November Thanks--Work and Hobbies

Time to do my third thanksgiving post for the month.  I really want to give thanks for all the good things I have in my life.  I've covered my family, and our lovely home.  This week I think it's time to say thanks for the opportunity to work--both at my job and as a mom.
I have always had work if I wanted it.  Some jobs were better than others.  Retail was OK, selling furniture and insurance definitely was not for me.  I enjoyed working as a chiropractic assistant, even if the days were beyond long sometimes.
Then I had Turbo and took about two years off.  Oh, I went back to school during that time but didn't really have a paying job until after my first year of school.  I went back for a geology degree.  I can blame thank Nick for that choice.  He did it and it was so interesting.  The math intimidated me but I got through it.
When I graduated with my geology degree, I got a job offer for part time work from home for a uranium exploration company.  It fit my schedule perfectly.  I really enjoyed the work and had the economy not crashed, I would still be working there. The economy did crash and I got laid off the day I had Bruiser.  Three months later I got a part time job using my degree and learning database management.  Since it was for a university, the hours are very flexible and after a year and half they took me on full time with benefits. 
I am very thankful that I have the job I have.  It challenges me and still lets me be mom to my boys. It's also pretty stable even if it's work with the energy industry.
I am also thankful that I get to be a mom.  It's work, it's never not work, but the rewards are so great that whenever it gets me down, all I have to do is think about the hugs, small moments of triumph, big moments of fun and laughter and they lift me up to keep on moving forward.
I'm also thankful for the opportunity to blog and the wonderful people I have met do this.  I've said before that I don't do the face to face meeting of people all that well. I'm fine once I know you, but the initial meeting, not so good at that.  Blogging takes that face to face uncomfortableness out of the equation.  I do hope to be able to meet some of the ladies I blog with regularly--Gretchen, Mimi, Stacy, Jen (any number of Jens, really), Myya, Mamarazzi, Alaina, Michele, and so many more.  I foresee lots of travel in my future, but is nice to know that I have people to see all across the country.
I'm thankful too, for a hubby who understands my need to get creative.  Nick is trying, with my help, to get an area to scrap book set up in the attic.  I have not scrap booked for quite a while --really since before Bruiser was born.  I am so far behind but I really need to do some work and get caught up.  With any luck I'll be all set up and can get started again over the Christmas break.