bountiful

I am come that they might have ^blife, and that they might have it more ^cabundantly.

For the past week or two I have been in full Christmas preparedness mode. Shopping for supplies to make gifts and ornaments, and making those gifts and making ornaments. I've been so caught up in my Christmas tunes and Christmas cheer, that Thanksgiving has kind of been shoved to the side. 

But I am thankful.

This year, 2011, has been a year that will always mean something to me, and to my little family. It has been a year that will stand out in our memories, even as other years will mesh together and the events of those years will only be recalled as "When the kids were little." or "Before we had kids." or "When we were first married..."

It began with Hubby's deployment. I know many of you my fellow military wives have become professionals with deployments, but this year was our first. I find it a little difficult to put into words the emotions I have wrapped around those 6 months. I think, more than the others, gratitude shines through the most. Gratitude for a Hubby who is full of duty and honor and service. Gratitude that he has a job that provides us with all that we need, and bit more. I am honored to be his wife. I am so blessed to have the means to stay at home with this Babe of ours.

I feel especially blessed to live in these times where Skype brought us together for a few minutes a day, and allowed him to watch his baby boy learn how to crawl and sit and pull himself up on things. Meeting him in the air port upon his return home is a memory I doubt I will ever forget.

Then there was Alabama -a six week submersion into military life. If gratitude was the shining thread during the deployment, love was the shining thread around Alabama. I met some of the most wonderful women (and Tray) there. Women who continue to lift and inspire me. I learned so much in Alabama, and I love the people that I met there -they blessed my life. And on a more temporal note, I have never been more thankful for a house! And a nice bed! And a cock-roach free environment! 

It has been a wonderfully challenging year for us, for me. I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for His love, His mercy, His grace and for this life He has given me.

I hope you all have (had) a wonderful Day of Thanks.