Ok!  Good for you!

Thanks today for...

* My "exploratory" dental procedure (shudder) getting cancelled this morning upon first non-invasive test and immediately booked for a root canal before any futher work done.

* My first day without supervising my incompetent and foot-dragging person. Her last day was yesterday. I've already done one situation cleanup and, fun times, another came up this morning from HR and a payroll issue - she just didn't DO anything that required her to THINK. She's a check boxer and good riddance. She also didn't finish the only two things she was assigned to do during her last two weeks here. I was on top of mine, but my supervisor's project was left completely undone. Great way to end on a good note dummy!

* Getting started on a cleanse diet next week (for three weeks) to see if anything I am eating is exacerbating peri-menopause symptoms. It'll be difficult but not that bad because I only really have to cut out about 5 things or so from my current diet. I've already eliminated all but one cup of coffee each day this week so I don't get slammed with caffiene withdrawal. By Saturday I should be down to zero caffeine.

* Yay for meeting up with a good friend this weekend for a lovely early dinner!  

close on our very first home next Friday! 

for DH.  Just being the solid, reliable and loving rock he is.   

and for both SS's now living elsewhere!  WoopWoop! 

I am thankful Thursday for receiving the call from my doctor with my blood test results regarding my 12 week screen. So thankful my bub is healthy and low chance of any complications and it is a.. BOY! My DH jumped up and down whooping. 
 

-Thankful for the exciting moment we told SS and SD and DD2 we are having a healthy baby BOY and SS reaction was quite emotional where he actually hugged DH crying with happiness it wasn't another girl he will have a brother.  
 

I feel extremely blessed to be 33, married, halfway through studying my new career, raising my DD2, pregnant with a boy on the way and very soon will be house hunting with DH this year to purchase our new home to settle down that will be ours. *smile*

I'm thankful for an eventful January with good outcomes.

My DIL who has many medical issues was taken to the ER with alarming symptoms but all were found to be a reaction to new medication and she's doing well now.

Our new great-grandson was born a month early.  He's still in the hospital while they monitor exygen  but should be going home soon.

Our 12yo car suddenly died after many symptoms but we found a newer one only a year old and only 3500 miles on it.

My DH saw his oncologist and his treatment is keeping his PSA non-detectable.

My brother and SIL came to see Mom and we had a good visit.  SIL is taking on most of the 100 birthday party work.

So, who knows what February will bring but we are off and running!

I'm overall thankful for my life.  I've got a job, great husband, good friends and nice home.  All good.

Thankful for my place in life today. Reflecting back, it's been a long journey from Feb 2018. I am now, once again, physically and mentally healthy, empowered by knowledge to keep me where I am. Boundaries are such a good thing. I walked into 2023 whole again. It's been 5 years since I've seen any of DHs kids (all adults 29-43). I no longer fear or have anxiety thinking about when I do encounter them again. And that will probably be this year. This go-round, we do it on my terms.

I am thankful for my husband. While not in my corner in the beginning, he came to my defense after the 2018 incident. We've made good changes for ourselves and for our marriage and today, are stronger than we've ever been as a couple. 

I am thankful for my bio kids; both are excelling in life and we have great relationships. I love them so much.

I am thankful for my circles of friends....I am surrounded by good, caring, compassionate women who don't hestitate to tell me hard truths when I need them.

I am thankful for my church (started attending last March)....a place where I can flourish, where the mindset is "becoming better humans" and am accepted regardless of my "out-of-the-box" thinking. We do so much community service not even connected with "religion" or our own church. We are currently networking with the State Foster Care unit, who needs 150 more families for current needs. We are standing on 53 volunteer families from our campuses....in one week, we are at 30 signed up. Things like this make my heart swell. 

And lastly, I am thankful for the love of a darling little Scottie boy who "saved" me after I lost my beloved boy of 7 years to lymphoma. My life was chaos when he died. So having this sweet boy come into my life 3 months later was life saving. 

Thank you for this post, Aniki....gave me the opportunity to reflect on all the good in my life, something I tend to forget to do.