Terrifically Thomas: Thankful Thomases

Thanksgiving is truly a time to reflect on our many blessings or our many reasons to give thanks. I've been thinking of all of the blessings in my life, but I have also been thinking of the little things that we may often look over...discounting them as not really blessings. One passage I've heard in church before that keeps echoing in my mind is the one I've shown below (I've modified it some to fit me).

I AM THANKFUL FOR THE STUDENT
WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING HIS/HER WORK
BECAUSE THAT MEANS HE/SHE IS AT SCHOOL LEARNING
AND NOT OUT OF CLASS, MISSING OUT

I AM THANKFUL FOR THE TAXES
THAT I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
THAT I AM EMPLOYED.I AM THANKFUL FOR THE MESS
TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
THAT I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES.
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE CLOTHES
THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT AND I HAVE A HEALTHY BABY GROWING INSIDE ME

I AM THANKFUL FOR MY SHADOW
THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE.

I AM THANKFUL FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING,
WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING,
BECAUSE IT MEANSI HAVE A HOME.

I AM THANKFUL FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS
THAT WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

I AM THANKFUL FOR THE PARKING SPOT
I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING
AND THAT I HAVE BEEN
BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.
I AM THANKFUL FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM WARM.

I AM THANKFUL FOR THE STUDENTS
IN OUR CLASSROOM
THAT COMPLAIN OR WHINE
BECAUSE IT MEANS
THAT I CAN HEAR.

I AM THANKFUL FOR THE PILE
OF LAUNDRY AND IRONINGBECAUSE IT MEANSI HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

I AM THANKFUL FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES
AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

AND...
I AM THANKFUL FOR THE ALARM
THAT GOES OFF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANSTHAT I AM ALIVE.

I love how it illustrates to be thankful for even the seeming annoyances in our lives. We are blessed beyond what we generally realize and are so lucky to be citizens of this nation. On Tuesday (our last day before break) I had my students think about general annoyances in their lives. Then, I read the passage above to them and talked to them about finding the silver lining in these occurrences. It most definitely is a difficult type of "out of the box thinking" for my 4th graders, but what they came up with was truly amazing. I was in tears hearing what they came up with and they absolutely nailed it! So proud of them!

I also thought of many specific things that I am thankful for this year:

1) Jack Robert: it is amazing to think that we are already almost halfway through this amazing journey...and at the end, we have one sensational gift...a blessing that we are so thankful for! Being a mother is the only thing that I've ever truly known I wanted to be and although it took a while, a lot of heartache, a lot of praying, and lots of worries, we are finally on the track to having a family and B and I could not be more excited or feel more blessed!

2) My husband: I have been head over heels for this man from the moment I saw his picture on a dorm room wall, but this love continues to grow and flourish every single day...even more so now that we have a a precious angel growing in my belly. B is going to be THE MOST amazing father, without question and I am so lucky to have such a supportive father for our son and his worrisome momma!

3) Our sensational families: B and I both probably have the most amazing families...hands down! Each day, I wonder how we both got so lucky to have such magnificent people in our lives and we are surrounded by love, support, encouragement, and enthusiasm.

4) My Job: While my students may drive me absolutely crazy some days and I get completely overwhelmed on a weekly basis (no matter how experienced or prepared I am), I am still IN LOVE with my job! Each day, these kids make work not seem like work and offer a truly different experience where I get to make a difference in their lives. There is NEVER a dull day in teaching and while I may be hoping to leave a place in their hearts, they most definitely are in mine. Plus, what other career do you get these AMAZING breaks?!? Hollllllerrrrr!

5) My friends: I feel so very fortunate to have grown up in a small town and to have friendships that have spanned decades. I also feel so fortunate to have other groups of friends from WKU. College was truly a blast because of them and now adulthood is even better. And finally, I am so fortunate to have my friends I've met elsewhere and between. These people make life a blast!

6) Phenergan and my other stomach pills: My saving grace. Seriously. Enough said.

7) Health: Knock on wood, but I haven't had really any health issues in about a year! And no nasty pneumonia on Thanksgiving this year...yesssss!!!! Hear that kidneys?!? Hear that hernias, appendix, bladder, uterus, knee, non-gallbladder, stomach, duodenum, etc.....?!!!!?

8) Morning Sickness: is G-O-N-E...for the most part! Holler!

9) Being pregnant around the holidays: I can eat, eat, eat with no judgement in sight. Three helpings of au gratin potatoes? Yes, please!!! Eating pie and at random intervals in the day?!? Outstanding! I cannot wait for Christmas! Plus, we're already on the "Jack Track" --> my mom has a stocking hung up at their house for our little man and we are so pumped!

10) Contagious Enthusiasm: everyone has been so excited for us and so supportive throughout this pregnancy and their excitement is so encouraging! It bounces off of them and back to us and before you know it, we are even more elated than we already were!

11) Getting invited to/ being in 23497.98 weddings: seriously folks, our cups runneth over with this fact! We did not have one.single.free.weekend this summer (no exaggeration) and while it was most definitely busy, it was a BLAST! Some days, we even had two weddings to attend...and well, we made it! We have had such a tremendous year attending/ being in all of these weddings and feel so lucky that we get to be a part of your lives and such a special day!!! We LOVE you ALL!

12) Banker Family Vacation: my parents gave us a vacation for Christmas 2010 and we had such a phenomenal time being at the beach in an A.M.A.Z.I.N.G house with my family!

13) People who catch up with us on our blog: WE LOVE YOU...AND THANK YOU SO MUCH!

and now...for some pictures from our year that has made us so, so, soooooooo very grateful...

Brad and I were BOTH in Lucy and Shane's wedding! - 9.10.11

I was a bridesmaid in Beth and Kody's wedding! 6.18.11

Bride and Bridesmaid :)

4th of July party at Jason and Christie's house!

Lucy's bachelorette party in Louisville with her ugly bridesmaids :)

At Sober Steph and David's wedding! (she's a sorority sister and he's a fraternity brother so it was another Phi Delt and Chi O union...yesss!!) We found out we were pregnant the next day!