Thankful...

Wow!  I can't believe that Thanksgiving has already come and gone...  It was the first Thanksgiving we were able to celebrate in over three years, and what a wonderful feeling it was to be able to partake in the festivities again this year.  Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays... Primarily for the pure simplicity of it. :)  It's a holiday that simply revolves around spending time with family and friends to celebrate all the things we have to be thankful for.  I always enjoyed it because it meant that it was the one time of the year where our whole family would gather together to feast on a delicious dinner, talk, laugh, and enjoy each other's company. :)

And, after missing Thanksgiving for the past three years, I'm happy to say that some things never change...  This year, I was surrounded by my family (unfortunately, my husband wasn't able to be there with me. :( ), I stuffed myself full of delicious food, and I can't even begin to tell you how much laughing I did throughout the day... It was wonderful!! :)  And, as the day went on, I was reminded of all of the things I have to be thankful for...

-I have an amazingly wonderful husband... I can't begin to tell you how fortunate I am to be married to him... He's my rock, he supports me in whatever I do, he makes me laugh when I'm sad, he has faith in me even when I don't have faith in myself, he puts up with my goofiness, he pushes me to my fullest, he listens to me ramble on and on and on about randomness, he encourages me to try new things, he's my fellow adventure partner, he puts a twinkle in my eye, and makes me smile daily!  :)

-I have the most wonderful, supportive, and loving family anyone could ever ask for!  They've always been there for me, they're the people who have molded me into who I am, they're the reason I'm the person I am today, and I can't begin to thank them for always standing by me and loving me unconditionally.  (I'm also extremely thankful to have been blessed with being an aunt to the cutest kid ever... Kaden can always put a smile on my face like no other. :))

-I am also thankful to have wonderful in-laws who have welcomed me into their family with open arms. :)

-I have the best friends, both here and abroad, a girl could ever ask for! :)

-I'm thankful for the past three years... I am forever grateful to have been given the experience of living in Germany and being able to travel through Europe!  It's something I had always dreamed of doing and never thought it would happen... But, somehow that dream came true.  The past three years have taught me so many things, and I've learned so much about myself.  Because of this experience, I've turned into a more compassionate, adventurous, confident, caring, and worldly person, and for that, I will be forever thankful. :)

-I'm thankful for my cute little house that is starting to feel like "home" to us. :)

-I'm thankful that we both have jobs so that we're able to continue to do the things we enjoy doing.

-I'm so very thankful for our health.

-I'm thankful to have my little furball, Riley, back in my life. :)  I can honestly say that I missed having him curled up in my lap, purring away over the past three years.

... and the list could go on and on! :)  Needless to say, as I start adding everything up, I am one very lucky girl! :)

I hope you all have as many things to be thankful for as well!  I hope your Turkey Day was fabulous and you were able to spend the day surrounded by the people you love! :)  Gobble, gobble!!