Ten things I am grateful for

The lovely Crone at Wit's End has passed on a challenge - list ten things you are grateful for.

Here goes ...

I am grateful for:

1. My marriage having lasted 9 years (as of today) and counting. There are times when either of us could have walked, but we chose to stay - because we wanted to, not because we had to. My parents celebrated 45 years of marriage in February. My brother & his wife will have been married 20 years later this year. My sister & her husband will have been married 12 years in just over a week. We're doing ok :)
   
2. My children - yes, they're sometimes (often!) a challenge, but they're also a joy & a wonder. They're healthy, smart, funny & I'm intensely proud of them.
3. My family - parents, siblings, in-laws - we might do things differently, think differently and act differently, but when crunch time comes we stick together.
   
4. My friends. I finally discovered what having girlfriends was all about. It took me four decades to get there, but I feel like I've known them forever. Wonderful strong women who inspire me, don't take crap, and tell it like it is. I love you girls!
5. The fact that I have the skills and opportunity to work for myself, from my home, and do well at it.
6. The experiences I have had in my life, some of which weren't much fun, but all of which have provided opportunities of one kind or another.
7. The fast-approaching possibility of being debt-free, including owning our house outright.
8. The freedom I have to try new things and see what works for me (and to make mistakes at times).
9. The fact that we are able to cover all of our needs and most of our wants.
10. The fact that I will have the opportunity to visit a very special friend a long distance away next week - something I have been planning and looking forward to for months :)