Have you ever heard of the saying, "You don't know what you have until it's gone?" Sometimes life shows us what it means to experience loss, so you can appreciate everything you have. This was the case for me.
While I was thinking about 
#1. My husband Jared. He wears his heart on his sleeve so I never have to wonder what he's thinking and he showers me with love. He carries a sense of honor and duty to provide for his family and he's amazing in my eyes.
I got to marry him twice!! When we were divorcing he tried meth and spiraled into destruction, lost his rights to the kids and ended up in jail. He turned away from meth and we chose to work it out. He chose his family over meth, which is a miracle!! We've been back together for 8 months now. :) I know what it's like to be a single mom, struggling to survive, it was nearly impossible juggling work and kids all by myself. Not to mention how heart wrenching it is to see my children in such pain. In essence they lost their father, and now I'm so happy that our family is in tact.
#2 My house. 6 years ago we were chosen to be recipients of a brand new habitat for humanity house. No interest mortgage and bought at cost. We put in "sweat equity" to build it. When I left him, we stayed with family, sleeping on couches, floors, and then ended up in a shelter. When he was on meth, he occupied the house. He didn't pay the mortgage, and when I got our home back in court, the foreclosure process had begun, and it was trashed. Holes in walls, garbage everywhere. He went to jail and squatters had taken it over. While he was locked up he was repentant and gave me the entire tax return so I could pull it out of foreclosure. Habitat for humanity and family helped me clean it and fix it up. Thank God for my house!!
#3. My kids. They are wonderful!! I don't know what my life would be without them. Last night they went trick-or-treating and it was cold! They didn't last very long, but it was fun.
Also yesterday the teacher sent a note home with my son.
I'm so proud of him!!!
I could've lost my kids. Social Services was involved mostly because of Jared, but since I was struggling they were involved with me too. They put ridiculous conditions on me like must provide adequate furniture, must call within 3 days of losing a job, and must keep all doctor and dental appointments. My first social worker took issue with the 3 year old wetting the bed, a three year old who wets the bed!! Really? So we put a pull-up on her at night, big deal! The second one was great, and she dropped the case, but since social workers have so much power and can be arbitrary, things could've gone a lot differently. I'm very blessed to have my kids. :)
#4. My washer and dryer. When I got back into the house the dryer was gone and the washer overflowed every time I tried to use it. You really don't appreciate modern conveniences like this unless you have to hand wash and hang your clothes to dry. Jared talked to a man at the jail ministry about everything that was happening, and this person took it upon himself to actually buy me a new dryer!!! In addition to that, 
#5. Electricity. The electric bill wasn't paid either, and it had been shut off, so I had to jump through hoops to get it turned back on since my name was still on the account at the time. Electricity is nice.
#6. USB cords from the dollar tree. I am thankful for the dollar tree in general, but every time one of the kids uses a USB cord, it gets ruined for some reason, so I'm so glad I can get them from the dollar tree.
7. My mother and mother in law. They are so supportive and they are wonderful grandparents. Having a mother in law who is a blessing can be rare, so I am grateful.
#8. My van. When Jared and I were separated, before he lost his rights to the kids from his drug use and criminal activity, we shared the only vehicle we had. Whoever had the kids had the van. When he was in possession of it, he borrowed it to someone who didn't bring it back. It was found several weeks later over a hundred miles away. Not having a vehicle is very difficult in this day and age especially when one has 5 kids to take care of. I am sooooo grateful for my van.
#9. Our court system and law enforcement. At least in our city. Problems and all, we have a great court system. Jared was facing prison time and the Judge and DA took notice of Jared's dramatic transformation and showed mercy. Jared's lawyer called the night before the sentencing to tell us the DA changed the plea deal to probation and time served instead of prison. Speaking on Jared's 180° turnaround, the judge said, "I've never seen anything like it!"
The police in the area are, for the most part, good guys. They helped me kick the squatters out of the house and provided gifts at Christmas time for our kids, knowing what was going on with Jared.
#10. Beer. I like beer, I'm glad it was created. ;) A couple beers at the end of a long day makes for a relaxing evening. 🍺🍻😁
11. Last but not least, I can't create this post without giving thanks to Jesus for granting me eternal life, and making the ultimate sacrifice to save me. Looking back at that time in my life, His hand was in everything, and we never truly went without.
What are you grateful for?
Love, snowpea ❤😘🙂🌸