So Thankful

This month I (along with lots of other Facebookers) committed to posting one thing I am thankful for every day until Thanksgiving.  It was an uplifting and humbling experience to take a few seconds every day to recognize one blessing in my life.  Here they are:

Taking the Thankful November challenge (posting one thing I'm thankful for every day til Thanksgiving). Today I'm thankful for the safe and healthy arrival of my newest niece, Eliza Grace! Congrats to Julie and Dean!

 I'm thankful that I was born into such an awesome family! They are loving and generous and great role models as I am raising a family of my own. Love all of you!

 Today I'm thankful for Campbell, aka CAC, aka the Princess (formerly pint-sized), aka Diva (according to her Aunt Sara). She is a light in my life who is sweet, sassy, and a daily reminder that miracles do happen.

Today I'm thankful for little Miss Maggie. I give her a hard time b/c she's a little ummm...."high maintenance". But, she's so sweet she'll melt your heart, so funny she makes us laugh all the time, and so full of personality that I know she'll do amazing things in her life. I love her curls and her round belly and I appreciate that she's made me realize that full term babies are miracles, too.

Today I'm thankful for Robbie. I could not have asked for a better father for my girls. It's inspiring to see his love for them and their love for him. Thanks for being on this journey with me, honey. Love you!

On this Monday, despite the fact that I wish I was still at home with my loves, I am thankful for my job. I'm so lucky to have something I'm good at, to work with people I really like, and to feel like my work is important.

Today I'm thankful that although Campbell didn't eat dinner and asked to skip bath because she wanted to go to bed and then cried for the next half hour saying her ear hurt, she woke up happy and apparently healthy this morning!

 I'm so thankful for our amazing NICU nurses. Christine- thank you for teaching us so much, Anna- thank you for being a friend and giving my baby "loves" when I couldn't be there, Kelley- thank you for being our "1st" and being so sweet to us, Melissa- thank you for laughing at Robbie and then putting him in his place, Courtney- you were so sweet and I loved that you enjoyed picking out Campbell's bedding and making it cute as much as I did  and Mary- I'll never forget that you made me cry when you told me that I knew my baby best...not the dr.s or nurses. We couldn't have survived without y'all!

I'm thankful for bicycle helmets. More specifically, I'm thankful that the one Campbell was wearing last night on our bike ride protected her noggin as she bit the dust while being a daredevil down a big hill. I'll take a Dermabonded chin and a scratched up Princess helmet any day over a head injury.

This week I talked to a little boy at my school who's Daddy has been deployed on and off for much of his life and won't be home this year for the holidays. I'm thankful for that Daddy and all the other Mommies and Daddies who are willing to sacrifice holidays with their families so I can safely and freely spend the holidays with my family.

I'm so thankful for the ladies of TPP and the one who started it all (Tricia Branham Cox)! Many of you have been there for me since Campbell's birth and have been such good friends since then...even if I've only met a few of you in person. Good luck today, Trish! We're all cheering for you!

This homecoming weekend I'm thankful for my time at Winthrop University. I made lifelong friends and had an amazing college experience. I was lucky enough to join Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity which was one of the best decisions I made during that time. And I may have met a cute special ed major who would become the father of my girls... :)

I'm thankful that even though I can fall off the exercise bandwagon,  I am able to pull myself back up again. I'm excited about committing to train for a 10K in March with some awesome ladies (and officially started my trained today!)!

I'm thankful for the nightly family devotionals we've started. Nothing like hearing a sweet three-year-old voice praying to nourish your spirit...

I'm so thankful that God continues to show me His plan...even with Campbell's prematurity. This week alone I had two friends reach out to me, one who had a 30-weeker last week and one who is 28 weeks with rising BP. I'm thankful that I'm able to offer them support and hope through pictures and stories of a beautiful, healthy former 27 weeker.

I am so thankful that we were safe during the tornadoes so close to our home last night. Our family has been saying prayers for those who were devastated by the storms.

I'm thankful for Fridays and the excitement of a weekend to spend with my family!

This Saturday morning I'm thankful for cinnamon rolls with my 3 favorite people, fun morning playtime, and a baby with a sense of humor who is right now running around naked with a Dora trashcan on her head!

I'm thankful (as I know all parents of young children are) for shatterproof ornaments. Like, a lot.

I'm so thankful for awesome co-workers who were so excited about and dedicated to making our 8 students' Thanksgiving lunch an awesome one (and for some, probably the only "real" one they will have). What an amazing experience to watch the joy on the kids' faces!

I'm thankful for my Kindle app on my iPad and iPhone, free downloadable eBooks from my library, and no work until Monday so I can read my new book!

Today I'm thankful for the sights, sounds, and smells of the holidays and the memories they evoke in me and the memories the girls are going to have. Today I'm making my mom's yummy smelling stove top potpourri (whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, orange and apple peels all simmering together in water) and my house smells like the holidays!

On this Thanksgiving day, I'm so thankful that every day this month I've had to take time to sort through all that I'm thankful for to pick which one to post. I am so blessed to have a healthy, happy family, amazing co-workers and friends, and a good Lord who  makes it all possible.