Just a post of thankfulness

This year has been a rough start, Im praying that it will get better. So, today I'm needing to find what I'm thankful for so jumping off a cliff isn't an option.

1. I'm thankful for Mark. I'm grateful for the good example he is to my kids, for playing with them, teaching them basketball and baseball, for treating them with respect even though they don't always deserve it.  Im proud of him for being such a hard worker, for having so much patience and love for us all. I'm so grateful for our sweet little Garrett. I'm so excited to raise this boy with him.

2.I'm thankful for Lauren. She is my rock, I dont know what I would do without her. I'm so grateful that I have a least one daughter. I will miss her so much and she moves onto her next adventure.I'm so proud of her graduating high school this year with pretty great grades. She had a few rough years with the divorce and all but that's ok. She is so smart and is way more mature in her thinking than most adults I know. I'm so excited to see what she becomes in the next few years as she goes to college and gets married and such.

3.I'm thankful for Brendan. He moved out on Christmas and I miss him so much. I miss his laughter, his jokes, his beautiful face. I miss spending time with him, playing with him, watching him play baseball, watching him just being goofy. I miss hugging him and resting my head on his chest, I miss scratching his back and cuddling with him. I miss his voice. I miss him being this cute little boy with a bowl cut and the sweetest face you've ever seen. I hope one day to have my sweet baby boy back. He is struggling right now with stuff. I wish so bad he would let me help him. I would move heaven and earth for him. Brendan is an amazing kid. He is smart, funny, good at sports and pretty much anything he puts his head into. He has the most amazing potential.

4. I'm thankful for Jamen. Jamen is such a sweet kid! He is my mellowest child by far. He is very smart and has a kind heart! Im so proud of him for working on his issues and doing so good. He has quit smoking, which is such a hard thing to do. I'm so proud of him! He is a good big brother and is so sweet with Garrett (who loves him very much). He is always willing to watch the boys while I run errands or go out with Mark. I love him so much!

5. I'm thankful for Ethan. Ethan is so amazing! He genuinely cares and loves everyone. He is a brillant kid and has to be the sweetest kid alive. All the girls and their moms, love him and want him for their daughter. He will be an amazing husband and dad one day. He has a ton of energy and loves to help anyone who needs it. He is so service oriented. A couple of weeks ago he snowplowed the driveway for me and also did a couple of the neighbors too. I'm so excited for him to become a priesthood holder in a few months! It will be so fun to watch him pass the sacrament. I cant wait!

6. I'm thankful for Kortlen. He is my little angel.  I would not have made it the last 8 years without him.  I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father for sending him when he did.  I know that he saved me with his sweet hugs and kisses, his butterfly kisses and him always telling me how he loves me more than the stars in the sky.  Kortlen will always by my little boy.  He is so sweet, smart and talented.   I'm so excited for him to be getting baptized this May. 

7. I'm thankful for Garrett. He has been so much fun to have in our family.  I love that he joins us all together as a family.  He has been so worth the sleepless nights and the work of having a little baby again.  I'm so excited to watch him grow.  He is so lucky to have such a great family to be part of.  Everyone loves him so much, sometimes too much.  He gets more kisses and hugs and more faces in his face then anyone Im sure.

8. I'm thankful for my new extended family. Thank you all for letting me part of the Roper family.  I hope that our love will continue to grow and that we will have many more fun times together.

9. I'm grateful for my two bestest friends, Claudia and Elle. Thank you both for always being there for me.  I've always wanted a best friend and now I have two! How lucky am I? 

10.  I'm grateful for my mom.  I love her so much and she has always been my bestest of bestest of bestest friends! I love her for her kindness and for dealing with all the crap she has had and keeps smiling.  I love her for the fun memories I have with her. I miss listening to her sing and play the guitar. I wish so bad we lived closer.  I love being with her.

11. I'm grateful for my dad.  I love his cute laugh and how his eyes smile when he smiles. I love listening to him play his guitar.  He is so amazing in everything he does.  His new fond hobby of woodworking makes pottery barn look cheap! He is so talented.  I wished he lived closer so he can make my list of projects.  I love how everything he does is perfect, he never cuts corners and I love that!  He is so smart and such a hard worker.

12. I'm grateful for the church and for my Heavenly Father.  It taken me a long time to be thankful for both of these.  It's taken a while and is still in progress to know that my Heavenly Father loves me and is there for me. I'm grateful for the loving feeling I get as He carries me through these trials.  I'm grateful for the people he places around me to teach me and guide me.  I'm grateful that I can repent daily for the things I do wrong and try again to be better right away. I'm grateful for my trails because they help me to grow.  I'm grateful that when it gets to be to much I can pray and he will take away the pain and heaviness that I feel.  I know without a doubt that he will always be there for me, that things happen for a reason and that it will be all worth it in the end.

13.  I'm grateful for the rest of my family.  Im grateful for Harmony, I love her and her family so much and I'm so glad I have a sister. I'm grateful to Tony and his family. I love how he protects me and wants to beat up all the jerks in my life for me.  I'm grateful to Dean for taking care of my mom and treating her the way she deserves to be treated. I'm grateful to Joyce for making my dad happy and for all she does for me. I'm grateful to Kim and Kris, for still loving me even though I'm no longer a Fleischer.  You guys will always be my sisters, I dont care what anybody says.

14. I'm grateful for all my other friends and family!  Thank you for being who you are in my life!


Ok, I feel better.  That was really long, sorry!