Happy Thanksgiving: 50 Things I'm Thankful for

This list is in no particular order. As ideas came to me I put them down. This was a good exercise and I would recommend it to look beyond the material things in our lives to the deeper things that make our lives special.

1. My loving husband, who supports me in every way possible and accepts my wanderlust
2. My parents who taught me about love and the importance of family and honor

3. My in-laws, I am blessed with in-laws who are kind, loving, and accepting (and a brother in law who lets me treat him like the little brother I never had)

4. My Auntie, Aunts, Grandpa, uncle, and 2 cousins(one future cousin in law)--I have a very small extended family

5. My puppy Yankee who brings so much joy (and heartache) to me and my family with her licks and undying love

6. My best friend Janice who lets me talk and talk for hours about nothing and helps keep me sane when I start going crazy

7. All my St. Louis friends who have welcomed me to their city with open arms—I can’t believe how close we are already after just a year

8. Summer, Jill, Danielle, Mallory, Katy, Crystal—wonderful friends

9. Teaching abroad in South Korea

10. Living with my friend Crystal in South Korea

11. My friend Mandy's beautiful and healthy baby boy

12. My other friend Meagan finding out she is pregnant!

13. Being able to go on lots of vacations in the last year (my favorite thing to do!)

14. My new camera that helps me take beautiful pictures the world over and at home too

15. St. Louis -- a great city to live in

16. Being able to go to school for another degree

17. Getting the chance to teach students in Korea, they were a joy to work with

18. My husband’s job (I’m grateful he has a job)

19. All of our wonderful friends from Arkansas
20. Not having to take public transportation at home

21. My car and the fact that we paid off my car this year! A year early!

22. My country, traveling always shows me how grateful I should be to live in America

23. Weight Watchers which inspires me to stay healthy and treat myself and my body the way it should be treated with good food and exercise

24. That the Arkansas Razorbacks have had a pretty good football season this year

25. My dad’s health

26. My mom’s cheerful spirit and creativity

27. Quilting which I have a lot of fun doing and more fun giving away

28. Books I love to read and while in Korea I’ve gotten to read 7 books, I’m on my 8th

29. Having an apartment (even if it has a very small kitchen)

30. Finding beach glass in Korea to add to the collection my mom and I started when I was little

31. Being able to save money for retirement and a house

32. Having friends who accept me for who I am even if we don’t always agree about politics (wink)

33. Glee—Love that show! So sad I can’t watch it in Korea!

34. Fall leaves, Autumn is my favorite season

35. My upcoming 5 year wedding anniversary

36. The gym at my apartment complex where I can try to stay healthy

37. Snorkeling, it is amazing to see the life underwater, I am a beach girl at heart even if I live in the heartland of America with no beach within 10 hours of where I live

38. The safe rescue of the Chilean miners

39. My best friend getting a new job!

40. Getting to eat wonderful food in Korea without too many bad side effects because we walk everywhere and I burn it off (it will be hard to get back on track once I get back to the US)

41. My sewing machine which lets me create things for my friends and family

42. My bed at home—king size comfort—I can’t wait to get back into that thing

43. My Korean friends who have been so kind and welcoming

44. My friend Dan at SGHS who helped me get acquainted to the Korean educational system and is always cheerful and positive

45. Vegetarian bibimbop (when I find it its wonderful!)

46. Water which helps me stay hydrated and is plentiful in Korea

47. My computer which is always good to me and is pretty

48. Planning a cruise with Janice for spring break!!! Super excited (6 years in planning)

49. Chocolate (especially with mint!)

50. Home cooked meals (not that I cook a lot anymore but I love it when I do and when my mother in law and mom cook)