Giving Thanks!

This week is Thanksgiving, and it's all about giving thanks! I am so very thankful for so many things in my life, so here is a short list of just a few of them.

1. I am thankful for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is so loving, caring, forgiving, unselfishly generous, and always there for you no matter what. He continually forgives and opens his arms to everyone, no matter what they've done in their past. He has changed my life since that second I gave Him my life, and I can't imagine where I would be without Him. I pray that my children come to know and love Him and live their lives according to His word. He is my rock, my savior, and the one thing I can ALWAYS count on... no matter what!

2. I am thankful for my husband, John Saari. I know everyone thinks their husband is the best, and that's the way it should be. But, i honestly think mine is THE BEST and MOST INCREDIBLE man and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have him. As a little girl, I always wondered who my husband would be. Like most girls, I had a list of things that I wanted to find in a man one day. Some of the things on my list included: a man who was funny, charming, loving, a provider, my best friend, a handy man, a "man's man" who wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, a wonderful dad, a supporting husband, and someone who would want to spoil me with love for no particular reason. Of all the guys I ever dated, there was always a compromise, a big compromise. None of them ever measured up, and I just assumed that there's never a guy who fits all your 'standards' and is perfect, so you at some point have to settle and choose the best one. Well, one day about 3 1/2 years ago, that perfect man walked into my life. From the moment we met, there was such a strong connection between us and I remember telling my friends, "There's just something about him. It's like our personalities are the same and he is everything I've wanted in a man." We instantly became best friends and his charming yet hilarious personality sucked me in and within weeks, he was all that was on my mind! I had some past issues that made me put a wall up around me, and John was so patient with me and was always there for me to be a shoulder to cry on. He has shown to be more than I ever imagined in a man, a husband, and a father. He exceeded my list, and continues to amaze me all the time. He works so hard to provide for his family and be the best father and husband he can be.  I can always count on him to have my back and support me on whatever issue I have. He is such a great person with the biggest heart and I'm serious when I say that I've never met a better person. He is the love of my life, my absolute best friend I've ever had, and I couldn't be happier or more blessed to be his wife. <3

3. I am thankful for my children. Yes, I can now say children since we've got one more baking in the oven!! Having Dayne has been the greatest experience of my life. He came as a surprise, and at first it was very scary and unsure of how it was going to be. Well, let me tell you, it was the BEST SURPRISE EVER and has honestly made my life complete. I've always wanted to be a mother, and ever since having him, I feel like I am right where I'm supposed to be in life. He brings so much joy to everyone he comes in contact with, and has the best little personality ever! He is always sooooo happy, with a huge grin from ear to ear and a laugh that's contagious. Dayne is the kind of child that I was hoping and praying to have... one that's healthy, happy, and the kind of child that can brighten everyone's day around him. I am loving watching him grow up and learn new things, and can't believe that he is just barely 2 years old and can have full conversations with you, sing parts of songs, draw circles, lines, etc. , and run almost as fast as me! I am looking forward to watching him grow up even more, learn new things, play new sports, and experience all the wonderful things in life! (although take his time because it's already happening way too fast!)

We are so excited to welcome another child into this world, and into this family! As of now, we don't even know an exact due date (thinking around june) or much else about this child since it's so early, except that the baby has a nice strong heartbeat (music to my ears =)   I have an ultrasound appointment next week, where we will see the baby's first picture and figure out how much longer until we can meet him/her. We are so thankful to be having another child, and are praying that this child will be as healthy and happy as our first! God is good!

4. I am thankful for my family! I love that I have so many brothers and sisters. Being the last of 5, I have 2 amazing sisters and 2 amazing brothers that I get to share each incredible journey with them, and vice-versa. I don't know how my parents did it, because I don't know how I would ever raise that many children, but they did and in my opinion, did a very good job on it! I am so proud of all of them. My oldest sister, Miklyn, reminds me a lot of my mom. She is very sweet and just has a happiness that glows around her. She is married to a wonderful man, Steve, and I love that they've been married for 25 years and still love like they're 18 years old! Miklyn has more energy and endurance than I will probably ever have, and is such a role model to me on how to live a healthy and active life. She will literally run a half marathon in the morning, and then have a bbq in the afternoon. (I would be laying in my bed complaining of pain if I ran a half marathon that day! lol)  My other sister Gayle is a very good friend of mine. She's the reason I moved to Huntington Beach and without her, I would've never met my husband. She opened her home to me to live while I was going to school, and we had so many great memories together! She is so fun and loves to have a good time, yet she also is extremely smart and very professional. One thing I can say about her and most people would agree is that she is generous, loving, and her smile is contagious! My oldest brother, Kevin, is and will always be a kid at heart. He has always had such a great sense of humor and loves to make jokes and poke fun of people (in a good way). He is the kind of person that will find a way to make you smile when you're having a bad day. I am very proud of him, because he found a job that he is so passionate about and that is a police officer. I've never known anyone to recite all the penal codes as if it were the ABC's... but he is passionate about law enforcement and I am very proud of him for his achievements. My other brother, Bill, is amazing. Simply amazing. Growing up, we were always really close since we were only 14 months apart. As we got older and were in high school, he became one of my best friends and I loved that we could hang out with my friends and his friends as a group and all have a good time. Bill has always been responsible, and is such a great example to me. He got his pilot's licence on the same day he got his driver's license, and has continued to persue his childhood dream of becoming a pilot. He instructed people on how to fly at only 18 years old, and graduated college in only 3 years! He now flies a private jet for a corporation and owns a house and is just barely 26 years old! He married his high school sweetheart, Amanda (whom i LOVE to pieces and fell like she has always been my sister), but unfortunately... they moved to Texas for a job opportunity. Breaks my heart because I miss them dearly, but am hoping and praying that one day he gets transferred to California and is forced to move back!! As for the other 2 members of my family, those are my parents. Growing up, my parents always treated our friends as if they were their kids too, which always made my friends feel like family. My Dad and I were always very close growing up, and i was his little girl. He taught me how to play sports, helped me with my school work, and gave me the strength and taught me how to stand up for what I believe in. I've learned so much from his life experiences and have used his advice several times in my life to help me when I was in a slump. We've had our ups and downs throughout the years (as many people do with their parents) but I love him to pieces and am so happy he's my father. As for my mom, there's not enough words in the dictionary to describe her. She is so kind, generous, unselfish, loving, caring, and hard working. She loves wholeheartedly, and has shown me what it means to be a great mother. She would drive 1,000 miles at 11:00 at night on a weeknight, if you said you were having a problem and needed to talk. She is not only a great mother, but a wonderful grandmother as well. She lives for her kids and grandkids, and I cannot tell you what it meant to have her by my side from the moment she got off of work on friday until late sunday night, every weekend for a couple months after I had Dayne. She lived 1.5 hours away in San Diego, and chose to spend her time with us and help me learn how to take care of a newborn.

