Today is the day before Thanksgiving. It is the day before the whole of the country celebrates a long history of tradition and remembers the things we too often take for granted. It's a time to begin the complete season that falls at the end of the calendar year. For a little over a month at the conclusion of a 12-month span, we take stock of what we have, looking at the true point of our lives: the beauty and love surrounding us in the people we spend our lives with. So today, as we "officially" begin this season, (though let's face it, if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know I've been listening to Christmas music and preparing decorations since November started), I want to take a moment to compose a list of all that I am thankful for this year. Those things I try very hard not to forget about, but still sometimes forget to say "thanks" for.

I am thankful...
1. ...to be alive. God has given me a wonderful life full of great things and without that life, I wouldn't be able to compose this long list of the fantastic things I have.

2. ...for my parents. This year they have been through the ringer. My dad's hours got cut after being moved back to the home-shipyard. My younger sister's senior expenses hit. I got married. My grandfather died. Just to name a few. This year has been tough on all of us, but them especially. Money may be tight and with Christmas around the corner, I know they are stressed with worry because of the way things have fallen. But somehow they keep on. They manage to handle things well everytime. I have watched my family go through so many tough times... and my parents always somehow pull us through. While I certainly believe God has had a hand in that, he used them as the means. I'll be forever grateful to them for all they did for me this year, especially pulling a wedding together in only six weeks. They made phone calls, searched and visited venues, shopped, decorated, cooked, prepared, handled so so so much I can't even fathom, most of which was in the two weeks after Papaw's passing. It was hard. And I couldn't have done any of it without them. They are amazing and I couldn't have picked a set better myself.

3. ...for my siblings. They have been there through it all. We all shared those tough times and watched and waited through a plethora of experiences. We may not always get a long, but we've grown weary of the fighting in our old age, so we avoid it when we can. They make happy times happier, sad times more bearable, fun times more awesome, and angry times infuriating. Ha. Together, we own more inside jokes than all my friends and I combined. I think I could live without them... but I would never, EVER want to.

4. ...for my extended family. I come from a long line of loud mouths. We can talk your ear off about pretty much anything. But we're fun to be around, and once you're in, you're in for life. We lost one of the great ones this year. My Papaw is very much missed all the time and the Christmas party will be incredibly odd without him there cooking up some gumbo in the kitchen and taking a nap once the presents are opened and everyone's eaten. But he will be remembered. We'll look at his chair knowing it'll never really be empty because he's definitely sitting there watching us... and probably laughing. I have a great set of relatives and I wouldn't trade them for anyone.

5. ...for my in-laws. Seriously. From the woman I called my second mama growing up, to the siblings I gained who were like brothers and sisters to me for nearly a decade before it was true, to the father-in-law who dug out all of Dustin's old Christmas ornaments for me this trip, to the extra grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless others... I married into a great crowd. I'm sad to say one of the sweetest people I ever met, Poppy, won't be around this Thanksgiving. But tomorrow we'll celebrate him, too. Because he was Dustin's ultimate hero

6. ...for my university. Maybe it's silly. But I go to a stupendous school. The people I have connected with and the lessons I have learned make me feel prepared for whatever I may encounter once I leave, and I feel that is what I wanted most out of the education. I think that's what most people are after, but many places don't provide it. USA does. At least that's what I have learned. If you ask those questions, get involved in the discussions and interact with those around you (instructors and peers alike), it will make the difference. And so I am also thankful for my growing courage these past few semesters that have allowed me to take in so much.

