On My Thankful List

It's true.

The things that I am most thankful for are the same every year: my husband and my children.

That is not to say that I am not also thankful for myriad other things, including (but absolutely not limited to!) a healthy body and mind, caring parents and awesome siblings, hard things, easy things, agency, faith, the Gospel, Pero, fireplaces, elastic-waisted pajama pants, contact lenses, freckles, the Internet, fake winter, grandparents, photographs, notepads, nail polish, gum, books, apples, Target, cream cheese, a minivan, somersaults, drive-thru pharmacies, dental floss, asphalt, mashed potatoes, Christmas trees, family history, pillows, singing, cell phones, dishwashers, Little People toys, deodorant, pens, etc., etc., etc. (Seriously, I could do this all day.)

The things that I am most conscious of absolutely loving and being most thankful for, though, are those incredibly wonderful (and occasionally infuriating) people in my life that happen to make up my little family: Craig, Julia, Savanna, Alexa, and Spencer.

And here's why.

Craig:

He mows the lawn and takes out the trash and does a million other invisible things so that I don't have to. He's the best hugger, a wonderful listener, and an excellent source of sympathy and support. He loves me, he gets me, he makes a laugh a hundred times a day, and he appreciates and adores me exactly as I am.

Julia:

Oh, this crazy redhead number 2. Julia can do anything she sets her mind to. She is incredibly ambitious and self-motivating. She often displays an impressive level of wisdom and understanding. She loves lengthy hypothetical questions, is brilliant, fun, and hilarious. She totally has my sense of humor. She is like her dad in every way, which is probably why I love her so much without understanding her at all.

Savanna:

This girl. She's a helper extraordinaire, a hugger extraordinaire, and has such compassion and depth of love and feeling for others. She's an incredibly smart, fun-loving, and all around excellent little person. She encourages and supports, rallying around others every chance she gets. She is grateful and appreciative, makes friends easily, and loves everyone.

Alexa:

Alexa is my fun little buddy. She is a wonderful partner to shop with, cook with, and clean with. She is so delightful and fun to be around. She has an incredible memory, a knack for rhythm and rhyming that surpasses that of her older sisters, and an adult-like personality that is both wonderful and startling coming from her little 4-year-old self. Plus she's kind of a Mommy's girl, which is pretty irresistible since she's the only one who is.

Spencer:

Where do I begin with Spencer, whose hands I just extricated from the toilet not three minutes ago? This kiddo is so darn cute, energetic, and curious. At a mere 19 months, he is already interested in how things work. He loves all buttons, dials, knobs, and wheels. He is freakinshly strong and sneaky, smiles easily, jabbers constantly, and loves to be with his people. He's is such an exhausting little joyful, this boy.

Well, there it is. The same peeps who drive me crazy and test my patience and energy to my very core are also the ones that love me, help me, encourage and sustain me. I am so grateful for the privilege of knowing and loving them all.