25 Days of Thanks - Day One, Two, Three and Four

I have decided to take on Heather Lowery's challenge of blogging about something you are thankful for everyday leading up to Thanksgiving.  I love this as it is forcing me to think about the blessings in my life and what they mean to me.  I have quite a list of things to blog about and pray that more things will come into my mind.  Since it's already November 4th I am going to catch up with one post about 4 topics.  I invite everyone to join me on this venture and come up with something you are thankful for everyday!

Day One - Pepsi and Caterpillar

 

We both came into our jobs in different ways.  David's was fairly direct and mine was definitely circular and worked into.  However, we have both ended up in jobs that we excel at (I always was good at being bossy!).  Of course there are days that we don't love our jobs and there are even more days that we don't like each other's job, but overall they are wonderful.  They provide us a life that is beyond my wildest dreams and I am thankful everyday for that.  I see people who are struggling to find jobs and opportunity and I am reminded again how wonderful we have it.  I am thankful for blessed talents that we both have and the possibilities they allow us.

Day Two - Moving Away

When accepting his job with Caterpillar it also meant us accepting a transfer to the Chicago area.  Now anyone who knows me knows that I do not like Chicago nor being so far away.  But the soul-searching introspective part of me (this is the part that doesn't usually come out in my loud boisterous manner) knows that the move away from friends and family was the best thing that could have happened for David and I.  We were forced to rely on ourselves and turn to God alone when things were bad.  We have faced incredible goodness and incredible difficulties in our time in Chicagoland, and while we were able to do with phone calls back home, and visits from family and friends, mostly we got through it all alone.   We learned to trust each other with everything including our deepest secrets, our most true selves, and, as it turned out, our lives.  We have learned to fight and learned to make up, we have learned to love unyieldingly and unconditionally, since we literally had nowhere to go when things got tough.  One time we broke up (okay moms - breathe- it was for about an hour) and I gave back my ring and started to pack.  As I was packing my stuff, I realized I honestly had nowhere to go. I have never been in that position before.   And we realized this is real life and we are stuck.  Through everything we are together because we have to be.  We are an incredibly strong, close, loving, and respectful couple because we had to be.  I won't see we learned easily, but we learned.  I truly believe that moving to Chicago was God's plan for us and His way to teach us what all we needed before we tied the knot and for that I am eternally grateful.  We have had an incredible time here and now I just wish I could go back home!

Day Three - Dr. Clark

                                                      

February 26, 2009 I had heart surgery.  This was a minor heart surgery as heart surgeries go and I am fine now.  My cardiologist is Dr. Stanley Clark of the Midwest Heart Specialists.  This man took a seemingly fit and healthy 28 year old and explained how her own lungs were killing her.  He was brutally honest telling me I was going to die by 40.  But he also gave me hope that he could fix the problem.  Even when it turned out the problem was worse than we had first thought the team was able to find a solution that worked without open heart surgery.  Because of him, David and I faced a harsh reality head on and I will see my children grow up.  Since my surgery, I have had a life I didn't know I was missing.  I can run and swim and breathe better than I ever could and I never even knew I had a problem.  Dr. Clark continues to personally know my case and my life story.  He took so much interest in my case even remembering anecdotes about my family.  He is an amazing physician and I thank God continually for his blessing on Dr. Clark and the talents He gave him.

Day Four - My Mom

My mother is a saint - well would be if only we were Catholic.  I love my mom and we are incredibly close.  I can say without a single doubt that we are friends instead of mother/daughter.  We have a bond that goes beyond miles and that leaves others jealous.  I talk to her nearly every day and continually think "oh I need to tell her ..." I am so grateful to have such a tight relationship with her.  I usually don't even have to talk for her to hear me.  She listens when I don't say anything or when I do.  She has been here for the worst and the best moments of my life.  I love you, Momma.  You are an amazing woman and I am incredibly blessed to have you in my life.