30 Things for which I'm Thankful

So this year I decided I just could not blog every day for 30 days in November.  By the end of the day, I'm beat.  I mean, seriously, I'm not sure how people have gobs of kids because I'm exhausted being pregnant with my 4th!  It's not that I don't have things for which I'm thankful--I just don't have the desire to do it every day. 

There, I've beat that one to death.  Onto my 30 things...

1.  my salvation--It's so reassuring to know that no matter what I do or what happens around me, this world is not my home.  I have an eternal home awaiting me that will have no tears or pain.  As I ponder that reality, I am struck by how lovely that will be.

2.  Ryan and my kids--As much as the kiddos can make me crazy and give me headaches, I love my little stinkers.  (Just as I typed that, Jack came out of my room mummified in toilet paper.  It's like God was testing just how much I really love them.)  I will admit that the amount I like them at times vacillates.

3.  my neighborhood--I definitely want a bigger house, but it will be hard to move with such great neighbors surrounding us!

4.  my house--It's currently bursting at the seams, but I love that it's cozy and has served us well for the past nine years.  I never thought we'd live here this long!

5.  the U.S.--I am so thankful for the freedoms we have and for the safety I feel here.  Yesterday Grant and I were watching some news coverage of a house that exploded for an as yet unknown reason.  I told him they think it might have been some sort of bomb, and he looked at me and laughed.  "Bombs aren't real, " he said.  I'm thankful that he thinks bombs are not real while I know children in other parts of the world know all too well how real they are!

6.  my family and Ryan's family of origin--I'm thankful that my parents are together and happy and that Ryan's are as well.  I'm thankful that both of us enjoy spending time with our families and that hopefully we can pass along the same love to our children.

7.  this little one growing inside of me--This week I was reminded that a healthy pregnancy is not something we can take for granted.  I am thankful that this little one is growing (just wish I wasn't so much!) and wiggling (though not as much as his/her siblings--a sign of a laid back baby?? ).

8.  Jack's school and teacher--I love that he's in a positive environment 5 days a week for 8 hours/day.  I'm thankful that he's right where he should be and is enjoying and doing well in school.

9.  my health and my family's health--I'm glad that we are generally healthy and that the issues we have are not too serious.

10.  medicine to make us feel better when we're sick--By the same token, I'm glad that when my kids are sick I can take them to the doctor and get medicine to help them feel better.  I'm also super thankful for tylenol, benadryl and motrin, which have allowed me to get a little more sleep this week than I would have otherwise gotten!

11. Little People toys--All of my kids love playing with these.

12.  peppermint mochas from Starbucks--need I say more??

13.  a nice hospital where I'll deliver this baby--We went on a tour last weekend, and it seems like it'll be a good place to spend a couple of days.  There is also a Starbucks in the lobby.  I wonder if they do room service, and I can charge it to the room. :)

14,  lots of clothes--As I grumbled about sorting all of my kids clothes the past few weeks, I probably should have been thinking about how thankful I should be that we have so many clothes. 

15.  my job--Speaking of grumbling, I've been doing a lot of it this year about my job.  However, I am thankful for the free Y membership, my kids' teachers, my great students, and my awesome co-workers.

16.  my mini-van--I love all of the cup holders and the DVD player.  I love that it fits all of us and that there is a lot of space.  I also like being up higher.  I feel like such a grown-up.  Should I be thankful for that??

17.  my TV--This is how I veg at the end of the day.  There are better ways to waste time, but this one is a pretty good one at 31 weeks pregnant!

18.  great grandparents for my kids--I'm thankful that my kids enjoy their grandparents and that their grandparents seem to enjoy them.

19.  2 dates this month with Ryan--Since we never have any dates, this month is a huge rarity.  I'm glad that we were able to get a sweet sitter to stay with the kids while we toured the hospital.  I'm sure the other people on the tour would have been thankful for the sitter, too, had they known how much more lively their tour might have been with three noisy kids on it.

20.  the Internet--I love knowing what my college friends are doing now thanks to Facebook.  I'm also thankful that we can send pictures to family via the Internet.

21.  Ryan's grandparents--As Ryan's grandma deals with cancer, I can say for sure that I am thankful for them.  They have shown me such love and welcomed me as their own granddaughter.  They have served others well for many years, and it's been such a blessing to see how God has rewarded that service during their recent time of need.  We continue to pray for pain relief in his grandma's leg.

22.  books--I love reading good books and am thankful that my kids love reading and looking at books.  I'm thankful that we have such easy access to books and that I had the freedom, in spite of being a woman, to have learned to read.

23.  clean water--I drink a lot of water, and I'm glad that I can just turn on the faucet and drink the water.  Yum!

24.  my washing machine and dryer--I hate the fact that my washing machine and dryer are in the garage.  I mean, seriously, I HATE it.  However, when my washing machine was broken last month, I realized that I don't really care where it's located as long as it works.  The idea of going to a laudromat or using some other coin-operated laundry facilities makes me cringe.

25.  when my kids play nicely together--'nuf said

26.  the crazy decoration house in our neighborhood--We have a house in our neighborhood that goes crazy with inflatable decorations at Christmas and Halloween.  The kids love it, and it always makes me smile.

27.  having a little girl--I love my boys.  I really do.  However, it is lovely having a girl, especially after two boys.  I love the tights, the bows, the baby dolls, the quiet.  I know that a lot of could be her personality, but there is just something so precious about her girliness.

28.  my bed--Again, at 31 weeks pregnant, sleep is a good thing!

29.  Ryan's job--I'm thankful that Ryan has a stable job that allows me to stay home.  That's a lot to say in this economy.

30.  Christmas music--I've basically held off until after Thanksgiving on listening to Christmas music, but now that it's over, I can listen to Christmas music 24/7.  I love it!