I'm so thankful...

Laura Mabry nominated me on Facebook to post 3 positive comments a day for 7 days.  I am TERRIBLE at following a routine like that so I decided to calculate how many positive comments that would be and just include them on my blog.  It needs attention anyway! So, here are 21 things for which I am thankful.

 

1. The Lord and his great faithfulness to me and my family.

 

2. My sweet husband.  Dating was such a frustrating experience for me, and there were times when I thought I’d never meet the man God had planned for me.  It always amazes me to think that even though we didn’t date until I was out of college, God did introduce me to Andy when I was only 18.  I’m also so thankful for the blessing that he is in my life and for all the ways he is far and away the best match for me.  There is no one else to whom I’d rather be married.

 

3. My precious baby boy.  I love his sweet smile and his giggles and the way he cuddles into me when he is tired.  He lights up my life.  I had no idea I could love someone the way I love him, and I am thankful every day for the chance to be his mama.

 

4. My family.  I’m thankful for how I was raised and for how close we are as a family even though we don’t live in the same place anymore.  I feel blessed and proud to be a Vaughn, and I’m thankful for all the ways my parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law enrich my life.

 

5. The opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom.  I don’t know how long this season will last, but I’m thankful for every moment I get to be with Daniel and be home to raise him and see all his little achievements.

 

6. Recent opportunities to work from home.  I also don’t know how these will pan out or how long they will last, but I’m thankful for opportunities to continue to use my teaching experience and work because I’m secretly a little worker-bee.

 

7. Laura Mabry.  It is so nice to have a friend who has known me since middle school.  I am thankful for the ways the Lord has grown our friendship and for the memories we’ve been able to make with one another.  I’m also thankful for her husband and children who have become like my own family.

 

8. My Greenville friends – Emily, Ashley, Sara, Rebecca, and Marianne.  Only two of them still live in Greenville, but this is where we met.  I’m thankful for the ways we have walked with each other for the past 12 years.  They truly represent the body of Christ to me and a picture of what the church should look like.  Words do not do this group justice.  Suffice it to say I’m simply blessed to call them my friends as I know bonds like these are rare.

 

9. My Charlotte Bible Study.  My friend from Charlotte, Laura Smith, and I were discussing how God puts people like these in our lives for only a season at times, but what a beautiful season it was.  They made it so easy for me to learn to love Charlotte and helped me through my homesickness for Greenville and my first year of marriage.  They gave me encouragement that new relationships in Winston are possible.

 

10. Jennifer Hemink.  I’m thankful for her smile and her laughter and the way she always sees the positives in life.  I’m thankful to call her my buddy!

 

11. My health and the health of my family.

 

12. My in-laws who raised a fantastic son and who help and support us so much.

 

13. My FCHS coworkers who taught me what it was to support one another and find humor in the most challenging of situations.

 

14. My MPHS coworkers who welcomed me with open arms and gave me the autonomy to grow in my career.

 

15. The fact that summer is almost over and fall is coming – so ready for pumpkins and cooler weather!!

 

16. Indoor appliances.  My oven has been out of commission for the past week, and having to figure out how to cook without it has made me so much more thankful for it!  And for the nice repair guy who at least rigged it so I could use my stove.

 

17. Tervis Tumblers…ok, now I’m really working for it (I should not have put all my favorite people in big groups!!).  But I really like these little cups and how they keep my drink so cold.

 

18. Daniel’s sound machine that is keeping him happy and asleep while I struggle with the end of this blog.

 

19. For all the beautiful pictures my friend Sara Davis takes and for the joy they bring when I see them in my home.

 

20. The internet – it is amazing how much easier it makes my life to just search for answers to questions or recipes or whatever

 

21. Whoever invented GPS.  Wow!  It sure makes learning my way around a new town much easier – speaking as someone who has done that twice in the past two years now!