For my family and friends

Since I have not participated in the Thankful Month postings that have dominated facebook, I decided to just make a blog posting. Here I will attempts to take care of all 30 days in one crack! In an effort not to bore you, you may want to scan for your name and skim the rest. :) So, here it goes...

• I am first and foremost thankful for my husband of seven years. Kevin, we have been together for nearly 13 years now, and growing, learning and changing with you has been a wonderful journey. Rough patches in the past and rough patches yet to come, the good times make it worth it. You are one of the strongest people I know and often keep me grounded, bringing balance, security and love to my life. I would not be the person I am without you.
• Thank you to my parents, for your hand in bringing me up to be the best I can be. 
• Mamiska, you have taught me that love can be shown in the simplest touch or the smallest action. You taught me to never stop growing and learning, it is NEVER too late! 
• Daddy, you taught me to take pride in the things I do, and never to "half ass" anything. Your unconditional love will stay with me always - RIP, I love you forever.
• Blood sisters - you know who you are. You two have no idea how much you mean to me. You know as well as I do that sisters don't have to be blood relatives and I am soooo lucky to have such a great relationship with the both of you. The following only scratches the surface of how I feel:
• Hilly, your determination to always stand tall is such an inspiration to me. I learned long ago to never doubt you. You continue to amaze me in all you do, and your sense of humor cracks me up, on a daily basis. If you ever doubt yourself, please remember, all you have to do is take a look at that amazing little girl beside you, and know you are a huge part of who she is.
• Mally, you have overcome things that most people can only read about or see on a screen. Perseverance and grit aside, you have managed to hang onto something very important...your heart. Most people would be hardened, but I am pretty sure your heart got bigger; I just hope you never forget to make room for yourself in there!
• Parents-in-law - I am the luckiest person alive, as far as this goes, you truly are like a second set of parents to me!
• Mom, you have always opened your heart and home to me. Your strong heart, commitment to the things that matter and determination to experience all that life has to offer has inspired me to do so many things in my life! Thank you for always being there for me!
• Dad, I will never forget when my pops passed away, you called me and said "Don't ever forget that you still have a dad." Those words still mean the world to me. Thank you for helping me remember unconditional love and continuing to teach me strength and pride!
• Sisters-in-law - you also know who you are! At some point or another, I feel like I have established a special relationship with every one of you, and you have all taught me things I will carry with me forever!
• Lindsey, I have know you longer than any other member of your family. It is strange how the world works, bringing us into the same family after a small lifetime of being mere acquaintances. I can tell you anything and know that you will just listen with an open heart, bringing all you have to offer to each situation. Thank you for always reminding me that love, understanding and acceptance truly are the most important things in life.
• Katie, what can I say, you hold a special place in my heart. You were pretty much responsible for bringing Kevin into my life (some days I am more thankful for this than others...hehe). We have spent a lot of time together in the past, and you have always provided me with a sanctuary outside of my own home. Thank you for being a big sister to me, I love you forever!
• Jen, you continue to teach me the deeper meaning of family. You are strong, kind and determined, and I admire you and all you do. I love being in your life, learning "Jenninesse"and knowing you will always have coffee!
• Steffie, I miss you more than you know. You always seemed to "get" me and I love that I can always make you laugh, while everyone else missed the joke. You put people around you at complete ease, and accept others for who they are. I will forever aspire to be as grounded as you are!
• Syd, getting to spend a summer with you was great. You are a wonderful, spirited person and I cannot wait to see the woman you become. I am here for you always.
• Brothers-in-law - you two have made me laugh, made me mad, made me smile and made me cry; which means you have both given me something I never thought I would have - brothers!
• Bob, we spent a lot of years in close proximity to each other, and you are responsible for my desire to always have clean kitchen counters! On a serious note, you helped me learn to take pride in all I do. You are also behind my ability to find a way to work and relax at the same time. You have always been there for me, taken chances on me, and given me more opportunity than I probably deserve! Thank you for always pushing me to be the best I can be! (I have a great memory of you driving that red mustang up north to rescue me, in a blizzard. I was terrified the whole drive back... :)
• Dave, I am so glad you moved to our neck of the woods. You not only brought me closer to more family members, but continue to reinforce the meaning behind what it means to be a family. I trust and value your opinions and know I can always count on your honesty. I feel we have bonded over the years of WoW, Kart, and Michael Connelly. May the years bring us more adventures!
• To my nieces and nephews - It would take me two weeks to list out all 12 of you, so I will do my best to cram it into one paragraph! I have enjoyed watching you all enter the world, find your voice, make mistakes, and continue to grow. You have each, in turn, filled my life with laughter, light and love...even the hope of having my own child, (followed closely by the desire to double up on birth control) ;) Thank you all for filling up the holes in my life with your unique personalities, please don't forget about me when you become rich and famous!
• For all of my friends, I am so blessed to have so many of you who really are more like family. I know it is impossible to list you all out and not miss someone, and I hope you all know who you are...but I am going to give it a quick try: Leslie, Lei, Jared, you guys are my oldest and closest friends. No matter how much time passes between visits, I feel like we pick up right where we left off, I will love you forever! Jen, Heidi, Ashley, Amanda, I feel like I have known you ladies my whole life. You guys have re-defined the meaning of soul-mates for me, I am lucky to have you all! Kayla, Brooke...sometimes I feel like we were all sisters in a past life :) I have never met two more unique and beautiful people. Thank you for making me part of your lives! There are more of you...Rena, Emily, Tarah, Nikki, Sarah...I love you all and I am so sorry if I missed anyone!
• And finally, I have to mention how thankful I am every day for my two knucklehead dogs. I love that I can be gone for 10 minutes or 10 days and I am greeted at the door with furry hugs and kisses. Digger and Gwynnie, you truly are my four-legged children!

That should about cover 30 days! I am truly blessed in my life, and could have continued on. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

~Namaste