Thankfulness...

On Facebook there is a huge following of people who are doing the "30 Days of Thanks". Every year I'm all 'oh, that's a great idea, I'll do it'.......and halfway through I fail miserably and forget to post. You know why??? Because there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for. From the major to the minor......these last 3 years have taught me to appreciate every little thing. Life isn't always sunshine and rainbows, you  have to make a mental decision every day to be happy and look for the positive. It's hard. We all fail at times. So here it is:

This month (like every other) there is so much to be grateful for. Other than the obvious things like the love of the One who gave His all, and my awesome group of great friends and family.......I'm once again reminded this morning of so much more.

1. My ability to make money from home and spend my days with my children. Ya'lls dirty, shaggy, smelly (Just kidding. Kind of.) dogs provide me with income. I'm grateful to be able to groom dogs from home and I'm thankful for everyone who trusts me with their fur babies :) It's fun to make your pet look pretty and get paid for something I enjoy.

2. On the 7th of this month, my oldest daughter, my 'China Doll' (we lived in China when we got pregnant with her), Ms. Olivia Li will turn 6. While this saddens me because it means she's growing up.....it also fills me with joy because I can't wait to see the woman she becomes. Sloan and I were married for 6 years before we had kids.....we often wonder what the heck we did before then?!?

3. On the 17th Sloan and I will celebrate 12 years of marriage. Who would've thought that at 19 years of age I would marry such a man. I am daily thankful for him. I could fill a book with my feelings on this subject, but I'll spare ya'll  :)

4. This month, along with all the other months before, I have been absolutely amazed at the people I have been able to meet due to interviews I never could've dreamed of. Sloan and I will remember these times when we are old and gray......we have been incredibly blessed to be able to go from one coast to another, and even across the Atlantic to meet some really neat individuals. People we have formed friendships with that will last a lifetime. This all started with China, and who knows where it will end. This particular month we get to travel to Spain and I could not be more excited.

5. The one thing I always think of when people mention 'being thankful'.....but certainly not the least. I'm continually thankful for the man who sat at his kitchen table 30+ years ago and drew up the design for the Esteem Implant I have. Sadly, he was killed in a car wreck before ever seeing the fruits of his labor. His daughters tried to get the implant off the ground but didn't have enough funds. They ended up selling the patent to their Father's design, and after millions upon millions of dollars, much testing, research, blood, sweat, and tears spent.......the Esteem came to fruition. I met these ladies at a shareholder meeting and was brought to tears as they told me their father would've been so happy to see his device helping others like me.

I hope everyone reading this has a great week. Tell everyone today what they mean to you. Smile often.