What I'm thankful for ...

This year has not been the best. A lot of ups and downs. Loss of a close family member. Incredible work and personal stress. But despite everything, some things in my life remain constant, and that is what I'm grateful for:

A challenging full time job that allows me to work from home and be here when my family needs me ...

A 13 year old daughter who shares my interests, my jokes, and my smile ....

A 10 year old daughter whose innocence and heart of gold keeps me grounded every time she hugs me and kisses me on the cheek ...

A loving and gentle husband who's dealt with his own stress this year on top of mine, and yet still shows us every day what true strength and love really is ...

Good friends who remind me what is important in life, who lift me up when I'm down and kick me in the butt when I need it ...

A large and crazy family who reminds me where I came from and shows me what it means to take care of each other ....

And I am grateful for the person that I am becoming ... I've learned many life lessons this year. I've had my successes, I've made mistakes, and hopefully I've learned from them. Most importantly, I am grateful for the life I have and the life I share, and I hope that I will never forget that I am truly, truly blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.