A Time for Thanks

With Thanksgiving coming up this week, I thought it appropriate to list some of the many things we have to be thankful for this year.  Last November, we had just found out we were going to have a baby girl.  Now, she is over 7 months old, healthy and growing.  So much has changed, but through it all, it is clear that God is with us.  He has blessed us with so much.

• We have to give thanks for the wonderful family that we have to support us.  When we need babysitters, dogsitters, or just someone to help us clean the house, they have been there.  They have loved us through our worst and try to help us be our best.  Thank you, and we love you! 
• Our friends have been so valuable to us this past year.  From listening to me gripe during my last trimester to celebrating the joy of Audrey's birth with us, our friends have been there to keep us focused on what is important. 
• Billy and I are so thankful to have each other.  Despite the fact that we have been together for almost 10 years, we still have a lot to learn about each other.  During our four years of marriage, we've had ups and downs, but we have perservered.  I am so thankful that we share our faith and can love each other without judging. 
• Of course we are thankful for Audrey too.  She has brought so much joy into our lives.  Even though she is so small and can't even talk, she has great skill at bringing things into perspective.  We are thankful that she is healthy, growing, and is such a good natured child.  Thank you, God, for blessing us with this little miracle.
• While we are always thankful for our jobs, this blessing is highlighted this year because of the current economic situation.  We have several friends that have lost their jobs, but we have been lucky enough to not only maintain our employment, but to also feel somewhat secure.  We are thankful to be at good companies that care about employees and to have jobs that interest and challenge us.
• Despite the fact that we thought we needed a big house with a yard out in the 'burbs, God knew better.  Continuing to live in our condo downtown has been a blessing in disguise.  It would be nice to have a little more room, but that would just mean more to clean! 
• This may sound cliché, but our church has been such a blessing for us.  With the friends we have made and the programs that we have gotten involved with, Billy and I are learning so much about ourselves and our faith.  Audrey also has a great time in the nursery and will have a wonderful church family as she grows.