Thank You.

Over the past week I have been thinking about how blessed I am. I have it pretty easy. I need to put some of these items in print. I would like to say GRACIAS to the following:

* a mom who emails me everyday to tell me how excited she is about me coming home, and to go shopping for MY birthday.
* the amazing organization of the church; where ever you go in the world you have a family.
* an employer who says "work for us for a couple weeks and if you find something better, take the job."
* the USA, it is wonderful.
* a father-in-law who not only keeps us current on the snow report and the possibility of getting in a ski day when we get home, but also reminds us to RELAX and that everything will be okay.
* Ecuadorian ice cream.
* a sister who designs anything I ask her to {and doesn't act annoyed}, chats online, tells me all the latest, and lets me set up play dates two months in advance.
* Larry who checks our mail, and incessantly receives emails from us saying "did news from grad school come yet?"... and no, it hasn't come yet...
* a hyper husband who smothers me {and who sometimes says "we need to get you a wide-angle lens"}.
* getting 57 emails {not forwards} every day from the one girlfriend who can always make you laugh...and you always think you are going to die because you are laughing so hard.
* a father who now thinks it is hilarious to IM me.
* a university that gives us scholarships, hooks us up with amazing non-profits, and sends us on international adventures {even when you graduated the semester before}.
* a niece who has to talk to me on the phone every Sunday before she leaves grandma's, and every week she asks the same thing "when are you coming home?".
* a brother {and sister-in-law} who sit at the racetrack every week peddling tee shirts and checkered flags on our behalf.
* lifelong friends that send you links to Tele-Francais videos, and then say "this is what I do at home on the weekends when you are not here."
* the glorious internet.
* our couple friends who miss us.
* doors and windows of opportunity that continually open.
* a creative brother-in-law, who acts as my tech support and photography instructor and never gets mad at me.
* grocery stores in The States.
* a sister-in-law who keeps in touch, emails me birthday lists, and shares hobbies.
* living in a car wash.
* high-interest savings accounts.
* online shopping.
* a mother-in-law who is fun, supportive, non-judgemental, doesn't meddle in our marriage, and doesn't try to live her life through her children {seriously, perfect mother-in-law}.
* a girlfriend who goes out of her way to get you a good deal on designer clothes, and then ships it across the country...so that you can get it a few days before she will arrive by airplane {and the fact that this makes sense to her too}.
* being able to experience living in the Andes, something we never really planned on.
* a brother-in-law who goes to your apartment 3 times per week to read you off a credit card number, phone number, or checking account number.
* the globalization of the Snickers Bar.
* Skype.
* keeping in touch with cousins via blogs.
* that it is basically time to come home.