My "Thankful List"

Today is my favorite Thursday of the entire year. Today is Thanksgiving Day. I was recently reminded how so many people (often myself included) are only consciously thankful for who and what they have in their lives on this one day. I look around me, and it just blows my mind how much I have to be thankful for. From now on, I am going to try to live every day in a constant state of "thanks" for everything I have been blessed with.
Usually around this time, I start making my Christmas "wish list" of things I'd like for Christmas - something I've been doing for as long as I can remember (I mean, who hasn't made a Christmas "wish list"?). Instead of doing that this year, I decided to make a list of who/what I'm thankful for. After all, why do I need to make a Christmas "wish list" when I've already been blessed with far more than I need or deserve? I wanted to post my list below so I can look back on this blog and read it from time to time if I ever need a reminder of all I have to be thankful for. I know it won't include everything I'm thankful for (that would be a VERY long list if I took the time to think of everything), but I will at least try to mention the most "important" things. At the end, I also wanted to post a few pictures from today.


My "Thankful List"


1. I am first and foremost thankful for my Heavenly Father for creating me, and for sending His Son to die for my sins. I am thankful for His unfailing love. I am thankful that He is always there to hear my prayers, even though I'm so often not willing to listen to Him. I am thankful for every blessing He ever has and ever will give me. I have Him to thank for everything else on this list.
2. I am thankful for my wonderful husband, Jordan. I am thankful for his love and friendship. I am thankful for the hard work and selflessness he displays every day working two jobs to provide for our family. I am thankful God called me to be his wife.
3. I am thankful for my precious, healthy baby girl, Rylee. She is one of the most incredible blessings God has ever given me - one I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to have after being diagnosed with PCOS. She is a constant reminder from God that with Him, ALL things are possible. He is the Almighty Creator of life. I am so thankful for the blessing of motherhood.
4. I am thankful for my mom and dad, my daddy, my brother, my sister, and all my extended family (including my in-laws). I was blessed to be raised in a loving, Christian home by wonderful parents whose main concern was teaching me about Christ. I am thankful to have so many people who love and support me.
5. I'm thankful for my home and everything within it (my bed, my clothes, food, etc.). I am so blessed to have a roof over my head to shelter me from the ever-changing weather.
6. I'm thankful to have not one, but two reliable vehicles for transportation.
7. I'm thankful to live in the United States of America, and I'm thankful for all of the men and women who serve in our armed forces to protect my freedom.
8. I'm thankful for all of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am very blessed to have friends who love the Lord and are there to encourage me and hold me accountable in my walk with Him.
9. I'm thankful for my health, and for all of my doctors who have treated me whenever I've needed medical attention for any reason.
10. I'm thankful for music - especially contemporary worship music. I love praising God through song.

Rylee wearing her "baby's 1st thanksgiving" outfit

me and my sweet husband, Jordan

my sweet girl and me

Rylee and me in front of our Christmas tree

Rylee and me

me and Jordan with our precious baby girl

Rylee's First Vegetables and Halloween

Well, this past weekend held more milestones for my sweet baby girl. She's been eating rice cereal once a day for two weeks now, and on Saturday we were allowed to start feeding her vegetables. The doctor said to give her orange and yellow vegetables first, and to introduce a new one every five days. I decided to start her with sweet potatoes and see how she liked them. In a way, I felt a little guilty giving her sweet potatoes. I was sitting there saying, "Yummy sweet potatoes, Rylee! Yummy, yummy!" And I hate sweet potatoes. Ha! I was very proud of Rylee, though. Although she made a few silly and confused faces, she never actually gagged, and she ate the entire jar like a big girl! We fed her sweet potatoes last night and tonight as well (like I said, we need to wait five days before we introduce her to another vegetable), and she finished both of those jars too. I just can't believe my little girl is already eating baby food. Time is going by so fast, and I'm just trying to keep up and treasure every second I get with her.
Yesterday was also Rylee's first Halloween. We didn't make a big deal of it, though. I just couldn't see spending money on a costume that she would wear one time, and then taking her trick-or-treating for candy that she can't even eat. Lord knows Jordan and I don't need any candy, so we just had a nice relaxing evening here at home. Thanks to Nana (my mom), though, Rylee did at least have a Halloween outfit to wear yesterday, so I took a few pictures of her in it with a big smile on her face.
I wanted to share a video of Rylee's first few bites of sweet potatoes, and then a few new pictures as well. Enjoy!

she's not too sure what she thinks about the sweet potatoes

she likes them! all gone!

Rylee modeling her "Baby's First Trick-or-Treat" outfit for Halloween