Life is a gift. And tomorrow, I will be blessed to celebrate 32 years of it. So, in honor of 32 years, fully lived, I thought I would make a list of 32 things that I’ve been thankful for over the years. For the most part, they are in no particular order.
1. I am incredibly thankful for Jer. He is my very best friend and I adore him. He is so amazing and so wonderful and I am so thankful for the incredible ways that God has blessed us over these past ten years of marriage. I love my husband so, so much.
2. I am thankful for my son, Christian. He was the very best surprise that I could have imagined. He is strong-willed and stubborn, but I’m pretty sure that he is destined for greatness. He loves God and knows so much about the Bible. He is also very good at math. I am incredibly thankful that he is mine.
3. I am so, so thankful for our sweet Ellee girl. She makes the world a better place, just by being herself. She cries and laughs easily. She is a precious girl and I absolutely adore being her Mama.
4. I’m thankful that we life in New York. It’s a great state, with the most wonderful city and I’m thankful for the ten years that we have had here.
5. I’m thankful for my parents, for all they’ve done to raise me well. In this stage of life, I’m thankful for their role as grandparents. I love seeing them love my kids and love that my kids love them back. I’m thankful for the time and trips that they take to come out to see us and for the memories that we make each time we are together.
6. Speaking of family, I’m very thankful for my in-laws. Jeremy’s parents are absolutely wonderful and I love and appreciate them so very much. Though we are pretty much separated by an entire country, we cherish the times that we have with them and are thankful for their love and support.
7. I’m thankful for my Sisters and for Skype. I’m thankful that they for the most part, have forgiven me for being awful to them in high school and that we are able to have good relationships now that we are grown. I’m thankful for the beautiful examples that they set as mothers to their large families. I’m thankful too that they can always amaze me with their perfect house keeping skills. They are seriously both, like housekeeping gurus. It’s something that people like me admire and are amazed by. Most of all though, I’m thankful for their love for God and the ways that they show it by how they live their lives.
8. I’m thankful for Eastport Bible Church. I’m thankful that they hired my husband as their youth pastor, almost 10 years ago. I’m thankful for the love and support that they give us. I’m thankful for the youth ministry that we have had here. I’m thankful for old pictures of students that are now young adults.
9. I’m thankful for Grammy Joy and for our church family here. I’m thankful for the love that our church shows to my family. I’m thankful for the beautiful friends that we have made here and for the ways that they love us.
10. I’m thankful for my kids’ friends. They have some pretty close ones here and they love them very much.
11. I’m thankful for family get togethers. I’m thankful for the amazing trip that we were able to take this past year with most of Jer’s family. I’m thankful for time and energy and money well spent.
12. I’m thankful for games like Just Dance for the Wii. I love watching my kids play it, because they just look so cute.
13. I’m thankful for art. And for crayons pictures, drawn by a kindergartener, that depict pure love.
14. I’m thankful for good friends. The kinds that know the good and the bad, but still love you no matter what. I’m thankful for prayers lifted up over the years, for knowing that I can be open and honest and for laughter and tears.
15. I’m thankful for couponing. Because it’s just a tremendously fun way to save money and get good things.
16. I’m thankful for good teachers. I’m thankful for beautiful people that I can entrust the care and education of my children too.
17. I’m thankful for Ellee and Daddy and their matching Duke pants. I’m thankful for Duke and hope that they will do as well as my bracket says they should.
18. I’m thankful for opportunities to serve others. I’m thankful that my life is more than just my life. I’m thankful for the people that have come along side of us over the years to do good things for God.
19. I’m thankful for her silly faces.
20. I’m thankful for comfort.
21. Though I am not really materialistic, I’m super thankful for my Hunter boots. These boots seriously got me through a snowy winter and kept my feet warm and cozy. Rainy days are a little more fun because of them as well.
22. I’m thankful that God healed Zack Skarka’s cancer. Every time I see him, it’s a testimony to the amazing ways that God works.
23. I’m thankful for my Mom. My Dad too, of course, but definitely my Mom. I’m thankful that I can call her up at any time, for the important things and the not so important things. I’m thankful for the trip to the city that we were able to take last time she visited and for the fun memories that we made.
24. I’m thankful for summer. Especially on Long Island. We live on the south shore and it’s a blessing to be able to have access to some pretty beautiful beaches right on the Atlantic Ocean.
25. I’m thankful for our College and Career Group. I’m thankful the the amazing friends that we have had attend over the years.
26. I’m thankful for the beautiful flowers that bloom on this tree which is right by our church.
27. I’m thankful that God has blessed my photography business. I’m thankful that I get to do something that I absolutely love as my “job.” I’m thankful for the wonderful clients that I have met and worked with and for them allowing me to capture the beautiful and important moments of their lives.
28. I’m thankful that most broken things in life can be fixed. I’m thankful that Jer’s broken ankle is healed and that we are headed in the direction back to wellness. I’m thankful that God has given us the strength that we have needed through this time.
29. I’m thankful for friends that love my kids and that join my gym. I’m thankful for the gym. I’m thankful for the classes that I take each week with wonderful people who are awesome and strong.
30. I’m thankful that I get to work with kids through our church’s Kids Club ministry. I’m thankful for all of the wonderful kids that came this year and for the amazing leaders that helped out. I’m thankful that in a crazy world, we can teach our children that they are loved by God and that he made them special and unique and that He has a plan for their lives.
31. I’m thankful for the people that teach my children good things about God. I’m thankful that they are also willing to help them out in so many other ways.
32. I’m thankful, so thankful for the countless blessings that God has given me. I’m thankful for 32 years of life, well lived. I’m thankful for the good times, and for the tough times. I’m thankful that I’ve learned and grown and that I will continue to learn and grow. I’m thankful for the family that I have and for the love that they have given me. I’m thankful that God has a plan and purpose for my life and for the joy that I get trying to live that out.
Thanks for stopping in and for sharing in my life. I’m excited for tomorrow and for what the days and months and years will bring. Most of all, I thank and praise God for the great things that He has done and that He will hopefully continue to do in my life.
Laura Herr Photography 
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