7 Things That Make Me Grateful

I literally am surrounded by clothes that need to be packed and food that needs to be made before I can leave my house to spend time with my amazing family in Chicago. I have an hour and a half before I need to get out of my door.  Sounds like a perfect time to write a post, am I right? 🙁

I just couldn’t let Thanksgiving go by without writing my annual “7 Things that Make Me Grateful” posts, and I know that it would be more grammatically correct to say, “7 Things For Which I am Grateful” — but it just sounded too formal to me.  So, please all you “grammarites” forgive my poor form.

Funny story:  my 5 year old just walked up to me and said, “Mom, don’t you think you have more important things to do right now”.  Hah, gotta love kids.  From the mouth of babes, comes wisdom.  I might regret taking this time, but darn it, I’m going to get this post done before I leave!

~1~

I am grateful for my Mom and Dad.

They are amazing!  Their faith, their unconditional love, and the way they taught us to fight for what is right in this world has made me the person I am today.  I am driving six hours, jumping into another car and celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary tonight!  Can’t wait.

Thanks Mom and Dad for all the sacrifices you made to pass on the faith to us.  Thanks for it all!  I’ll return the favor by trying my darnedest to do the same for my own kids — I know that’s your greatest hope for all your grandkids!  I love you guys!

~2~

I am grateful for John

Where do I begin?  So many things I could say about John.  When we were engaged, we took a test called “Focus” to help prepare us for marriage.  The deacon sat us down with the results, and prefaced it by saying, “Now you can’t fail at this test”.  Then he proceeded to say, “But, I have never seen anybody get a lower score on compatibility as you two”.  Well then, not the best start to our marriage prep.  🙁

John and I are complete opposites of each other, but this is where our marriage can attest to the power of the Sacrament.  If anybody was destined for failure, it was the two of us — at least as the world would see it — but God used our opposite strengths and weaknesses and somehow made them complement each other.  It was a match made in Heaven, or so it would seem to me.  🙂

So grateful that John dared to ask me to marry him that fateful day in Glendalough, so many years ago.  I’m pretty sure neither of us was expecting him to do it, but so glad we threw all worldly wisdom aside and made that leap of faith.

~3~

I am grateful for my own crazy family.

I never imagined so many years ago, when I was saying “I do”, all the things I would be saying “I do” to.

I never, ever envisioned 6 kids, and I never knew how good this life was going to be.  Sure, it’s hard — any thing of value takes lots of work and effort — but it’s the best kind of hard.

It’s the kind of hard that makes you want to get up the next morning and start it all over again, at least on most days.

~4~

I am grateful for my faith.

My faith is not a burden — in fact, it makes every current burden light.  I just love being Catholic.

The beauty, the joy, the answers to my questions, the “bells and smells”, getting to know the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Mary and the Saints — I love all of it.

I could go on and on, but I won’t — I need to get packed and get out of here pronto!

~5~

I’m grateful for Babies

I’ve said it before, but life doesn’t end with kids — it has honestly only enhanced my life with John.  Recently, there was an article published on NBC by a scientist who claimed, “Science proves kids are bad for Earth. Morality suggests we stop having them.”

What absolute rubbish! (I’ve always wanted to use the word “rubbish” in a post.)

I don’t have time to go into the science of why babies are actually good for the Earth and society in general, but I’ll just say this:

A world without babies?  Now that would be a very sad world indeed!

~6~

I am grateful for Road Trips

Who doesn’t love a good road trip?  Sure, they’re stressful and there’s screaming and complaining — but I am just crazy enough to love them.

The thrill I feel when I look at John and then back at all the kids in our car?  It is in those moments that I know that everything that really means anything to me is in my car with me — and we’re off for our next adventure!

Granted my friends and extended family also make that cut — but you know what I mean.  Speaking of road trips, I have to wrap this thing up or I’ll never get out the door!

~7~

I am grateful for You

Thank you to everybody who reads my posts, comments on my posts, follows and likes, and gives me words of encouragement about this blog.  Really, it means so much to me and it keeps me going.

I really can not say why I decided to start this blog.  It was a stroke of madness, really, but the best kind of madness.  It was the kind of madness that helps me to keep perspective, to see my life and my faith in new and interesting lights, and to connect with other people from around the world.

Even if you haven’t commented or liked, I do always feel connected  when I see people in far off places like Australia, and Singapore, Ireland and Italy, Austria and Germany, Canada and Spain, Mexico and the United States — and those in my own neck of the woods who have taken the time to read my posts.  Have I forgotten anybody?  Sorry if I have!  It is humbling and I am so grateful and happy you are here!

Let’s keep encouraging each other along the way.  We’re all in this crazy life together!  Wishing you and yours a blessed day of giving thanks for the many blessings in your life.

Linking up with Kelly