Day 24: My Parents

I'm thankful for my mom and dad. Mom shows me what a mom is...someone who moves mountains for her kids. Growing up she worked full time, cooked, cleaned, took me to practices, went to all my performances with buttons on, made sure I did my homework, and watched over me like a private investigator. She was like supermom.

And my dad...he lectured and pushed and knew what I was capable of and didn't accept anything less. I could've gone down the wrong road but I didn't want to disappoint my dad. He modeled what it meant to have dreams and goals and work hard to achieve them. I often saw him working from home, working on articles for publication, traveling to present at conferences, and I admired that.

Even though I took the long route and the hard way, I always pushed through to achieve my goals, due in large part to my daddy. And I'm the amazing mom I am today because of my mom. So I'm thankful for them. For the way they raised me and the way they love my kids. Love yall mom and dad!

Day 23: What I Love Most About Me

Hmmm... I'm self-aware and encouraging, but I don't sugar coat either. I'm helpful but I tell you what you need to hear if you need to hear it. I'm warm and loving but don't think I won't set you straight either. It takes me a long time to be truly genuine with you but once you're in, you're in for life. I'm extremely loyal and those are the people I'm most honest with. That's a blessing and a curse I suppose. Isn't it that way for us all? So I'm thankful that I know my strengths and my shortcomings and I'm thankful for God's grace and forgiveness on days when I blow it. Even when my intentions are good.

Day 22: A Book

I've read a lot of books but there are a few that I keep coming back to because they've helped so much.

Obviously the Bible is number 1 for me. After that would have to be
Grace Based Parenting by Dr. Tim Kimmel

Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

The Love Dare

Applied Behavior Analysis textbook (:-P) AKA the Cooper book AKA the ABA bible

Parenting with Science by Leanne Page

And Growing Kids God's Way (I don't remember the author)

And I've always loved Angel Falls by Kristen Hannah

Day 4: A Teacher/Mentor

I'm thankful for the many teachers I've had thought the years. Mrs. Morris, my 4th grade teacher...my high school English teacher...my college professors who allowed me to take Bub to class when I didn't have a sitter...they were all so helpful in one way or another.

And my mentors, I owe them the world. Suzee Scott for introducing me to the world of ABA. My principals, Sped coordinators, Jennifer Ramirez, and Kristi Tindell. Yall are amazing to say the least. Thank yall for everything.

Day 21: Creation, nature

I'll tell you what I'm NOT thankful for! Cockroaches! And WaterBugs! Ugh!!!!! We live next to a drainage pond and it's been raining so guess what decided to walk across my path as I was walking into the house through the garage?! Yup....To say I had a minor freak out was an understatement. Gross. Gross. Gross. Mark is spraying for pests TOMORROW!

What in nature AM I thankful for...beautiful sunrises, rainbows after the storm, the smell of rain, flowers growing where they shouldn't (in cracks of a sidewalk, off the innerstate, etc), water/peaceful waves, ocean animals (I would've been a marine biologist in another life), butterflies, baby animals, babies, and clear nights with tons of stars that I can see.

Day 20: A Trait Someone Posesses

Today I'm thankful for my husband's ability to love whole-heartedly and unconditionally. He is so open and friendly. I, on the other hand, am self-conscious and anxious. He loves without fear of failure, I always think about the possible worst case scenarios. He gives of himself and I have to push myself to give to others outside my comfort zone. I'm thankful that I have the ability to live with this great man with such a good heart and I'm thankful that he chooses to love me and give unselfishly to our family.

Day 19: An Animal

Today, and everyday, I'm thankful for my Charlee girl!! She's my sweet girl and she's so smart and loving. She's always there to snuggle and love on me when I'm having a hard day or whatever. She's always so happy to see me and jumps for joy when I come home from work. She's a good girl, she doesn't chew anything or jump on the couches or have accidents in the house. She goes to her pillow when she's told and covers herself up and tucks herself in to go to bed. She loves on all of us when we need it and sleeps with Bub when he's lonely or upset. She's our baby! I don't know what I would do without her. I don't even want to think about it. I love my Charlee girl!

