Thankful for Thirty

Well, I didn't come up with this idea all by myself.  A girl from another blog I follow recently turned 30 so her list inspired me.  Turning 30 really isn't that bad...maybe because I know I have accomplished plenty in my first 30 years and have few if any regrets!  I also have plenty to be thankful for and this list will only highlight a few that come to mind tonight!

1.  I am first and foremost thankful for my relationship with my Saviour who loves me unconditionally.  Without Him and the hope that He gives, I would be lost and nothing else in this list would matter!

2.  I am thankful for true love...MOSTLY MINE!  I met my true love over 10 years ago and cherish every precious moment with him.  Thank you, Eddie, for sharing your life with me!

3.  I am thankful for the gift of motherhood.  I cherish every minute I spend with my beautiful baby boy.  From my first knowledge of our first child, I felt an overwhelming love and responsibility to this little person.  That love has grown deeper and stronger everyday!

4.  I am thankful for the unconditional love of a child!  My precious son shows me his unwavering and unconditional love everyday!  I never knew when I gave so much love to my child I would get so much in return! 

5.  I am thankful for parents who chose to love a child who was not biologically their own. 

6.  I am thankful for parents who allowed God to guide and direct them in a path that led them to me. 

7.  I am thankful for wonderful, loving church friends who have always provided me with a fun and spiritually nurturing environment for my faith to grow and thrive. 

8.  I am thankful for wonderful holiday memories spent with a large extended family.  As the family grows and inevitably moves further apart, I cherish the memories spent together even more.

9.  I am thankful for wonderful grandparents who loved me.  My beautiful Granny lived a vibrant life of 90 years, and my fiery Grandmother is still lively at 85.  They were and are amazing role models for me. 

10.  I am thankful for higher education and for the opportunities it has allowed me.  I am thankful that I attended a wonderful undergraduate institution where professors cared, and I am thankful for the opportunity of attending a new and thriving law school in our wonderful city.  Hey, CSL ranked 3rd in the state this year for NC bar passage rate...just under UNC and Duke!  That was pretty encouraging after only the 2nd year of bar takers!

11.  I am thankful for being able to raise my son close to his biological cousins and family. 

12.  I am thankful for tons and tons of wonderful family memories!

13.  I am thankful for cameras to record all those precious family memories! 

14.  I am thankful for a career where I get to truly help people in need...people who get injured while performing their job duties to put food on the table and then suddenly find they can no longer provide those basic necessities. 

15.  I am thankful to live in a country where we still enjoy the basic freedoms that we often take for granted, but many people in the world do not enjoy! 

16.  I am thankful for all those people who fight and die to allow me the privilege to live in a free country!

17.  I am thankful for a lovely and comfortable home that I enjoy. 

18.  I am thankful for a beloved pet that I have been able to love for almost 14 years. 

19.  I am thankful for wonderful family vacations when I was a child. 

20.  I am thankful to have already taken my son on some fun and memorable family vacations, including a trip to meet his Great-Grandma in California. 

21.  I am thankful for life lessons that help us learn from our mistakes and teach us to cherish what is important. 

22.  I am thankful for a brother who kept us together through many rough times and took good care of me.

23.  I am thankful for beautiful nieces and nephews to love!

24.  I am thankful for sisters-in-law who are really just "sisters." 

25.  I am thankful for *a secret that is not yet disclosed.*

26.  I am thankful for a future filled with endless possibilities. 

27.  I am thankful for student loans.  Haha!  Well, without them it would be a little difficult to achieve some dreams!

28.  I am thankful for a comfortable bed that is calling my name!

29.  I am thankful for birthday beach trips with family and friends!

30.  I am thankful for my next 30, 40, 50, or 60 years!!!