Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I am following the lead of some fabulous ladies here in blogland and posting things for which I am thankful. Since the ultimate day for thanks is on the 26th, I will give 26 reason my heart is continually happy, even throughout the tough times!

1. Mr. Marine. Truthfully, I could choke him at the moment but this man has taught me to love deeper than anyone I have ever known. 

2. My family. They are fabulous and I am thankful God put me with them!

3. My Mama. She's my absolute best girlfriend. I couldn't be prouder to be called her "mini-me."

4. My Dog, Riley. He has seen me though a lot. Words can't express how much I love and depend on this dog!

5. My Health. I was always told, "As long as you have your health, consider yourself rich."

6. The Marine Corps. This challenge has been one of my toughest, but it has changed me immensely. It has forced me to slow down, appreciate the present, hold on to those I love and that  no matter how tough the days get the sun will always rise and I am expected to get up and greet the day!

7. Moving. Ok, so I hate this. I'd rather just be living in Texas with my friends and family. 

8. My Girlfriends. I never knew the importance of female friends until later in life. They are my lifeblood. 

9. Travel. I was fortunate enough to grow up seeing the world. That's shaped who I am as an adult and I am incredibly thankful for those experiences.

10. My Car. It was a graduation gift that has kept on giving. Thank you parents.

11. My In-Laws. They are amazing. I was faced with having in-laws that would have been awful. So I know how to appreciate the gift I have been given with these wonderful people. 

12. Country Music. These songs make me cry. They make me laugh. They have been known to lead to my screaming the lyrics and dancing the two-step alone in my office, my house, and with many a handsome cowboy in the honky-tonks of Texas!

13. Ex-Loves. They are why I am the way I am. They are why I love the way I do. They gave me great memories and led me to the man I love with all my heart.

14. Frozen Reeses Cups. I only like these straight out of the freezer. Yum!

15. Airplanes. Thankfully they keep my family and I connected.

16. My Paid-For Education. I cannot thank my parents enough for this gift. I may be married to a Marine, and not have the job I dreamed of, but my education is everything to me. Thanks rents!

17. My Childhood. I lived in Texas, grew-up in Los Angeles and then moved back to Texas. My friends will tell you I was a "cowgirl" in California. A Southern misfit, so to speak. While my friends in Texas will tell you I definitely got my fashion sense from living in LA. I love the mix of both worlds.

18. Culture. I am thankful for being exposed to much more than what was outside my front door.

19. Art. My parents encouraged me to paint. To draw. To learn about art. I have my particular tastes but I have never been to an art museum I didn't appreciate.

20. Food. It is a blessing and a curse, but foods found across the world teach you more about a culture than most things ever will.

21. Nature. I love watching waves roll in, wheat blow in the wind, corn stalks grace the land, cows roam free, longhorns travel across the Texas ranches, snow capped mountains and fall leaves. 

22. Shoes. They make me happy and I have plenty, but will never have too many.

23. Seasons. I love them all. I just prefer winter and summer be the shortest.

24. Actors. These people make us forget. They bring us to another world and at one time or another...we all need that.

25. Memories. They may not always be happy but they got us to the next happy place. 

26. Photographs. They remind us when it is all too easy to forget.

Finally, and most importantly, I am thankful for God. He makes this list possible.

Happy Thanksgiving!