blessings

In order to remind myself of all my blessings, tonight I'm going to make a list of those that come to mind. I know there are more than I can think of tonight, but this will be a start.

1. Doug. Sometimes I'm frustrated with him and sometimes I'm even angry. BUT, he is a good husband and father. I know he loves Caden and me with all his heart. He does so much for me and our family and I often don't give him enough credit or thanks for all he does. so, THANK YOU!!
2. Caden. He's ornery and also sometimes frustrating. BUT, he's really a sweet boy. We are working on manners right now, specifically greeting (both hello & goodbye) others when they greet you and saying, "No, thank you." when someone offers somethings you don't want. He's catching on pretty well. I think he's got the greatest giggle around and I love to watch him when he thinks no one else is around, especially when he's reading to his "friends" (stuffed critters) or talking to himself. He's so funny!
3. our parents. Doug's parents and mine are all still alive and living in Newton. They help us so much with Caden and other things. We really appreciate all they do for us. It's nice to have them close by.
4. home. It's a work in progress for sure, but this is a dream Doug and I thought might never come true, especially in our early married life.
5. friends. Doug and I have some really good friendships with a few other people that we treasure and wish we had more time to spend with these people.
6. debt. I know this sounds really strange and believe me we wish we didn't have this blessing, but it keeps Doug and I focused, determined, and humble. It also reminds us how good our life is now and how thankful we are for what we have and how far we've come together.
7. health. Sure, we all get sick here from time to time, but for the most part we're healthy. Caden had some ear troubles early on with near constant infections, burst ear drums, and eventually tubes, but since then he's been the picture of good health. Thankfully, though his mommy and daddy both have plenty of war stories to tell about ER trips, broken bones, and stitches, so far we haven't made an emergency trip to the doctor or hospital for him. Knock on some virtual wood. I hope I haven't jinxed us or spoken too soon!!

I know this list seems typical for most people (minus the debt), but I do think these are blessings for which my life would be drastically different without.

P.S. The blessings list came up tonight because we had a fairly boring day without much excitement or drama to share. Caden was at Becci's. Doug as at work. I was at an all day training for school. We're also thankful for days like today as they make the exciting things more so!