25 Days of Thankfulness

So, I know I am a little behind on my goal of writing something I am thankful for each day in November, but I didn't think it was too late to begin...so here, it is starting with November 1-until present. I hope to update this daily (or every few days, knowing me) with what I am thankful for.

Day #1-Matt, my wonderful husband. Matt is such an amazing guy. He goes above and beyond to provide for our family. He is also a phenomenal father. It melts my heart daily when I see him with Crew. God could not have blessed me with a better man to spend the rest of my life with.

Day #2-Crew, our beautiful son. I still remember everything from the second (literally) I found out I was pregnant, to going to the ultrasound with Matt and finding out it was a boy, to the minute I gave birth to him. Crew is the BIGGEST blessing in our life. I never knew I could love someone as much as I love my little guy. He is the BEST gift God has ever granted me. I wonder everyday how Matt and I created such a cute, smart little boy ;) He is the BEST thing that has ever happened to us.

Day #3-My career. I can honestly say that I love my job. There has never been a day that I thought to myself "I hate my job." Yes, working with high school kids 8 hours a day (sometimes more with coaching), 5 days a week can be stressful...but, at the end of the day I can honestly say I love my students and the people I work with.

Day #4-My sister, Amber. Amber is my BEST friend in the whole world. I LOVE her to death. We do everything together. We talk, text, and email five-ten times a day. Our husbands often ask how we could possibly have so much to talk about. Sometimes, I think the same thing ;) We have really always gotten along, but especially since getting married and having kids...we've grown closer. I am SO SO SO GRATEFUL that my parents had only us two and that we have been able to grow up together. She is such a blessing in my life.

Day #5-Matt's parents: Belinda and Marshall. I am so grateful to have such wonderful in-laws. Matt and I are very blessed to have them live nearby so that we get to see them often. They are so good to us and are amazing grandparents to Crew. We love them very dearly.

Day #6-Our health. Matt, Crew, and I are very lucky to be healthy people. We are a very active family. We enjoy doing things constantly and love being active. I am so grateful that we are able to partake in fun activities because of our good health.

Day #7-My parents. I am a very family oriented person. I love my parents so much. They have been so good to our family. We enjoy spending time with them on the weekends and they just adore Crew. I am so grateful for everything that have done for me.

Day #8-My girlfriends from high school. I have three best friends from high school that I still talk to all the time and meet up with once a month. Chrissy, Allison, and Vanessa are a huge part of my life. They definitely know me very well since they have known me for such a long time. I get along so well with them and it's like nothing changes every time I hang out with them. They are all such good people and I am so grateful I have been able to keep in touch with them.

Day #8-Our dog. Even though I am not a huge pet person, I must say our little Caden is very cute ;) Having a dog was not an option once I married Matt. He insisted we get one right away. Cade has been a great pet. We have grown to love him like a member of our family. We take him with us on our boat, for walks, and chase him out in the yard. Crew just loves him too. His favorite thing to do recently is ride Cade like a horse. Poor little Cade just deals with it too ;)

Day #9-Our home. As most of you know Matt and I had some difficulties with the selling of our home this past summer. We had bought another house and moved everything out of our current one, only to have the people back out of the contract the week before closing. This was a very disappointing situation for us. But, we managed to get through it after awhile. Despite the fact that we still want to move, I must say that I am grateful for the house we have. Matt and I have worked hard to make that house what we want. We work hard to pay the bills to keep up with that house. There isn't anything wrong with it~we are just ready for something else. Even though I am anxious to find a new home, I do appreciate the fact that we at least have a place we can call home.

Day #9-Hot chocolate. Ok, this might sound weird...but for those of you that know me really well...you know I MUST have my hot chocolate daily. Every morning I drink it on my way to work. I do not think I can function without it. Even on warm days, I drink it. Growing up my dad would always get us hot chocolate on the way to family trips at the gas station. My mom would also always make it for us on the stove (and still does Christmas morning). Therefore, I am blaming my addiction on them ;) LOL. Seriously though, I need it and I love it!

Day #10-My grandparents: Papa and Gigi. My grandpa Wiseman (my mom's dad) is my only living grandpa. My dad's dad passed away a few years ago. He is the only great grandpa , on my side, that Crew has ever met too. Gigi, aka Jane, is Crew's step great grandma. She is the only living grandma on my side. My mom's mother passed away when I was very young to Ovarian cancer. My dad's mom passed away a few years ago as well. My grandpa married Jane and she has been a part of our lives ever since. They are such wonderful grandparents. They have always supported me and been there for me. To this day, they still get season passes for volleyball and come and watch me coach my team. They are such wonderful great grandparents to Crew too. Matt and I appreciate all that they do for us and are thankful to have them nearby so we can spend time with them.

Day #11-Matt's sister and brother: Meredith and Craig. Meredith and Craig have been a great sister and brother in law to me. I enjoy spending time with them especially during special occasions and the holidays. It's always a good time when they're around. They both adore Crew too and love spending time with him.

Day #12-Shopping. I. LOVE. SHOPPING. I am so grateful for this. If it weren't for the mall, I may not get through certain days. I totally turn to retail therapy when needed (usually at least once a week if not more). Matt often asks me how I can go to the same place every week and still buy stuff. It's possible. It is definitely one of my favorite things to do.