28 People, Places, and Things I'm THANKFUL For:

In honor of the rapidly approaching Thanksgiving Holiday

I thought I would share a few of my reasons to be THANKFUL.

1. My Husband.

Without question, he is the rock of my world. I truly hit

the husband lottery. There's nothing I could say that would do justice

for how amazing a husband and father he is.

2. My Kids.

Duh. They are the center of our world.

They have taught me so much and I'm incredibly thankful

for each of their budding little personalities.

I love them in ways I can't even explain.

3. My Family.

We have had our ups and downs, but we all finally

seem to be in a place of understanding. My siblings and I each have

families of our own now, and that alone has completely changed the dynamics

between us all. And for that, I am thankful (I think my parents are too).

4. My In-Laws.

You always hear stories about spouses not getting along with their in-laws.

Not the case here.

My MIL and FIL are incredible. They have done so much for our children and

they adore them all the more for it. I am so lucky.

5. My Friends.

Having people in your life, outside of your family members,

is important. I have some pretty great people in my life.

6. My Job.

I know how lucky I am to not only have a job, but have a job

that pays the bills AND I love. Enough said.

7. My Husband's Job.

See above. We are very lucky to be in the positions we are.

(The remaining entries are in no particular order.)

8. Coffee.

It tastes good and it has the power to change your whole day.

Who wouldn't be thankful for something like that?!

9. Scarves.

I love fall. I love winter. I love chilly weather.

Scarves are the PERFECT accessory.

10. My IPhone.

Hopefully this doesn't sound ridiculous, but I am thankful for my IPhone.

It allows me to keep in touch with those near and far and helps me

keep my life organized. It is what it is.

11. My House.

This should probably be further up the list...

It's nothing fancy or elaborate, but it has done everything

we've needed it to do, and that's reason enough for me to be thankful for it.

12. My Camera.

I love taking pictures. I can only hope someday that my

kids are as thankful to have the pictures of their past, as I am

to have them now.

13. Warm, Cozy Blankets.

I live in Minnesota. It doesn't need to be said how

cold it gets around here. Snuggled up with a kid (or a husband) and a

blanket?! Sign me up.

14. Good Books.

I don't have nearly enough time to read as much as I

would like, but that's exactly why I love a good book.

A book that I MAKE time for.

15. Music.

More specifically: Songs that rattle your bones and speak to your soul.

16. My Education.

Like my house, this too should probably be further up the list.

I know what a privilege it is to have a college education.

17. Laughter.

Like coffee, and can turn your whole day around.

I love a good belly-acher.

18. My Health (& My Family's).

Man...I should have proof-read this list first (I wrote it out

by hand prior to sitting down at my computer)!

I am thankful beyond words for my health, my husband's health,

and my children's health.

19. The Seasons.

We have great season in Minnesota! Sure, some get a little short

(we've only had 4 months WITHOUT snow fall so far this year),

but being able to watch the leaves on the trees in the yard change is priceless.

20. The Sunshine.

It gets DARK this time of year by 5 p.m.

so I make sure we get as much out of the sunny hours each day as possible.

21. Hot Showers.

A hot shower is almost a metaphorical way of closing the door on a crap day.

No complaints about that.

22. Teachers.

I had some great teachers growing up. Teachers who love their job

are invaluable. This is a point of I have learned 10-fold now that my son is in school.

23. Crock Pots.

Being able to throw a bunch of things in the crock pot early in the day,

fill the house with yummy scents, and have my family look forward to

it's contents all day is why it is the BEST kitchen invention of  ALL TIME.

24. Fresh Snow.

Sure, I'm not big on shoveling and I'm definitely not

a fan of what the snow can do to the roadways, but you can't

argue how pretty it is.

25. A Good Pair of Comfortable Shoes.

I'm chasing after 3 kids, working, and running errands all week long.

Comfortable (cute) shoes make all of that a little easier.

26. HOLIDAYS.

I LOVE holidays! I love festive decorations, festive foods,

and festive movies. We make holidays a big deal in this house!

27. Each New Day.

We don't always get it right...

Which is exactly why I'm so thankful to get a fresh start every 24 hours.

28. The Struggles.

I think we learn the most from our mistakes and

you can't put a price on a lesson learned.

"Be thankful for what you have and you'll end up having more.

If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."

-Oprah Winfrey