Just need to post something

Sometimes I think we all get into a rut where, we want to post something but there is nothing going on that stands out and then we feel that we have nothing to say that anyone wants to hear.
I guess I am there lately. There is stuff going on but nothing that is really blog worthy.

I could talk about how DJ and Keely are working this summer. They are working for my brother in his business and they seem to be really getting a lot out of it. Besides the part of them learning how to work and earn their own money, they are learning to work with others. They are learning how to take constructive criticism and they are learning how to push through when they would rather be laying in the pool. They are making friends with people they would not normally hang out with. Keely even had a cute 20 year old return missionary, flirting with her. Thankfully she is a good kid and told me, its OK mom I can just get to know him in the next two years. Then we can go out. LOL.
My kids have some goals they want to achieve and are earning their own money to do this. For that I am proud of them. I wish I was in a situation that I could continue to just give them what they want. Unfortunately I am not in that situation and it is better for them that I am not. If it were up to me I would just give them everything. In doing that, they will never learn independence. They will never learn to work for things that they want. It is harder to achieve meaningful goals and it is much harder to appreciate that which they receive.
When I was growing up, I was one who was very shy and did not ask for much. I really did not want to bother my mom with my needs because I knew she had so many other children to deal with. When I did ask for something my mom felt guilty because it was very rare so she usually gave me whatever I wanted. Therefore, in my later teen years I ran with that and became spoiled. Then as an adult, when i wanted something if my mom did not give it to me, I would try to get it from my husband. Sometimes the guilt thing worked and sometimes it did not.
Then I entered the world of being a single mom(not for related reasons lol). At this time, my mom helped me a lot. Things changed for me and I was totally embarrassed and ashamed that I had to impose on my mom once again and being that I had a new baby and two small children and had just lost my home due to no support from the ex, I no other option then to move in with my mom once again.
I made a goal for myself that I would not depend on my mom forever and would not let being single be an excuse for me relying on her. I worked and saved and did what I had to do. In two years, with the help of an awesome Realtor who was looking out for me, I bought my house totally on my own. It was a fixer upper. I was able to do the minor repairs and such on my own. A few things I was able to get help from a few of my brothers to fix things that I just could not figure out on my own. Other then that, I got a car and a house and I paid my own bills and I did it all on my own. This was the proudest moment of my life. Although my mom asked if she could continue to help me with my kids since Alyssa was the baby and she was very attached, I did receive that help for a while from her.
The point of my story is that I may not have anything fancy or extravagant. What I do have, I worked hard for and earned it on my own. Therefore, I am much more thankful for what I have now, then I ever was for the nicer stuff that others bought for me along the way. This is the message that I want my children to take with them. I want them to work hard and appreciate the things that they have.
What is it that you worked for that you are the most thankful that you have??