Happy Thanksgiving

Yes, I do realize I am Canadian and therefore it is not my Thanksgiving. But we were in Mexico this year, so while we not only missed out on turkey gobbling, I also missed out on proclaiming some thanks. So here goes.

I am thankful for Rio for being the most amazing, helpful daughter and big sister. Sure, she has her moments where we butt heads and she gives us attitude. But 99% of the time she is funny and silly and smart and makes me so proud that I am raising a little girl who has so much more creativity and confidence than her mother did at her age.

I am thankful for Asher for showing me what perseverance and strength looks like. That boy is a model of grace and courage and has the soul of someone wiser than anyone I have ever met. He works harder than any of us, but complains less. He is truly the light in my life.

I am thankful for Nolan for keeping things normal. He throws tantrums and acts silly and makes me laugh, all about a hundred times a day. He makes me remember that I indeed have two two-year olds, even if most of the time things aren't typical. He is a firecracker and his kisses are the sweetest ever.

I am thankful for Jordan for more reasons that I can list. He puts up with my insanity, he grounds me and he makes me laugh. Yup, he annoys me and pushes buttons and we fight. Oh do we fight. But I can't imagine anyone else better to travel this journey on. In our 12 years together we have truly seen the good times and the bad times and we have weathered every storm together, stronger.

I am thankful for family. When you have family that you also consider friends, that is a blessing.

I am thankful for friends. There is a saying that "friends are the family you choose for yourself". That is so true for us. We have so many dear friends who exceed the definition of both friend and family and we couldn't make it without them.

I am thankful for the online community of moms I have met whose children have CP. They have shared therapy suggestions and stories and advice and have made me know that everything we feel is normal.

I am thankful for a roof over my head, food to eat, and the security of living in a safe, beautiful place. Of course things are tight and we're stretched and we don't have a lot of extras, but we are lucky that we never have to go without anything we truly need.

A lot of things in the past three years have made me feel anything but thankful. But when I ignore the bad stuff and just focus on the good stuff, WOW am I lucky.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends in the U.S. Enjoy your turkey, your Black Friday, all the little things in your life to be thankful for.