Things for which I am Thankful

Since Lizzie is coming tomorrow (I am very thankful to have a family member here for Thanksgiving), I don't plan on blogging in the next few days.  And since Thanksgiving falls within the next few days, I figured now would be a good time to write down all of the things for which I am thankful.

First and foremost I am thankful for my amazing husband.  In addition to being incredibly handsome, intelligent, and driven, he is caring and generous and loving.  I am so proud of him for all that he has accomplished, from the foreign service to his master's degree to all the different roles he juggled while we lived in Des Moines.  I am so lucky that my husband is my best friend and thankful not only for him but for all of his support in everything I have ever wanted to do.

I am thankful for my babies - my dogs.  They make me laugh all day long and even though they are certainly challenging, I love them so much!  Each one has such a unique personality - some days I really find it hard to accomplish much else besides hang out with my boys - and I'm so thankful I have that opportunity.

I am thankful for my family.  Its hard being so far apart now, and although its going to be much harder when we're so many more miles and time zones apart in a few short weeks, I am so thankful to know how much you love and support me and my husband despite how crazy you may find his career choice.  I am especially thankful for the ten days I get to spend with you before we head to Africa.  I'm really looking forward to baking cookies and decorating the Christmas tree and making pasta together. 

I'm so thankful for my great friends.  From my oldest friends to my newest, you all bring such fun and perspective to my life.  So many of my different experiences have been shaped by my friendships at the time, and I am thankful for each and every one of you.

I am also very thankful for the opportunities that life in the Foreign Service has provided us.  I definitely haven't kept my thoughts to myself about certain aspects of this life that drive me crazy, but despite its challenges, I am really thankful to be in this position.  I am thankful for the opportunity to live and experience "big city life" in DC and I am thankful for the adventure on which Joey and I are about to embark.  Nigeria may not have been more first pick, but hey! We are young and get to go live a pretty nice life in a really neat place that not very many people ever have the opportunity to even visit, let alone experience.  We will have friends all over the globe who we can visit, and someday our kids are going to have the opportunity to grow up not just as citizens of the US, but citizens of the world!  I feel very fortunate to be accompanying Joey on this journey.

I am also thankful for all the helpful comments on my blog!  This is great - I air my grievances and frustration and voila! I have answers. You guys have saved Joey and me a ton of headaches and I just hope someday to be able to pay it forward.

I think one of the best things about Thanksgiving is that I notice all of the little things for which I am thankful too - like the most beautiful fall I have ever seen here in DC, dark chocolate ice cream, and the twinkling of the Christmas lights that are starting to go up around town.  I just finished a book about a man who left Microsoft and founded a charity that builds schools and libraries in developing countries - I am so thankful I grew up in America with access to great schools and great books and parents who encouraged me to read.  I'm thankful for the amazing yoga class I took this morning.  I am thankful for the people at Whole Foods who made shopping so easy by putting everything I need on the ends of the aisles and hiring extra people to help bag my turkey, unload my cart and help me park my car.  I am thankful for so much.  I am a lucky girl.

So Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!  Joey, Lizzie and I will miss you all but we look forward to seeing you at Christmas.  Love you!



On an entirely different note, we got some pictures of our housing compound.  They are considered sensitive, which means I can't put them on my blog, but if you want to see them I can email them to you.  Just let me know.  Also, Mom told me we are having Christmas at our house this year, so I can show them to you then too.