Thankful Thursday

I know right?  It's been a long time since I've done a TT post, but I've something on my mind lately that I most definitely should express gratitude for.

I have to be the luckiest and most blessed woman when it comes to daughter-in-laws(daughter-in-love's)

Serious.  When I realized that I would never have daughters of my own, I feared that once my sons got married, we would lose touch since daughters seem to gravitate to their mother's and sons kind of get the leftover time.  I hoped and prayed that whomever my sons married would feel a part of our family, want to be with us and would want a great relationship with me.

I started with a great example with my own mother-in-law.  I've already mentioned that if we were Catholic, she would qualify for sainthood.  A great woman who has raised a successful family with both sons and daughters with spouses who do their best to honor her.  She has always allowed us to be our own family, while making sure we stay connected with Splenda's siblings and his parents.  I have always had a great example.

When Corbin met and began dating his first wife, I wanted to follow that example.  Circumstances were different and I found myself growing to love her, worry about her and we developed a great bond.  Many nights spent talking, laughing and bonding.  I miss her.  I wish that there was more that someone could have done for her.  With some outside perspective and help from someone much more qualified than me, I have finally come to the realization that her demon's were more than a single person on their own could assuage.  So even though there were offers of help, from every direction, she battled something much more than she could fight.  That being said, she really set the bar for me on the kind of relationship I hoped to have with my sons future spouses.  Someone with whom I could bond with, be friends with and could share fun family times together.

Enter Karalee.  Words cannot even describe how much I love her.  I have seen her calming spirit and force at work with every person in my family.  We loved the times she spent with us while Corb was finishing his training.  Watching her unconditionally love Chloee.  Watching how she instantly bonded with her and loved her more than I could imagine anyone loving someone else's daughter.  And yet, never feeling threatened.  She has done everything possible to honor Jill's memory while at the same time allowing Chloee to move forward and enjoy a stable, loving family home.  I see how much she loves my son.  She is the perfect mate for him.  He's not the same person he was two years ago, and while the USMC played a part in that, he really deserves the credit and in part his wife who came into his life at the precisely the right time.  I love that she will text me, or call me, or send a message on FB just to keep in touch.  I especially loves that she will post special pictures of Chloee that clearly shows what a sweet and happy life that lil punkin is now enjoying.

And now, Montana.  What is so fun and unique about this darling is that I have known her most of her life already.  She grew up one street over.  She and Tuffy went to pre-school together and while she was a couple years younger, they attended the same schools and knew all the same people.  I got to know her better through the Young Women's program.  Watched how she developed leadership skills and strengthened her testimony about being a daughter of God.  I watched her at camps be sweet and friendly to the other girls making sure that they felt included. When Tuffy and she started dating, I couldn't have been happier.  Knowing her family, and how solid they are, eased my mind about what she could bring to Tuffy's life.  Watching the two of them together, is like watching two old souls who have known each other forever.  They function together like clockwork, and a Mom couldn't ask for more than her child to be happy.  And she too, sends me texts, or calls, or fb messages.  If she sees something she thinks I would like, she fires it off to me.  Love that she will come and just hang out for awhile and be perfectly comfortable with it

(found this on my fb wall from her this morning - she knew I would love it)

So one can see, that indeed I am a lucky and blessed woman.  I couldn't have asked for better mates for my two sons.  They are exactly who they should be with, and complete them in a way that I feel like God intended couples to complete each other.  They are all still young, but life's experiences have teach each of them in their unique ways, how to be a good spouse.

Sometimes, when I let my mind really think about it, I am excited to see what kind of outstanding woman Luke will choose as his bride.  I anticipate seeing all three boys happily married, starting their families, and becoming their own units, with Splenda and me on the sidelines simply basking in the happiness that good women bring to good men.  I'm not naive enough to believe that they won't have trials, but I am confident that so far, my married sons have chosen wisely, and have by their sides, the person who will see them reach their full potentials. 

The icing on the cake is that I am blessed to have a great relationship with them and have now gained the daughters that I never birthed myself.