Family

It's Thanksgiving time again, and I can not help but think about family. There are a lot of people talking about things they are grateful for, and I am sorry but there are so many things that I am grateful for that I don't think I could blog about them all. 


I will mention a few just before I get on with my initial thoughts: I am so thankful for my job, the ability I have to work, and provide for my family, as well as continue my education. I am thankful for my ward, though it was a hard and slow transition for me to feel like I was apart of the ward, and I am still working on that, but I am so thankful for the support everyone has for one another, and that we can all get together for Relief Society activities and despite the fire alarm going off, it still was a fun and wonderful activity. There is so much positive energy in our ward I love it. I am thankful for the tiny little cubical of an apartment we have, that it is a space that is ours and that I get to share it with Nathan. I am so thankful for all the little things that are furnishing our apartment and the feeling of warmth and comfort I do receive there. I am so thankful for my body and the amazing wonders it can do, that I am able to run and not be weary, and for the strength I do have, I am so lucky to be able to improve my fitness and to be able to enjoy the time I spend testing out the amazing strength and endurance my body has. I am so thankful for food, it tastes so yummy, and that I have accessibility to it when I am hungry and that I don't have to worry about where my food is going to come from. I am also thankful for water. Water is truly so cool. I can drink it, I can cook with it, I can wash myself as well as my clothes with it, I can wash our dished with it. Water has so many uses, it's so cool. 


Now, onto my original thoughts. So, as Nathan and I have talked about our future and things we want to do, we agreed that we both want to travel. To be honest I haven't been very many places, and where I have been it's all been within the U.S. I have been to Lubbock Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Utah (obviously), California, Spokane Washington, Las Vegas and Hawaii. Not very many places. And I have driven to a lot of those states. So obviously we have a lot of traveling to do to see the world a little more. Where as Nathan he has lived in I think 5 states (Texas, Maryland, Florida, Utah and Nevada). Yup, 5. I have only lived in 1. 


Well, this is where our family comes in. I am so thankful for our families. We have so many wonderful examples in our lives. Both our mom's are wonderful women and such great examples of service and compassion, and our dad's (both accountants, funny isn't it), have taught us both the value of hard work. We are both well rounded people, Nathan is more laid back than I am. I take after my dad, he takes after his mom. I am very uptight and scheduled. But I am working on that. 


We have siblings and our parents in some pretty cool places. I am so thankful for my family that has gone against the grain (my parents and brother), and moved out of Utah, so that I too can get out and come visit, and explore more areas of our Country. I marred someone from outside of Utah, and I am so happy that I did. It brings so many different aspects to marriage. I love it. His family lives in several fun places, including Florida, Seattle, and L.A. I have never been to Seattle and this next week I get to go for the first time and explore again something new. His extended family lives in Texas and Oklahoma other places that I want to visit and explore. 


Family is so wonderful, and though it's hard to have parents away all the time it makes the times that I am with them that much sweeter. I am so excited to hang out with more of Nathan's family next week in Seattle, and I am so excited for Christmas to experience my first Christmas in a warm state!! All these fun new things bring so much more adventure to live and I am so thankful that I can travel and have the ability to drive or fly to family. I look forward to the holiday season for that one reason. 


What is your favorite part of the Holidays?