Day 18: Something You Can't Live Without

Today I'm thankful for the one thing I can't live without...the air in my lungs, the breaths that I take. I'm thankful for the ability to breathe in and smell leather, library books, babies, my man after a shower, and fill my lungs with the fresh air outside before it rains.

If you didn't know, I used to be a smoker. I smoked in high school and through college, up until Bub was 6. So that was a total of about 10 years. I was finally able to quit when Bub was learning about alcohol and drug awareness in health in 1st grade. I would smoke in the car and he would give me a hard time and beg me to quit. Finally one day I realized that I wasn't going to choose cigarettes over my son. I wasn't going to ignore his requests and send the message that he wasn't important enough. It was time to drop the habit. So I made a new years resolution that year, put some behavioral things in place for myself to make it harder for me to smoke and reward myself when I didn't smoke, and by the time I knew it days and weeks had gone by. Now it's been 6 years!

I'm thankful that I was able to kick the habit and I can breathe freely again. I don't wake up feeling like an elephant is sitting on my chest. So today I'm thankful for the one thing I can't live without...the ability to breathe easy. My healthier lungs.

Day 17: Defeat

Today I'm thankful for experiencing defeat. Defeat is never fun. It sucks actually, especially when you love or want something so much. Sometimes losing something causes us to feel defeated and down on ourselves, like we don't measure up to the standards that are expected or the standards that we're up against. It's easy to lose hope when you measure yourself against these standards, against the standards of the world. What I've learned over the years is that I'm not judged by what I accomplish, how much I own, or how much I earn. In the end I'll be judged by the content of my character, the love in my heart, and whether I was a blessing to others while on this earth. Was I a good steward of the gifts I've been blessed with? Did I use my gifts to give back to others? Did I make the world a better place in some way?

It's easy to lose perspective when you feel defeated, when you don't get what you want or when you lose what you want so badly. Sometimes God says "No" or "Not yet" but I have to keep things in perspective and rememeber to live and "win" with integrity and show dignity with defeat.

Day 16: A Gift

Day 16: A gift you received...

In thankful for my wedding rings...both of them, the beautiful one Mark gave me when he married me, and the simple one he got me from James Avery last summer. My big one would scratch the kids sometimes so I needed a simple band without diamonds. He's the best. He does what he can to give me what I want...Most of the time. I'm thankful for my wedding rings and all that they symbolize.

Day 15: Something In Your Home

Today I'm thankful for my house. Period. We were in a 2 story rental and I'm so glad that I'm back in a 1-story house! Those stairs were killer. I thought I could do it but it was too hard coming down in the mornings and going up after a long day's work. I'm thankful that were not in a 2 story, and that we have concrete floors that are so easy to keep clean! I'm thankful that we're in a good neighborhood that's barely off the beaten path and not too busy. I'm thankful that we have good neighbors (though I haven't met them all) and we have a community pool that's not much but it's enough to cool off in the summer. I love my house. I'm thankful for my house.

Day 14: Something In Your Kitchen

Day 14: I'm thankful for my new crock pot that mom got me. It's especially helpful when I have long days and don't want to cook dinner. I just pop something in and forget about it and I have dinner later. It's so much faster than my old one. Thanks Mom!

Day 13: Something In Your Room

I have to catch up. I've been so busy I've fallen behind on my daily thanks...

Day 13: I'm thankful for my tempurpedic bed. It's adjustable so it helps when I'm hurting. Now I just need to find a pillow that I like. The tempurpedic pillow is too thick, the thin one I got from Walmart is too thin...grrr. I may borrow one from the hotel this weekend. Shh don't tell anyone. Anyway thank God for my mattress and for my daddy and Mark who splurged and made it happen because I'm too sensible to buy it for myself.

Day 12: An Experience

Today I'm thankful I got to experience this moment, tonight, with my kids. We didn't do much but make ice cream sundaes after dinner but we really needed tonight.

