Thankful Thursday

1. Despite my occasional vent about being woken up early, I am thankful that I am a morning person. I'm in a phase of life where my oldest two kids like to stay up late (I consider anything after 10, late) and yet my youngest girls like to get up early. That means my window of sleep is very small, as is the amount of alone time I get. Being up early is best without kids. It's a chance for me to sip my coffee, read and catch up on my blogs, both reading and writing.
2. Tomorrow is Doug and my 16th wedding anniversary. I am so thankful for him and our marriage. I look forward to the next 16 and beyond.
3. The weather has finally smartened up a bit. It's still not my ideal kind of temperatures for summer and I am beginning to feel a little deprived of those hot days. Yesterday, the kids and I took a walk to a park and spent some time outside. It was nice to get some fresh air, enjoy the sunshine and even burn off some energy.
4. Doug has been traveling this week (what else is new?) and I am glad we have a long weekend ahead of us. I'm hoping that we will be able to finish off some more of the painting and maybe by posting it on here, it'll actually get done! 
5. I love my morning coffee. I know it's a small thing, but I go to bed every night looking forward to that first mug of the day! 
6. I appreciate Sarah's cheerful outlook on most things. The first thing she does when she comes down is looks outside and says "it not raining!" Then she will begin to build her day and tell me what she might do. Her two favourite comments are "I go slide-park" or "play outside, Shee'm". The latter refers to a wonderful young lady who hangs out and plays with Sarah a couple times a week. They are Sarah's most looked forward to days!
7. Life. I am blessed with an amazing family and great friends. The support and encouragement I receive from them are gifts that keep me going.