Hello everyone! I spent this month diving deep, and thinking about what I am thankful for this year. I feel like Greg and I have had a really great year. We have faced so many changes, I feel like we have found a place that we love living, and we have also been dealing with a lot of challenges.
Throughout the month I wrote down things that I was thankful for with the intent to blog about it, so here it is:
- I am thankful for my very sweet, caring husband. I am so happy that I have found someone like him to face the world with, come home to at the end of the day to, laugh with, travel with, and grow old together. Greg and I balance each other out perfectly, and I am thankful that we met at Camp Sumatanga the summer of 2006.
- I am thankful for my wonderful parents. They are a constant support to me, and I know that I can always call them if I need to talk. I am thankful for Skype and FaceTime so that the months in between visits don't feel so long. I always love having conversations with my Dad on my way home from work some days, and I love being able to call my Mom to talk about anything from a crappy day to how to make a beautiful bow for our door. I am so lucky to be able to call them my Mom and Dad.
- I am thankful for my fantastic in-laws. I feel like I won the in-law lottery. They are so supportive of us! I love talking to them, and I love when we are able to make a trip to see them. Although we don't skype with them very often, it is fun when we have the chance to. I know that they love us, and they set a wonderful example of how to really grow our marriage.
- I am thankful for my big brother Guy, his wife Andrea, and my sweet nephew Justin. In college, I was super close to Guy and throughout the years we have kind of drifted apart. I am thankful that this year we have had the opportunity to rekindle our friendship. I am so happy that Andrea and I have had the chance to spend more time together in person, and we have spent a lot of time texting and chatting. And of course how could I not be thankful for Justin? This is the first time I've been able to experience being an aunt of an infant! It's crazy to me how much I can love such a little human that I've only known for 2 months!
- I am thankful for my big brother, Ben. We have certainly had our ups and downs throughout the years, but I am so glad that we have recently reconnected. I rarely get to see Ben because he is usually working when we are home, and because we live so far away. I am looking forward to seeing him at Christmas!
- I am thankful for my very sweet sister-in-law, Liz. I know that if I ever have questions when it comes to cooking or baking that I can call her and she will have an answer for me! She is a brilliant cook, and I'm so glad that I can rely on her in a disastrous situation in the kitchen! I am also thankful for her wonderful kids: Kayleigh and Tanner. I was just thinking the other day that I can't believe how grown up they are! I feel like it was just the other day that I was meeting them, Kayleigh was a sweet 6 year old and Tanner was a toddler! It's crazy how time flies, and I am thankful to have you in my life!
- I am so thankful for my loving pups. They make coming home at the end of a crazy day so happy. They are always thrilled to see me when I walk in the door, and they are always willing to give me lots of loving and snuggles!
- I am thankful that Greg and I have found a cute townhome to move into. This will be the first time that we have lived in something besides an apartment! I am super excited to have something that feels more like a home! Although I hate, hate, hate moving... it will all be worth it.
- I am thankful for Mark, Kate, and baby J. I am so happy that I met Kate, and I am so thankful that they welcomed me into their home to take care of baby J. Making the transition from a daycare to being a nanny has been fantastic, and none of it would be possible if they had not trusted me to love and take care of their sweet baby. I wouldn't have the job I have now if it hadn't been for Kate... which leads me to...
- I am thankful for Bryson, Lauren, and baby B. I am so happy that they trust me to take care of their sweet baby boy everyday. Hanging out with B is so much fun, and I enjoy getting to know Lauren and Bryson more and more. I am so looking forward to watching B grow and learn! I am thankful that they have allowed me to come into their lives!
- I am thankful that cooler air has finally moved into North Carolina!
- I am thankful for days when I come home to a cooked meal! It doesn't happen that often, but I cherish the evenings when I walk in to a hot dinner!
- I am thankful for college football. This year has certainly made things interesting! It's been fun to watch and wonder what will happen throughout the season. I also love the fact that college football generally means that Greg and I are going to hang out all day and eat yummy comfort food!
- I am thankful for people who list their moving boxes on Craigslist for free! I am also thankful that they weren't really kidnappers/murderers. (ha)
- I am thankful that in the midst of a bunch of car break-ins in our apartment complex... that we have unappealing cars to criminals.
- I am thankful for the opportunity to take an amazing vacation over Thanksgiving break. We had such a nice, relaxing time! I will be blogging about our trip later.
- I am thankful for reruns of Grey's Anatomy, Friends, and Will & Grace!
- I am thankful that we've found our way to Durham, NC. We absolutely love it here! I am looking forward to staying here for a while, and hopefully growing some roots in this city!
- I am thankful for the time off that I am going to have at Christmas! Greg and I are looking forward to make a trip home where we will actually have more than 2 days with our families.
- I am thankful for Christmas decorations! They make me so happy.
This is by no means everything in the world that I'm thankful for, but these are the ones that I wrote down throughout the month. I am overall very thankful for the loving support of our friends and family. They are the most important thing to me in the world, and I feel like I've been blessed with a great group!
I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving break! I'll be updating soon with pictures from our Thanksgiving trip!
