Blogs of Thanksgiving: Blog 15

As my last blog was on my grandparents on my mom's side; this one is on my grandparents on my dad's side. Once again,  I consider myself to be incredibly blessed to have two great examples of how to live in my grandparents. Both my Grandfather and Grandmother have been and continue to be wonderful examples of strong faith, dedication, and hospitality. They have shown me what it means to have faith by moving several times over the years to go wherever it is that God calls them. They have shown me what it means to be dedicated by remaining committed to the vocations that God called them to at various times in their lives. My Grandfather spent years in ministry and my Grandmother as a teacher. Both of them have "retired" more than once from their jobs. They not only remained dedicated year after year, but also passionate about those they ministered to and taught in their respective careers. They have shown what it means to be hospitable over the years by having an open door policy at their house. Not only have they always welcomed our family in their home, but over the years they have opened their home to numerous foreign exchanges students. Students have lived with them over summers and throughout the school year at various times for as long as I can remember. My grandparents open their homes to these students and they have become a part of our extended family over the years. I am so grateful to have such loving, respectful, caring, and hospitable friends in my life. Their example is one that I hope to model in my life. 

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Blog 14

Today, I am thankful for my grandparents; and as I did my dad first when blogging about my parents; its only fair I do my Mom's parents first. My grandpa died when I was 8 years old, but regardless I am very grateful for the legacy he left behind. He was a strong man, who believed in protecting those he loved. He was caring, loving and respectful. He had a sense of duty, and he lived by it. I am very grateful for the example he set for our family and all those he knew. And while I wish I could have known him better, and that he was still around today, I am very grateful for the memories I have for him and the legacy he left behind.

I am also grateful for my grandma. She carries a quiet dignity that I have always respected about her. She has a big heart and has always wanted the best for me. I enjoy every minute I get to spend with her, even though I don't get over to her house I much I wish I did. She has this way of putting everyone else's needs above her own to the point that we sometimes have to remind her to take care of herself.  I am very grateful for everything she has done for me and for the awesome example she has set for me. And on a side note, she is an incredible cook, so I am also grateful for all the home-cooked meals she has provided me over the years :). Anyway, I consider myself to be very blessed to have such an amazing grandmother and example in my life.

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Blog 13

Okay, I'm officially off by two days now. I just didn't have the energy to blog last night; however the lack of energy to write does not equate to a lack of gratitude. Last night, I had dinner and saw a movie with two dear friends; and it was a nice reminder of how grateful I am for friendships. As I have written in some of my previous blogs, I have been blessed with an incredible family; but I am doubly blessed with friends that I consider to be like family. Over the years, I have had many incredible friends, but for this blog, I want to highlight two that have been there for me a lot over the past three years. Kim and Kevin have not only welcomed me into their homes but into their lives. I can not only depend them for good night eating food and watching movies, but I can also depend on them to be there for me in times of crisis. For example, two months ago, I had a bad fall in my apartment. I called them at like 11pm and they rushed over to take me to the hospital. They stayed with in the ER until 3am and then let me stay the night at their house to make sure I was okay. I am so grateful to have these two incredible friends in my life not only because of the trip to the ER but because they have always been there to support me through all the craziness  of the last three years. I am so grateful to have such supportive friends. And, besides, its nice to have friends who will go with to the movies one day and to the ER the next, but hopefully in the future we can go to far more movies, and far fewer trips to the ER.

