H.A.P.P.Y. T.H.A.N.K.S.G.I.V.I.N.G.

While I’m not feeling the best today and probably won't be eating turkey, my Thanksgiving tradition must go one. I’m thankful for everyone in my life, but here are a few I’d like to highlight at this juncture in my life.

My T.H.A.N.K.S.G.I.V.I.N.G. list:

Babe: My best friend. Thank you for your continued love through the better and the worse. Thank you for your patience in moments when I’ve needed to seek forgiveness. Thank you for your humility in moments when you sought forgiveness. Thank you for bringing laughter into our home. For loving our son and being an excellent dad. Thank you for helping put Carsen to bed. You will never know how much your help with that means to me. Thank you for being a better cook that me. Our family will not starve because of you. I look forward to this next year with you as we learn more and more what sacrificial love looks like. Thank you for causing me to look more and more like Jesus. I love you.

My Son: My blessing. Thank you for the bright light you bring to each new day. You are an energetic ball of joy that makes me incredibly grateful. Thank you for your hugs and kisses. And your gentle hand on my arm as I throw up over the toilet seat. You make me want to be a better person. Thank you for your unconditional love for your imperfect momma. Thank you for the purity you bring to this world. It’s refreshing and needed. I love watching you experience life each day. I love you.

My Parents: The ones who brought me into this world and raised me. Thank you for trusting the Lord with my life and now your grandson’s life. Thank you for loving Carsen and treating him with dignity and respect. This little man will grow up knowing his voice is valued and his thoughts are important. I enjoy watching you play with Carsen, this side of you is so fun for me. I love you.

My In-Laws: All of you. I’ve been blessed with good ones. Thank you for loving Kevin, Carsen and I through a hard transitional season. You generosity and support have been priceless. Thank you for the times you’ve watched Carsen, had us over for dinner, and text me a “how are you doing?” You’ve made me a part of your family and I am so grateful. I love you.

My Four Faraway Friends:  Layne, Anne, Tiff and Di. Thank you each for your love and support during a difficult season in my life. You encouraging texts and FaceTime calls helped me grab onto Hope when at times I felt as if it was gone. Your wisdom and insight I cherish. I love “sharing” life with you. I love you.

Sarah: My forever friend. Thank you for the twenty+ years of friendship. Our relationship is always transforming and morphing as the seasons of life change, and yet the deep devotion for each other remains. I pray this next season of life brings us even closer in proximity. I long for our babes to be buddies and for our friendship to experience the joy in sharing motherhood side by side. I cherish you and your tribe. Someday lets take a family vacation together. I love you.

Steph: My KC friend. Words cannot tell you how grateful I am for your friendship in this season. Coming back from South Africa to a city where I didn’t know many people. Thank you for seeking me out, and inviting me into your home and heart. Carsen and I love you and John.

Sarah Falk: My Young Living essential oils upline. I’m so grateful I sought you out. The Lord knew who I needed. Thank you for your gentleness as I learn the ins and outs of this amazing company and truly awesome products. I count you as not only my mentor but my friend. Thank you for your prayers prayed with me and over me. Not just for my business but for my life. You are genuine and incredibly smart. Thank you for taking me under your wing. I love you.

Supporters: From years back to the most recent. Thank you for your continued love and encouragement through the ups and downs of life. Your prayers, emails and gifts speak more to our family than you will ever know. Thank you for believing in us and what the Lord is telling us to do. Always. You are loved.

Blog Friends/Readers: To the ones who faithfully read my writing, view my photos and increase my pageviews. Thank you for taking interest in the journey of my life. Your input and comments do not go unnoticed. For those that have been with me from the beginning, thank you for your continued support as I journeyed from single life, to married life, to motherhood for all the world to see. It's been a wild ride. I look forward to sharing more of my crazy day to day with you and letting you get to know my family more and more. You are loved.

...and to God, the one I long to be near, who has for now blessed me with these.