Thankful A-G

Psalm 106:1- Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Back in June I had done an exercise in brainstorming about everything I was thankful for (see here for that post). After checking out my dear friend Kristi's blog on Tuesday, I was inspired to copy her "assignment" from her pastor. The assignment was to make a list from A-Z of what you are thankful for. As I began listing my thanks, I realized that it would be too long for one post, so I am going to break it up and post from now through Thanksgiving my thankfulness. (By the way, for any scrapbookers out there, this would be a great journaling project for you to put on a page or in a mini album for Thanksgiving.)

Thankful from A-Z

A- Addie. The Bible says that children are a gift from the Lord, and she truly is a gift. She has a way of making us melt when she hugs us out of the clear blue. Addie, I want you to know that Daddy and Mommy will never take you for granted.

B- Brian. I didn't know (back when I was single) how much I needed Brian, but God knew. He knew that our personalities balanced the other out perfectly. Brian, you are my best friend, and my favorite time of the day is when I know that you are walking up the sidewalk to the house after work. I look forward to growing old with you and watching God bless you in every way imaginable. You have always been so humble and selfless. I admire the discerning heart that God has given you. Thank you for being such a hard worker and going to work everyday so that I can stay home with Addie.

B- Belinda. My cousin has always been so loving and good to us. She has loved Addie from the day she was born and has spoiled her with gifts and goodies (along with GrandTiti and Uncle Jack). She is always willing to give me a back or head massage (especially when I get a migraine), and I'll never forget her treating me to a pedicure on one of our visits down to see her. For Addie's 1st birthday party, she showed up with a dozen giant, red foil balloons and just overwhelmed me with her generosity. Thank you, Belinda, for loving my little girl as much as you do.

C- Cathys. There are two very special Cathys in my life. One is my mom-in-law and one is a precious friend. Mom, thank you for always treating me like your own daughter and for really becoming a mother to me when I lost my own mother. Thank you for putting up with me during those first few bumpy months after losing Mom, and just being you and understanding me. I love you more than words could ever describe. Cathy R., Thank you for your friendship, your emails, inviting me to scrap parties, and mostly for your visits. Yours is a treasured friendship, and I love you dearly.

C- Coffee. You know I could not have left that out. Speaking of... okay, I'm back. Got a refill and a new burst of inspiration! If you think about, if God made the bean itself, it can't be all that bad for you...

D- Dad. I am so thankful that you are still here. Thank you for always making sure that Addie is well stocked with diapers, wet wipes, food and for bringing her toys and trinkets when you come over. Thank you for buying Brian and me lunch at the Olive Garden to celebrate my birthday and for the cakes you had the waiters bring out while they sang their version of "Happy Birthday" (I felt like crying the whole time). Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to spend an evening with us during the week and for letting me cook for you (do you remember how you used to tease me because I hated being in the kitchen as a teenager, and now you come over for my home-cooking once a week!). Thank you for swapping vehicles with us when Addie was born and taking our 2-door Pontiac Grand Am so we could have the Kia for Addie's safety. Mom would have been proud.

D- Dishwashers. As a young girl growing up in a house (NJ) that did not have dishwasher, I was the dishwasher. My job was to clean the kitchen and wash the dishes, and Faye dried and put them away. As I stood at the window dishwashing, I used to vow that when I got married, I was going to have a dishwasher. When we moved to Florida in 1998 and my parents bought a house, my first question was, "Does it have a dishwasher?" It did! In both houses that Brian and I have lived in, we have also been blessed with dishwashers. Occasionally, I will stand at the sink and wash the dishes by hand, but it is so nice to know that I can always stick them in the dishwasher if I wanted to.

E- Eggplant. Here is little known factoid about me. When I was single and a teacher, in order to help me maintain my tiny figure, I ate Michaelina's eggplant parm for lunch every single day. Ahem, I can't tell you when the last time I had one was, but those eggplants helped me reach my goal of fitting into a size 4 wedding dress.

F- Faye. You have been such a blessing to our family. You have always been such a dear friend and confidante, someone who can always be relied on, selfless, giving, and warm hearted. You have such a tender heart (as a little girl you cried at the end of reading a biography of Clara Barton because she died at the end) and always think of others before yourself. God has finally seen fit to give you the desires of your heart, and we cannot express how happy we are for you. You have always honored God in all that you do, and now He is honoring you. I love you, my dear (and only) sister.

F- Family. I come from a large extended family. My mother was the first of five children and my dad was the third of four, so needless to say our family gatherings are quite an event. However, we do not only gather together at certain times of the year. We find ways to gather throughout the year, and we make up occasions to meet. I have aunts that I can call at a moment's notice just to chat or, if necessary, will drop everything if I need them. At Mom's passing, the officiating pastor said that as he watched our family interact and support each other, he wished that he was Puerto Rican. He couldn't get over the bond that there was among us. When I went into labor, it was a family event. Everyone, from Dad, Faye, Mom-in-law, Pops-in-law, aunts, uncles, cousin, brothers-in-law, and a sister-in-law were there in during the labor in the wee hours of the morning or immediately after the birth of our daughter at 12:53 p.m. My aunt Alice came to stay with me during the first week after Addie came home from the hospital and accompanied me during Addie's first doctor's visit. My aunt Elsa has gone to almost every doctor's appointment for Addie with me, and when Addie was admitted into the hospital at 5 months for acid reflux, she met us there and came to visit us through out the weekend. She also stops by at least every other week for coffee and to sit and chat. Family is something that should never be taken for granted.

G- Grace. There is so much that we as humans do not deserve, but God's grace overlooks who we are, what we have done, and see us as His children that He wants to bless. I look at my own life, and I cannot even begin to count the many blessings that God has bestowed on our family. I am thankful for the grace that offered me salvation so that I can spend eternity with my Lord.

G- GrandTiti. GrandTiti, thank you for your love, generosity, and the good that you have done to Faye, Brian, Addie, and myself since the passing of Mama. Thank you for always being on the other end of the phone when I call just to chit-chat and for never making me feel that I am taking up your time. I have always loved you, but during the past 21 months, my love for you has grown deeper.