The start of Thanksgiving week

So what are you THANKFUL for this year? I find myself thinking about it a lot and I really do have so many wonderful gifts in my life and it's hard to narrow it down to just a few things but I will try. So many people reply to my telling them that my son is deployed right now with, "Oh I'm so sorry..." and I always cut them off with, "Please don't do that...people don't feel sorry for me because I am proud of my son and I am grateful for his service because he is doing what he wants to be doing and he's doing a great job over there of protecting us!"

So first on my list of what I am THANKFUL for this year is Robert's bravery and willingness to serve his country. We are more than halfway done with this deployment and at the end of this tunnel is another chapter in his life and I know he is looking forward to that.

I am thankful for my home and having a safe haven to lie my head down each night surrounded by people who love me.

I am thankful for the friendships that I have with some wonderful people and it doesn't matter if I see them every day or every couple of months or years or even if I have never met them in person.

I am thankful that my brother has found love and is now settled in with Michelle in their new apartment and that they are only just 5 minutes from mom's house in case they need her or she needs them.

I am thankful that mom has some new friends and that she is always keeping herself busy and active but most of all I am thankful for the gift of her recovery from lung cancer and being free of it for over 2 years now.

I am thankful that we will be seeing Nancy and Paul at mom's for Christmas and that I won't have to walk around our home and feel the fact that Robert isn't home for Christmas this year.

I am thankful that we are going to be sharing our Thanksgiving dinner with Sylvie and Tom and the boys.

I could go on but those are the highlights....so what are you thankful for?