Happy Thanksgiving Eve! I love, love, love Thanksgiving for the pure fact that there is no major hype. No crazy decking the halls. No stressful trips to and from the mall. No I must obtain this season’s hottest gift item – a hatchimal. I say all that knowing too well that I love Christmas, but Thanksgiving is quite simply about food and being together and aren’t they beautiful things?

I am feeling thankful. Oh so thankful.

I am thankful for Lo. This bright eyed little mess of ornery is just the right dose of everything I need right now. She makes me laugh, literally belly laugh. Something most humans cannot make me do on most days. I adore her charm, and personality. I love watching her grow and learn and I cannot help but kiss all over her and squeeze her, asking for one more hug.

I am thankful for my health. While stress has taken its toll on me this year and I know I am not my healthiest, I am not fighting any major battle and I am thriving, or maybe surviving. For many this is not an option. We don’t know how much we value our health until it is gone or put up to a challenge.

I am thankful for cell phones and technology and while you may think, “Why, what a thing to thank?” Know that because of the world’s growing technology I have my job, I get this here Blog, I can connect with people all over the world through a keyboard, I have a digital scrapbook and camera, and I have so many benefits that make my life easier due to its existence.

I am thankful for sweet wine and great breweries. What can I say? Cheers!

I am thankful for my marriage. A constant struggle and work. Hard, hard work. I am thankful that I married a man who doesn’t give up on me even when I may be worth giving up on. A man, who has shown me that he is faithful to our life and love and is willing to be himself through the much good and the bad. He is my steady.

I am thankful for my faith. I married into and joined a strong church family that has arms wide stretching and hearts ready to take in and on more. I am so happy to have a safe place that allows me to physically feel connected to God and I am so grateful to have a strong emotional tie to my faith and beliefs.

I am thankful for friendships. Some old and strong, some old and strained, some new and fresh and some new and constant. Nathan and I are blessed with people. Many different, special people. We have best friends that we barely see but know we can call in an instant for support we have friends that we hang out with nearly every weekend, who provide smiles, laughs and joy.

I am thankful for Oreos. Enough said.

I am thankful for our home. The roof over our head, the ground beneath our feet, the food in the refrigerator and the clothes that hang in the closet and are folded in our drawers. We are blessed and happy and our home is our little piece of this big world.

I am thankful for my extended family. Our parents who provided and continue to provide. My Mom, who selflessly gives up so much to be my fulltime caretaker for Lo. For our siblings and nieces and nephews and I am so grateful that this Thanksgiving I still have so many grandparents that sit around the Thanksgiving table with us. We are blessed with their presence.

I am thankful to be an American. I don’t care how much you loved or hated the outcome of our election, my goodness be thankful! We are so blessed in this nation. We really, really are. We have voices. We can be heard. We can make a change. Just the mere fact we can vote – huge! While, I am at it, the military. Those serving, those served, your families. You earn my respect and sincerest gratitude.

I am thankful for you. Seriously! You have no clue what this Blog has done to my self esteem and to my mental state. It is a place of therapy, it is a connecting spot for fellow humans. It is a place where I pour myself into and on some days feel regret and others pride, but usually by the end of it all I feel such good from fellow humans who show their support by reaching out and encouraging me to do and be more. Like write a book! Thank you!

I encourage each of you to make a thankful list. Whether you share it or tuck it away, it is so fruitful to right or say out loud what we have to be thankful for. We take so much of our lives for granted and hurry our way through life not stopping to smell the roses, say ‘I love you,’ say “I am grateful,” feel the happiness from things like having a roof over our head and full bellies.

I hope you and your family have a beautiful holiday.

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