5. I am thankful for my in-laws. The Saari family has always welcomed me with open arms. I've never met a family that just welcomed me in, and treated me as their own child from the beginning. They are so sweet, loving, and generous, and as if I didn't just luck out with my husband, I lucked out with getting his family too! Most people complain about their in-laws, but I have nothing but great things to say about them. They are so helpful with anything I need, whether it's advice, just to talk, or something is broken and needs to be fixed. They are WONDERFUL grandparents too, and I love the way they light up when they see Dayne and the excitement he gets when he sees them! Without them, I wouldn't have been able to continue school, because the graciously take him in the evenings during the week so I can go to school and do my homework. They always make sure he has new clothes, shoes, toys, and that he's well fed, bathed, and in happy spirits. I love that the Saari's are such a close family and are a great example to Dayne as he grows up and sees what it means to be a family. My family is so spread out and we don't get to see each other as often as I would hope, so it's nice to know that we have family close by and get regular visits with them. They make me feel loved, and they make me feel like I can count on them for anything and I am so incredibly thankful to have extended family like this! I love them all to pieces and am so happy I get to share my life with them! John's parents are my second parents, and I love that I can talk, text, and visit with them almost every day! And... I got to have another sister too (Laura). It's so wonderful to have siblings and I'm very lucky to have her as my sister. She is just like the rest of the family (sweet, generous, funny...etc) but she's also gorgeous, and has amazing style AND does hair and make-up.... so yeah, I got pretty hooked up with this one! =)

6. I am thankful for my friends. I have learned over the years that quality in friends is much more improtant than quantity. When I was younger, it was all about how many friends you had. Unfortunately, i found out that not everyone you think is your friend, truly is. Also, with moving from SD to Santa Barbara, then back to SD, then to LA, then to Huntington Beach... it's very hard to keep your friends. My best friend, Julie, has been my friend since High School. She moved with me to SB, and back to SD where she still lives now. I love her so much and love that we can and have talked about anything and everything. She understands me, and I understand her, in a way that nobody else will ever know. I appreciate her friendship more than ever and know she will still be my best friend 50 years from now, no matter where we live! Over the years, I have met some amazing people and have kept in touch with the few that truly touched my heart. It's hard to have close friends when they live all across the state and country though. (Holly & Michaela, I'm talking to you!) When I moved to Huntington Beach, I began meeting a lot of new people. I am very grateful to have worked where I did and met two amazing girls, Katie and Erika. They were my first true friends out here, and still are to this day. I also met some other wonderful people through John, which were his friends wives and girlfriends. I feel very blessed to have this circle of friends, who are so genuine, caring, and fun people to be around. There is no drama, just fun times with good friends who can talk about anything and I wouldn't have it any other way. I also feel very blessed to have the other momma friends that I do, so that we can share stories and have play dates, and watch each other's kids grow up. Unfortunately, many of those friends are in SD, so thank goodness for Facebook so I can keep close with them and hopefully soon get together with some of them! (except Shannon, she's in Florida, but maybe Disney World one day) It's crazy how once you become a mother, you kind of enter this mommy club, where mom's unite together and learn so many things from each other. I love it, and I love that I can share this journey with so many other mothers and their kids too.

7. I am thankful for our home. Our house has come a long way since we first bought it in July, and it still has a long way to go. I absolutely love it though and I love that we finally have our own place to call "HOME". We are able to customize it to what we like, and little by little it is being finished so that we can enjoy all of it. I love that we are going to be able to create so many memories here with our children, and hopefully they will always feel a sense of warmth and love when coming here. (because I sure do!) I love that our house is in a family neighborhood, with children and families everywhere. This is what i've always wanted and I am so thankful to have this.

This week is all about being thankful, and although this list seems short, there are many many things I am thankful for. Take this week to think about the things you are thankful for and give thanks to God for allowing all of these wonderful things in your life!