I Am Thankful For So Much

At the risk of sounding cheesy and like I am working on a 4th grade homework assignment, this year, of all years, I could not pass up this opportunity.

This past year has been like no other. My life is forever changed and my eyes are open to many more opportunities than I could have ever imagined. I am grateful and humbled by all that has happened to me and all that I have worked so very hard for. I do not take my good fortune for granted, and I now understand why I needed to struggle for so long before I could succeed. I will never forget this feeling and I will always wake up feeling like I won the greatest prize in the whole world. I am happier than I have ever been and know, without a shadow of a doubt, that this is how my life is supposed to be.

And so, in light of all of this, here are just a few of the many, many things I am thankful for. 

1. I am thankful that I have the most supportive husband on the planet. I have said it all before, but I am so lucky that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.
2. I am thankful that I have 2 seriously great parents. There is no one else I would rather talk to, hang out with, and be around then them. They are my pillars and the ones who taught me to be the person that I am.
3. I am thankful for the coolest A+L and the best family in the world. They support and inspire me to never stop pushing myself and to always want to explore the world.
4. I am thankful for all of my friends, new and old. Life is just better when they are around.
5. I am thankful for my girls. The last year would have been impossible without them, and the memories I have from growing up with them are among my most precious possessions.
6. I am thankful for my health and the health of my family and friends. Life is too short, but being together for celebrations is the best gift of all.
7. I am thankful for my job. Not only in the general sense, but I am so happy to have found something that pushes me intellectually, allows me to sharpen my skills, and encourages me to dream bigger than I ever dared to before. (I am also thankful for my insanely short commute and to not be taking public transportation anymore)
8. I am thankful to be a homeowner. Josh and I worked long and hard to be able to find our house, purchase it, put it together, and decorate it the way we wanted. I love those rare moments when we are just quietly hanging out in the house and remember to take it all in.
9. I am thankful to be able to host Thanksgiving this year. I am so excited to do this for our families. They have done so much for us through our lives and certainly this last year, being able to do this for them means the world to me.
10. Last, but certainly not least, I am thankful for you, my blog readers. I never imagined when I started writing this summer that I would be here today. I am more appreciative than you could ever know, and am in awe of what is happening. Your ongoing support, feedback, ideas, and constant readership encourages me every day to sit down and write about my crazy life. Thank you.

*I am also thankful to be a featured blogger on foodieblogroll.com this week
*and to have seen this on boston.com all day Tuesday under the Community Section:
Your Blogs- Madison Ave Musings: Obstacles and nasty attitudes

Happy Thanksgiving!