day 12: grandparents

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I'm so thankful for my grandfathers and their fighting in WWII.  I am *so* blessed at 37 to have both sets of biological grandparents and my step-grandfather still alive.  Part of that is good genes, part of that is a factor of having children young, all of it makes me and my child! very lucky.  Even Paul's grandparents were with us until just a couple of years ago and we were both surprised when his last grandfather died a month before Henry was born.  In denial about the state of Owen's health, we were already planning a trip to KS with a tiny tiny baby.

I don't call or write often enough and I definitely don't visit enough but I hope my grandparents all realize how amazingly loved they are and how often they are in my thoughts.  I try to tell them every time I do remember to call or see them.

Day 11: freedom

This one is a gimme given today is Veteran's Day, I think, but one that is definitely heartfelt in expressing my gratitude.  Going back, I have a great-grandfather I didn't know who fought as a doughboy in WWI.  All three of my grandfathers fought in WWII--one enlisted, one drafted, not sure on the third.  My paternal grandmother has talked about the separation after my granddad was drafted (three years, I believe) and how changed he was when he came back.  None of the three are very willing to talk about their experiences.  I can't imagine being a part of something like that so young (17-23ish) and I can't imagine I would want to talk much about it either.  I have a girlfriend who has gone to Iraq three times and an acquaintance who lost his son in Iraq.  My heart absolutely broke when I heard that news and I know I didn't handle it correctly.  No card sent, no email to express my thanks for his ultimate sacrifice.  Lots of prayers for the family and a renewed understanding in the saying freedom isn't free.  I'm eternally grateful that there are those who, for whatever reason, were willing to go to battle for me to enjoy the luxuries I have.

Day 10: laughter

I had something else in mind today about what I was thankful for but as I reflect on the day, I'm thankful for laughter.  Getting to hear my sweet boy's laugh makes my heart swell every time.  Seeing my husband smile and scoff will almost always make me giggle too.  Having the opportunity to spend a few hours with friends and relax, as I got to do tonight, is always good for the soul.  So, it's laughter.  And smiles and giggles and guffaws and snorts and all the chances we get to do that throughout the day.  I know there are days when I don't take advantage of all the opportunities but need to remember to take the time to add a few giggles to my day.

Day 9: our jobs

I am fortunate to have a job that I truly love.  I get frustrated at times by it but that is simply a normal part of being employed.  I'm definitely happy with the place I'm working--I have coworkers I really enjoy, a few I could do without of course, and a positive work environment.  Paul struggles more with his work environment--it's tough to keep a company afloat by yourself and I think he often feels that way.  It keeps him away from us too much at times but it affords us with lots of opportunities and "stuff" that we couldn't have otherwise.  A trade-off, for sure.  I'd love to be able to have him around more at times but we're making it work.  The hours for both of us are a little crazy but it actually works well with Henry for parent/tot time--Paul has him to himself in the mornings after I've gone in and then I've got Henry for a couple of hours in the afternoon before Paul gets home for dinner.

Day 8: birthdays

I'm not always thrilled with the number but I'm thankful to have celebrated 37 healthy birthdays.  It is hard to say the age--I definitely don't feel like I should be closer to 40 than 20 (or even 30) but there you go.  Life is good and I've been blessed each year.