Thanksgiving 2011

I've been sitting here in a quiet house enjoying a very active baby boy! My whole belly has just been rolling...I love him SO so so so so MUCH! It is the most amazing feeling and each day makes me more anxious for his arrival. As of today, I'm 27 weeks along..only 3 months left! I have been so lucky to have had such an "easy" pregnancy so far. I really don't have a single complaint, and I hope I didn't just *jinx* myself by saying it's been easy haha. With it being Thanksgiving and all, I've reflected a LOT on how blessed I am. (I REALLY should do that more often) This lil guy has been such a blessing in our life and has really made me very aware of all our blessings. I can't stop thanking my Heavenly Father for ALL he offers us. We are so lucky to have our home, our jobs, good health, great friends and most importantly our family! I'm so glad we made the decision to be married in the temple..it brings me great joy to know our lil guy will be born into the covenant and that we will have him for ever and ever.
-No Matter What-
Having a forever family is by far the most important thing to me. It's very intimidating to think of the responsibility we are taking on in raising one of our Heavenly Father's special little spirits in the world today. I feel that if we can teach our children the importance of family, and help them build a testimony of eternal families we will have (in even the smallest degree) succeeded in our role as parents. There's plenty more I want to teach my kids, but that right there would mean the world to me.
The 'unconditional love of a parent' is becoming very real to me and, in turn, makes me more and more grateful for my own parents and for Josh's parents. My mom is my very best friend and my daddy is my hero and the best guardian angel ANYONE could ask for! I know I can turn to either one of them for anything at all. Likewise with Josh's parents. I spend a lot of nights home alone while he is at work and, as much as I HATE being home alone, It brings me great comfort to have them right next door. They'll do anything for their family regardless of what sacrifices that might require them to make. More than anything, I'm grateful for the way they've raised their son. He is the most loving and considerate husband I could ever ask for. He goes above and beyond and he pushes himself to be better each and everyday. I can't get enough of how much he already loves this little guy. Not too long ago, he was able to start feeling baby boy kick and stretch a lot. I reflect on the pure joy in his expression often and it never fails to bring a smile to my face and sometimes, tears to my eyes (thank you hormones!).
Last but not least...I'm thankful for the Armed Forces who fight/have fought to protect and grant us the freedoms we enjoy. Having had Zach over in Afghanistan for the past year has really opened my eyes to the sacrifices our soldiers make for us. I don't know how they do it, but i'm grateful they are willing to.
I really need to be better about posting pictures, but I couldn't pass up a chance to express my gratitude on a day like today. I hope you all will have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy every second you have with your families!