Top ten things I am thankful for from 2021!

z

 Last week was Thanksgiving. Our company calls it "Gratitude Week". In our 6am call on Thanksgiving, it was an open forum and people were just given the opportunity to share what they were thankful for, OR what their challenges were, acknowledging how hard the holidays can be for people. It was suggested that we create a list of things from 2021 that we are thankful for and keep it in front of us during 2022 so that we can continue to be thankful. Of course, what better place for me to write that down than in a blog post with the hopes that it will inspire those who read to do the same! 

When I think of 2021, I often think of how stressful so many things were and "whew! What a tough year!". Redirecting my thinking makes me look at my year totally differently! Yes, of course there were challenges! There always are! But focusing on the challenges and not the gifts of the year simply allows us to be consumed by the negative. Shifting the thinking surely will reset our emotional and mental state for greeting each day with joy, and you know I'm big on JOY!

So my list......not in any order!

1. OF COURSE....my first grandbaby, Amelia Lauretta, born on my birthday!! She has CHANGED ME! Everything about her makes me want to be a better person, wants me to do everything better. I could go on forever and ever about the joy she brings. I look at her while she's cuddled up to me drinking her bottle and staring into
my eyes and I dream for her. I dream of who she will be, what she will become, what she will accomplish in her life. I think of what challenges and grief she will face and beg God to spare her from any of those things! I pray for her and her Mommy and Daddy and pray that they do it better than we did. My sweet girl....Situ loves you more than I ever thought possible! I am so incredibly proud of my daughter and the amazing mother she is! I am so thankful that our grandbaby will be mothered by her. She is truly and profoundly a fantastic mommy.

2. We moved at the end of 2020, and our new house on the water needed so much work!! For the first six months of 2021, I had contractors coming and going every single day and changing and answering questions and making decisions, and moving things out of a room, back into the room, out of the room....it was exhausting! But I am SO thankful for our little house on the water, quirks and issues too! I am so thankful for the friends I have in the contracting world who always stepped in to help me with every decision and every job. From remodeling to hvac to fencing to electric.....the list is long, and I am thankful.

3. My relationships with my kids. They say in a small house you live closer, you talk more, you are in each other's presence more. I have found that to be so true and such a huge blessing. We have always had big houses and lots of space. We thought we needed it with 5 kids and 4 dogs! But to be honest, living in a little ranch with our kids has given us daily opportunities to invest in our children and in each other.

4. Since the pandemic, my husband has worked his "real job" remotely from our dry cleaners so that we could keep the cleaners running. When so many other cleaners were shutting down, he stayed open and kept it going, all while working his real job remotely from the cleaners. I know he hates doing it and hates that he has to, but I'm so thankful for him.

5.I'm thankful for my real estate business that paid for all those renovations, our family vacation, the fun we had are our new house this summer. Without it, none of those things would've been possible.

6. I'm thankful for my best friend and business partner. I wish I could put into words the friendship and business relationship we have! When I am weak, she is strong; when she is weak, I am strong. The challenges we have faced together could be a sitcom! Having fun at your job means it isn't work at all. We make sure to make it fun!

7. Our family vacation in Carova! We had ALL our kids, their friends, our grandbaby!  It was an AMAZING week and I truly believe we enjoyed each other even more this year because of the many challenges we all faced this year. Already booked for next year!

8. My parent's health. My dad had a huge scare this year and needed quintuplet bypass surgery. We held our breath for hours waiting to hear he had survived the surgery. He still has a long road but he is here with us. Last night he was sitting holding Amelia and I was overwhelmed with gratitude that he is still here with us. I know he is ready for Heaven, but I am not ready to do this life without him yet!

9. My health has greatly improved this year. To date I have lost close to 90 pounds and I feel like a different person. The announcement that my daughter was pregnant snapped me into gear and I was determined to do whatever it took to lose weight and be young and healthy for my grandbaby. I am thankful every time I can jump up off the floor, or take her on walks at the barn, or stay up with her at night because I could not have done any of it a year ago. I am so thankful.

10. My son-in-law. His challenges and struggles are his to share and it

has been a rough year for him and my daughter. It would be easy for me to be angry and bitter and resentful and have regrets, but I am choosing instead to be THANKFUL for him, and for his struggles. I believe with all of my heart that his love for my daughter and their baby is paramount. I believe that he can do amazing things as he fights his demons. We ALL have demons, some just present differently than others. I am thankful that when he walks into the room, Amelia LIGHTS UP because her Daddy is there. I am thankful that my daughter looks at him with love that I am actually truly jealous of sometimes. I am thankful that he always tells me he loves me, even if we are at odds. I am thankful that he is in our family, that he is ours.