Thankful: 2015

This post was meant to "go live" on Thanksgiving. However, I never finished writing it on Wednesday night, and then we were at my parents Wednesday-Saturday. They don't have wi-fi, so while I could have finished typing the post at their house, I didn't have access to my pictures! Regardless, what I am thankful for this year!

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I looked and looked on my other (original) blog, thinking I had done this several times in the past, but the only other list like this I could find was from 2010. Here's a picture I found to go with it!

So my post for today is to share what I am thankful for this year; these are all things I am thankful for all the time, but Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect and remember to appreciate the things we are blessed with!

1. My mom. I hope it is a long, long time before I have to answer a phone call like the one I received January 24, 2015. To hear the fear in my dad's voice when he told me my mom was being air lifted to Milwaukee was one of the scariest moments in my life. I really didn't know what I was driving home to that afternoon, but I know we are blessed to still have her here with us. She is not the same as before, but she fights through with a strength and optimism that is admirable. My mom is one of the kindest people I know, and I am thankful she is here to share life with!

Feb 2015, St. Luke's Medical Center

2. Physical fitness. I never thought of myself as athletic. I hid in the corner in gym through most of middle school and high school. I've always been inspired by athletes and the ability to perform. I am thankful that I finally gave myself the opportunity to explore physical fitness. I love running and I have learned to love other forms of exercise as well. Even though I am not in the shape I once was, or hope to be back at, I love pushing and testing my body. I am anxious to get back to where I was when I felt my strongest, and then see what limit I can push my body to.

July 2014

3. Education. I know we all learn it eventually, but watching my daughter learn to read and write, count and add, and build friendships is amazing. It is true what they say about the stage your child is in being your favorite. It is a true blessing to watch her mind work and figure out this world. The other night we were talking about coins, and she mentioned something about one of them being ten or needing ten to make 100 - I can't remember exactly. I tired inquiring how ten of them would make 100; I was probing to see if they were learning to count by tens (I don't think they are, but I didn't know where she was going with that statement). Well, she must've not known where I was going with my question because she said, "I don't know mom, it's magic." And cute notes like this come home, too.

Love her spelling of friends!

4.  Traditions. Whether it be going to places like Mauthe Lake, or the annual Steinert hayride, or how we spend our holidays, I am thankful for the traditions that connect us to our families. Growing up in a town where most of our extended family lived, this experiences of not living near our families is new to me. I am thankful for the road that lead us to where we are, but also often homesick for what I knew as a kid. I wish I got to see Ava with her cousins more often or got to see our parents babysit, etc. It makes the time we spend as a family of three more meaningful, and the times we get to spend with out extended family more memorable.

List cousins - Christmas 2014

Steinert hayride - 2015

Mauthe Lake - August 2014



5. These three. We are far from perfect; I don't write a lot about my marriage on the blog, but Chad and I are continuously working to make our relationship better. I think the longer we have been together the statement "opposites attract" is more and more true, but harder and harder to live with. With that said, we've been together a long time now (13 years altogether this coming summer), and have been through a lot. I may question if I can take 50 more years of this, but I also don't know where I'd be without him. Ava is our true miracle, and our absolute pride and joy. I could not live without her! Max is our gentle giant. I love that dog more than he probably knows! He is a companion for Ava, and completes our family. I know every family has problems to work through and life to balance; we are not exempt from that! Balancing for the benefit of these three is absolutely worth the stress it can feel like!

 

Father's Day 2014

March 2014

August 2015

Christmas 2014

6. Friendships. Especially those that stand the test of time and distance, and have grown to include my daughter! I have made friends where we live now, but some of those nearest and dearest to me are those we don't see often enough.

 

Color Run 2014

Blessed that she visits me each summer.

Sleep over 2013 (its the best one I could find! Need to look again!) Love this crew.

Ravenberg Visit - 2015

 

Of course I could go on and on. We are blessed with jobs, health, a roof over our heads, and the ability to put food on our table. We are safe in a world that can be crazy, unpredictable, and unsafe. We have our faith. We have each other. I have been struggling lately, but I know life is good and life goes on. Through everything hard and difficult that we've experiences this year, I know we are blessed. And for that, I am thankful.

I will write a separate post sharing how our Thanksgiving weekend played out. I hope you and yours enjoyed the holiday, and were able to spend time reflecting on what you are thankful for!