Today is a trying day. Today I am existing off of barely 3 hours of sleep. Today my patience level has been below normal. Today I have struggled to keep my chin up when it feels like there are 50 pound weights pulling it down. I’m tired. I’m pregnant. My back is achey. My hands hurt from fighting with the toilet in our master bedroom for two hours during my daughter’s nap time. I should have been sleeping and resting during her nap, but I wanted to fix the toilet. So far, me-0 and toilet-1…

I’ve eaten really bad today. I’ve let Zoey watch entirely too much television today. I’ve raised my voice at the dog too many times. I’ve become extremely frustrated with my husband. My fuse is short today and everything is setting it off.

However, I wanted to come here and write about how thankful I am that we have a roof over our head. This ties into being thankful for my amazing husband. He works hard so that I can stay home with our daughter and because of his hard work, we have a home. We own a home. It may not be a gigantic “American Dream” home with brand new appliances, shiny wood floors and brand new, coordinating furniture. The yard isn’t winning any Yard Of The Month awards and our fence may need to be replaced. The siding could stand to be replaced, or at least painted and there is a slight dent in the garage overhead door. But it’s our HOME. We own it. We live here. This is where our family has started and continues to expand. We have a back yard for our kids to run around in and they have a roof over their head, a toilet, running water, a pantry full of food to nourish us. Yes I would love to have a new dishwasher, a new refrigerator with ice/water in the door, new counter tops, new flooring, furniture that coordinates… But are these things I NEED? No, they are not. My husband, my daughter, the baby growing in my belly, my dog, my family.. These are all things I need and am thankful for! We have heat in the winter and air in the summer and even though finances can be stressful, in the end I just have to remind myself: There are many people who have a lot more than we have, but we also have a lot more than a lot of people have. The grass may always seem greener on the other side but sometimes I just need to open my mind and heart to see that the grass is quite magnificent on my side too.

I am beyond grateful for my amazing husband and often wonder how I got so lucky. He is my best friend, my confidant and the love of my life. We aren’t perfect and it’s not always sunshine and rainbows, but when is it ever? We’re both Aries, which describes us as both hot headed and stubborn.. and I think we both fit into that category at times. When the good times FAR outweigh the stressful times, you know you have picked a winner!

He is an amazing father. Zoey is so beyond lucky to have such an involved Daddy in her life and I know Baby Bean is just going to love this Daddy Character when she finally gets to meet him. He is a great husband. He is always putting us before himself, he is constantly helping me out and doing things for me. He does anything I ask him to and doesn’t complain about it, ever. He works hard to provide for our family and for all of these things, I am eternally grateful.

It’s always difficult for me to write about him. I love him SO much, beyond words. I appreciate him, beyond words. I believe in him, beyond words. I trust in him, beyond words. I have faith in him, beyond words.

It’s that time of year to give thanks again. Truth be told, I usually think of a short list of quick things I am thankful for every night before I fall asleep at night. BUT, this is great blog fodder.. So I’m going to try to post as much as I possibly can during the month of November about the many things that I am constantly thankful for. Stay tuned!

Thankful for having great grandparents as I was growing up. Though I never got to meet my Grandpa on my Dad’s side of the family and I didn’t meet my Grandma on that side until I was a bit older, I grew up having two sets of grandparents that loved me whether it be nearby or from afar.

I had so much fun with my Grandma and Grandpa on my Mom’s side of the family. I used to spend my summers there playing with toys, going to Braum’s for evening ice cream, going to church with my Grandma and fishing with Grandpa. Riding old bikes, hanging clothes on the line, writing in my journal. So many wonderful memories! I know my grandparents loved me, I could feel it just by being in their presence.

When I did finally get to meet my Grandma on my Dad’s side of the family (she lives in Iran so I have only actually seen her twice), I could really feel the love just by that first tight hug. Though I haven’t seen her in many years and I worry that I wont get to see her again, I know in my heart how much she loves me. She is a wonderful woman and I miss her so much and really wish she could come back to the U.S. to visit at least once more.

I don’t know about your childhood or your life but grandparents play a big role in mine. Besides my own parents, I think they are the only other people who love you wholly. By loving you wholly, I mean loving you without judgment. In your parents and grandparents eyes, you are perfect. You are beautiful, you are smart and you are without a doubt the GREATEST kid in the world!

I only have one living grandparent left and that is my Grandma on my Dad’s side of the family. Thinking of my grandparents that have passed away today and also of my Grandma that is so many thousands of miles away. It’s a bittersweet moment.

Today I am thankful for the Internet. Between online shopping, online journaling, online friends, online social networking sites and instant message software.. I can keep in touch easily with any and everyone.

I have met some AMAZING people through the Internet that I have yet to meet in real life and some whom I have. Without the Internet, I wouldn’t have near as many amazing friends as I have now. I wouldn’t have the comradery that comes with online friendships.

Thanks to websites like Facebook and Myspace, I have gotten in touch with people that I never thought I’d see or hear from again. Technology has helped me connect with my family that lives overseas. I can now share pictures and see their pictures and keep in touch like we couldn’t before.

With online shopping I am able to buy things for a better price than what I can get in stores. I am also able to shop with convenience from the comfort of my own, in my jammies with unbrushed teeth without being judged. Oh and avoid all of those germies during flu season!

I would have never kept up a paper journal and the Internet has enabled me to keep an online journal since 1998 of my day to day activies. I now have a place to look back on my past and laugh at some of the silly things I used to worry over. I can also keep track of my daughter’s milestones and everything Gene and I have been able to experience together over the years.

Yes, there are a bunch of creeps on the Internet. You have to be super careful nowadays. It’s not near as innocent as it used to be when I first logged on, many many years ago. But with all of the advantages, I think it totally outweighs the bad.

Thank you Internet, for everything over the years!! You have changed my life in a good way.

Today I am thankful for having a roof over my head. I got a text message from a girl on my birth boards who said she is living in a hotel with her kids right now and essentially “homeless.” It breaks my heart and I feel so helpless. Like, what can I do when I am 2,000 miles away with limited funds? I just keep her and her kids in my thoughts and hope they can find a way out of an icky situation. I know a lot of us find stress when it comes to finances, whether in our day to day lives or during this recession, and regardless of it all I am oh so thankful that we own a house that provides shelter for us. I may not have the biggest house with the nicest appliances and beautifully coordinated design but I have a house that, well, is home. For that, I am thankful.

Today I am thankful for naps! Both for my daughter and for myself. For some reason I was particularly tired this afternoon and was really wanting a nap, even if it was just a short one. I let Zoey play in her high chair for a while and I guess she tired herself out because I laid her down in her crib around 3:15 PM and she didn’t get up until after 5:30 PM! I worked on some knitting and then laid down around 4 so I got a good 1 1/2 hour nap in as well. It was amazing!! When I woke up after 5 PM, it was getting dark outside and I had a few moments of confusion where I wasn’t sure what day it was and whether it was night or morning.