Blessed

Despite the fact that I am extremely angry at Jade at the moment and can't wait until she awakes from her slumber so we can have another rule discussion...[I have a post waiting on the fringes with updates about how everything is going, but I'm still finishing it up.]...I'm feeling a little blessed right now about a couple of things.

First, my immediate family. I love them and all their craziness and for all their quirks. I am blessed to have them live so near and dread the day my parents decide to move out-of-state to retire. It is easy to take for granted that they are right there. And sadly for Jade, her family disfunction makes me realize how lucky I am to be so close to my own family. Yeah, we are dysfunctional and we have gone through some REALLY tough times, but we pulled together and made it through and it only made us closer in the end. I totally give God the glory for this. Without our faith in Him and Jesus' example, we would have easily quit on each other. Our faith is, hands-down, the glue that held us together and continues to hold us together through tough times. It has not been an easy road and we are constantly tested...but we are unwavering in our faith. I would not be the person I am today if it was not for my trust in His word. My path would have easily been that of several extended family members. If I took their path, I can tell you now, I'd be living only for myself. And while I may have had more fun, I'd rather be who I am today. Went off on a tangent... but seriously, it is a beautiful thing to get to spend so much time with my mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew. I do not take it for granted these days.

Second, money [having ironically just discussed it in my last post]. I got a couple of checks this week [and a gift card], that while "owed" to me, I had forgotten about. I just got a check for a copay I didn't know I overpaid. I received mileage reimbursement from DSS that I submitted last month and a copay reimbursement for Jade from back in August. I got a check from a friend that owed me for tickets to the theatre and finally, a gift card from someone that I did something for, on the side [art-wise! get your mind out of the gutter], back in the fall. Total, it amounts to nearly $400 dollars. Which is awesome because of all the holiday bills and the $150 I'm about to spend to get the cats shots all up-to-date for my annual recertification. The T@rget gift card, well, that is just a nice treat that I've decided I'm going to use as a treat. Get something for myself...not kitty litter and laundry detergent!

Third, healthcare. This is another thing I often take for granted and I am lucky to have awesome coverage. I have taken charge of my health and know how to utilize the services. I just saw my primary care physician the other day and she is so easy to talk to. Both her and my therapist are totally supportive of me fostering as a single parent. This past week, they both reminded me that I have good reason to be exhausted and overwhelmed and that I need to take care of myself. My therapist helps me see things from the outside and offers great advice for handling issues with Jade and with coworkers. She reminds me that I'm doing a good job even when I feel like I'm not.

And finally, my job. While there are days I absolutely hate it and want to smack a coworker, or two or four, I am lucky to have one. While extremely small [especially compared to previous years when the economy was stable], we did get a raise. I also qualified for a "competitive" raise that they do every few years to keep salaries in certain positions within the range of other companies. That was a nice surprise. And this year, we even got a small bonus for doing well as a team. I just have to remind myself of these points when I'm gritting my teeth at a coworker's comment. lol.

So, that's it for now. As I said...and update coming soon!