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Day 12

Having expressed my gratitude for my sister yesterday, it is only fitting I show my gratitude for her husband, my brother-in-law, Nick. Over the past 7 plus years, Nick truly has proven to be the "perfect match" for my sister. When he first started dating Jennifer, I was amused because Nick always seemed to be rather quiet and reserved, and so I was curious to see how things would play out, no offense intended to either one of them, lol. However, it didn't take long for me to see that Jennifer had found "a keeper" in Nick. He truly respects, loves and supports my sister in every way possible and he has been an awesome addition to our family. I still remember the first Thanksgiving he spent with my family, and I jokingly told Jennifer that if he didn't go running for the hills after spending a holiday with us, she should make sure didn't let him get away. And that's something that holds true today. I still remember what it was about Nick that made me think he was a good match for Jennifer, and there was nothing special that he did, but just a "feeling" I got.  Now sister wasn't in the habit of dating tons of guys, nor did she ever date any "jerks," but whenever I was around her and her former boyfriends, while they never treated me mean or anything, I always felt like and outsider, a "third wheel" if you will, but I never felt that way when spending time with Jennifer and Nick. I felt accepted, and there is just something about being with them and not feeling like an outsider rather like family, that convinced me that they were a good match for each other, and that Nick would be an excellent addition to our family, and the past seven years have done nothing but convinced me of that. And not only am I sure that Nick is and will continue to be an incredible husband to my sister, but I am sure that he will be an incredible dad to my nephew. I am so very grateful for the blessing that Nick has been to our family and am glad to have him as a brother-in-law.

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Day 11

Today, I am reminded of how grateful to have an awesome sister,  who is not only the best sister I could ask for but also an amazing friend. There is a saying that friends are the family you choose, and while I do have some friends that I consider to be like family; in my sister, I have a family member who is also my best friend. I can't say that we have always been "the best of friends;" matter of fact, we didn't always get along when we were younger, but I am to blame for that. I was quite the brat at times, thankfully I grew out of it (at least I like to think I did). However, despite the fact that I wasn't always easy to get along with, my sister never stopped loving me and has stuck with me through thick and thin. I have many fond memories of my sister, from road trips, to shopping trips, to nights hanging out at home, no matter what we are doing, I know that time with my sister is time well spent. We are alike enough to enjoy doing many things together, but different enough to keep things interesting.  And it can even be argued that if it weren't for Jennifer, I wouldn't be here today, as she is credited with saving my life on multiple occasions.  But more than that, I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for her influence and love. She has seen me at my worse, and as been a voice of reason and encouragement multiple times, something for which I am incredibly grateful. Jennifer is not only an incredible sister and friend, but I know that in a few short weeks she will also be an incredible mom, something I look forward to seeing as she enters this new exciting chapter of her life. I am so grateful that I am blessed with such a positive influence and example in my life and one that I never take for granted and someone I would do absolutely anything for.

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Day 10

Given the fact that today is Veteran's Day, I am reminded of how grateful of I am for our country's veterans. Veteran's Day began as Armistice Day in 1919 when Woodrow Wilson declared, "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations." The freedoms we enjoy this country are possible thanks to the sacrifices of our veterans. Many have paid the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that we can live in a land that is free. Not only am I grateful to the men and women who have gone before; but also I express gratitude to those who continue to serve our nation today. These heroes deserve our gratitude not just one day a year, but every day because we wouldn't be who we are today without them. So, to all our veterans, today and I every day, I say "Thank you."

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Day 9 (I'm still a day off)

I was going to make up for my tardiness in writing my Thursday blog on Friday by writing two blogs yesterday; but alas, I only wrote, so I'm just going to be a day off. Anyway, today I am thankful for my job. Now those who know me well may be some what surprised to hear me say that; but the truth is, even though I don't exactly love my job, I am grateful to have one. I have worked at Best Buy nearly 3 1/2 years now. And while I have no intention of making a career of it; nor do I love my job, I am grateful that I have one. We have numerous people come in on a regular basis looking to see if we are hiring; and I am reminded that given these economic times; its a blessing to just have a job. And I am also grateful how flexible my job has been with my ever changing schedule. The great thing about working retail is that it has allowed me to set my availability in such a way that allows me to continue my studies. Another great benefit of my job is the employee discount. Its a pretty useful benefit at times, lol. Anyway, although I don't exactly enjoy my job every day, I am grateful to have it; and I am sure that the experience will come in handy in the future.