Be Thankful

On this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for so many things. 2010 has been a blessed year and I can only pray that 2011 is as wonderful. Andy and I are celebrating our first Thanksgiving as newlyweds in Waynesboro, Virginia. My amazing aunt and uncle live down there and in all 7+ years of being with me, Andy has never been down there. His family all had their own plans for the holiday this year, so we (eventually) decided it would be a good year to drive down south for the holiday. My mom and dad will also be traveling down to Waynesboro. We are excited for a nice visit to a quiet little town with delicious food and family :)

Here are a few things I am particularly thankful for this year:

My Family

I know I know, everyone says it. But I strongly believe that I am the one who has the best family in the world. My mom and dad are the best people I will ever know. They love me unconditionally, they support me no matter what, they look out for my best interests, and they go out of their way to make me happy. My dog is also smartest and sweetest puppy there ever was :)

My Friends

Nothing puts your true friends to the test like a wedding! I actually already knew it before this year, but my group of friends is a-maz-ing! A lot of us have been friends since elementary school! Can you believe it?! We have literally been through thick and thin together. Throughout the years, we pulled in more friends to our group in middle and high school. But the core of our crew go way back to our childhood years. Not that I am biased or anything, but my group of friends is such a fun-loving, party-hopping, supportive group of people. We all have each others backs. We are all always down for a good night of fun. And we are all always there for each other. This year would not have been nearly as special as it was for me if it had not been for my friends. I truly feel blessed to have such an amazing group of beautiful ladies and handsome men in my life.

Good Health

Almost every single day, I think about how lucky I am to be healthy and fit. And then my next thought is how lucky I am to have all of my loved ones be in reasonably good health. Sure, there are things here and there- afterall, no one is ever in perfect health. But I cannot express how thankful and grateful and lucky I feel for the health that surrounds me and my family. It is all too often I hear about some terrible illness or tragic disease that afflicts someone's family and friends. Everyday, every minute, I am thankful for the health of the people I love most.

My Job

This year has been difficult and challenging and stressful. We had a lot of administrative changes, resource changes, and new school-wide initiatives handed to us this school year. And while I don't necessarily agree with a lot of these changes (not the new admin- they are pretty fabulous!), and I struggle on a daily basis to accomplish all of the things that the county and state ask of me, as well as meet all of the needs of my students, and maintain my sanity at the same time- I love what I do. I love 5 year olds. I love kindergarten. I love the funny things they say and do. The innocence of children literally distracts me everyday from the mindless worries I have outside of the classroom. And with our economy, I am very thankful to be employed as a highly qualified teacher in one of the best school districts in the country.

My Husband (wow that still sounds strange!)

Between wedding planning, wedding festivities, the wedding, and our honeymoon in 2010, this year has been all about Andy :) I feel extremely lucky to have found someone who not only is my best friend, but takes care of me, supports me, and loves me as much as I love him. Andy literally made my dreams come true this year and I could not be more thankful to know that I have him by my side for the rest of our lives. It truly makes me excited to think of the things that await the two of us in the future. 

Be thankful this year! We all have a lot to celebrate! Happy Thanksgiving :)