Blessed by so many...

I am not sure what triggered my thoughts today to focus on all of my blessings, but I am happy I have. I have been thinking a lot today about all of the amazing people in our lives. It's just so incredible the amazing relationships we have.

Just last week, Sean went on vacation for a week with my side of the family and had an amazing time. He felt at home with my parents and my whole side of the family. While he was gone, Sean's parents watched Tate for the week. Of course I missed him terribly so I went up to Colo to visit in the middle of the week. I stayed the night at his parents' house and ate dinner with his mom and Tate and then stayed up until 11pm with her just drinking wine and chatting. I feel at home with them, they are my family. Unfortunately, there are so many people out there who don't have that with their in laws.

And just because he's the most handsome boy in the world...look at him!!!

In addition to the relationships we have with each others parents, we both have that close relationship with our sister and brother-in-laws too! We have both been blessed to add several more siblings into our lives when we joined in marriage.

And our nieces and nephews...well there are no words to describe the love we have for each of them. And the love Tate has for them is deep as well. He talks about one or all of them every single day.

Then there is Tate's birth family. Again, it's hard to put into words the love we have for each of them. They are family. Brandon along with Tate's Grandma and Grandpa Shingledecker are an amazing blessing. Their deep love for Tate is so very special. Our love for them runs deep as well. The fact that Tate has a father's love from 2 men is a true blessing and that he is able to feel it first hand each time he spends time with Brandon is something that SO MANY adopted children never get to experience. In addition, he gets to have an extra set of grandparents! Who wouldn't want that?!?!!!!
Wow.

As you can see below, Tate is one HAPPY boy! He has every reason to be. He is so very loved and deserves every ounce of it. Oh how I wish there was a word to describe how I feel for this little boy. Verbalizing (or writing) my true feelings is impossible. He is simply the most amazing thing in the world to me...to us. I caught him mid belly laugh in the picture below.

Tate's new talent...
blowing bubbles between his lips with his saliva. I don't know where or how he learned this, but he is P-R-O-U-D! He thinks he is super talented and will squeel with delight when he gets a big bubble and loves to show me. You can't really tell in the picture below, but he is in mid bubble blowing...

Back to the amazing people in our lives...

Our friends.
We have incredible friends. Friends who we have spent days on end with on vacation, friends who have given us the honor of being able to help them to adopt their first child, friends who we've stood up with at their weddings, friends who have been in our lives for over 20 years as well as friends who have been in our lives for only a couple of years, but each of them are so dear to us. We can count on them whenever we are in need and would be there for them as well. They love our son and supported us as we waited for him and went through the struggles of infertility and then the joys of adoption. They are friends we will have for the rest of our lives no matter where life takes us.

And Tate loves each of them and thier kids as well.
To be surrounded by such amazing people and to be able to call so many of them family is a blessing beyond words.

Aside from all of our extended family and friends, we have this angelic little man who we get to love on every single day. He is a blessing beyond anything we ever dreamed. I could burst with love every single day. And the only way I can describe this love I have for him is a love that makes me ache...I love him so much it sometimes physically hurts. I know that all you mothers out there know exactly what I mean. It's amazing...truly amazing.

Soon Sean and I will be celebrating 5 years of marriage. He is the love of my life and I am blessed that God brought him to me to call my husband every day and to raise our children with. His role as a father is something he takes seriously and he is good at it.

Recognizing all of these blessings in my life is something I wish I remembered to do every minute of every day. Getting caught up in the chaos of work and the exaustion of just being a working mother of a fiesty 2 year old makes me faulter. I am so guilty of taking my blessings for granted.

Lord, help me to recognize daily these blessings in my life.
Thank you for bringing each of these amazing people into my life.