Thankful!

These are the top things I am thankful for this year. Even with it being such a hard year on everyone, Arnold and I feel so blessed because we have a solid marriage, new family members, his awesome job, our health, and many other things we try not to take for granted!!

1. My marriage- Arnold and I got married pretty young. We have been married over 14 years now. We got hit with a lot at once, 3 children back to back, a huge health scare, being homeowners, and just learning how to adult. We have our share of arguments, but we've always been able to get through them. A lot of the odds were against us, and we've seen lots of marriages fall apart in front of us-- and we don't take ours for granted at all anymore. I am trying to be the best wife I can be, with God's help.

2. Arnold's company- Sadly I know that COVID has affected a lot of people's jobs. Thankfully Arnold still has his job, and things are going pretty strong. He just celebrated his 20 year (!) anniversary there, and they were so generous to let him choose a gift, and we got an amazing new camera for our family. His company is always good to their employees, he gets plenty of time off with us when needed, and we are so grateful. 

3. Our family's health- Thankfully no one in our family has gotten COVID! I am so thankful we have all stayed healthy. Aside from a few minor things, all of us have been doing great. I have not gotten strep since July (proof it was coming from working with little kids!!) I recently heard of a local little boy who has cancer. He is only 4. That breaks my heart. And makes me remember how fortunate we are to have healthy children. Things can change in an instant. 

4. Our parents- Our parents are getting older, and we are so blessed to still have them around. They have all stayed healthy throughout this pandemic, too! My dad recently had a hard fall and ended up in the ER with stitches, but he is doing much better. They are active in our kids' lives and always check up on them to make sure they are doing ok (Brooke and my mom regularly text!!:)

5. Our new nephew! Ah, little Roman. He is beyond precious (and looks just like my brother!!!:) We were so worried for months, when we found out about his condition in utero. But to see him now, you'd never know he had any issues at all! He is a sweet, cuddly little guy, and I can't wait to see him again soon! 

6. Family Vacation- Back in September we were able to go on a trip together as a family! It was such a great time. We hadn't gone on a trip in so long, and I am thankful for the time we spent together, and the memories that were made. I also decided to wear a bathing suit for the first time in over 10 years, and swim with the kids!!!! :)

7. Finding new family members- All of you know by now about my crazy experience earlier this year, of finally finding my birth family after all these years! I now know so many things I wondered about my entire life. I talk to my brother Jamie on a regular basis on facebook. I have seen pictures of my birth mother and father. I found out I have a ton of siblings out there. It's just surreal to me. I am excited to move forward and see where else this journey takes me. 

8. Getting ahold of our finances- Arnold and I spent a lot of time last year and this year trying to work on our finances, and do better. We didn't always make the smartest decisions in the past (once again, we were young and stupid!!!) And we worked hard on paying down debt, raising our credit scores, and we finally got approved for a home refinance. We are now doing so much better and have so much more freedom. We budget better and continue to work on our debt. My credit score is the highest it has ever been, and it makes me so proud of myself :) God has really blessed our family. 

9. Getting help for Caleb's allergies- We hadn't talked about this much, but for the longest time Caleb had been struggling with feeling bad, puffy eyes that almost swelled shut, and other things. We finally got him to an allergy dr and had him tested, and turns out he was highly allergic to many things. They put him on a daily medication, and he now takes weekly injections to help him feel better. He has really improved since then! I hated to see him suffer before! I feel bad I didn't know he was so allergic to so many things! 

10. Our church family- I've said it before, but we have found a great church home, and we love the people we go to church with. Arnold has such a great time playing with the praise team. Our pastor is awesome, he preaches the truth and always throws a laugh or two in there. I have met lots of sweet ladies, and enjoy talking to them, and even hung out with a few of them recently. I enjoy getting to know people more and more, and look forward to making many new friendships over the years. 

Just for fun-- a few other things I'm thankful for! ;)

~Good friendships

~Amazon! :D

~The freedom to vote

~Dan & Shay's new song ;)

~Good books to read

~This blog

~The kids' teachers

~Flannel sheets

~Learning to cook better

~Chocolate (always!!)