Thankful Thursday

Last year during the month of November I started something new on the Blog. I called it Thankful Thursdays. And every Thursday during the month I wrote about things I am Thankful for. I talked about my work. (Different job than this year, but the principle still applies!) Then I talked of Love! (Love of God & that of a good man.) My Children. (Yes, all four of them!) And lastly I spoke of Family. We are so Blessed. Well I'm making it an annual tradition! Every Thursday this month will be Thankful Thursday! And I hope you too will share some of the things in your life that you are grateful for. Because we do have SO MUCH to be Thankful for! So, let's get started . . .

To tell you about what I'm Thankful for today, I need to share some back ground: as you know we are a family of 6 & after our mini van finally died (after over 200,000 miles & 12 years!) we were down to 2 small cars (each only seat up to 5 people) so anywhere we go as a family we have to take 2 vehicles. And the biggest problems are one is only a two door car and a stick shift (which I never learned how to drive! I know, don't judge me!) and the other car, the transmission is going out, & we are basically driving it until we can't anymore. My son, Kyle drives that one the most and is saving money to buy a car. He also works & goes to College in downtown Phoenix, so that's where that car is most of the time. That left John's little (2 door) to get him & I to work, Zach to all his College classes & the girls anywhere they may need to go!

It wasn't that bad while I was not working. John took me to job interviews & waited in a near by Starbucks, he rearranged his schedule to fit Zach's school schedule in & Kyle could help get Zach or the girls where they needed to go on day's he didn't work. We knew with both of us losing our jobs, we couldn't possibly finance another car. I purposefully looked for jobs close to home that I could walk to or ride a bike to get there if I needed to. Then I got the call from a different Bath & Body works who had gotten my name from the manager by the closer one that Interviewed me. She knew they were looking to hire a Co Manager & thought I'd be a great fit. It was looking good for me to get the job. The only problem was that store was about a half hour drive from my house. How on earth would we work that out with our car situation?!

My Mom had been talking about trading her car in to get a newer one. When my Dad passed away, who had driven her everywhere, she had to start driving more & sold his full size conversion van & gotten a more manageable mode of transportation. She got a new, 2004 Hyundai Elantra & has had it now all this time & has only put 32,000 miles on it. Well she got her another new Hyundai, a Sonata this time. But, instead of trading her old one in, she kept it, and gave it to me! I could not believe it! What a Blessing. What an answer to Prayer. So, to start off my Thankful Thursday's I am thankful for my car!

My car is Beautiful! I think this is the first car I've ever had with automatic windows! Even when we bought our mini van brand new, to cut cost, we went with the regular roll down kind! I picked up a friend of mine in my new car soon after I got it, (not to mention any names, Tandra) :) and she commented that I'm Cinderella, with my gilded carriage! (since the car is golden) I loved that! That's kinda how I feel. I always knew my Mom was like a fairy godmother! :) One of my first thoughts was, now I can put my little Hula girl sticker on my window! It's funny the little things we think of that can make us so happy. Hula is close to my heart. And just so John wouldn't feel bad when he drives it, I let him put an Apple sticker on too!

And I had a fun vanity license plate made for the front of the car with my signature "Star4Laughs" on it! Have I mentioned that I love my car?! And with my new job a half hour drive away, & our new Church is a half hour drive, in the other direction, it has literally been a life saver! So for this first installment of Thankful Thursday, I had to show it off. I am so thankful to have it!