Thankful and Blessed

It's Thanksgiving Day (at least here in the States...I know it may not be for some of you reading near and far) and I thought I'd pause to look back over the past twelve months and give thanks for what God has done in our lives! I also know many of you are busy today with dinners and such, so if you don't have time for this today, don't worry! Go enjoy your time of rest and come back to catch up whenever you can!

* I'm thankful for our fourth anniversary last December and its gateway to our fifth year of marriage. We had the most lovely weekend celebrating our marriage, and it included a carriage ride. That was sort of a romantic bucket list item for me, and it was every bit the delight I imagined it would be. Hey Ryan, remember when I accidentally threw your gloves out of the carriage? Whoopsie! Glad we got those back before the horse's bean dinner kicked in!

* I'm thankful for Ryan's swift(ish) diagnosis, surgery, and return to good health when his gallbladder quit on us this past January. We certainly never saw that little health hiccup coming, and it took a few more hoops than it should have to actually get someone to order the correct test, but once we got that bad boy out of there, Ryan was a whole new man. And we could eat things besides chicken soup!

* I'm thankful for Mom's successful hip replacement in February and the army of health care workers who banded together to bring her to full recovery! Ryan went with me to the hospital to visit her, he worked to get her set up with a great home health therapist, he helped with her outpatient therapy, and he helped us understand all the medical-ese!

* I'm thankful for the chance to see the Gaither Vocal Band one more time before David left the group. Ryan surprised me in March with tickets to a concert, and we managed to squeak in to David's second to last performance with them. It was wonderful to see David, yes, but my goodness: what a night of true worship, too!

* I'm thankful for Ryan's life, which we celebrated on his birthday in April! We got to spend an evening out with our friends, Mike and Angie, and we didn't know when we headed out on the town that night that they would be moving across the country shortly. We miss them so much, but we are thankful for great memories of double dates together with them!

* I'm thankful for our birthday getaway in May, and even though it was crazy frigid, it was such a treat to stay on a boat and breakfast! We love finding quirky little twists of places to visit, and this was just such a place! A cozy little B&B - on a boat! We loved exploring Saugatuck, Michigan, and someday when we go to Michigan, it will be warm. We're just sure of it.

* I'm thankful Ryan's sister had a beautiful wedding day back in June, when she got married in a barn at the family farm. Outdoor weddings in Indiana - at any point in the year - can be a real weather gamble, but she got a lovely (although windy!) day to tie the knot!

* I'm thankful for the conference I attended in July! Even though it kept me apart from Ryan, which was excruciating on all levels, it was such a worthwhile trip. I learned, I made connections, I soaked up everything I could, and I am just so thankful for the provision to go and Ryan's encouragement to do it!

* I'm thankful for the chance to celebrate Ryan's 20th high school reunion in August. It was so much fun to see his classmates and meet up with friends and family throughout the course of the weekend!

(FYI that was a recreated photo. The guy in the back isn't really mad!)

* I am thankful we had the chance to keep Phoebe for a whole month in September! (Okay, really August into September, but whatever.) She was so much fun!!!! She failed at convincing Ryan we needed a dog, but she was a joy to have for those twenty-some days!

* I am thankful to celebrate five years of engagement this past October. We went out for a fancy dinner and relived that beautiful day when Ryan proposed!

* And today, on this Thanksgiving Day, I'm thankful for Mom's successful double knee replacement and the fact that we get to spend today together as a family. Yes! My sister and brother-in-law from out of state came in to surprise her! They arrived yesterday, and my sister from Indianapolis drove up a day early to be here too, and we just went right ahead and started a "thankful and blessed" celebration!

Happy Thanksgiving to you, my friends! You are a joy to my heart. Thanks for interacting with me here in our little corner of the web! :)