My Thanksgiving Post: Part 2

Thanksgiving has come and gone, as it typically does. Now, things are full swing Christmas. I don't really seem to mind it. I even told my coworker, Diana, that I was feeling quite Jolly on Friday morning. (ho ho ho). 

This is highly unlikely behavior by me.  I am sure my attitude adjustment towards Christmas has a lot to do with the fact that I now live by myself and watch basically zero live TV (with the occasionally Sunday football game exception). This might highlight my control issues, but since I can decide how much commercial Christmas I deal with, I am a lot happier. I don't mind the season as long as it doesn't feel like someone is shoving "Rocking around the Christmas Tree" in my face. 

Still, I don't want to dig to deep into my annual thoughts about Christmas in America. Really, I want to still talk about Thanksgiving. Last year at Thanksgiving time, I wrote a blog about gratitude. Since I tend to be snarky, I think this is a good thing for me to continue. And even though my list isn't really different from last years, here is my Thanksgiving post: part 2. (Since I just focused on food in my first post. go figure). 

1. I will always be thankful for the Thanksgiving standards: God, Family, Friends. 

Even though I live quite far from all of them, I am so happy they are in my life (even if it often remotely). I am thankful for hikes with my dad and phone calls with my mom. I am thankful for my siblings, whom I will always think of in the highest regards. (Even since I was little I've thought they were the coolest ever. That continues to this day). I am thankful that I get to be an aunt to some really cute babies (who are hardly babies anymore, although twin boys are coming in March! That's nuts! But so exciting!). 

I am thankful for friends near and far. I am thankful I can snapchat Jilly in Bolivia and sit in the back row at church with Amy and complain about the song we're singing. I am thankful that I can now go on "cousin dates"with Heidi. 

And, of course, I am thankful for Levent. He makes Kansas the best place to be. Every day, I cannot wait for him to come over so we can cook supper, eat great food and just be together (as we binge watch a ton of shows).  I'm so happy I found someone with whom I can be completely ridiculous. 

2. I am thankful for my cat!… even if she tends to be a little demon child. (I am hoping she'll grow out of it a little bit. She is still a "kitten teenager"after all). I like having her here. (Also, I renamed her. Her name is Scout. Flavia just wasn't doing the trick). 

3. I am thankful that I finally get to live by myself. It's my introvert dream come true. Even though the "Wood's Cottage" (which is the name I call my house in my head) probably will fall a part in a couple of years, I love being here. It's perfect for me. 

4. I am thankful for my job. It has it's ups and downs but I enjoy being at work. I enjoy having co-workers I also count as friends. 

5. I am thankful for the art of cooking and baking, for really good food blogs to follow and for really good podcasts to listen to when I am in the kitchen. (I decided to dive into holiday baking this year and I am loving it so much). 

6. I am thankful for the Hesston Wellness Center. Despite being full of crazy college youth or old men who fart consistently when they are on the treadmills, its nice to have a place where I feel comfortable enough to work out every day. The classes challenge me to be better (Cardio X!) and has, overall, helped my whole being. 

7. I am thankful I am all done with my Christmas shopping already. That for sure will make this month a whole lot better. 

Oh there are a hundred more little things I am thankful for, but I think that will do for this year. 

Until next time…