Thirty Thankful Things part 1

Hello? Anyone out there?

In case you were wondering, I am alive and so is the blog! Even if its just been very quiet around here this past month.

Since Thanksgiving is coming up in just a few short days, I’m focusing on gratitude this week. I find myself getting caught up in everything I don’t have lately and seeing stuff out there that is “better” than what I have and I end up feeling like I’m coming up short. This is just a ridiculous thing to do because I’m so incredibly fortunate in so many ways that I could lose all the “stuff” I have and still be one insanely lucky person. So it’s time to stop wishing for more and be happy with my life as it is right now. Because really, it’s pretty freaking great.

There’s been a Facebook trend this month of saying one thing you’re grateful for every day. I’m consolidating that exercise into three blog posts on here. I’ll sprinkle in some photos along the way to keep things more fun.

Thirty Thankful Things part I  – Family and Friends

1. My Parents. I’m thankful for their unconditional love and for being role models for a successful and happy marriage. They’ve been married for 40 years and are still in love.

2. My Brother and Sister. They always watched out for me when we were little, and now that the age difference isn’t so significant, I’ve loved getting to know them as people, and they’re awesome.

3. Their spouses. Of course they both found amazing people to be a part of our family.

4. My Nephew. This kid is always 10 times cuter and a thousand times smarter every time I see him. He completely amazes me.

5. My Grandparents. I still have 3 living grandparents and live close by. I’m thankful for the history and stories they bring to any family gathering and try to soak in every detail while I still can.

6. B’s Family. From the first time I met them, they have been nothing but incredibly welcoming, loving and generous. I could not have asked for a better family to be joining in just under a year.

7. Old Friends. I am not very good at keeping in touch with people. I rarely set aside time to just call people to catch up unless there is a specific reason, but regardless there are the friends I’ve had for years and we can go months without talking, but when we get together its like we just saw each other last week. I’m thankful for those amazing people.

8. New Friends. Since being in Columbus I have met so many kind, smart and talented people and cherish all the new friendships formed.

9. Lucy.  Yep. Lucy is totally a part of the family and basically the best dog ever.

10. B. Of course I’m so incredibly thankful for Brandon. I’m thankful for his love and support and can’t wait to “officially” build a life with him.

I could go on and I could do more photos, because I know I didn’t put up a photo of everyone I called out, but I’ll continue with more thankfulness (and photos) tomorrow.

Happy Monday!