"Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep..."

What movie is from? If you guessed right, you get an extra scoop of mashed potatoes tomorrow! ;) White Christmas. I started to "watch" it, and I thought it was fitting since this is a time that our forefathers set aside to be thankful. We are always to be thankful, but I am glad that we can have a national holiday to celebrate all that God has blessed us with!

So here is my list of things that I am thankful for:

-My faith in Christ. I have been forgiven and given the amazing gift of eternal life. I am God's child because of Jesus' excruciating death, burial, and resurrection! I have the Holy Spirit in me, giving me the strength to live my life and illuminating the Word so I can understand and apply it to my life. I am loved unconditionally by the God of all the universe.
-My husband. I have been married for five months (well, I will have been in two days), and I cannot imagine life without being married to Ryan. I know that when I come home from work on the "early" nights that he'll have dinner all ready to go. I have the joy of knowing that he will be there with me for the rest of our lives. I get to dream of where the Lord will have us in five years, and ten years, etc.
-My family. My amazing, godly parents who raised me to love the Lord, to love my husband, and to know how to take care of a home. My sister, who has been my friend basically since the day she was born and who  has also found it funny/comfortable for me to squish her since she was a baby (see picture below!). My grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and all my family-in-laws. I have been blessed with a family that makes the Lord their priority and who has shown me amazing faith in the hardest times.

-Our home. God has given us the cutest, most-perfect-sized house in the perfect place. I love that we can walk to church, and I love decorating and make our house a home.
-My dear friends. The ones who you can talk to for hours and it felt like it was only a few minutes. The ones that truly care about you. The ones you miss like crazy when they are away. The ones you can tell anything to.
-My job. I get to work with people I like, doing something I like, and I get paid to do it. Yes, there are those frustrating moments, but nevertheless I am glad that I can coach gymnastics, which I love.
-Our church. It is full sweet, godly, wonderful, friendly people that are like family.
-Sports. Yes, it may seem a bit silly in the whole scheme of thins, but they are fun. I love gymnastics, and what would summer be without my Cubbies, and how about the long winter that is made shorter and more fun with the Blackhawks?
-The excitement of Christmas. Getting to bake cookies and decorate our home, get together with family and friends, and give others presents.
-Pictures. To help me remember all the beautiful memories God has given to me.
-The small things in life that make you smile. Things like...the sunshine after a cloudy day, a little person's laugh, the cereal you eat every day but still love, the personal letter in the mail for you, the arrival of a package at your home (regardless of who it's for), the sound of Christmas music, the changing of seasons (especially winter to spring!), the smell of cookies, bread, or dinner cooking.

I could keep going, but I'm sure your bored by know. What is something you are thankful for? It doesn't have to be anything huge, just something small...