I'm Thankful

This post was first featured on my now defunct blog, M&J Hooray!

Thanksgiving. One of the most underrated holidays. But one of the most meaningful and special.

I'd like to take the opportunity to relive this past year and talk about what I am truly thankful for.

I am thankful for my family. I was given the chance to come back home and I have not regretted it once. It's so cliche, but you don't know what you've got until it's gone. I didn't realize that home was very special and exactly the place I wanted to be all along. It just took me spreading my wings a bit to decide home is so much better than anywhere else. Mom and Dad welcomed Jarred and me back home and took us in. There probably aren't too many parents who would do that, but that just goes to show how wonderful my parents are.
My sister is a very beautiful person inside and out and I am thankful that she is who she is and does not compromise for anyone.
I still have extended family back in NC and SC and I miss them very much and am sad I will not be spending Thanksgiving with them.
I am thankful I have a very supportive family as well. My Aunt L and Uncle R read my blog and I am glad they are getting to keep up with my life. I am thankful I get to talk to my grandparents on the phone and hear their voices.
I'm thankful Granddaddy is in a better place. I miss you this Thanksgiving and I will miss you every Thanksgiving.
I am thankful for my extended family. Jarred's family in NC has welcomed me with open arms and I am so grateful. I am thankful to have gotten to know Ashley and I wish Jarred and I were in a position to visit her and Ethan more. We love them very much.
I am thankful for Jarred's father. He was obviously a very special man and he raised two great children and the love he had for Jarred and Ashley's mother was very apparent.

I am thankful for all the opportunities Jarred and I have had over the past year. I had the chance to work for FOL in the winter of '08 and it was a great eye opener to how a business is run. I am also thankful to have my current job, however much I gripe. I work with a very eclectic group of people and I have learned that not everyone lives the same kind of life I do.
I am thankful for the job opportunities Jarred has had, but especially for the job he has now. It has been a God-send and is definitely one of the top things we have to be thankful for.

I am thankful for Baby and Lucas. They are just little humans themselves! Baby is my fuzzy sister and I cannot express how much I love her. Lucas is my sweet baby son and even though we have only had him for 3 weeks, he has already stolen my heart and will always have it.

I am thankful for the life God has given me. Jarred and I have come a long way in one year and there is really no way to express our thanks to everyone who helped us along the way.

And there's something itself. The one last thing I am thankful for: Jarred. You are my rock and I love you more than anything. I don't need a fancy apartment, clothes, or ring to know that you really love me. I can't wait to see what this next year has in store for us. I have given you much grief over certain things when I know I shouldn't. Everything will come in time and all I need to remember is that you love me. God brought us together for a reason, like Aunt K has always said, maybe God knew you would need someone to see you through your sorrow and pain. I believe I saved you, but in so many ways you have saved me too. Please know I will always love you. You make a wonderful best friend and boyfriend, you will make a wonderful husband and father someday. I'm so glad God chose me to take this journey with you.