10 Things I'm Thankful For

Happy almost Thanksgiving all! Tonight I'll be baking, prepping and getting ready for the busy Turkey day ahead of my family! My cousin Jenni, Aunt Teresa and Mom are starting the day off early with the Tacoma City Turkey Trot. We're doing the 5k walk to help burn off the calories we'll likely consumer tomorrow afternoon! Then it's off to an all day extravaganza at my Aunt's home with the family. Seriously love this time of year for that reason. We'll eat, decorate cookies (family tradition) and watch the Seahawks play. GO HAWKS!!!!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and the holiday season, I wanted to share what I'm thankful for this year! I usually do the daily thankful post on Facebook but I often find myself forgetting to post and it seems like more of a hassle than a reflection.

When I started this blog I wasn't sure what my "niche" was going to be or what I'd write about most but I knew that I wanted it to be a place that was fun and felt "happy". I firmly believe that we're in control of our happiness and that even in the darkest moments there are reasons to smile and be thankful. I value the holidays and although Christmas is my all time favorite, I love Thanksgiving. I mean who wouldn't love a day filled with family, ridiculous amounts of good food and football?

I hope you can all take a few moments during the holidays, amidst all of the chaos and reflect on what you're thankful for. I hope you can unplug and enjoy Thanksgiving with your family or friends and make new memories and traditions!

Here's 10 things I'm thankful for:

1. My Husband. Seriously Scott is an amazing person. He loves every bit of me, even the crazy parts! He supports me on most of my crazy ideas and talks me off the ledge for the others. Scott is seriously the kindest person I know and I hope he knows I'm thankful for him every day, not just during Thanksgiving
2. My Mom. If you know me personally, you know that my Mom is my best friend (other than my hubby). We do everything together, we talk every single day and she knows me better than I know myself. Her strength and character inspire me and I hope to be half of the Mom she is one day!
3. Gunnar. Well you all know how much I love him since I probably talk about him every single day! This little nugget is the center of our family, has more personality than any adult I know and is going to grow up and do great things some day. I'm lucky to be his TeeTee. 
4. My Pops. Dad has always encouraged me to go for my dreams and is definitely where I get my strong willed and tough skinned nature. We have a special bond and still go on Dad/Daughter dates that I cherish! 
5. Family. Lets face it, every family is crazy in their own way, and mine fits in that category but in the best way! We are all very close, most of us get together on a weekly basis and we always have so much fun at holidays and other big events. I always married into a wonderfully close and big family that I'm lucky to be a part of. I wouldn't trade my family for the world! 
6. Friends. I got pretty darn lucky in this category too! My friends are seriously the best and have helped me through tough times and helped me celebrate accomplishments. I'm so thankful for each of my friendships!
7. My Coworkers and Career. My second family would be "Smart Team" I get to work with every day. Our team is made up of people from all different back grounds and experience but we all work great together and learn from each other every day. We have so much fun and through our work at Getting Smart we get to bring impact to education! I LOVE my job and am blessed to have my dream career at 26.
8. My Home. While it is and will likely always be a "work-in-progress", I love that Scott and I have a place to call home that we take pride and make our own! We've made wonderful memories here and sometimes my favorite place to be is in front of the fireplace, watching football and just enjoying a quiet day at home. 
9. Health. As you know I'm working on getting healthier by eating right and working out, but overall I am thankful for my health. I'm not perfect by any means, but this year I've had too many people close to me experience major health issues, so I'm thankful for my small "issues".
10. Blogging. I love having a creative outlet to share my thoughts, recipes and other favorites. The last few weeks I've shared some pretty personal and scary things to make public, but through it I have helped inspire others. It's funny how things work; people say I'm an inspiration, but they're the ones who inspire me! If I can share my story and help one person eat healthier, get moving or just feel more comfortable in their own skin, than it makes every bit of nervousness I feel when I hit "publish" more than worth it!

I hope you and your loved ones have a Happy Thanksgiving!! What are you thankful for this year? And what do you do to celebrate Thanksgiving?