I am thankful.

We already celebrated Thanksgiving with family last weekend (his, not mine.  I don't want to celebrate Thanksgiving with mine.), because Odysseus has to work tonight.  I'm thankful he has a job (and incredibly thankful I don't have to eat anymore turkey). 

I'm thankful that neither of our children have any serious, lasting medical issues from having been premature (a lot in the imp's case, and a little in the pixie's). 

I'm very thankful that neither child still suffers from acid reflux--I get bouts of it every so often, and know how much it hurts. 

Both kids were on acid blockers for a while (Prevacid for the imp, and Zantac syrup for the pixie).  I'm thankful both are off their meds, now, both because I'm very leery of long-term usage of medication, and because the imp's cost almost $200/month, and the pixie's was spiraling up as she needed a higher dosage...until suddenly she didn't. 

I'm thankful that we own our home outright, and haven't had a mortgage in three years. 

I'm thankful that we own our cars outright, and haven't had a car payment in nearly seven years. 

I'm thankful that we had the sense to pay off our credit cards, and haven't had any consumer debt in seven or eight years. 

I'm thankful that we can offer a home to two cats and a dog, feed them, and pay for their health needs.  I'm also thankful that our pets are such wonderful fits into our family.

I am thankful that we have between two weeks' and a months' worth of food in our pantry and freezer (barring milk, eggs, and bread--our kids drink between two and three gallons of chocolate milk per week, and we don't eat a whole lot of bread). 

I am thankful for those who are serving in the military, and for those who have served.

I'm thankful I can stay home with my kids without sacrificing my income.  (I'm pretty sure my department head is also thankful that I haven't had to sacrifice my income--they scramble for adjuncts every semester). 

I'm thankful that Survivors has sold as many copies as it has.  I didn't expect to sell more than a few, and I've moved a few dozen. 

I'm thankful that I have another book nearly ready to go, and that I'll be able to publish it without having to sign away all of my rights to a publishing house that would care about nothing but their ability to make money off of my work (though I wish I had a better idea of how to publicize my work, and sell more of it). 

I am thankful that we live in the United States, and I'm thankful that people are starting to wake up and getting disgusted with the government and its intrusion and interference in our lives. 

I am thankful for the opportunity to write my blog, and post my opinions.  I'm thankful for the friends I've made through blogging.

There's so very much for us to be thankful for, and we need to remember that all year, not just on Thanksgiving.