at least they work and still look good!

B- Butterflies. They make me smile. Plus, I love how an icky caterpillar can turn into something so beautiful. Kind of like when God changes us...he takes someone that's icky on the inside and turns us into something beautiful.

C- Coins. I love using change to buy things, especially Happy Hour Sonic drinks. I love using extra change to buy things...it makes me feel like I'm saving money-even though I'm really not-but it lets me keep dollar bills in my wallet instead of lots of coins.

D- Dad. My dad is one of the greatest people I know. He is the man I measure all other men against. He is a wonderful man of God and I am so thankful that God made him my earthly father. He has always been there for me. He set such a wonderful example to me of how a Godly man should live his life. My dad is a prayer warrior. There hasn't been a time when he has called to check on Josh and me where he hasn't ended the conversation in a prayer. I love him so much! I am so thankful to have a father like him!

E- Eli! I can't tell you how much this little boy has changed my life for the better. I can't imagine not having him in my life. He is such a miracle! For so long, I prayed that I would be able to hold a child in my arms, and God answered my prayer. Every night when I'm rocking Eli to sleep, I sit and stare in wonder at the precious gift I hold in my arms. I am so thankful for my beautiful little boy.

F- Family and Friends. What would our lives be like without our family and friends? Very empty, I think. I'm so very thankful for the family and friends that are in my life. They are such a strong support system and are always there for me. This was so apparent during my pregnancy. So many people poured out their love on our family. Josh and I feel very blessed to have so many people we can call true friends in our lives.

G- Gas. Yes, I'm thankful for the gas that we put in our automobiles and more importantly that it's going down every day! WOO HOO! Keep on going down!!

H- Home. I'm so thankful for my house. Josh and I are very happy in our little home. We've been able to do some remodeling recently and it turned out great. I love that we have a place where we feel safe and secure, a place where family and friends can gather, a place that is full of love and happiness.

I- Icicles. One of my favorite things to look at in winter, especially in Colorado where they seem to reach incredible lengths.

J- Josh! Josh is my heart. I love this man more than life itself. There are days I want to pinch myself because I can't believe that God has given him to me. He is my dream come true, my best friend, the love of my life, my hero, my confidant, my support, my partner for life. He is such a wonderful man. I'm so thankful to have him in my life. Eli and I are so blessed to have him. He is the best husband a girl could ask for and such a great Daddy!

K- Kisses, especially forehead kisses from Josh. They make my heart melt. I also love the kisses I get from Eli, even though he doesn't realize what a kiss is yet...I still like to pretend he does!

L- Ladybugs. One of my favorite insects. I think they're considered good luck, too, so I especially love when they land on me..makes me feel lucky :)

M- Mom. I'm so thankful for my Mom. She loves me unconditionally and would do anything for me. Plus, she went through 18 hours of labor with me. Talk about LOVE! Thanks for all you do Mom! Eli is lucky to have a Grammy like you :)

N- Noses...well, not everyone's nose. I prefer Eli's. It's probably the place I kiss him the most. He's got the cutest little nose ever :)

O- Otters. They're the cutest ever! I love their whiskers. At the zoo back home, the otter exhibit was one of my favorites. They always look like they're up to no good. They make me smile and laugh.

P- Presents. OOOH! I love presents! I love giving presents and I love receiving presents. I love waking up in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve and staring at the Christmas tree with all the presents underneath. I love shaking the presents and trying to guess what surprise is inside. I seem to turn into a kid again whenever Christmas comes around. I love sneaking peeks at my presents-although now, everyone that knows me has gotten smart and they don't use bags, they double tape boxes, and they even hide presents from me! LOL! Hey, it keeps me young :)

Q- Q-Tips. How good do your ears feel after you use a Q-Tip? Pretty darn good!

R- Rest. I am so thankful for the days when I can kick back and relax. I especially love Saturday mornings because Josh and I can just rest and relax all day. It refreshes the body, soul, and mind.

S- Seasons. Not just the four seasons we have every year; although, I'm very thankful for those-spring and fall the most! We also need to be thankful for the seasons we go through in our lives. Sometimes we go through a season where everything seems to be going so perfectly. Be thankful and happy in this season. There are other times we go through seasons where it seems as if nothing is going our way. We should still be thankful for these seasons, too. Sometimes it takes a season like this to make us lean on God just a little bit more or it causes us to put our faith to work. In Ecclesiastes 7:14 it says, "When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other." Obviously, we wouldn't have these bad seasons if God didn't want us to learn something. Use the good seasons and the bad seasons to be thankful that you have a God that cares about you no matter the circumstance, no matter what you're going through, no matter what you've done or haven't done. He loves you in good times and bad.

T- Time. I'm thankful for the time I get to spend every day living this wonderful life. I don't know how many seconds, minutes, or hours I have left in this life, but I'm going to enjoy each and every one.

U- Umbrellas...without them we'd all look awful on rainy days.

V- Veggies. They taste good and are good for you!

W- Waterfalls. They're beautiful, powerful, and an awesome aspect of God's creation.

X- X-Rays. I'm glad we have the technology we have today that we can see something that is under the skin. I've only had to have one, but it gave me peace of mind to know that nothing was wrong with me.

Y- Yesterday. I'm thankful for all my yesterdays because they help me live my life today. They teach me more about myself and help me make good decisions for now. The mistakes of yesterday shape and influence the way I live my life today. Life is best understood looking backward, they say, but it can only be lived forward. Let your yesterdays help you live your life to the fullest today.

Z- Zoos. I'm a big animal lover and I love going to zoos to see all the magnificent creatures that live in them.

There you have it. My ABC's of Thanksgiving. Remember, more than anything else, to thank God for all the incredible blessings you have in your life this Thanksgiving. He has blessed our lives beyond measure!