Thankful

I know I'm a little late on my Thanksgiving blog, but I vowed yesterday that it was a day to myself, just relaxing and doing a little shopping, and I even got a massage. Glorious.

Our good friends from Tulsa came down to embark on our first ever Thanksgiving meal cooked ALL BY OURSELVES. I have never cooked a Turkey before. I tried a little chicken a couple of weeks ago to prepare for Thanksgiving.

Hannah is about to beat the bread. I have decided that making bread is truly a labor of love. Isn't she the cutest prego ever?

Our Thanksgiving projects!

Emy writing about what she is thankful for. She is thankful for lots of doodles and scribbles :)

So, six hours later, this was our feast. I owned that Turkey. It was moist, and just as good as mama Mecozzi's. Holler! And Hannah made the most amazing rolls ever.

Emy liked her big girl glass.

And we topped it off with a homemade apple pie! Don't make fun of the sweater. I know it's ugly and has holes, but it is my most favorite ever.

So, to start out my list, I am thankful for:

My Husband. I have decided that to know Ryan is to love Ryan. He has a good heart. And genuine like of other people. And when you are around him, you can feel it. Probably a trait that he picked up from his family. He tells me everyday that he loves me. He not only puts up with me, but loves me even when I know I am being unlovable. He encourages me in everything. Days when I have given up on myself, deciding that starting my business is too costly, or that I'm not creative enough, or that the market is too saturated with photographers for me to really succeed, Ryan is there to encourage me. Reminding me that good things take time. That I can be creative. And he is selfless. He has put off many things to help me be successful in my business. He works very hard, and then I spend all his money :), and he never complains. Honestly, I don't know how I got so lucky.

• Dirty Laundry Friends. These are those friends who come to visit, and you don't even worry that the weeks of clothes that have been stagnate in your laundry hamper are all over the floor, awaiting their cleansing bath. On the more figurative side, friends who know us through and through, and know all the good, and all the bad, and are willing to sort them all out with you. 
• My Family. Yes, I know, everyone has to say this. But I really mean it. I feel so blessed to have a really good family situation. My immediate family and my in laws are so easy to love and get along with. They are both considerate of our time, love us well, and want to see us succeed in our marriage. My family loves my husband (maybe even more than me...), and my in-laws love me as one of their own. We never feel pressured about time, never feel like outsiders in the group, never feel like we don't belong. And even above that, we are encouraged from all sides to grow, and prosper and succeed. I know that not everyone has that in their lives, and I am truly, honestly thankful for that.

• Twilight. I will have to explain this one! My mom would be appalled and concerned for my soul to know that I am thankful for a book that is about vampires. But it has been a rallying point for the girls I have grown to love so much at work. After my buddy Lindsay made me read it, I made my co-workers read it, and our feelings or ridiculousness of loving a teenage vampire romance novel bonded us together. And now these girls are a joy of my daily life. Our friendships have grown to much more than a book club, and some days I don't know how I would get along with out them. And yes, my arm looks as though it is on backwards in that pic, I am aware.
• The Internet. Ryan and I lived the first 2 and a half years of our marriage sans internet in our home. I know it sounds dumb, but being able to blog or check to make sure I haven't bounced my checking account from home instead of sitting in the car outside of Panera has made my life much easier. It sounds dumb and materialistic, but I really am thankful for it. 

• Pete. Just look at him. How can you not be thankful for him. Even if he chews up my favorite outside pillow.

Overall, if I had nothing in my life other than the things listed above, it would be full and good. As I reflect on all of these things and people in my life, I recognize that I am abundantly blessed, and humbled by what has been given to me.