Thanks

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, and with inspiration from Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick and Sherry & John over at Young House Love, I thought I would put together a list of some of the things I am thankful for:

(1) Health: My family, friends and I are all in tip-top shape at the moment (well...that might be an exxageration, but we are doing pretty well considering all of the terrible diseases and illnesses that plague our society). 

(2) Home: B and I have a beautiful, comfortable, cozy and warm home to return to every day.  It has been a labor of love, but every agonizing moment was worth it.  It is no longer a "house" that we bought together, it is our "home". 

(3) Love: I am still absolutely smitten..no, head-over-heels...with B (and more and more every day).  I still get butterflies in my stomach when he kisses me unexpectedly.  I still feel the same passion that I felt on our first date...a combination of excitement and desire and comfort all in one.....something that I had never felt before.  And I still smile every morning when I see him lying next to me.....

(4) Family: We have a beautiful family to share this and every holiday with (and even those unexpected visits when we just stop in to say "hi" or they come to help out with projects at the house).  It is wonderful to have everyone so close and so close by.....

(5) Job: As unsure as I am of where my career is going and what I will ultimately do with my life, I am grateful that I have a paycheck and wonderful co-workers to rely on every day.

(6) Friends: B and I have such an amazing group of friends.  They come from all walks of life and have somehow made their ways into our hearts.  I always worried that it would be impossible to combine all of our friends in one room (both B's and mine), but we have done it before and they all get along brilliantly!  I couldn't ask for a more loving, wonderful and supportive group of people.  I don't know where we would be without them in our lives. 

(7) Neighbors: We have the BEST neighbors!!  They are fun and warm and welcoming.....a dream come true!  When you put an offer on a house, it is like playing russian roulette with your future....you have no idea who the neighbors are and what you are getting yourself into.  Needless to say, we got pretty darn lucky!!!  My parents were always close with our neighbors growing up (in fact, they still are) and I always wanted to have that when I grew up and moved to the 'burbs......and now we do!  I'm so grateful!

(8) DIY: I know this sounds silly, but I feel extremely lucky that we have been able to accomplish so much in our house on our own.  Not only did we save a lot of money on labor, but we also got to learn and grow with each other in the process.  I always knew B was a good partner/teammate, but the renovation really strengthened that bond for us!! 

(9) Car: We had a little scare with our car this weekend (had to jump-start it and it went a little awry)...but we got it back on Monday safe and sound and....most importantly...free of charge!! 

(10) Technology: Again, probably a silly one, but when I think about my daily tasks, I'm not sure where I would be without texting, calling, GPS-ing, and e-mailing my way through.  I think we are all pretty lucky to live in this age of instant knowledge and information.  Even digital photography has brought our lives to a new level.  Granted...I really do miss the process of developing my own film...but we can do so much more with photos now.  At the click of a button (well...a few clicks...but you get my point) you can access just about any memory that you want.  It is all there at your fingertips....AMAZING!!

(11) Faith: We have been through ups and downs and good and bad this year and no matter what happens I know I can turn to my faith to get me through.  I know that we haven't been very good about attending church lately, but I always find time to pray or have a chat when I feel lost or need some reassurance.  I am really thankful for having that presence in my life.  I'm not sure what I would do without it....

I'm sure there is a lot more to be thankful for, but that is just a small taste of what I am going to be reflecting on tomorrow (in between cooking, cleaning and entertaining, of course!)  It will be my first time hosting Thanksgiving and I am both excited and nervous about it all.  I have a schedule and a plan all laid out, but I just want to make sure it all goes perfectly!  I will be back on Friday with some table setting photos and an update on the outcome!  Wish me luck!

Is anyone else out there hosting Thanksgiving?  If so, I would love to commisserate with you!!  Or is anyone else thinking about what they are thankful for?  Have you made a list, or tried adding notes to a jar like John and Sherry at Young House Love?  I would love to hear any and all of your thoughts and/or traditions!

Happy Turkey Day!!!!