A day to give thanks

As Thanksgiving approaches tomorrow, I wanted to share some of the many things that I am grateful for. 

First I am very grateful for our sweet, beautiful little girl. In the six weeks that she has been alive she has already gone through more than some will go through. She continues to be sweet and well mannered. Kalli started smiling so early and continues to brighten our days with her smiles. We rarely have our hands full with her. She sleeps very well, even at night and rarely causes us any grief. 

Going along with our gratitude for Kalli, comes gratitude for her doctors. I can't be more grateful to her pediatrician who caught her condition so early. If it would not have been caught so early, her surgery would be a lot more invasive. I am also grateful for her neurosurgeon who seems to love his job and cares for children. In the weeks to come I know I will not be able to express my gratitude to all the people at the Children's Hospital that will help Kalli out. How grateful I am to all these people for helping children. 

As much as Blake drives us crazy he is a fun boy to be around. He is lucky to be coming home from Albuquerque in one piece as he was very naughty for us. But there are moments when his sweet little spirit shines through. The day we went to the neurosurgeon we were driving as a family. I was crying in the front seat and Blake chimed in and said "mommy, are you sad?". It made me laugh and cry at the same time. He can be an extremely sweet boy. I am grateful for those times when he lets that sweetness shine through. I am also grateful Blake brings laughter into my life. He is a funny kid and does many things during the day that make me laugh out loud. Even though at times I want to donate him to the pound, he still is my little boy that brings laughter and joy to my life (along with stress and probably a heart condition).  Joe and I have been married for over 4 years and I couldn't be more grateful for him in my life. I have truly married my best friend. We have such a good time together and the conversations never seem dull. I am grateful that he treats me as an equal and with respect. He values my opinions and openly admits that he couldn't live without me because I do so much for our family (he also says he can't live without me because he doesn't know how to blog). Joe is a great example for our children and it warms my heart to watch Blake emulate his father. I love him so much and am grateful for his role in our family. 

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I LOVE cooking a big Thanksgiving dinner for my family. It brings me such joy to cook this great meal. This Thanksgiving we have a lot of rough times ahead, but I am thankful to know that in the end all will work out. I am grateful for a Heavenly Father that has brought peace to my heart and given me the strength to get through the next couple of months. I also can't express how grateful we are for close friends that call and check in on our little family. Your words of comfort and love are deeply appreciated. You will never know how much you mean to us. 

Have a happy Thanksgiving and know that we are thinking of you!