Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Danke, Tak!

Warning:  this blog post is all talk and no pictures!  (Fear not, there are one million recent pictures coming your way soon, but we need to sort through and pick out the cream of the crop to share with you). 

This post is much more sentimental and much more important than pictures, if you can believe it.  Its all about giving thanks.  The Jackson family has much to be thankful for.  So consider this a giant THANK YOU note – to you, our family and friends, and to God who recently welcomed Claire into His family on her baptism. 

• We are thankful for each other.  Valentine’s Day is a great celebration of love, and our family of three is bursting at the seams with it. 
• We are thankful for Bob, Lisa, Kerry and Cindy.  The greatest parents and grandparents on earth.  Their guidance, understanding, support and unconditional love are overwhelming.
• We are thankful for Carla, Dan, and Ryan, the best aunt and uncles whom Claire adores.  What a group of loving, thoughtful and hilarious people. And for their better halves - Geoffrey, Jennifer and Amy - who complete our families. 
• We are thankful for all of our extended family as well.  They are all a part of our story.
• We are thankful for our health.  We are thankful for our doctor, and for the wonderful nurses he employs.  Their expertise and patience astound.  Claire got her first shots today, and has been a groggy, grumpy baby.  But we are thankful for the protection that they afford us, and for the extra snuggle time they invoke.    
• We are thankful for our friends, especially for the Stallbaumers, with whom we share so much.  Thank goodness they live so close and share their food, their TiVo, their cars and their cares.
• And for the other important friends in our lives, the KU crew, the hometown amigos, the work friends, both past and present.  We never feel lonely because of you, and even if we don’t keep in touch as well as we should with everyone, we don’t love you any less.  We’re just bad at that sort of thing. 
• We are thankful for our home, our cars and our silly possessions.  We often take them for granted and know that we are incredibly lucky to have all the comforts that we do. 
• We are thankful for our jobs, which we truly love.  We may be a couple of bleeding heart idiots, but darn it, our jobs are fulfilling.  I am terrified beyond belief to go back to work next week and leave my baby girl, but I am also thrilled to be able to return to my job. 
• We are thankful that there is a loving person out there to care for Claire during the weekdays – even if she is a Mizzou fan. 
• We are thankful for our community and our neighbors (except the ones who always let their stinkin’ dog poop in our yard). 

Okay, well maybe this only touches the tip of the iceberg of what we are thankful for, but we don’t have time to write that book.  We know that we are blessed, and we want you to know it too!

Lots of love,

The Jacksons