Gratitude

I have struggled with the need to post this for several days.  It's been a struggle because I know that there are no words that can do justice to the gratitude I feel, but I am burdened with the  need to try.  As most of you already know, in the last few weeks of my pregnancy, my doctor put me on bed rest because my blood pressure wasn't as stable as she wanted it to be.  Although I have litterally had the "perfect" pregnancy by her definition - perfect labs, perfect weight gain, perfect growth and health throughout, she wanted to be aggressively cautious, which I appreciate, but it couldn't have come at a worse time.  During the last three weeks, I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and help.  I literally don't know what we would have done without the help that a few people brought.

My Mama.

The most generous person I know.  She gives and gives and gives.  She gives her heart, her service, her love.  She came to the rescue when it was time to move in to our new home and I was stuck on the couch!  She cleaned, scrubbing on her hands and knees.  She lifted boxes, unpacked boxes, organized, and put things away.  She worked tirelessly and without breaks to make my new house feel like a home.  And then?  She went back to work for a few days, waited for my sister to arrive, and then returned with my sister to do more of the same for the majority of her Christmas "break!"  She did what I was unable to do, but needed to do so badly.  From cleaning and putting away to shopping and stocking the pantry.  She did it all.  I was amazined, in awe, and overcome with gratitude that I still can't adequately express.  So grateful that to this moment, as I type, it brings tears to my eyes!

My sister.

(I love this picture of her being "glam" at my wedding, lol)

I only get to see her about once a year when she is able to make a trip down from her home in Montana.  She only gets quality time with her family here once, maybe twice a year.  Moments are precious with her.  And what did she do?  About as soon as she hit the state of Tennessee, she loaded up with mom to join the work of settling me into my new home.  When she should have been on vacation and catching up with family she hadn't seen since April, she was here, in our new home mopping floors and putting away laundry.  She too cleaned, unpacked, shopped, everything!  She'll never know how special that was to me and how much I appreciate her sacrifice of time and rest and her love and her efforts in those days leading up to New Years Eve.

My Daddy.

He drove.  He drove back and forth from Chattanooga to Murfreesboro, to our new home and back again.  He drove all over the midstate loading and unloading furniture, belongings from our house and town house, and packing and unpacking.  He worked non-stop.  And in the middle of all that took time out to take Chris' car to the repair shop so that it would pass emissions and to the emissons testing for us!  He found us a steal of a deal on a dryer, drove me to it (our old one was gas and our new home is electric) and then paid for it himself.  He gave of himself, his time, his money and helped us in too many ways to count!  He is the most selfless person I know.

In addition to those monumental and seemingly endless hours of hard work and manual labor, so many have helped in other ways...

Chris' parents have shuttled me to and from when Chris had to be at work.  They have delivered me to the doctor's office so that I could be on time and Chris could meet me there.  They have opened their home for us to stay when needed - especially during the days when I would have been home alone and quite a distance from the hospital. 

Our friends Jay and Web who gave up a whole day of their Christmas vacation and used their own vehicles and gas to pack and transport boxes and furniture. 

Our friend Anne, who has driven all the way up here to pick me up and take me to Murfreesboro when needed.  Who has provided meals and a blood pressure monitor when the doctor ordered and a stand-in when my mom couldn't be here by bringing ice cream and magazines - essential for a mommy-to-be on bed rest!

My friend Courtney, who used a cancelled lunch date with another friend of ours to offer to bring me lunch.  She has no clue how much she made my day and how excited I was when she called!!  My first "official" guest in our new home. She drove over from Hendersonville with her little boy, Benjamin, with lunch for an afternoon of visiting and mommy-talk!

So many friends who email, text, and call almost daily checking to see how I am and encouraging me.

I am so blessed.

I am overwhelmed with thankfulness.

I thank God for putting so many loving and special people in my life.

I hope I can be as generous and as much of a blessing to those I love as others have been for me these past few weeks!