7. ...for my church family. I use to say how thankful I was for my church. And I still am. But the church I have always called home is no more. This past year it went through a change I thought could be a good one. We combined with another church to save what was left of ours, and offer a new home for theirs. What resulted was not a bad thing. But it was different. And not something I felt a part of. I felt like an outsider looking in the windows of a distant place as the conversion took place. I gave it as much time as I could... but it still felt wrong to me. The new church took a new name, new people, new outlook and traditions. And I no longer felt at home. So for now I am without a church home. My "letter" still lies with Fulton Heights United Methodist Church. But that church no longer exists. So until the time I find a new church home, that is where my letter shall lie. Because for 20 years of my life, that was home. The members surrounding me there became a second family. I had a huge number of extra "aunts and uncles" just because of my church family. I was christened, baptized, taught, and loved in that church. And it will always hold my heart. I remain thankful for what was while I called it home and for the people I still call family because of it.

8. ...for my home. Both of them. I am thankful my parents allow me to live under their roof even after I'm married so I can finish my undergrad at the school of my choice. I am thankful, too, for my home in Virginia. The place my heart lies is wherever my hubby may be, and for now, that is in VA. I'm glad to have his loving arms to welcome me back whenever I get here and am able to visit. Plus, I am thankful for two roommates who help us avoid paying a full rent on our own and don't mind my annoying tendencies when I'm here. They're pretty cool dudes, too.

9. ...for my jobs. Yes that is plural, and yes I am thankful for them. I like knowing the consistency of holding a job for three years will look nice on my resume. I also like knowing the experience I'm gaining with this one-year job is beyond helpful. I never thought I could hold two jobs while in school, and while it's not exactly a picnic, the fact that I now know I can not just hold two jobs and go to school, but manage also to keep up a cross-country marriage, means I can do anything. That experience alone is well worth it. This year has been/will continue to be tough, but I know now what I'm capable of accomplishing.

10. ...for my talents. I've always tried to be humble, but often got lost in humbleness to pure stupidity. I have lacked confidence in the past even in areas I shouldn't. I am very proud of myself lately for recognizing the talents I have been blessed with. Particularly my writing skills. I firmly believe they will be the defining characteristic I'll need one day to do something I want and they will be just enough to push me over the edge to achieve whatever that thing will be. Thanks to God and the long line of writers in the family (yay Scriveners) for passing down those mad skills.

11. ...for my husband. He is listed last, but most definitely not least. That man. That man is my world. I can't express how great my love for him is, especially when I feel it grow every day. He has made my life even better from the moment he stepped into it. He holds me and keeps me warm in this apartment he keeps at a chilly 69 degrees. He reads my dorky emails while he's at sea and just rolls his eyes and laughs. He goes along with me going all out for Christmas. He thinks as we start our own holiday traditions we should try new things... so we're having duck tomorrow for dinner instead of turkey. This is how we do things and this is what makes us a "we." I absolutely love saying "we" because I love knowing who my other half is. I spent most of my life somehow knowing I was supposed to be a member of that family... just not knowing how. Once I figured it out though? It all made sense and the waiting game started. I've always thought God wrote me an extraordinary love story. Sharing that story with Dustin has made it richer than I could have imagined. They can't make stuff like this up. Most of all though? I am thankful that he has pushed on and on with me through 3.5 years of school without much complaint of us being apart. The day before I started college he made his grand re-appearance and has been the number one reason I:
(1) finished assignments on time even after waiting till the last minute.
(2) stayed confident in myself to do what I had to.
(3) made myself push through the annoyingly frustrating and angry times because I knew soon after they were over, I would be back in his arms.
(4) took the time I needed to de-stress on those nights I was in tears worrying about all I needed to do. These moments alone made me fall more in love with him even before I knew I was in love with him.

As we go through the next six months until my graduation day, and then the remaining year he has in the Navy, I'll try to remember all this.
I have been immensely blessed by God and I think I seldom express the gratitude it all deserves. This year, I put it all on the internet for the world to see so maybe this upcoming year, I won't be so quick to forget.

Tomorrow, my very first Thanksgiving with my loving husband, I will be concentrating on my time with him, since it always feels very short. But in those moments, I'll smile knowing how lucky I am to have them at all.

Happy Thanksgiving.
~Jasmine~