My 30 Days of Thankful!!

So I answered the 30 day challenge!! Everyday I thought of something I am thankful for. I put a twist on mine. I tried to find other things outside of the norm (kids, hubby, God). Also I made the rule that it had to be the first thing that popped into my head as I typed Day whatever. Well here's my list and now I am ready for the next challenge!!! 

Day 1: I am thankful for this journey! It has been hard and exhausting and there have been lots of tears. I am so thankful to say there have been triple (probably even more) the amount of laughs and smiles. I am thankful for every piece of this journey. It has made my family stronger and I thank God everyday for the strength and wisdom to survive this road to the new normal. 

Day 2: I am thankful for Team Allen. Who would have ever thought my great friend Demetria's idea of how to communicate Chaz's progress to others could turn into such an amazing thing?! I am thankful for everyone who is supporting our family's journey by "liking" Team Allen!!

Day 3: Today I am thankful for all the amazing non-profit organization who are out there to make our lives better. Non-profits are staffed by incredible Americans who want to reach out and take care of others. These people see a need and they fill it! Of course I am biased to the ones that our family has been involved with, but I know there are so many out there it would take me years to say thanks to all of them. Here's who popped into my head at 6am! This is not a ranking order, this is just who ran across my head very early in the morning, while still low on caffeine. ;)

Girl Scouts, Kappa Delta, Hero Miles, Our Military Kids, Fisher House Foundation, Operation Troop Aid, Operation Second Chance, The Yellow Ribbon Fund, NEES PTO, Operation Ward 57, Help Our Military Heroes, Veterans Airlift Command, Aleethia Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, and The Gift of Laughter are just a few!!! We are so thankful for those of you on and off this list! If you watch Team Allen you'll see a posting sooner or later about so many different organizations. If you can help them in anyway please do! 

Day 4: I am thankful to be an American!! We may complain, but the reality is we live in one of the best countries in the World!

Day 5: I am thankful for the opportunities that continue to bless our families. Rather than looking for things to do as a family, people and organizations keep showing up with them. I am so thankful for all of these events!

Day 6: I am thankful for social media. Thanks to Facebook and all the other social media pages we are now able to share our lives with others. We are able to make others socially aware of issues and cause that need support.

Of course to me I am overly thankful for being able to know the names and faces of the military families who need our prayers. I am honored that I can send them a quick message to let them know they are not alone.  

Day 7: I am thankful for the DNA that gave me this big mouth and the brain to use that big mouth to articulate the needs of my family. I pray everyday that I have put and will continue to put it to good use and hope I can bless another family with it.

Day 8: I am thankful for growing up in a family who has shares the love of food. I was blessed to have so many "cooking lessons" growing up from several people. I am able to bless not only our family, but other families as well with this love.

As Guy Fieri said the other day, "We heal and grow from food and it can bond us together."

Day 9: I am thankful for patience. I am thankful I can use that patience to navigate through a crazy new life full of twists, turns and chaos. 

Day 10: Today I am thankful for the people who want to share our story with others. I am thankful that they see we just want to heal and move on, but have a lot of fun on our way to our new normal.

Chaz is always so honored when he is asked to be someone's Veteran to share with others. Every time I ask him if it's ok, his response is always sure, but why me?

I am so glad so many other people can see what I see.....a Hero and a Rock Star!!! 

Day 11: Today I am thankful for all of our Veteran's who have served in the past, the ones who are serving in the present and those who already feel the call to serve in the future. I am also thankful that we are blessed to have so many Veterans in our lives!! God Bless you all for your service and sacrifice!! 

Day 12: I am thankful for music!! Music can tell the story of our lives. It can lift us up, it can bring us down and it can heal our soul!!!

Day 13: I am thankful to live in a part of the world where I can witness some of God's beauty by watching the seasons pass!

Day 14: I am thankful to be celebrating my 33rd birthday with my incredible family and my friend Demetria in NYC!!!!!!! 

Day 15: I am thankful for digital cameras. It is so awesome to be able to capture so many memories and then be able to see them instantly!!!

Day 16: I am thankful for all the amazing opportunities that continue to pop up in our lives!!! Each one brings it's own dose of sunshine and happiness to our family! 

Day 17: I am thankful for the Army! We have been taken care of on this journey. The problems we have had have come from individuals, not the Army itself. I am thankful for those who have gone before us to make this path easier for our family. I am also thankful the Army as a whole realizes it can always do better and that they are trying to keep making it better.

Day 18: I am thankful to have such awesome friends who aren't afraid to go be silly girls with me!!! I am also thankful to be able to go have fun with these friends!!

Day 19: I am thankful for the care packages that have been arriving!! We are thankful we have been able to take them to the hospital for you!! Our family has truly enjoyed taking them to the families and medical staff and putting smiles on their faces!

Day 20: I am thankful we chose to home school the girls this year. We may not be teaching them everything the school systems may want us to. But what we are teaching them cannot be taught in any classroom. Chaz and I are making them better Americans by sharing so much of this experience with them.

Day 21: I am thankful for my stubbornness!! Sometimes it can be a pain, I believe it is this stubbornness that has led to my family's success! 

Day 22: I am thankful to be celebrating my hubby's 10th month Alive Day today!!!

Day 23: I am thankful that I got to wish Team McConnell a Happy 4th month Alive day in person. I am so thankful to be a part of their (and many other families') journeys!!!!!

Day 24: I am so thankful to have my hubby with his girls for Thanksgiving!!! Last year at this time he and his guys were in Afghanistan eating MREs.

I am thankful they are in America for a real meal this year. I am thankful for those who are doing what he and his guys did last year. And I am thankful for those who gave all so we can celebrate this day together.

Day 25: I am thankful for online shopping!! Since my life has changed so much I don't have anytime to go shopping anymore, except for groceries. Also I am thankful that we can enjoy all the Black Friday deals without have to get up so early for that craziness!

Day 26: I am thankful that God blesses us with absolutely beautifully perfect days in November. There's nothing like a perfect day at the park thrown in after it's been cold, gloomy and rainy for so long!!!

Day 27: I am thankful for my education and my degree in Political Science & History. Thanks to the excellent education I received over those years I am able to play very nicely with others. I especially enjoy shocking them with all of my knowledge, thus proving you should never ever judge an Army wife by her cover!! 

Day 28: I am thankful for my strong faith!!! I am so thankful that as Chaz says, "She has enough faith to share." I am thankful for my family who instilled this faith in me. I doubt we would be doing so well without it!

Day 29: I am thankful for our 1SGT & CO at WTB. They listened to me and helped me set up a NMA/Caregiver Resource Group for our company. There are so many wonderful people in our company and thanks to our company leadership I am helping them navigate this road a little better!

Day 30: I am thankful for small victories!! Small victories make the bigger ones even better!!!