Thankful!

It’s Thanksgiving morning and I’ve been up since the butt crack of dawn because my dogs don’t know the meaning of “day off” or “sleep in”. Nor do they understand that Mama was up until 2am playing Call of Duty so she needs her rest.

But that’s not complaining because it’s not a day to complain. It’s actually rather refreshing having an alarm clock that forces me out of bed to be productive. This morning, I’ve done what I’m sure the rest of the United States has – ate a small enough breakfast to stave off hunger but not big enough to ruin my appetite, made myself look human with some makeup and pretty jewelry, stood in my closet deciding if sweatpants (ELASTIC WAISTBAND PEOPLE!) would be appropriate to wear to dinner but ultimately decided jeans were going to suffice as my midway point, watched some of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and prepared my dish to bring to dinner at my parents (which is really just sausage cheese balls and is really being prepared because I made them a few weeks ago and have been craving them ever since).

In an hour or so, after the balls are ready and we’ve made our prospective phone calls to family and friends, we’ll head over to my mom’s to eat delicious food, drink some booze and then fall asleep on the couch watching football.

Can’t get more American than that!

In all seriousness though, I love Thanksgiving (to the point where I get mad every year that’s it become the red-headed stepchild sandwiched between Christmas and Halloween. And don’t even get me started on Black Friday!). I love the food and the family and the togetherness and the excuse to drink during the day and eat dinner at 2pm.

And it’s a nice day to reflect, to take stock of your life and to realize that even in the midst of what may seem like chaos, there are always things to be thankful for.

I am thankful for Steve, who is the best copilot in life one could ever ask. I’m thankful for my puppies – I hate to sound like a cheesy dog person but seriously, those two little guys melt my heart with their unconditional love and loyalty. I am thankful for my family, both the ones we are blessed to spend today with and the ones far away, the ones bound by blood and the ones bound by love. I’m thankful for our friends – the reasons, the seasons and the lifetimes. I am thankful for the time I get to spend with all the wonderful people in my life because our time is so short here.

I am thankful for my job, for the ability to provide a good life for my family and for the wonderful people I spend my days with who do great, great things by helping others through such dark times in their lives. I am thankful for the roof over my head and the ground under my feet, because that’s means I’m up and moving and have another day on the glorious planet. I’m thankful for my health and the health of my loved ones.

I’m thankful for Diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Coke, for ice cream and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, for macaroni and cheese and pasta. For my iPhone and my laptop and my XBox and Sons of Anarchy and The Walking Dead. For the Internet, for the people I’ve met on here and the people I’ve been able to connect with and the awesome great things social media allows us to do that my 10-year-old self would never have dreamed would be possible.  I am thankful for jeans and hoodies and fuzzy sweaters and blankets and brand new pairs of socks and freshly washed sheets.

For a summer breeze and a winter’s chill, autumns leaves and springs awakening.

I’m thankful for everything, for all of life wondorous joys, for everything and everyone I’ve been blessed with and, most of all, I’m thankful that I have so, so much to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Hope you have a wonderful and cozy day full of love and laughter and delicious foods!

P.S. You should also read this post by Christy over at The Southern Plate – it’s definitely something to remember on this holiday!

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