Thankful...

I have failed at blogging lately. Mostly because I am deliriously happy and have been busy eating, instead. I kid, sort of.  Okay, not really at all.  Besides being completely ridiculously in love with a man who is just the perfect puzzle piece for me and my life, the kids, the parentals, the friends, the family, life is good. Things are happening, but it's all good. I got to see a way overdue engagement come to fruition for my buffalo and her missing puzzle piece, got to marry (literally - I MARRIED them!) my cousin to her missing puzzle piece, I spent a week with my puzzle piece, relaxing and enjoying each other's company, seeing lots of Texas as we thrifted our way through it, watch as mom is trying out new things and making new energy for herself, watch as my children become two grown ups, watching as my puzzle piece steps out of the comfort zone and does what he loves and watching and getting to help along the way, and all the many many firsts that have been celebrated and will be celebrated, that will be the first of many more.

I love to be reminded of all the things in the world for which I should, no MUST be thankful for, but I wanted to take a second and share. 

I am thankful for:

• my family. All of them, the ones I see, the ones I don't, the ones that are with us, the ones that were taken too soon, the ones I am close to and the ones that I simply share dna, the ones I chose for myself, the ones that I was given by chance, the ones that have always been family and the ones that only recently have become that way. I am proud to say I have a huge family and they are individually loud and wonderful,  and when any group of them get together, the chaos and roar and laughter and FUN that happens naturally is something I could never live without and never take for granted.
• a job that lights me up and turns me on and makes me proud to get up in the morning and go
• coworkers, volunteers and partners in that work that make every day a pleasure and an empowering place to be and the women and families whose lives are changing that I have the opportunity to meet who make it all worthwhile.
• the people that will not share the holidays with their families this year because they are either deployed, will be at work, protecting, or helping us all in some other way on holiday.
• the not so great things that happen when they have, because for them, I have the perspective that things are good now. Really good. I wouldn't change anything at all even if I could.
• Thankful for those friends that I have that no matter how long we are out of touch, we can pick right up where we left off, catch each other up on the days, weeks, months or even years that we've missed and carry on easily.
• Game nights (ahem!). Coming soon to a house near you.
• Health--mine, yours, mental, physical, abnormal, it's all good. Exactly the way it is.
• For relationships that are blooming, families being blended, beginnings that are happening, and lives that are being lived.

Thanks for being along for the ride. I am grateful this Thanksgiving. Love abounds. Thank you for your's.

Peace, love and happily ever after.