Gabbling With The Gersts: Twenty Six & Thankful

It's that time of year-- to focus on being THANKFUL.

I love that my birthday is so close to Thanksgiving-- one of my favorite Holidays! I love that I can pause and focus on the past year and all that I have to be thankful for. I am SO blessed! I can't believe that I'm 26-- and while celebrating yesterday I remembered that this time of year is so amazing. Fall, family, birthday, holidays, and most of all just being thankful. For my birthday, I wanted to stop and share 26 things that I'm thankful for this year.

1) I am thankful that I am a daughter of the King.
2) I am thankful that I was born to parents who taught me to follow God and raised me in a home full of faith and values.
3) I am thankful for my sibs- My big sisters and baby brother- who are also some of my very best friends. I don't know where I'd be without them by my side laughing and praising through good and crying and supporting eachother through the bad.
4) I am thankful for my best friend, my husband. I am honored to be his wife.
5) I am thankful for my boys who light up my life so very much.
6) I am thankful that I have the opportunity to be three things that I absolutely love: a Wife, a MOM and a Nurse.
7) I am thankful for a job I really enjoy and feel that I can make a difference in people's lives.
8) I am thankful for a home, a warm shelter, and place to raise my kids in.
9) I am thankful for the most amazing in laws I could ask for who have always treated me like one of their family.
10) I am thankful for such dear friends who are just like family.
11) I am thankful for my health-- and the health of my family.
12) I am thankful for church family- both at All Souls Missoula And RMCC.
13) I am thankful for seasons of Montana and absolutely love where we live.
14) I am thankful my smart, hard working husband has a great job doing what he loves.
15) I am thankful for the opportunity to go on multiple mission trips serving those who aren't as fortunate.
16) I am thankful for albinism-something I never even gave thought to before- and the genes that made my boy the AMAZING way he is. Without this, I wouldn't have the community of friends we've met or true appreciaition I have for the special way God creates each and every one of us.
17) I am thankful for the miracle of life-- and the oppotunity I get to watch babies be born into this world each day at work!
18) I am thankful for the gift of SIGHT. Something I took for granted until my sweet innocent child was born without it.
19) I am thankful for a savior who loves me SO much to die for a sinner like me.
20) I am thankful for 3 sets of beautiful blue eyes (each a different shade) that look at me each day and give me smiles, kisses, hugs, and tell me they love me.
21) I am thankful for food-- something many in this world have to go without but we are lucky to feast at this time of year and often don't reflect on how priveledged we are.
22) I am thankful for education and ability to go to school and get a degree in something I am proud of and can help support my family with while doing something I love.
23) I am thankful for technology- and the ability to keep in touch and share pictures and stories with family and friends who live far away.
24) I am thankful for a warm bed to sleep in every night, something so easily taken for granted by many.
25) I am thankful for foster care and the ability to help take in many kids who made a difference in our lives-- which lead us to getting Blake... the sweetest soul and best big brother ever.
26) I am thankful for 26 beautiful years of life and pray that I can have many, many more.

Here are some recent pictures of the things I'm most thankful for in my life: My sweet little family.

Turkey Butt