Thank*Full.

2008 has been an incredible year and I have so many things to be thankful for. Here's a short list:
-My baby, my Ethan. Becoming a mother has been the most incredible experience of my lifetime. I can still so clearly recall the early hours of March 4th and what it was like when they put him into my arms for the first time-- I have never felt such an overwhelming love. My heart felt like it would barely fit into my chest it was so full of love. And now, he's this playful, smiling, energetic baby (who, by the way, is now saying "goggie!" all the time!). I am so lucky to be Ethan's mom.
-Halsey and Jason. My love for them only continues to grow. Halsey is a smart and sensitive boy, just like his dad. Jason is truly my best friend. He is supportive of me and is so thoughtful. I am thankful to have married my best best friend.
-Susan as Ethan's caretaker. He adores her and she loves him, which made transitioning back to work easy.
-My family. We are so different and I've felt like the proverbial black sheep for years, but I know they love me and I know they support me (even if I forget it sometimes).
-My friends. Despite all of the changes we go through-- the challenges and the uplifting times-- and despite how hard it is to get together sometimes, I know that they are there for me. It's so comforting to have people you know you can call on when you're having a hard time who will support you and that are the same people you can call on to share great news. In this area, I am truly blessed.
-Our home. It was only ten months ago that our tiny ol' general store that barely held two people, much less four, became a three bedroom, two bath house (in Salem, nonetheless). Now, our family fits.
-Community School. How many people get to go to a job that is so exciting and fulfilling? I may not make a lot of money, but I am happy at work. I love my students; I love finding new ways to share reading and writing with them; I love my coworkers.

I could go on and on-- I am thankful for books, for pens and paper, for caffeine(!!), for taking walks and holding hands, for second-hand stores, for a potential new side job, for music, for comfy pajama pants, for nursing Ethan at nine months and still going strong, for Dillon and Sawyer (even though they're both nuts), for Jon and Kate Plus 8, for biscuits with honey, for carpooling, for Barack Obama and the hope he brings to our country, for Sunday night wings and for all of the love and happiness that is in my life.