Thankful Thursday

Week two of a month of remembering to be thankful for all that we have:
8: Weekends with John
John is currently an instructor at a weapons and tactics school.  When the school is in session the classes run for 7 weeks.  During those weeks he has to work Monday-Saturday.  When you have a baby a few days before the class starts, that adds to the chaos and stress!  The class ended last week, thank goodness, and I have my husband back for a short time!  We have only had one full weekend so far, but it was so nice to have John around and I know he was happy to have more time to spend with us!
9: SLEEP!

I knew that my sleep would forever change when I had children, but I had no clue what I was in for!  Last week, with the exception of a couple nights, Ryker started sleeping through the night!  Well, he is ranging from 5-7 hours in his longest stretch, but that is amazing compared to 2 hours at a time!  I feel like I can be a better mom when I have had just a little more sleep!
10: DVR
This is the first time we have had a DVR and are now hooked!  When we lived in Nevada, it was not an option with our cable service, most likely because we lived in the middle of nowhere!  Of course it was not offered when we moved to Japan, so we were excited to finally step into the modern world and experience having a DVR!  With crazy sleep schedules, we won't miss our favorite TV shows!  Hey, sometimes it is the little things you are really thankful for!
11: Living in America

Our time in Okinawa was, well...long.  Don't get me wrong, we experienced some amazing things while living there that would have never had an opportunity to experience had we not lived overseas, but we are happy to be back.  It is nice to be able to easily call family and have them call back without spending a small fortune.  It is especially nice not to have to travel 20+ hours to see our family and friends.
12: Time spent in Okinawa

As much as I complained about living there, I never thought that I would miss it when I left.  I really don't want to go back, but I believe John and I grew so much during our time there.  Although he was gone more than half of the time we lived there, our marriage grew stronger because we had to rely on each other.  We were also able to travel to some amazing places like Tokyo, Thailand, and we explored the beautiful island of Okinawa.

13: Friends
The lifestyle of a military family is one of constant change.  When you move far away, especially to the other side of the world, you find out who your real friends are.  I am so thankful for those amazing friends that have stuck by my side through the years.

I am also so grateful for the amazing friends I made in Okinawa.  There is something about that place that brings people together.  I had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful women that I will never forget and will always have a special place in my heart.  This picture is so special to me.  It was taken at my baby shower in Okinawa and it is the only one I have of some of my favorite girls all together!

14: This little guy

My nephew, Cade. 
Isn't he adorable?
In the last week I have heard that twice he has told his mom and then his grandma that he wanted to see me and Ryker!  It melts my heart!  It is hard not seeing him grow up, but we are so excited that he will get to meet his newest cousin next month!

Only two more weeks to go until Thanksgiving!  What are you thankful for?