Happy Thanksgiving

Note: This was intended to post on Thanksgiving, but one our many power outages throughout the day prevented this. Better late than never I suppose.

I am so excited to have family in town to celebrate Thanksgiving with. Which leads me to this post. What am I thankful for. . .



1. Husband - Tim is an excellent husband. We've known each other for 14years and he still manages to surprise me and sweep me off my feet :)



2. Jacob - How is it that such a little person can take over your whole life? Loving a child is so much different than a spouse. Maybe because I am a mom I feel this way. I am so thankful to be Jacob's mom and being able to watch and help him grow into a person with opinions, feelings, a sense of humor. . .it's not always easy and I have my moments (many) where I need to be more patient but I wouldn't change it for anything.



3. Extended Family- Even though my family is spread out, we are still good about calling and e-mailing on a regular basis. Being over here in Sicily I really miss them. But technology makes this a little easier to deal with.



4. Friends (Facebook has reestablished this) - I still keep in touch with Sara, my best friend of 26 years! And even though we have very different lives and don't get to talk that often (we are horrible pen-pals) we are able to pick up with out missing a beat when we do get together. I love those types of friendships. I was very worried about having military friends with the way we all move but after living here I have formed some life long friends. And someone said, "Friends are the family you Pick" (or something like that)



5. Health - Being a Nurse, I've seen it all from the delivery room to the morgue. It really make you appreciate the circle of life. Every year at this time I think of my tiniest patient that passed away in my arms and makes me realize how blessed I am to have a healthy family.



6. Travel - Over the past 2.5 years I have traveled to places I never dreamed I would see, let alone by the age of 30. (Paris, Munich, Rome . . .)



7. SAHM- That's "Stay-at-Home-Mom" Since living in Sicily this has been a reality. Hard at first but easier now. After listening to my Stateside mommy friends I am grateful for this experience.



8. For the opportunity to live where my ancestors came from. Yes, I am an Italian American ( aka Andrea Marie Gulino). Half Sicilian/Half Calabrian. So, to be able to actually live where my Great and Great Great Grandparents lived has given me a better understanding of some of the ways I grew up. I am also appreciative of them immigrating to the U.S.!



9. Education - I am thankful I was able to go to College and pursue the career path I always wanted . Especially in these economic times! I feel secure knowing when we go back to the States I can add to the family income.



10. Our Military - I appreciate the sacrifices our military members and military spouses make to keep our nation safe from harm. Long hours, single-parenthood, deployments, etc. It's not an easy job and at times thankless. I really wish everyone in the States could see some of the "news" we receive here about the good our Soldiers and Sailors do all over the world. I believe the news media has done a great disservice in this area. So, the next time you come across a military member, please thank them for all they do.