Thankful Part II

I am not really into celebrating Thanksgiving in the traditional sense. I just can't buy the story that the Indians sat down with the Pilgrims and had a grand feast and said "THANK YOU! Thank you for stealing our land!! Let's all live in harmony!" It just doesn't ring true for me.
But, I do enjoy visiting with (some of) my relatives and most of all, reflecting on everything that I am thankful for.
My Husband (a.k.a. Mr. Wonderful)! The reason he is first is because without him, I couldn't be who I am and couldn't interact with everyone else in my life the way I do. He has brought me out of depression and made me look at things differently, enjoy life and relax. I can't even describe the difference in my life now vs. a few years ago. I can honestly say that I think of it all the time, it's almost always in the back of my mind, the fact that my life is so much better now and I am married to the best man in the world. He means everything to me and I am SO lucky to have found the love of my life! He is kind, loving, giving, understanding, everything I ever dreamed of and so much more. And he keeps me laughing all the time!
Then come my kids!
Princess is six and I can't believe that. I miss her being little! But I am so proud of her. She is SO smart, and has a very fun personality. She is stubborn and at the same time that it drives me crazy, I know exactly where she got it from so I'm smiling inside. She's her mother's child! She also has my smart mouth. =X She's very loyal......the people she loves, she loves completely and fiercely, and everyone else is just kind of there. She's picky about who she really lets in to her heart. She's outgoing and loves to dance, even if the dances sometimes shock me (she's great at doing the Superman that....um, yeah, you know....Dance. !! )
Ladybug is unique. She really wants to please everyone and make peoply happy. She worries too much but that's just her. She works so hard in school and her efforts really pay off. School is harder for her, but it doesn't get her down. She has such a caring personality. She thinks she wants to become a vet, and I hope she sticks with that. She'd be great at it. She is very giving, and has been since she was very little. She would often rather give than receive, and even when she receives she wants to make sure that everyone else does too. She loves everyone and everyone loves her. She is often in her own little world, and will walk right into a pole or say something that leaves you speechless........but that's just Ladybug.
T-bone, T-bone, T-bone, where do I begin? This child has given me the biggest emotional ups and downs of my life. My firstborn, when I had him I learned what a Mother's love was all about. I loved him so fiercely I would've fought to the ends of the world for him. I literally threatened to kill someone who rear-ended me while he was in the car with me. I missed so much work to stay home with him that I basically got fired. I didn't care! I hated working and leaving him. Years passed and he became a teen. O.M.G. We fight! We scream! He, too, is a LOT like me, but he's also a LOT like his dad. He even looks like him and talks like him. He challenges me and pushes every single one of my buttons. But he is getting a lot better. It is weird to look at him almost eye-to-eye. He is growing up. It's fascinating. His voice sounds like his dad's, when I call I have to ask who I'm talking to. He definitely has the same sense of humor as me. And the same taste in cars (Mustangs!!). He has big dreams and goals, and I hope he follows through.....he's very smart and totally full of potential.
Spiderman (my stepson)......I am really proud of him, and my role in helping him. He tried so hard to please everyone but he just couldn't. He was so smart but he just couldn't handle school work. He has come a LONG way and it feels good to see that. Talk about butting heads, OMG! When we first met I thought I was going to lose my mind dealing with him. But then things started to fall into place and I made it my mission to get him help, and that's what I did. He is funny, and such a charmer. He, too, wants everyone to be happy. If you stub your toe he's running over asking, "Are you OK???" He's so sweet with his baby brother. He stalks little girls from behind trees (lol). His favorite thing to do is just RUN and play. Give him a playground and he is as happy as can be.
I'm very thankful for the relationship I have with my niece, Reh-roh. She has turned into a great young woman and I love having her living here with us right now. She is a cool person and one of my best friends. And I'm glad she has her BF, who makes her very happy.
I'm thankful that my sister has found someone who makes her happy, and my brother and his wife are happy with their little family. My parents.........well, I wish they could be happier. I wish they didn't get mad over weird things, and could look at things in a more positive way. But I am thankful for Mom's health, and that Dad's current health problem should be fixed relatively simply and without a hard recovery for him. I'm grateful for my in-laws, except for StepFIL who is a big jerk. I do wish that MIL could find the strength to be on her own, but that is entirely up to her, and nobody else can help her with that. But they are cool people who accepted me and my children and are great to us; I'm very thankful for that.
I'm thankful that the relationships between me, Mr. Wonderful and our exes are peaceful (knock on wood). God only knows we have been through hell and it's so nice to have a drama-free life right now, I can only hope it stays this way.
One more thing, I'm glad that I have a job that I love. I think I'll always be the type who would prefer to be a SAHM if we could afford it, but if I am going to work, this is without a doubt the best job for me. I have too much fun most of the time, and I really like what I do.
I could go on, but this is long enough......I'm very lucky that I could go on though!
So very much to be thankful for in my life.