Gratitude

My family celebrated Thanksgiving today.

I didn't do a head count but the rumor was that there were 22 people there - aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, nephews, nieces, parents, grandparents, spouses.  It was loud and chaotic.  We commented at one point on how, when that many people are celebrating together, the only acceptable form of communication is yelling.  It's the only way to be heard.  Especially since approximately half of us are apparently deaf.

And, Lord, I am just so thankful for all that yelling.  All that chaos.  All that laughter.  All that love.

I'm a little ahead of myself this year.  Actual Thanksgiving is still four days away, but I'm going to be spending actual Thanksgiving on a plane, and in a car - traveling halfway across the country to cross another thing off my bucket list.  So, I'm taking the opportunity tonight, with a full belly and ringing ears, to take stock of all the things I am thankful for.

Here's the short list:

I'm thankful, of course, for Todd.  I'm thankful for this relationship we have in which we function as a team.  We respect each other, we take care of each other, and - at least most of the time - we bring out the very best in each other.  It's easy to take a relationship like this for granted.  We'll have been married 4 years in December, so by now our interactions are effortless.  Todd is home to me.  When I'm away from him for too long, I start to feel like something is missing, like I'm just "off."  He balances me, he holds me up, and he takes unbelievably good care of me.  Also?  He's going to be the most amazing dad in the world.  If you've never had the opportunity to see Todd interact with kids of just about any age, you're really missing out.  He's magical.  Kids light up when they see him.  I've said it before, but it bears repeating, I just can't wait to see him light up our own children someday!

I'm thankful for our big, crazy, boisterous families.  I cannot imagine what life would be like with less enthusiastic, supportive families.  Our families take care of us, they soothe us, they hold us up.  They are our best friends and our most trusted confidants.  I cannot imagine a different life, a quieter, less crazy (and sometimes inappropriate) family.  They say you can't pick your relatives, but there's no question that if we could - these are the exact ones we would pick.  These are the families we were always supposed to have and we are so proud of them, we love them so much, and we could not consider ourselves luckier to have them. 

I'm thankful for these big goofy slobbery dogs.  My crotchety old man and the goobery adolescent curled up into a tiny ball beside me.  I'm thankful for the entertainment and joy they bring to our lives every day.  I can't remember life before I had a waggily tail greeting me at the door every day. 

Alright, okay, I'm thankful for the cats too.  Sometimes they curl up in my lap and keep me warm and are kind of cute. 

 I'm thankful for our friends - who, in so many ways, are like family to us.  I'm thankful we have these people with whom we can be ourselves.  That we have these people in our lives with whom we can disagree, but with whom we are always honest and respectful.  I'm so thankful for the comfort and support our friends provide us - and for how loved and special they make us feel. 

I'm thankful for my job.  Sometimes it drives me crazy.  Sometimes it stresses me out.  Sometimes it's the last place in the world I want to be.  But I work with awesome people, I have developed some pretty wonderful friendships there and, in the whole grand scheme of things - it's a good job.

I'm thankful for this house.  I'm thankful in a literal way - as in, that we have a roof over our heads.  I'm also thankful in a more broad way in that - this house is so awesome.  We are so lucky to have it.  We are just as thrilled with it now (2 years later) as we were the day we found it.  Sitting here tonight with the Christmas lights on and the animals snoozing all around us, the house never felt so cozy and perfect for us.  Even better, there's plenty of room to grown. Someday this floor will be filled with baby toys (on top of dog toys) and all that noise and chaos we experience when our families get together will trickle over into our own home.  This house was made for that too.  We can't wait to fill it. 

I'm thankful for vacation -- which could not be coming at a better time for both of us.  I've never been to California.  I've never seen the Pacific ocean.  I'm thankful for this opportunity to see and explore this country, spend more time with my family, and take some time to just catch our breath and relax for a bit.

I'm thankful for adoption - for this experience, for this opportunity to learn, and grow, and deepen our faith.   I'm thankful for what this journey represents to us, and for what lies at the end of the journey.  I'm thankful that adoption exists as an option, and for the relationships we will one day build because of it. 

Finally, I'm thankful for this time -- when it's just Todd and I and the animals. It can be frustrating and incredibly easy to forget that this time is a gift when we're so ready and motivated to grow our family. But it is a gift, and I'm glad that we have it. We're trying to make the most of it.

Happy Thanksgiving all!