Thanksgiving 2014

I know I sometimes use this blog as a sounding board for my complaints, but I really do have so much to be thankful for and Thanksgiving is always the perfect time to acknowledge a lot of the things that God has blessed me with in this life.

I am thankful for a healthy family.  It's so easy to take your (and your loved ones) good health for granted, but as I hear stories from Josh about extremely sick patients in the hospital or hear from friends that their family members are ill, or even worse, up in heaven because they were sick, I can't help but be so thankful that Josh, Ryan, and I are all healthy.  Or that all of our parents and siblings and for the most part extended families are healthy too.

I am thankful for Josh's job.  I may complain on occasion all the time about his work hours. I may complain that he had to work on Thanksgiving and even though Ryan and I did drop him off a Thanksgiving meal in an attempt to see him, unfortunately, he was in surgery.  I may complain that I sometimes feel like a single parent and like Josh is missing lots of important moments in our lives.  But, ultimately, I am SO thankful that he has this job at UMass.  There was a time this year when we weren't sure he would have any job at all and the fact that this opportunity opened up is undoubtedly a huge blessing from God.

Ice is cold!!

I am thankful for all the close friends here in Massachusetts that I have made in the last six months.  Friends that offer to open their homes to Ryan and I on holidays so that we aren't alone.  Friends that make us feel like family despite that fact that our family is 3,000 miles away.  Friends that check in on you when it's snowing because they know that you are freaking out about leaving the house in the snow.  Friends that listen to your fears, celebrate your successes, and always seem to be there when you need them.

Ryan and I celebrated with our friend Brooke's family on Thanksgiving.  We were so thankful that we didn't have to stay home alone despite Josh being at work on Thanksgiving.  Ryan and Brooke's daughter Reagan always have such a great time together.  They even had their own little Thanksgiving table all to themselves and while I'm not sure how much food was actually eaten by the two of them, they were fully entertained while us adults ate.  And, I'm fairly certain at one point I turned my head and saw Ryan feeding Reagan pie with her fork.  Toddlers.

My Mom said that when she saw these pictures, she thought the two of them looked like a little Indian and a Pilgrim.  Not planned at all, but too funny!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you were able to reflect on some of the rings you are thankful for in your life.  Now, on to Christmas!!!