10 Things...

Well, Spring Break hasn't exactly turned out the way I imagined it would. I was hoping for some walks in the sun, a nice little trip down to Seattle with my hubby, and lots of sleep. I have had bits and pieces of those things, but yesterday I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.

See, I came down with a cold. I hate being sick on a holiday. This happened to me at Christmas too! Thank goodness I haven't become as sick as I was then. I immediately started on my husband's miracle therapy of orange juice and lots of rest and this morning I'm already feeling better. I had to laugh this morning when I said,

"Honey, I'm feeling better already!" and he replied,

"Hmm...couldn't have been the orange juice?"

I said, "Perhaps it was the PRAYERS!"

His reply? "Prayers without orange juice is dead." Funny guy. What a jokester I have for a husband.

The other little bump in our plans? Our cars. We had been having trouble with both of them, so we took both of them in to the shop this week. We found out that my car had a crack in the exhaust manifold! Apparently I've been breathing in exhaust for a few months. Of course, this is not cheap to fix. Next came the good news about Kevin's car. His rear brakes have seized up, so they are not working at all! His front brakes have been doing all of the work for who knows how long! Needless to say, I wasn't real pleased to hear that! I'm thankful that they were able to catch it before he was in a serious accident.

So, we have a bit of a car bill to pay, which means that we decided not to do our overnight in Seattle. We decided that money was probably better spent elsewhere.

Yesterday I was feeling pretty grouchy about the whole thing. It was raining outside, both of our cars were in the shop, and I couldn't breathe through my nose. I made my way down to the gym and pedaled out my frustrations on the stationery bike, but still felt myself feeling a bit grouchy. I decided to get over it by forcing myself to think of ten things I was thankful for.

1. I'm thankful that we even HAVE two cars to go into the shop! I know that some people get by with one, or no car at all! We are blessed. In addition to this point, I am thankful for our friend, James, who was able to get us a good deal on the exhaust manifold.

2. I'm thankful for my husband. He's a good catch! He gives the best hugs and kisses. He always seems to know exactly how to cheer me up. He helps out around the house a lot. He is incredibly giving and supportive of me in everything I do. He's a man of God that puts the Lord first in our relationship. He's got the most gorgeous blue eyes that always have a little twinkle in them. Yep, I'm blessed to have him!

3. I'm thankful for my salvation! I know that without God's grace I would be nothing. Enough said.

4. I'm thankful for our amazing families! Kevin's parents made us a delicious dinner last night, and we are blessed to have them close by. My family is so caring, they are always checking in with us to see how it's going and my mom's morning e-mails every day make us feel so loved.

5. I'm thankful for my friends! I have made many girlfriends up here, and girlfriends are a must! I'm thankful for my friends from university and even high school that have remained committed to staying in touch with me, even when I'm not so good at staying in touch with them.

6. I'm thankful that we get to go on an Alaskan Cruise this summer! We just found out last night at dinner with Kev's parents and I'm really excited! I have always wanted to go to Alaska. My dad went before us kids were around and I remember him talking about how beautiful it was. Ever since then, I have wanted to experience the beauty of Alaska. What better way than on a cruise? We will be setting sail from Vancouver on the Zaandam with Mom and Dad Sowerby on August 22nd! I can't wait!

7. I'm thankful for modern technology. Things like the Internet, Vonage, and MSN Messenger help me to stay in much better communication with my family and friends that are far away. Even though I don't see them in person very often, I still feel like I am a major part of their lives.

8. I'm thankful that we have a nice, warm, comfortable place to live. All of our needs are cared for.

9. I'm thankful that I get to live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. This is a major vacation destination for many people, but I get to live here every single day!

10. I'm thankful for Breyer's Vanilla Frozen Yogurt! It is so rich and creamy that it tastes like ice cream but it has half of the calories! It doesn't get any better!