I realized last night how blessed I have been over the past year! Here are just a few things I’m thankful for:
Dave – My best friend! We have so much fun together and he’s such a great support to me. My last semester of school I was working full time and finishing up, and he did all the cleaning, cooking and laundry so I could get good grades and survive the insanity of work. He’s just got this way of knowing what I need and providing for my needs…
Our House – we’ve loved no longer having to rent from psycho landlords. We even love all the fix-up we’ve done! We're especially grateful we'll be able to rent out the basement and put that money directly toward the principal!
$8,000 FTHB – we got this check yesterday!!! Not only is it nice to have the $8,000 now, but they also threw in 80 extra bucks for the “interest they owe for not getting this to us in April”. Wow, the IRS isn’t too bright, but we’ll take it
My Job – I’ve been blessed that the internship I started 3 years ago turned into a salaried position with a company I absolutely love! Between their tuition reimbursement and Federal Grants I didn’t have to pay tuition for my last year of school. It’s been the perfect job, and it has the possibility for me to work from home when we start having kids
Dave’s Job – Dave has worked for about 2 years at an Architecture firm downtown. The whole industry isn’t exactly thriving right now, so we’ve been concerned that he might get laid off for about a month now. Yesterday they did their second round of layoffs, and all the drafters except two were let go. Dave was one of those two. We feel extremely blessed about that
Dave’s School Opportunity – Dave decided to go back to school and get a Bachelor’s in Graphic Design. I’m so excited that he will be in a field that is growing and will LOVE what he does! He’s been bored with drafting for a while now, and needs a new challenge. I’m also grateful that we are able to afford to send him back to school, even if us being married means he’s no longer qualified for any Federal Grants L
Our Families – We’ve both been blessed with fabulous families that have helped and supported us every step of our lives. Recently they’ve been so helpful in fixing up our house. We really appreciate the moving, painting, dirt hauling, tile removal, plumbing and yard help that everyone has provided. Wow, thanks guys! I don’t know how anyone can get into a home without family
Great Friends – They keep us sane, have fun with us, go camping, play games, help us move, and help us find cheap stoves ($250, whoot!). We’re so glad we’ve had great friends to supplement our lives
New Ward / Neighbors – We’ve probably moved into the best ward in the world! Our neighbors help us with anything they see us in need of, and are soooo friendly! The neighbors across the street saw me struggeling to use the hand edger, so they came over with their electric edger and had our whole corner lot edged in less than an hour! Did I mention they’re in their 70’s??? The guy next door has told us he will snow blow our sidewalk in the winter if the car isn’t blocking it! The couple down the street let us borrow their hose when our plumbing was stopped up, so we could rinse out the pipes after we snaked it out. They’re just a friendly, helpful bunch of people!
Travel – We’ve had the opportunity to go on a few trips over the past year (Hawaii, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon, Zion’s National Park…). It’s been so much fun to explore the country and see what is out there
I’m sure I could think of more to be grateful for, that’s just a start. It makes me feel spoiled rotten to think of all we’ve been blessed with!
Ooo--send some of those blessings our way! Especially the financial ones. You really don't know how good you guys have had it with the grants, tuition reimbursement, jobs, and renters to help pay the mortgage. And you've only been married a year! SHEESH!! We're happy for you, though.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, it's still been a struggle (when it comes to finances, who hasn't struggeled, right ;). I remember it being so hard to pay for the first two years of school because out of state tuition was $10,000 a year and I didn't qualify for grants. Hair school was another $10,000 (pretty expensive to find out that's not what I want to do for the rest of my life). I worked two full time jobs while going to school for a while just to make sure I didn't incur debt and I lived off of Ramen for 2 months because that was all I could afford!
ReplyDeleteDave and I have been extremely blessed for our first year of marriage, but I think a lot of it has to do with paying our tithes and offerings along with learning to use what we're blessed with wisely. I'm so grateful everyone has access to these blessings, just not in the same time and means!
I thought for sure you were going to list one of the blessings as "i'm pregnant" or something of the sort. Would have gone right along with all the happiness. :) I'm glad things are going well for you! Isn't it great to sit back and see what the Lord has done?
ReplyDeleteHah! We just bought a house... right now "I'm pregnant" would go in an "Oh Crap" post. I know it would work out if that was the case, but I would really prefer another year to settle in before we make that kind of announcement.
ReplyDeleteSo one more thing to add to the blessings list: I'm NOT pregnant yet ;)
What a delightful and uplifting post. I'm grateful for your perspective at such a young age. It's good to recognize the Lord's hand in our lives and only causes continued gratitude. Keep looking on the bright side of life.
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