So much to be thankful for

Time for the I am thankful post.  Was going to post something on FB but I have so much to be thankful for so I'd better just do it here.  Right now I am thankful for a sleeping toddler so I can blog:)

I am super thankful for four healthy dogs.  Yes, two of them are seniors and two are silly and young but they are all very healthy and happy and I am very thankful for that.  Not a day goes by that I don't log into FB to see someone loosing a dog or finding out about cancer in a dog and my heart goes out to them.  I almost lost miller this year so I totally get where they are coming from and my heart goes out to all of them.

I am thankful for my healthy, happy, super active baby. Some times I don't get to do what I want when I want to or my activities are made harder by his presence but again, I read too many stories of kiddos that are battling genetic or terminal illness and I thank the Lord that I was spared these issues thus far and hope to be spared them for ever and ever.  I love watching him grow up and discover the world around him.  He is the climbing phase and trying to give me a heart attack on a daily basis but I am thankful that he has also learned how to fall carefully, how to sit down and scootch or lay on his stomach to go down something, and how to leave certain things alone no matter what.  He still pushes his limits and we have just installed yet another baby gate but I am thankful he has the mobility and motor skills to get around and get into trouble.

I am also thankful that I have had an injury free cycle of training and as I embark on the next cycle of training, I hope to continue to be injury free.  Once again, I read lots of blogs and am FB friends with lots of runners and it is so tough reading when some one is injured.  I treat myself like a true athlete, even if I am not really a true athlete, and get lots of massages and stretch and foam roll.  As i try something truly epic (for me that is) of four half marathons in 3 months, I hope to continue to be thankful for no injuries.

I am also thankful for my job even if it is lately very stressful.  I think we will be able to remain open, even if it is only another year.  We have lots of clients but we are having lots of issues with sample prep and well, the buck stops at me.  We have tried lots of protocols and lots of ideas and we are closer but still not where we need to be.  I am thankful to have so many awesome scientist helping me get this straight and I am blessed to be trusted with coming up with such a big protocol that takes some a whole PhD to get straight.

I am also thankful for my hubby and for him to have his job mostly this year.  These last few months have been hard with him working so much but I will take that versus us not having two incomes.  He has for years put up with my dog habit and my science habit and now he puts up with my running habit and even is running more and more so he can say he has an addiction too!  He has endured many mornings of taking care of an infant so I can go work out or run and he still lets me watch the one tv show I LOVE (AHS) and takes care of andrew that night.  He still grits his teeth when the dogs have accidents or he has to wrestle hair bunnies the size of our child, but he does so and loves me still.

Working on a toy car at the discovery center

I am also very thankful for my mom who has become the best grammy ever.  I think the dogs taught her how to be a great grammy anyway so the transition to a tiny human was easy.  She just drove 9 hours out to KS to deliver a van that her and my stepdad bought for me because it was a steal of a deal and they couldn't pass up on it.  I am 36 and I have yet to buy my own vehicle because they keep giving me vehicles.  Yep, the vehicles are old but they get me to where i need to go and I am thankful that they love me enough to keep giving me vehicles so that I continue to commute and travel.  

Last but not least, I am thankful for my friends, agility, running, FB, college, high school, work, whatever you are.  You have listened to me, gave me advice, helped me with my kiddos, trained with me, watched my endless post about training, celebrated my accomplishments both agility and running and helped me with mommy issues as I navigate this new lot in life.  I probably would have lost my mind if it weren't for you.  You are too many to name so I won't even try, but thank you.

And with that, I will end my thank yous. Lots to be thankful about!  Now bring on the holidays, winter running and another year that hopefully will be full of awesomeness!