What She's Thankful For

Well, as much as I like to think that I'm the only one in love with my husband, the only one who notices the twinkle in his eyes and the way his cheeks are rosy, and believes he's the bravest and strongest and most amazing man in the world, someone else does, too.

There's another girl.

Oh yes. She's had a thing for him for as long as I've been married to him, I'm sure of it.

Probably longer, because who can resist that smile and those hugs?

Meet Maya. This is Jake with Maya on the day that he was deployed in 2004.

And here they are at our wedding, just a few weeks before the send-off. She was one of our flower girls.

Now Maya is 10 years old. She's smart, athletic and creative. Maya wrote a Thanksgiving essay about the things that she is thankful for. Her 3 things were:

1. Her family
2. Jake
3. The Wii

Her mom pointed out that Jake ranked higher than the Wii and shared what exactly she said about him.

"I am also thankful for Jake, because he is fighting in Iraq as you read this. I am also thankful for all the veterans fighting with Jake. Jake has been my friend since I was born. They are risking their lives for us."

It's easy to see why she likes him so much, but can you blame her?

~Emily