Unconvential Thanks

Things I am thankful..and why...

-WINDOWS: Our apartment doesn't have a window. We have a type of elevator shaft that has nothing in it. It is the craziest thing to wake up at 9 or 10 in the morning and have it be pitch black like it was when you turned the lights out the night before. Thankfully, we are moving apartments in January so we will be able to see the snow and cold outside.

-Technology: When Zak & I were dating & on opposite sides of the country, instant messaging and cell phones were how we kept our relationship together. My brother Kenny, is on a mission in Sweden, and it's so awesome to hear from him every week.

-Tampons: Seriously. Can you imagine being on your period during the Middle Ages? Heck, even a hundred years ago? A blood rag for that time of the month? No thank you! Tampons are one of the best things I can think of.

-Birth control pills: It's not that I don't want to have kids, it's just that I would like to wait several years before embarking down that path. Gotta love modern science.

-Hot water: For a few weeks, the hot water situation in our apartment complex wasn't optimal. A few times I was taking a shower and the hot water was gone instantly. I wasn't happy at all. But I appreciate it even more now. :)

-Band-aids: I am infamous for cutting myself either cutting food or washing knives. It's the best. Without those band-aids I might be dead because I had some serious cuts this last year.

-Nail polish remover: I know this is crazy, but I love this stuff because I hate chipped nail polish. Drives me crazy.

-My boysenberry stand mixer: My grandma gave it to me for my bridal shower and I love using it. It's beautiful and makes life so much easier.

-Chapstick, specifically Soft Lips: I have been addicted to Soft Lips since I was in high school. Je l'adore! I have recently tried a few other brands to see if any were as good as my cherry Soft Lips or a better deal, etc. So far Blistek Silk & Shine is my first alternate, with Nivea's A Kiss of Moisture at my second alternate.

-Art: Being an art history major, of course I love art. But I love the feeling I get when I am in the presence of good art. I wish I could be that artistic, but for now I will just appreciate the crap out of it. I would like a job where I tell people about art and how awesome that is. Hmm.. art curator?

-My husband: Obvious one, this is. But I am thankful for Zak not only because he is my husband & I love him, etc., but I am thankful for him because he brings so much joy and happiness to me and our life. It's the best being married to my best friend. I appreciate him scraping ice off our car or stopping at the store to get me chocolate because he had to stay at work longer. I am thankful for him because he is so unique, witty and has a fun personality. We may not be the most exciting or dangerous people, but we have fun when we're together. Oh, and I'm thankful for him putting up with all my craziness. Especially when I'm PMS-ing and he tries to make me giggle. Well, he tries to make me giggle all the time, so that is great.

-My family: Another obvious one, but they are the best. My little sister just cracks me up, she is so funny. And so much like me that it's scary at times. I guess that's why we only understand why we're piggy sissas. I love my younger brother, who is proudly serving a mission for the LDS church in Sweden. He has a sweet spirit and has a great capacity to love and learn. My mother is so kind and thoughtful and has been the best example to me my whole life. She is so giving and willing to help. And she's cute, especially when we get her to talk in a southern accent or she says something my sister & I commonly say like 'that's poopy'. And my big daddy is so much fun to be with, he has so much enthusiasm and heart that it's hard to not laugh around him. He is such a goof and it has only gotten worse since my brother and I have left the house. He is also very considerate and a loving, caring father. I miss my family and the days I spent with them. It's so strange to think that my life won't be like how it used to be anymore, but we will always be family .. that crazy family..
P.S. I love my extended family, we are getting larger every year, but it is always an adventure when we are together be it weekly dinners at Grandma's, trips to L.A. or the holidays...all 25-30 of us packed into my grandparents' house. And the dog.

-Hair clips: The only hair accessory I've used for the past two months to keep my dumb bangs and hair out of my face. I am really digging the brown hair colored ones, they blend in with my hair.

-Sense of smell: It's a tie between smelling and hearing for my favorite sense. Hmm, maybe they're equal. But smelling is great because there are so many wonderful things to smell in life: fresh cut roses, cookies baking, rain, my husband's cologne, perfume, turkey in the oven, strawberries...Zak often tells me that when he comes home from work and smells something good in the hallway, he hopes it's from my cooking. :)

-My cats: They bring me such joy. They are the goofiest cats and I miss them. :(

-Flowers: My wedding reception was held at my grandparents' house and all summer I was over there, planting flowers with my grandma, brother and cousins. I loved learning about the different types of plants and flowers from my grandma. And come time of the reception, the yards looked so beautiful, I was so proud of all the work we accomplished. When I was in Paris, at the Château de Vincennes, we went to the gardens and some of the most beautiful flowers were there. There were just tons of flowers, pinks and reds, yellow, purple. It was like a beautiful rainbow of flowers.

-Washing machines: Having to wash my own clothes while in Europe for three weeks more than made me appreciate washers and dryers. It was .. an experience, to say the least (sometimes the size of the sink made it very difficult to wash jeans). It is so great to be able to throw dirty clothes into the washer and add detergent and come back 43 minutes later to clean clothes. Hooray!

-FREE public restrooms: Another experience I gathered from my Europe trip: the majority of public restrooms in Europe have a toll. And sometimes the bathroom is very, very disgusting. My encounters in Siena, Italy were terrifying but it was absolutely necessary. I spent a Euro 50 that day, ugh. (Travel tip: use the restrooms in museums, they are always nicer than public ones and it's worth it.)

-Free refills: Yeah, also, Europe doesn't believe in free refills...not even for water. Well, you have to specifically ask for tap water so you won't be charged, either. Oh, America, how I love your free refills on my Diet Coke or lemonade.

-Friends: I guess I'll throw this on here, too. But I have some pretty decent friends that aren't like most people, which is why they're the best. My three best friends helped out SO much with my wedding stuff that I can't even begin to thank them. I love that they aren't like most girls, which is a good thing.


Well this seems like a pretty good list. I have a pretty great life and definitely should appreciate it a bit more. I'm sad/excited about this year's Thanksgiving. Zak has to work, so we get to stay in town. I am sad because I haven't been home for Thanksgiving in a few years and it's truly like, the most intense family gathering & eating time of the year. [S.F. Cheesecake factory night before, then Thanksgiving, then this awesome diner the next day on the way to get Christmas trees. It's sick but totally radical.] But I am getting myself excited about making Thanksgiving dinner for the two of us. We got a 3 lb. turkey roast thing that is currently thawing in our fridge and I have gathered all my recipes for Thursday: mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, yam & apple casserole, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows [all casserole recipes have been cut in half so we don't have leftovers for a month], rolls, and mini apple pies and mini pumpkin pies. And Martinelli's. YUM.

I AM THANKFUL FOR THANKSGIVING. :)