Thanksgiving 2013

This year has been a year of full of wonderful and some not-so wonderful times.

Thinking back to when I first started dating Jeff ... almost 9 years ago. 

I remember thinking about life after high school and being an adult and dreaming about how I thought it would be to be married and an adult. 

No one told me life as an adult can really bite you in the behind. 

Okay... maybe they did, but I wasn't listening or didn't believe them. 

Anyways, when we were engaged everyone warned us that the first year of marriage was the hardest.

They all lied. not on purpose I'm sure.

Maybe we were just lucky or maybe all those years of dating made helped; but no matter the reason, our first year of marriage was bliss. 

I think that has made this last year more difficult. 

We had so many challenges arise this past year, we just seemed to be hit from all directions.

However, I can honestly say it strengthened our marriage and we have grown closer as a couple. 

That is why this Thanksgiving I am most thankful for our struggles

I am a firm believer that without the lows of life we cannot fully appreciate the highs.

The ugly moments make the beautiful ones more special.

I have learned so much this past year about myself, our marriage, my family, and about the important things in life.

I have the tendency to get wrapped up in the little things that don't matter in the grand scheme of things. 

I fight the perfectionist inside me and often feel like I have failed if something is not perfect. 

I need to be proud of my imperfections, because they are what make me unique.

Thanksgiving is a time when people express what they are thankful for.

However, it shouldn't be something that happens once a year or when something bad happens.

I want to make it a goal to wake up every morning and find something new to be thankful for.

It doesn't have to always be something big or life changing. We should be thankful for the small things.

Seeing as it is Thanksgiving I'm going to list the things I am most thankful for. 

That way if I'm having a difficult moment or day I can look back and remember.

I am thankful for my incredible, kind, caring, passionate, loving, and {of course} handsome husband. 

He works so hard at everything that he does. 

He works graves so he can focus on school during the day.

Everyone at work loves him and he really excels in his field.

I know its because he cares about people and genuinely wants to help and be their friends.

He is friends with the patients at the hospital and not just there to work. 

When we moved after we got married when we came back to the area, he would always try to drop by for a visit. 

He works so hard in school and is 2 weeks away from getting a 4.0 in college. 

Someone who really hates school and often works over 40 hours a week. That's pretty impressive.

He amazes me every day.

He makes me laugh constantly.

He took care of me and helped me soooo much when I was injured and couldn't do basic things for myself.
Not to mention he would work 60-70 hour weeks to help pick up the slack from me not being able to work.

There is no way I could have made it through those 3 months without him.
I hope you realize how much you mean to me.
You are my world.

I truly am the luckiest girl in the world to have such an unbelievable husband for all eternity.

They are best friends

Next, I am thankful for my darling, energetic, fur babies.

I always dreamed of having a dog and now that I have two I couldn't be happier.

I know I'm one of those crazy ladies who think of their dogs, like their children. Deal with it. I AM.

I love coming home and opening the door to two wet noses.

They are so excited to see us, even if we've only been gone for 15 minutes.

I will take them with me whenever I can, even just for a drive to the bank. They LOVE car rides.

"Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day."- John Grogan, Marley and Me

I know my dogs might not be the best behaved dogs and get excited when you come to visit.

I wouldn't trade them for anything.

They have such different personalities and are constantly making us smile and laugh.

Bailee is so extremely sweet and loves nothing more than to give kisses.

She will play for hours and hours and never get tired, especially if a stick is involved.

Oakley is the calmer of the two and spends most of his days trying to find someone to rub his belly.

He has the funniest facial expressions and you can always tell what he wants.

They both love treats, especially if it involves peanut butter, pumpkin, or cheese.

They are so extremely smart and amaze me constantly with what they understand. 

I love them like they are my children and I don't think that'll ever change even when we have a child of our own. 

I am so thankful to have such an amazing mother.

As cheesy as it sounds, she really is my best friend and I don't know what I would do without her.

I am thankful for everything she has sacrificed and that she still does for me each and every day.

She is the strongest, most kind hearted, and hardest working person I know. 

She puts the needs of others way before those of her own, especially when it has come to me.

She is just beautiful on the inside and out.

I would not be the person I am today without her teachings, her spirit, her support, or her encouragement.

I hope that I can be an ounce of the mother that she has been to me to my children someday.

They will be the luckiest to have her as a grandmother.

After All, my dogs already love her more than they love me.

I love you, Mom! Thanks for being the greatest mom!

I am so blessed to have married into such a wonderful family.
I have always wanted siblings I could be close to and since I don't. I love that I feel so close to Jeff's.
I really wish that they could be near this holiday and not on the other side of the planet.
I hope they know, even with the distance, how much we love them and appreciate all the support and love they have given us.
PLEASE COME BACK!!! QUICK!!!
My in-laws are such a great example and support to us.
They always are their to lend some helpful advice, support, comfort, or just to listen when we have concerns.
I can't thank them enough for all that they have done for us and that it has meant the world to us.
Thank you for making me part of your family and I truly love each and one of you as if we were blood.

Of course I haven't forgotten the rest of my giant extended family! I love you all!!
These past couple years have been filled with sorrow and lost, but I feel like our family has grown so much closer.
I think its rare for such a large family to be so close to one another and even through different generation lines.
I know that I can always count on my family and can lean on them in times of need and in times of joy.
Though we have had to say goodbye to loved ones, I know they are watching over each and every one of us.
They will forever be in our hearts and in our thoughts.
I have the greatest family. NO arguments.

As part of my family are our friends.
We love you like family and are an irreplaceable part of our lives.
Even though we don't get to see you as much as we would like you are never far from our thoughts.
Thank you for being such a great support system and for all the love that you give us.
We love you all!

We really have so much to be thankful for; here are a few more thing we are grateful of and are worth mention.
We both have jobs that we both love and that more than help provide for our needs.
Thankful for the abilities god has given us: to walk, to see, to hear, to generally be healthy.
Jeff's job has really opened to our eyes to just how blessed we are to have our health.
The opportunities we have to go to school and get a wonderful education
That we have two vehicles that can get us from point a to b and back again regularly.
The freedoms that are granted by our amazing country.
Even if people complain about the government and programs we could be a lot worse off and have it pretty easy.
I'm grateful for the modern conveniences that are my daily part of life: cell phones, computers, pluming, clean running water, etc.
We are thankful that we have a belief system and that we know that the trials and hard times are for a purpose and that there is something grand after this life.
Did I mention my puppies? Still grateful for them :) and the hubby.

If you made it through all of this. Congratulations. I'm grateful to for your patience.

Pictures taken from pinterest.