Thankful Thursday

I love reading adoption blogs. I started reading adoption stories (before blogs) about 8 years ago. I was just drawn to them. I read about any type of adoption I could. Even though Chad and I were "trying" for a baby, I just couldn't help myself. I think I knew in my heart of hearts I would adopt. After trying for a LONG time we did adopt. Our family was first blessed with Leanne, Cameron and Justin at the ages of 5, 3 and 2 respectively. Princess Katie came 2 years later at just 2 days old. Even after adopting 4 children I am still addicted to reading adoption blogs.

This is where Thankful Thursday comes in. I came across the blog of a sweet women who has adopted many children internationally. She and her loving husband just came home with two little beauties from Ugand* Afric* and will be traveling soon to pick up their daughter in Ch*na. She has recently started a routine for her Thursday posts called Thankful Thursday. I thought it was a wonderful idea and hope she doesn't mind if I borrow it myself. So each Thursday I will share a few things I am thankful for. They are in no particular order, I am just thankful for them all.

1.) Healthy children: I am so blessed with the children I have. I am thankful they are all healthy. I was reading in the news paper today about a sweet little 8 year old girl who went home to be with the Lord yesterday, while in the arms of her daddy. This little girl had battled cancer for many years. She is finally pain free and walking streets of gold. I will hug my babies a little tighter tonight.

2.) A loving husband: I am so blessed to have a husband who not only loves me, but loves us so much he sacrifices his time with our family to work long hours so I can be a stay home mom. I love him so much!

3.) heat: on this cold January night in Ohio I am thankful for heat.

4.) good friends: I do not have ton of friends like I once did. However, the few friends I do have are priceless.

5.) Traditions: I am thankful that as this holiday season has passed we were able to share some family traditions both old and new. We ate familiar foods from our childhoods and tried new recipes. We placed old memory filled ornaments on the tree and added new ones to remind us of the past year events. We had monkey bread for Christmas and great grandma's homemade candy. We watched Christmas movies, played board games and saw the big nativity downtown. I am so thankful I have this awesome family to share these traditions with. I pray they are traditions my children will continue with their children. I pray they want to come home each holiday as adults for mom's monkey bread or to watch The Christmas Story with dad. I pray that as they look back on Christmas' past they can feel the love, the joy and the happiness that they have brought to us.