This has been a whirlwind year so far. Thinking back through all that we’ve done and the places we’ve been, it’s hard not to pause for a moment and realize how much we have to be thankful for.

In the past twelve months we’ve done a lot of travel, Adam especially. We’ve traveled to Germany and New York City as a family. Adam traveled to Malaysia, Japan, Spain, Toronto, Montreal, and Seattle for work as well. We are thankful for having had safe flights and stays in our journeys abroad.

Everyday I am thankful that I am able to stay home and care for Henry. I’m thankful that Adam has a secure job to make this financially possible. I feel so blessed to be able to watch our little boy grow and change right before me. Even during those times when Henry is screaming and refusing a nap, I’m thankful that I get to be the one who’s there to comfort him and hold him.

Adam has always been an electronics tinkerer whether it’s building something with electronic components or programming new software. Adam has a day job and some side contracting that lets him do some of these things he loves. He also has his side business to really fulfill his passions. For me, I love having all this time to be with Henry, but I still miss working with children in an education context and being a part of their learning. I’m thankful that Adam and I have careers that we enjoy.

During the winter we love to go sledding at some of our neighborhood parks or ice skating at Centennial Lakes. In the spring we go walking around Lake Harriet, or visit the Minnesota Zoo or Arboretum. Summertime is for taking long bike rides around the lakes or enjoying a concert at the Lake Harriet Bandshell. It’s also for eating dinner outside. Fall is when we savor the last few warm days and enjoy the colorful leaves by going on walks through the neighborhood, or going to the Apple House for our favorite apples. I am thankful that we live in a place where the people appreciate and see the importance of taking such great care of the outdoors.

Early in the year we had a few health scares. I had a growth on my uterus that thankfully turned out to be a large fibroid rather than a tumor. Although we were anticipating some pain-related complications with it throughout my pregnancy and delivery, everything stayed completely normal. Also, after tens of thousands of miles in the air, Adam had what seemed to be a blood clot that brought us to the E.R. Thankfully that was just irritation around his heart and lungs that just took time to heal. In June we welcomed a healthy baby boy into our family. He has had a few skin flare-ups caused by the heat, moisture trapped in his skin folds, and potentially an allergic reaction, but all of that is nothing that some over-the-counter cream can’t fix. We’re thankful for our overall health, and for our doctors and nurses who have cared for us in the hospital and at our clinics when we needed medical attention.

Being a new mom, I didn’t know what to expect as I began breastfeeding. Our doctors all assured us that my body would respond to the baby’s demands. Before Henry was born, we stocked up on some Fenugreek tablets in case we needed to up my supply. A lack of supply has not been an issue though. I have been blessed with an oversupply and abundance of breast milk. I am thankful that I have had a strong enough supply to not only feed Henry, but also donate the excess to a milk bank which processes the milk to be used in NICU wards.

About once a weekend, we go to to the coffee shop to enjoy a cup of coffee while reading a book. It’s a tradition that we started many years ago when we were college students needing a break from studying and schoolwork. It’s something that we look forward all week long and even make a place for it when we are out of town. To say that we are thankful for our Kindles and e-books is an understatement. We can easily tote around several 400-page books and read in the dark while Henry is falling asleep.

We live in a world where we are constantly surrounded by electronics and our house is certainly not lacking in this department. Of all of our electronics, we are most thankful for those that allow us to stay in contact with each other, and those that allow us to pursue and advance our hobbies. Specifically, Adam’s business made a big purchase of a laser cutter this year which has been a lot of fun to tinker around with and make things with. Since having Henry, I am especially thankful that we have a high-quality to camera to use to make a record of our lives. Obviously our smartphones are also something we would struggle to go without.

About once a week Adam and I have places that we need to be that require us to have a babysitter for Henry. More often than not, it’s one of Henry’s grandmas who is coming to take care of him. We are thankful that we have relatives living close enough that they are able to visit on a regular basis. We are especially thankful that they are willing to drive an hour or two to spend some quality time with Henry.

Combining these together shows the thing we are most thankful for:

E-books

Abundance

Careers

Home

Outdoors

Travel

Health

Electronics

Relatives

We’re all so thankful to have each other. We’re thankful to have our family of three, to have one another to depend on and trust, and to share our love with.