hi friends. i've made it to new york and it's been a wonderful trip so far. in the weeks leading up to this trip, i was a little worried... 10 days is a long time to be away from home when we have SO much to do. but it's been great, because we have TIME. time to see old friends, time to laugh, time to sit and talk with family, time to reminisce.
i have a lot of things to be thankful for thankful for this year. i thought i'd share the 10 things i am most grateful for from last thanksgiving to this one. i'll try to keep it semi-brief, because i have mashed potatoes with truffle oil waiting for me... that's right.
1. that i'm surviving school. i was so worried going into this semester that i wouldn't be able to handle it all. but i've done decently well in school and have been able to have some remnants of a social life. some remnants. but i've also had time to volunteer and spend time on things that are important to me, which has been a real gift. i will have to juggle more going in to 2012, so this was a good test of just how much i can handle.
2. it's been a good year for friends, both old and new. i'm thankful that i've met so many new people through school, the campaign, blogging, and other avenues. i'm also very thankful that i've been able to rekindle some long lost friendships that had fallen by the wayside throughout the last few years. i love the people in my life and i'm happy to be adding new ones every day.
3. i'm so, so, so very thankful for our home. sure, the roof over our heads has been leaky at times (not literally) but when so many people have lost their homes in the last few years, we are lucky that we own such a beautiful house that we are able to make improvements to. it's our home, and i can't wait to spend the holiday seasons there for years to come.
4. it's been a rough year for my family. but i am so thankful for my ever-changing family that is so wonderful in so many different ways. we lost someone very special to all of us back in february and it's taken my family a while to re-adjust itself to what it means to exist without her. but we've made some strides, and i hope that we are on our way to a new definition of family. she was a great woman, a true matriarch that held us together. we've fallen apart a little without you nanny, but we'll get it together. we've had some great additions to our family this year - my new aunt beth, my first and most-loved nephew little man, and my cousin's soon-to-be-husband patrick (wedding is tomorrow!). i'm thankful that i have such loving and supportive parents and in-laws. i don't know what i'd do without this support system.
5. we have had a few ups and downs health-wise this year, but everyone in my family is strong and healthy. i'm very, very thankful for that.
6. i'm blogging while on vacation. i'm thankful that i have a job that allows me to take this time off to spend with my family during the holidays and my cousin's wedding. i'm thankful that i'm able to semi-relax on this vacation, too :)
7. one miracle of this year is the celebration of love during the holidays we get to experience tomorrow. i can't think of two people more in love than my cousin and her fiance and i just can't wait for the wedding tomorrow. no black friday shopping for me, just manicures with the bride and my fellow bridesmaids before it's off to the rehearsal. it's the perfect reminder of what this time of year should really be about - family and love.
8. our kitties. they just make me happy. :)
9. my husband, the love of my life, philip. i couldn't do half of anything i do without him. he's my everything. a quick story: five years ago it was our first thanksgiving together (or rather our first holiday together) and i remember almost every moment. holding his hand before dinner, kissing in the kitchen, choking up at the dinner table with our friends in prague talking about how thankful we all were for one another in our lives. i was convinced it would be the only holiday i'd get to spend with him. and every thanksgiving, i remember that feeling and i'm thankful that he's the person i spend all my holidays with.
10. it's been a year for personal growth. i've kind of figured out what i want to do, i've gone back to school, and my life has a direction. and i love the direction it's going in.
happy thanksgiving friends. what are you thankful for today?
xoxo
No comments:
Post a Comment