Giving Thanks

Turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cream cheese corn, homemade rolls, gravy, cranberries, pumpkin pie…Thanksgiving just tastes so sweet! I have to admit, though, I’m not particularly excited for Turkey Day this year. So, while I’m not necessarily excited about the holiday yet, I’m determined to get myself in the spirit.

Honestly, I AM looking forward to having a couple of days off, if for no other reason than to relax and spend some time with friends. I’m not going to Kansas this year because I was supposed to work the day after Thanksgiving – and that’s just way too far to drive for a meal. So, I’m staying in Oklahoma and probably will be joining Jason and his family for the day. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll be joining Joel and Mary and their crew for lunch; if that’s the case, I’ll just plan on wearing sweat pants and rolling myself home – and then not eating for about four days after!

Then, you have Black Friday…the shopping day to end all shopping days! I was supposed to work, but I *just* found out that we get the day off this year. Whoo-hoo! I’m going to try to get some shopping done.

After that, the Christmas countdown begins in earnest. And I can happily say that I AM excited about Christmas this year! I’m going back to Kansas for the first time in what seems like forever and will be spending several days with my family and friends. I hope to make a stop in Wichita and see some friends I haven’t seen in a while – especially Roy and Lisa and their adorable kids. I LOVE Christmas and all that goes with it – the cooking, baking, shopping, wrapping, sneaking, surprising, laughter, smiles, good cheer, and more. All in all, I’m looking forward to all of it – including NOT seeing my father.

But, let’s rewind a minute – since I’m having a hard time getting excited about Thanksgiving this year, I decided to start thinking about things for which I’m thankful. So here, in short order, are some of the things for which I’m thankful this year:

My family – They say you can’t pick your family, but if I could, I think I’d keep most of mine (at least the maternal side). I’ll even keep some of the fruits and nuts because they add spice to life.

Jason – I’m pretty much the luckiest girl in the world to have such an awesome boyfriend.

Tess and Tanner – There’s nothing better than a puppy hug at the end of a long day!

My friends – They say you can’t pick your friends…wait, that’s your family that you don’t get to pick. In all seriousness, I’ve got some of the most amazing friends in the world and they really ARE my second family. I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

I’m thankful for so much more, but I don’t want to get sappy here – and I’m definitely not going to be like the person at work who’s most thankful for the fact that “The Sooners suck less than Texas this year.”

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!