I am thankful...

Unlike my friend Mary, who is always thankful and doesn't need an assignment to share it, I am terrible at thank yous. My mother is not to blame, she is the most thankful person I know and thank you cards were required before playing with any toys received at Christmas or birthdays.

My class shared what they were thankful for on our blog.  Out of the mouths of babies, TV and cell phones. Okay, so mine was the vacation days.

Since I am not always the most sentimental person, some of these may be a little shallow but I am also not high maintenance so some are really basic.

1. I am thankful for HEAT. It is easy to forget what a luxury it is to have heat. Recently the heat went out at the Red Lodge house and it took it a couple weeks to get fixed. It was a real reminded how nice it is to come into a warm house. We also have a van that the heater core went out on and Bryan's solution to that was to just bypass it. That is fine and dandy until you want your wife to ride in it is the Winter. 
2. I am also thankful for WATER and ELECTRICITY. I have the privilege to teach in a school that was built in 1905. We have one sink for the entire third floor, the bathrooms are in the basement, and if you run the vacuum cleaner and the printer at the same time you blow the breaker. So for all of you who have a bathroom across the hall, central air, and can plug in any thing you want, please remember to be thankful. 
3. I am thankful for the INTERNET. (Told you I can be shallow). The internet means I rarely have to go to the mall (except JCPenny's has stuff only in stores but they show it to you online so you're sure you need it and then when you go to put in your "basket" it can only be purchased in stores. I know that is some plot to get you buy more stuff when you are there. I will show them I won't do it). The internet means I can send e-cards the day of the person's birthday or just say Happy Birthday on Facebook. The internet means I don't have to find a stamp to pay bills and I never have to balance my checkbook. I just log-on and it tells me how much money I have.
4. I am thankful for MY HUSBAND (most of the time). He did not get the domestic, dinner-on-the-table, house-cleaning-diva that other husband sign up for. He got the I-hate-to-clean, unorganized, I-cook-if-I-have-too, don't-bug-me-I'm-sleeping wife and he seems pretty happy. 
5. I am thankful for my MICROWAVE and CROCK POT. Thank God you can defrost in the microwave. Actually you can cook about any thing in the microwave. The crock-pot only needs one improvement. It needs to load it's self. 
6. I am thankful for my MOTHER-IN-LAW. Husbands establish expectations for wife based on their mothers. Bryan's mom raised him to be pretty laid back about everything, what a gift.
7. I am thankful to be a MOD (Mother of Dogs). I don't have to haul them to daycare. They don't fight with each other (Okay, occasionally).  They usually sleep through the night. They don't complain about what is for dinner. They can be lock in a kennel and no one calls CPS. But most importantly, they are always HAPPY to see me and they will pull me around on a sled or skis.
8. I thankful to have a great VET. Mark really "gets" us and is okay with me being weird about my dogs. Of course we are paying college tuition for at least on of his girls.
9. I am thankful for my friends because they love me for who I am, don't worry if I call or write, and forget my short comings. 
10. I am thankful that I am a TEACHER (most days). Who else gets to talk with 10-year-old boys about how to pee in the urinal and long division within the same 15 minutes? 

I guess I will stop with the TOP TEN, not always in this order.

Happy Thankful Season!