Life... It Really Is Worth It!

Hey, everyone... or no one as the case may be. I hope all of y'all haven't disappeared due to my lack of keeping up our blog. It's been rather interesting to watch everything go a bit insane around me. Between trips out of town, a cold that we have all been so gracious to share amongst my family (twice), a bout of pink-eye (but only one child YAY!), a dog who may be going a bit neurotic and doctors' appointments for myself it's been fun to count my blessings.... BUT, I can count my blessings! Here we go, count with me!

1) The cold is really just a cold. Sniffles, coughing and sneezing... but no flu, nothing really bad and not even any really sleepless nights have been had. If anything, it's funny to hear how we all sound right now. My 6 year old doesn't think it's so funny that mommy laughs when he says, "Cad I hab a gyath of waddur?" and was quick to point out that for several days I sounded like a dolphin! Laughter is the best medicine.

2) The trips out of town were for holidays, and to see the hubby's family. It was great fun to see the cousins playing together and to make a craft with one of my nieces and encourage the love of music in my gorgeous teenaged niece; we exchanged music and talked about music since we both got iPods for Christmas this year... and she's such a girly-girl and I don't get to do that very much!

3) The pink-eye was mild, only the one child got it and it cleared up in two days. YAY!

4) My fur-baby Harley doesn't have any serious health issues... other than deciding suddenly that he no longer wants to be an indoor dog when he's always been an indoor dog. A German Shepherd mix he's a BIG indoor dog, but he's my baby! Honestly, as chaotic as it's been lately... the only peace the poor baby gets is when he goes outside and flirts with the little Yorkie next door. Considering she only comes up to his shin... it wouldn't work out, but he can hope!

5) While the doctors can't say what exactly is going on after TONS of tests, they CAN tell me that structurally my heart is fine, arteries and such aren't clogged and I don't need any sort of heart surgery. WHEW! That is a load off, now we do more tests to see if ew CAN figure out what's going on.

6) I love my family, and they love me and I refuse to leave them anytime soon!

7) My dance classes started back up this last week, and while I had to say good bye to quite a few of my students in December when I quit working for one of the Centers I worked at, I still have fun with the students I do have. They can make me smile on a day when I wasn't sure I'd smile at all. I can walk into a class in a horrid mood and those sweet little faces with their excitement at dancing and learning will have me leaving with a smile on MY face and a lighter step.

8) With all this chaos, I am finally getting organized! How flipping perverse is that? We pulled everything out of the boys' rooms and got rid of a BUNCH of stuff. For every toy they keep they have to donate one, and not only do we reduce the stuff they have, but they learn a valuable lesson: There are children out there who don't have it as good as they do. They're still spoiled... but we're hoping they learn values that I find so lacking in our world today.

9) I have some of the most wonderful friends in the world. Both online and in the "real" world. Some of them might as well be siblings, we've grown so close. They forgive me my faults, I only hope that I can repay them in the same love and friendship that they have given me.

10) Another year has gone by and we have our home in a time when so many homes are in foreclosure. We have food in our stomachs and my children have NEVER had to go hungry. My husband won't be losing his job as so many others have, including family members and friends. Life is good... and it's worth it to count the blessings.

I have more, but I figure this was enough. It always lifts my spirits to remember what is GOOD in my life, even if all is not well. How about your blessings? They're there, I promise!