Gratitude - day four...

I am grateful for my parents. My Mum and Dad raised us in a loving home and we had no doubt how special they thought we were to them. Although it has been more than four years since my beautiful mum died, I feel her touch in a lot that I do. Sometimes I miss her so much that there is a physical pain. Every day I wish she was here. And sometimes the need to talk with her is almost unbearable. My Mum taught me what it is to be a Mum and I would love her to be able to experience the joy our three little men bring. She was so thrilled to be a Gran and was so excited awaiting the pending birth of my nephew Liam. I am so grateful to have had a loving and close relationship with her. And my Dad despite his obvious grief at the death of my Mum continues to be an important part of my life. No matter what time of day he is always ready for a chat and some words of advice. The boys adore him and so do Kev and I.



I am grateful for my brother, sister-in-law and my beautiful nephew. Adam, Kelly and Liam are a loving family and I grateful to have them in my life and the lives of our boys. Although I know Adam gets sick of the childhood "Adam stories" - he puts up with my reminiscences and good-nature jibes. I can't remember a time when Adam and I haven't been friends. We even lived together for a while as adults! And if he could tolerate my cleaning obsession then he must be made of strong stuff. And soon there will be a precious little addition to their family - can't wait :-)




And I am grateful for my extended family. Although we may not see each other very often I always enjoy spending time with them. Having a relatively large extended family has been a bit of a steep learning curve for Kev, as most of his family lives overseas (his Mum & Dad are in Queensland). I especially love when the cousins get together. Now we have grown up and have families of our own it is a double blessing to see our children playing together. And I enjoy seeing my Aunties and Uncles too. They have been an especially important part of my life since Mum died and I am grateful for their wise counsel and understanding.



And I am so grateful for Kev's Mum and Dad. Norm and Iris have accepted me into their home and their family. They live too far away and we don't get to see them often enough, but when we do its like no time has passed at all. They are wonderful grandparents and so loving towards me.

So you see I have a LOT to be grateful for and as I head off to bed I am reminded just how lucky I am,

Lisa xx