Having children makes you no more a parent than having a piano makes you a pianist.
Michael Levine

The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.
----THOMAS JEFFERSON

Human beings are the only creatures on earth that allow their children to come back home.
- Bill Cosby

#3-#10 on my list:
I am thankful for my family. I have been so fortunate my entire lifetime to have such wonderful, caring people around me.
After marrying my handyman, I prayed for several years for a child. When the time was right we were blessed with our first daughter, Kristy. She was our social child who liked to be around people all of the time. She was also my caring, sensible, dependable child and has grown up to be such a wonderful mother. I'm pretty sure that her kids don't know it yet, but they are so lucky to be her children.
Our second daughter came along a couple of years later. Holly was always the quiet, very intelligent, sneaky child. She slept thru the night almost immediately. She must have been happy with herself, because she liked to spend a lot of time with just herself (still does). I think she received more dominant "social" genes from her daddy because they neither one talk much and are content in their own worlds.

We love having both of the girls around whenever they can take time out of their schedules.
I hope that they both know how very much we love them. Our lives would have been pretty empty without them.

Now on to the grandchildren. What a tremendous blessing they are to us!! First came Kate (or Katie with an "i", or Katie Beth, or whatever she calls herself tomorrow). What a firecracker she is. You just never know what she's gonna do or say! I cannot describe the joy that she has brought into our lives! Go forward a couple of years and Gabriella, the little mommy, princess, is born. The quiet, snuggle bug, sneaky one. She is so much like her Aunt Holly that it's scary! Boy do we love her snuggles!! Then came our first grandson, Nate---the first boy born to our family. What a difference in how he attacks life! Head first, all the way!! Each one is so different and so special to us. I will be happy when the snowy weather goes away so we can plan on visiting them again!!

I am thankful for our son-in-law, Justin. Kristy had such high standards for a husband that I was concerned that she would never find someone to live up to those standards. I'm so happy that she did find someone who shared her values and that she wanted to share her life with. And look at the result -- those 3 precious grandchildren!! I love that he is a "hands-on" dad and spends time with his kids.

I'm also very thankful for my parents. They raised me in a good Christian home, loved and cherished me. They provided for most of wants, and all of my needs through the years and loved me unconditionally. I miss them both but am sure that I will see them again one day in heaven.
Our Happy Family
I will continue with my 1000 things list and I may share a few as I come to them, but for now this is a good start. So many wonderful people have blessed and are blessing my life!