We told Issac about his friend, Jace, passing away. He was sad and crying and just wanted to be held and hugged. We had a group hug moment and prayed for his family and shared ideas on what he might be doing in Heaven.

Tonight I hugged my boy a little tighter, prayed a little harder, and spoke a little sweeter. Life is about cherishing each moment, finding the joy even during hard times, and pressing on to persevere.

I'm thankful for this night of movies and sundaes, hugs and kisses, tears and prayers, and more love than I can contain.

Day 11: A Physical Activity

Today I'm thankful that I can dance. My daddy taught me how to dance and how to follow. I'm a good dancer because I can follow pretty much anybody's lead, as long as they can dance.

Daddy taught me how to Spanish dance, Momma taught me how to cumbia, high school friends and boyfriends taught me how to dance hip hop, Salsa, 2-step, half-step, and waltz.

On the dance team I learned how to do lyrical, modern, and jazz forms of dance and could high kick like nobody's business. I was Miss High Kick and could kick the brim of my hat and do a jump split like the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

At one point I wanted to try out for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders but then I started having hip pains. I started seeing a doctor for hip issues when I was 17 and quickly realized that pursuing that dream wasn't possible for me.

I don't get to dance that much anymore because it hurts and I pay for it for days afterwards but it sure feels good in the moment. I'm thankful that I CAN dance when I want to, and that I have all those memories from my dancing days.

Day 10: A Restaurant

How can I be thankful for a restaurant? It's such a random thing to be thankful for but in honor of the season of Thanksgiving and the 21 days of gratitude I'll go for it. Today I'm thankful for Nami. I just came from a group meeting there where my fellow ABA Peeps and I discussed functional analysis, behavior intervention plans, and treatment plans . It was a study session for future bcba certificates and I really enjoyed hearing what everybody had to say. I'm thankful that we got to meet & eat & combine great minds.

Day 9: A Coworker

Today I'm thankful for my co-worker from Fort Worth, Julissa Gomez. She was my parapro in our autism classroom and she was my "right hand man." I could depend on her to lead small groups or do 1:1 for generalization. She could follow my plans and finish my sentences and she contributed so much to my classroom. Not only did she contribute to my classroom she contributed to my life. When I lost my way, she was there for me. When I was foolish, she called me out on my crap and told me, point blank, "I'm your friend and I love you but I can't accept this. This is not what God would want for you." At the time I was like, " I can't believe she said that to me!" Now I'm so thankful she did. She gave me the confidence I needed to go back to grad school and she was there when I got myself back together and when I got baptized. Now she has a classroom of her own and is ROCKIN IT as a bilingual PreK teacher. We moved back home and we've lost touch but she will always hold a special place in my heart. Thanks Juju for being a TRUE friend. You guys will always have a place to stay if yall are passing through or decide to come visit!

Day 8: A Skill/Talent

I'm thankful for the ability to influence the lives of kids with special needs. I'm happiest when I see their smiles, see them "get" something, witness their love and kindness to each other and to random strangers, and see the world through their eyes. They've given me so much and I only hope that I've brought something to their lives too. I'm thankful that I was brought into the ABA world many years ago and that I followed where I've been led and pursued this path.

Day 7: A Freedom

Today I'm thankful for the many freedoms I have as an American woman. I have the right to vote, to work and provide for my family, and to say what I want and believe what I want without fear of persecution. Although this election has me feeling hopeless I know everything will be alright and it will all work out. It always does. God's got a plan, let's wait and see how it turns out.

Day 6: An Emotion

I'm thankful that I'm able to feel/experience joy.

Happiness is fleeting but joy endures. Happiness comes from the world around you, circumstances that make you happy. Joy is deeper. Joy comes from within, from your steadfast spirit, from knowing that no matter what God's got your back and you don't have to worry so much. You can appreciate so much more when you put your worry away and focus on the positive. Focus on the joy.