This is my norm

Today is my mother’s 50th birthday and this post goes to her.

I’m so thankful that God gave me a mother who loves me so much. She has loved me when I was rude back to her, when I pushed her away, when I hurt her. She helped me when I needed her. She encourages me and lifts me up daily. She is my backbone when I have a moment of weakness. She can see through my “everything’s ok” face and knows when its not. I couldn’t have asked for a better mom. She raised me to take care of my family and myself. To be self sufficient and independent. To be strong and hard working. Never to give up. To make do and not “need” things, but instead to be happy with what I have. To make a dollar stretch as far as it would go. To be efficient. To shine for Jesus. To root for the underdog. To strive for the best. She is a warrior. She is a peacemaker. She is a nut 🙂 And I love her to the end of the world and back.

She helped form me into the woman I am today and I hope that when I’m 50 my children can look at me and feel the same way that I do about her.

Today I am thankful that I am not in the hospital. Those weeks spent cooped up were MISERY. The only thing that kept me from losing my mind was that my two babies would be alive because of it. Any time I feel a grumpy day creeping up, I think of how I felt during that time of my life and realize how much I have to be thankful for.

Which bring me also to, I am so thankful that I do not have diabetes. That was also very hard to deal with during then. Some women that come down with gestational diabetes do not ever get rid of it once they deliver and I am thankful that my body returned to a non-diabetic state and I am free of that disease.

I am thankful for the teachers that I had that taught me things then, that I didn’t even realize until now. I never realized the things that were being instilled into me until I had my own children and realized where certain things came from. My parents provided a great foundation and then all of my teachers reinforced and stacked on top of that foundation.

Mrs. & Mrs. G
Mrs. Davidson
Mr. Goodman
Mrs. Broun
Regina Johnson
Mrs. Massie
Ms. Fraaaaazier (Ray)
Mr. Crouse
Ms. Hughes
Mrs. Choate

Just to name a few.

I’m thankful for my grandparents. Each one of them has been so influential in my life. I have so many memories with all of them and those times have really instilled some core values in me that I know will never waiver. I hope that I can pass them to my children in the loving and amazing way that they were passed to me. They each made me feel so special and loved and important. They loved me unconditionally, even when I was going through things or times in my life that were really difficult. I always knew I could count on them for anything at anytime even if it were just a hug or a word of encouragement. They always delivered in the appropriate manner.

I’m so thankful that I have you all in my life and Granny, I miss you every second of every day.

I’m thankful for my Hayden’s school. I was so nervous about her starting K5 this year. I wanted her to be in the right place, have the right teacher, have the greatest friends and thrive. God lead us to a place we had never considered and never knew about. It has been the perfect fit for her, our family, our finances and I know without a doubt that she was meant to be there. That makes sending her off each day so much easier.

I am thankful for my feet. Even though they are constantly hurting and driving me crazy I’m thankful that I have them both. I’m glad I can go out and run and exercise and burn off stress.

I’m really thankful for my sight. When I was born I was on oxygen for a while, which can have ill effects on your sight in the long run. I have had perfect sight up until I got pregnant with Hayden, and even then I’ve only had to start using reading glasses. I know that I am fortunate and I never want to take that for granted.

14. I am thankful for my children’s teachers and nursery workers . It is such a comfort to know they are being taught the things of God, loved and cared for and I can rest knowing that my children are safe and secure and in a wonderful place.

12. I’m very thankful for my husband’s job. It allows us to live comfortably, provides our needs, allows me to stay at home with our girls and work only because I want to and gives him freedom to be a part of our lives more than most. He gets to come home for lunch every day. Help out at home in a pinch or if I’m sick. We get to swing by and see him every day on the way home from school and this year it has allowed him to take Hayden to school every day. 13. Thankful for this year. I feel like it has been a year of growth and understanding. Sometimes I have not appreciated the peace that God has brought to us this year but when I stand back and look at the year as a whole it has been great for our family. I’ve learned so much about myself and my relationship with my husband and God has changed and matured in many ways.

11. Today I am thankful for my home. For the comforts it gives us. We are so fortunate and I never want to take that for granted. I have a sign that I sell in my shop that says “A house is made of bricks and stone, but only love can make a home.” So true.