Thankful Thursday

I don't think I've been so excited to see a Thursday than I am today.  It's our last day and night in our current apartment and I couldn't be more excited and thankful to be hightailing it out of here tomorrow morning.  Y'all know it's been a struggle to get this day, but God worked it out and we're moving on to something better-two bathrooms, a dishwasher, pool, gym, tennis court, 24/7 community security and on-call maintenance workers!  

When I say that I will never again take for grated the comforts of living in an apartment owned by a corporation and not an independent owner, I mean it!  We have had three bad experiences with renting from independent landlords.  While I did like that we had an actual front and back yard with decks in our previous apartment before this one and will miss having more an actual "neighborhood" feel, it's a small price to pay for having professionals who will fix issues in a timely manner, especially things like leaky pipes, broken windows and mold.  Also, it's a relatively quiet area and y'all know how I feel about loud neighbors.

I'm thankful that the kids were very helpful with the packing process and haven't complained about having to live amongst a hill of boxes this last week and a half.  I'm really thankful that JJ is excited about this move.  I was a little apprehensive about how he would respond because big changes don't sit well with him.  However, I've explained in a way that he can understand that we're moving and we did take him to see the new apartment and he loved it.  So, I will say that's a good sign.

We are having to move one of his therapy sessions back in time but I think that'll be okay considering he'll be changing days completely once school starts.  And while we're on the subject of school, my cousin found an old preschool picture from when we celebrated her birthday at school and sent it to me on Facebook.

Y'all, I'm pretty sure I dressed myself that day because I have on a white and lilac shirt with sea foam green windbreaker pants that had a black, green, red and yellow waist band.  I'm pretty sure if the waist band had been all black or the pants a softer more muted green, it would have gone with the shirt.  I'm glad I can't see my shoes because who knows what color they probably where.  And see the guy in the red outfit with the lime green dotted circle around his head?

That was my first male best friend.  And aside from family members, he was the first guy I ever loved.  He asked me to be his girlfriend right before Thanksgiving break and then we had our first of many kisses.  We both road the same bus and usually always sat together on the way home.  Yea, we were only in preschool, but we had promised to get married and everything.

Then over spring break he got hit by a car and died.  I was crushed to pieces.  That was the first time I had ever loss anybody that I really cared about and I didn't take it well at all. I cried for weeks and skipped his funeral.  At our preschool graduation, I sat by what would have been his chair, but instead it had a ribbon and a red rose on it.  Then, we went outside and the principle planted and dedicated a tree in his memory. 

I remember my mom holding my hand and telling me it was ok to cry if I wanted to.  Life just didn't feel the same anymore and kindergarten felt a little lonely when school started back that following August.  Our families knew each other well and I'm forever grateful for the short friendship (and courtship) that we had.  I'm so thankful that my cousin sent me this.  

While Bill's death was hard for me to take, I have to say that some of the fondest memories of my childhood with my entire family are from my preschool year.  That was before my parents' marriage got rocky and they split.  Things just seemed good.

What are you thankful for this week?