My ABCs of Thanks

There is so much to be thankful for, this year, and always. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

A is for: Augustine--my beautiful, cuddly, energetic baby boy! God truly blessed us with the life of this little man!

B is for: Breastfeeding. I don't take it for granted that I am still able to enjoy those special moments of nursing several times each day (...and night).

C is for: Covers. I despise being cold! So, especially as the weather is getting chilly, I am thankful for snuggly blankies to keep me warm.

D is for: Decaffinated coffee. Neither Luke or I drink caffiene, but we love ourselves some (decaf) coffee...the smell, the warmth, the delicious-ness! YUM!

E is for: Eucharist. I love my Catholic faith and the gift of receiving the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord in the Eucharist!

F is for: Futbol (i.e. soccer for us Americans). Futbol is a big part of our life, and I am thankful for the great joy it brings to my husband to play, watch, and coach such a great game.

G is for: Groups. Yes, I am a groupie. I love community, I love fellowship, I love groups! They help me feel more at home away from family. At the present moment, I am particularly thankful for my friends in the YAC (church group) and the HMC (mom's group) and for my fellow WAGS (soccer wives/girlfriends).

H is for: Health. As a hypochondriatic child, I spent way too much time worrying about getting a chronic illness. These days, I am as thankful as ever for good health but try not to worry about it as much!

I is for: Inta' Juice...the BEST smoothies ever!!!!! ...makes me miss Colorado.

J is for: Jobs. As much as I would love to be a full-time stay at home mom, I am very thakful for my job. There are many wonderful things about it, and it is a good opportunity for me to grow, as well. I am also thankful for Luke's work and for his great attitude toward it.

K is for: Knowledge of others. I love to be inspired and to learn new things about life and my faith from those who have gone before me.

L is for: Luke, my incredible husband. For his patience, passion, love, and desire for God.

M is for: Memories...of my childhood, of special times with family and friends, of dating Luke, of pregnancy, of Augustine's first 11 months of life...etc etc etc. I love my camera.

N is for: Neatness. My hubby is awesome at keeping neat, and he is forgiving when I don't live up to my own standards (i.e. those days when your closet throws up all over the middle of your bedroom floor).

O is for: Ocean! By day--swimming and taking in the sun--or by night--the peaceful crashing of the waves during an evening stroll with the one you love--it is just a cool thing.

P is for: Peanut butter! Not going to lie, I myself sometimes get grossed out by the amount of peanut butter I eat...but it's just that awesome! Some of my favorite ways to enjoy p.b. are on the classic p.b. & j sandwich, on a bagel with banana slices, on pancakes, and with ice cream!

Q is for: Quiet. Quiet moments to think, pray, read, study my sleeping baby's face, nap, blog.

R is for: Rosary. This wonderful prayer is a great way for me to meditate on the life of Jesus...and it's a prayer that I can say in the car, while nursing Augustine, during a walk, while I clean the house--anytime, really!

S is for: Sisters. I have three sisters who are also my closest friends. They are all different but all so wonderful in their own ways. I love them dearly and am so thankful to have them in my life.

T is for: Truth. And for the conviction that it exists and is worth seeking.

U is for: Unexpected surprises...a call from an old friend, an extra long nap, Luke making me dinner, a random day off work...those kinds of wonderful things.

V is for: Vacations...especially to Colorado to see my family!

W is for: Walks. Taking walks is one of my favorite things to do, and they are made especially awesome with my girlfriends down the street and their baby boys!

X is for: X's and O's from Luke and Augustine!

Y is for: YOU! For your inspiration, encouragement, advice, humor, insight, wit. I am fairly new to the blogging world, but the more blogs I read, the more I enjoy reading them. And your comments are always so sweet and appreciated. It's crazy neat to read the ideas and stories of other women who share my faith, interests, and/or vocation.

Z is for: Zzzzzz's. Sleep is something hard to come by these days, but when I do get the chance to catch a few zzzz's, my mind and body love love love it.