Thankful

I wanted to write one of those "things I'm thankful" posts around Thanksgiving, but I'm just now getting around to it. Better late than never, huh?

Family
I am so thankful for my wonderful, loving family. I have the most amazing, wonderful, and loving husband. I have two beautiful, intelligent, funny, incredible kids who have an uncanny ability to drive me crazy at any given moment (and I wouldn't change that for the world). :-)

I have the best parents in the world. They are unconditionally supportive and loving. My mother-in-law, too, is amazing. I hear many of my friends complain endlessy about their "monsters-in-law." I truly adore mine. Some things that have happened in her life would completely beat some women down, but she is one of the strongest women I know! My parents and Hubby's mom are all fabulous grandparents to Keeper Boy and J-Mav.

I also have two amazing brothers (one biological, one by marriage) and two sisters (by marriage), an adorable nephew, an amazingly talented niece, three step-nephews, a step-niece, and a great-step-niece!

I am blessed to have such a wonderful, loving, and supportive family.

Friends
I have a small circle of great friends, especially my BFF. She and I have been friends for 15+ years and I don't see that ending anytime soon. At this point, she's the sister I never grew up with. I know that if I ever need anything, all I have to do is pick up the phone. She knows (at least I hope she does) that she can do the same.

Health
My doctor tells me I am very healthy. I have lost 35 pounds in the past two years, and I intend to lose the last 10 or so to get to my goal weight... soon! Hubby and the boys are healthy, too. J-Mav seems to have outgrown his asthma. We have been nebulizer-free for two years now! Woo!!

Employment
Hubby and I both have gainful, meaningful, and steady jobs that we (for the most part) enjoy. Hopefully I didn't just jinx either of our jobs by writing that. :-)

Hockey
I know that sounds weird, but hockey is responsible for a lot of good things in my life! Of course, it's responsible for a lot of early mornings and thousands of miles on our cars, too. But it's still a good thing. :-) Hubby and I "courted" at hockey games in college. I was a hockey freak before he met me. If he wanted to see me on weekends, he came to the rink to watch the games with me. Then he, too, became a hockey nut. :-)

Hockey, in part, brought me to Northern Virginia. When Hubby and I were getting ready to leave school, we sent resumes only to areas with a high-tech job market and a hockey team of some sort. That meant we sent resumes to some pretty far-flung places! But we landed here and adopted the Capitals. Hubby started playing hockey, and we have some great friends from the teams he has played for over the years -- many from the very first teams he played with more than 10 years ago!

And when Keeper Boy showed an early interest in playing hockey, we started down the path of no return (and debt). Over the past 5+ years, we have also made some great friends through Keeper Boy's affiliations with various teams, and we've had some great weekend trips to tournaments and, this year, road games as far away as North Carolina! So hockey is good.

Internet
I know, I'm getting a little ridiculous now. But I seriously don't know what I'd do without the Internet. I don't know how I made it through college when the Internet was really just gaining popularity and I was one of the first among my high school/college friends who had an email address! Kind of strange to think about that now. I can't remember the last time I wrote a letter to anyone other than John's grandmother, looked up a phone number in a phone book, or done research using anything other than Wikipedia, WebMD, or Ask.com. I mean, I used to have to go to THE MALL to go Christmas shopping! Now I can be done, if I so choose, with a few taps of my fingers. THAT in and of itself is something to be very grateful for.

In all seriousness, though. I am grateful for almost everything in my life. Yes, there's a few things I'd change if I had my choice. But I don't have to look too far to know that my life is good. No, my life is great. And I am so thankful. It truly is just another day in paradise!