Okay, on the Gratefulness front:

(if you don't know by now, I firmly believe that we, as Americans, have SO much to be grateful for, and can find good in almost anything because things HAPPEN FOR A REASON)

PROBLEM: My sweet daughter, Amanda (one of the kindest, most beautiful souls God ever put on the planet, not that I'm biased) was diagnosed with PNEUMONIA this week.

WHY I'M GRATEFUL: We have phenomenal health care in this great country! We took our sweet baby girl to Scott and White and she got antibiotics and other medication, and after one more day recovering--she's already back at school (a little TOO soon for her liking, hah!) and feeling good again! Whoo-hoo!

PROBLEM: Our well system at our home collapsed (I wrote about this when it happened a few months ago, but this month is when the entire hairy ordeal was concluded), and the cost to us was right at $18,000 at the same time we were opening  a new real estate office, and the "financial crisis" in our country happened--with the media scaring folks into NOT buying homes. A perfect financial storm for our dear family...

WHY I'M GRATEFUL: As we were re-shuffling finances, ready to write this unexpected, enormous check, our insurance company calls out of the blue and offers to pay for almost all of the destroyed well--after denying our claim after pondering it for nearly 3 months!

PROBLEM: The media in this country scaring the be-jeebers out of most everyone preparing to purchase a home! In November and December, it was as if someone turned off a faucet to our (quite special) real estate business...again, right as we opened our new and improved office at somewhat significant cost to us.

WHY I'M GRATEFUL: The fantastic real estate values in this market, coupled with super low interest rates (yes, NBC, CBS, and ABC...the Mortgage Companies ARE loaning money, you nitwits!), our Beloved Soldiers returning (welcome back!), and quite a bit of hard work on our part--turned into a great January and a FANTASTIC start to February. There has never been a better time to get a home in Central Texas, literally.

Try this little exercise: whenever you have a problem, look for ways in which you can be grateful for it. Think about it, if you can learn to be grateful EVEN FOR YOUR PROBLEMS, then you have it made in life.

Oh, one more thing...my precious dog, Chupis (pronounced Chew-pees, as in 2 of her favorite activities...), short for Chupacabra (the mythical goat-eating Mexican monster) had a run-in with a SKUNK last night. We've done the baking soda, vinegar, peroxide, Dawn odor-eliminating formula, warm water bath treatment for her--but our house still stinks to high heaven this morning...I'm still working on being grateful for this little incident!