"O give thanks unto the Lord"...

For He is GOOD!" How this verse has taken on new meaning in my life. This year as I sit next to my best friend, and we watch our tiny baby girl sleeping in this bed I am more than thankful. Thankfullness, gratitude, appreciation... There are no words to describe the feelings that can be found inside of my heart.

Many people look at this year of our lives and think how awful, how sad, but if you were to ask David and I to try and describe this past year the word that comes to our lips is WONDERFUL. Things may not have been easy, and things may not have gone according to what we had planned for this year of our Ashley's life, but without living each one of these days we would not be where we are today and we would not be the people we are today. I would not trade this life, our life, for any one else's.

The lessons I have been taught have come as the result of immense heartache and pain. From a lack of understanding and searching for answers, but the lessons I have learned are valuable and I will treasure them for a lifetime. I am thankful to be who I am, to be where I am, to be the mom I am, to be the wife I am, to live the life I am living, to be surrounded by the people I am, to be saved by grace like I am, to be chosen like I am, to be blessed like I am.

As I search my heart to come up with my Thankful list, some of the things I find myself adding would seem so silly to anyone else, but to me they represent this life He has blessed me with. Tonight I am thankful for baseball and chocolate chip cookies, for finger nail polish and polly pockets, for pink blankets and very, big hair bows, for tacos and "chickens with whiskers". All of these things represent the best parts of my life. Baseball and chocolate chip cookies have given me a precious bond with my oldest child Blake who I adore. Finger nail polish and polly pockets have given me priceless hours spent on the floor with the most beautiful 8 year old girl I have ever laid eyes on, my Allison Brooke. Pink blankets and big hair bows are what you will find my fragile baby girl, my amazing gift from God, lying beneath on any given day, our Ashley Kate. Memories of Tacos and silly songs are what bring a smile to my face as I live a life 700 miles away from my very best friend.
As I search my heart tonight how I laugh and giggle at the silliness of what has made it onto my "thankful list " this holdiay season, but I realize that He is growing me and although my list is not that mature it comes out of a heart of true thanksgiving.