5 Things I’m Thankful For

You guys, Thanksgiving is less than a week away. This year has really just flown by. Last year was the first year John, me and the girls celebrated all by our lonesome. I took the girls to the park in the morning while John prepared the turkey, and then he watched them in the afternoon while I made the side dishes. We had a lot of fun, even if it was just the four of us (for new readers, we recently moved across the country and no longer live near family).

This year, some wonderful friends that we made here in NC invited us over to their Thanksgiving dinner. They also aren’t from here, so we figured we may as well celebrate together. I couldn’t be more excited at their generosity!

Here are five things I’m thankful for this year.

5 Things I’m Thankful For This Thanksgiving

I tend to be one that is generally a very thankful person. If someone gets me a birthday gift or does something nice, I always show gratitude. That person went out of their way for little old me, and I want to let them know that I appreciate their gesture more than they know. So, even though I’m usually in the “thankful” mindset year-round, here are five specific things I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving.

My beautiful, healthy, happy family

John and the girls are my world. I love them all so much it hurts sometimes. Though we’re by no means a perfect family, there are no other people in the world I would rather do life with. John is a fantastic husband and father. He’s supportive and there for me every step of the way, he surprises me with coffee, he lets me sleep in on the weekends, and he is my best friend. Cami, my 3-year-old, has the sweetest soul. She is the most caring person I’ve ever met in my life. She tells me I look beautiful everyday and brings so much joy to our lives. Maisie, my 2-year-old, is full of life and pizazz. She is an energizer bunny through and through. When she’s sleeping, we say she’s “recharging,” because the second she is awake it is constant. She is too smart for her own good and the most helpful toddler in the world. Everything from dishes to laundry to cleaning the floors, Maisie is there pulling her weight 😉 We call her our “lover” because she is also the cuddliest, most snuggly baby I’ve ever met. She constantly wants to be held, and I love that about her.

My job(s)

A weird thing to be thankful for, but I am so grateful for both my FT job and my freelancing side job. John and I had been living off of one income (his) for the past three years. While I always freelanced, it’s different having a FT, steady income and getting paid every two weeks rather than once a month or whenever a client can pay you. So, our income now consists of two FT jobs and two side jobs – me freelancing/blogging and John handyman work. We’ve saved a TON in the past few months, in spite of buying a house, buying new furniture for our house and having other random expenses come up (new tires for the car, doctor’s bills, etc). If you are interested in freelancing, you’ll want to check out my post on how freelancers can earn $10,000 a month (my goal). And if you want to blog, read my post on how to start a blog (oh! And if you sign up for a blog through me, I’ll give you a copy of my new eBook FOR FREE!!).

Our new kittens

We got two new gorgeous kittens on Sunday!! I feel like we literally “saved” them as their living conditions were just awful and they were covered in fleas. Poor babies! The owners also had little kids which just broke my heart. You guys, keep your homes clean. At the very least, for your family. The house we got the kitties from was full of trash, leaves, bugs and more. I had never seen anything like it in my life. That right there made me so thankful that I didn’t grow up in those types of conditions. But back to the kittens – one is a white fluffy boy and the other is a calico girl. The boy is named Olaf since that is Cami and Maisie’s favorite movie and the other is Hazel. We love them so much and the girls are wonderful with them!

My ability to focus on the good

By reading the above paragraphs, you might think I have it all together. Truth is, I don’t. Not even close. Lately, I’ve been really (really) trying to focus on only the positive things in my life. Is John the perfect husband? No, of course not! But I try to focus on what I love about him rather than what annoys me. Same with the girls – they are a handful lol, but I know they are only little once. As hard as this phase is, part of me doesn’t ever want to see it go because it is so special. It can be easy to get into “funks” where I feel sorry for myself and throw myself a pity party. But honestly, what good does that do anyone? In fact, 100% of the time it makes the situation worse. So, I’ve been working hard at focusing on the positive in my life. I challenge you to do the same 😉

Nice people

With what’s been happening in our world lately, it seems as though there is very little “good” left in it. However, despite all the bad things that happen all around us, there is still so, so much good. If we could all just love each other a little bit more, be polite and respectful, smile, and help people out when they’re in need (or even when they’re not), the world would be a much better place. And, being nice to others is twofold, because it makes you feel really good on the inside, too. Try it – donate some toys or food to a local charity, send off a donation to your favorite cause, purchase someone’s coffee for them, or even strike up a conversation with someone at the grocery store. You will help cheer someone else up, while at the same time cheering yourself up.

So, these are the things I’ve been thankful for lately.

What are some things you’re thankful for? Share in the comments so we can all read them for a burst of gratitude!