Giving Thanks

This post is part of the Give Thanks Link-Up Party organized by After Nine to Five, Julie Ann Art, and AdelynSTONE.

If you'd like to share your own thankful thoughts, head on over and link up!



This comes on the heels of our wedding, when people really showed us their love and generosity, so I feel that I have more to be thankful for than I can adequately express. That also means that I have TONS of photos for this post! Yay!

My thankful thoughts after the jump...

My Husband, Our Wedding, and Our Honeymoon.


Man, do I love that man.

I wasn't one of those girls who fantasized much about my wedding dress, my engagement ring, or anything else wedding related. In fact, I didn't even think about what went into a wedding until my sister got married last year. But as our wedding was happening, I understood it was all perfect. The photo above made me realize something: anytime something goes wrong, big or small, I'll have my best friend here with me to see me through. Our venue made our wedding much harder and more stressful than it had to be, and they neglected several of their duties including providing us with a knife for our cake cutting. But still, we just floated through the day. We tried our hardest not to let their shortcomings interfere with our fun. Seconds before this photo was snapped, I was freaking out and mouthing the word "Knife??" in confusion to the catering lady who just stared at me blankly. But Mike was patient and just told me to go along with it. So this photo shows us just rolling with it, feeding each other the icing corners of our top cake that we had scraped off with forks, and still having a blast. We honestly had no clue what we were doing.

I'm grateful that the two of us got to go on the adventure of a lifetime in Iceland for our honeymoon. It was such an enchanting place, and although not all our family and friends really understood the appeal, they all chipped in to our honeyfund and made it possible. When it comes to traveling, I feel like the two of us are the same speed: we want to see and do as much as we can, but often on our terms and only seldom with tour guides. Plus, we know when we need a night to relax, eat pizza, and watch pirated episodes of America's Next Top Model. And we did just that after a day of climbing Iceland's smallest mountain.


Our Friends.

These are the people that watch your cat when you are gone. They're the people that go to the pumpkin patch with you. These are the people who will cook Thanksgiving dinner with you, because in this town, you're the closest thing to family. They help you keep tradition alive when you are far from your family, and help you start traditions that will memorialize this new phase of your life.

They will fly out to your wedding, stand in their places, do what they're told. They know how important this day is to you, and no matter how silly they think your new wife is, they won't screw it up.

They will drive you to your early morning hair appointment, finish your breakfast for you when your nerves are too high, and ask their boyfriend to be disc jockey for your ceremony. They will giggle with you, calm you down with stupid jokes when you are freaking out before the wedding. They will wear makeup, even though they don't know what foundation is, and will even don a dress they may not like so much in front of all your friends and family. And they will be smiling and laughing the whole time.

They will take care of everything while you are freaking out about remembering your vows. They will put your centerpieces in their places, make your reception hall beautiful, drive your stepmom around before and after the wedding. And they will do this without expectation of reward; they do all this just because they are good people and they care about you.

These are your friends.


My Family.

Nobody understands you quite like a sister. She grew up where you did, so she knows what it was like unlike anyone else. I learned tricks from my sister. I learned the true story from her, because unlike my parents, she knew when I was old enough to not need the constant sheltering/protection.

When we were little, we fought, of course. But as she matured, she became not just a sister, but a role model and a friend. She had to struggle through everything first, and she made sure to tell me what she learned. Her experience and willingness to share made my life easier. She has always given me the wisest advice. Katie, this is what I meant to say in my toast last year, so hopefully it finally makes sense.

I bet you can guess who is my mom and who is my mother-in-law.

I grew up with the most reasonable mothers in existence, I think. She rarely raised her voice; I bet the last time was probably when I was 11 or so. Seriously. She understood that adolescence sucks, and being an overbearing parent doesn't help. She was there when I needed her, but respected my privacy and empowered me with the trust that I would not royally f*** up. She was a patient and loving parent (still is.)

This year, I spent a lot more time at home than I usually do, and I had a lot of fun doing mommy daughter things as adults. I think we got fish tacos about 10 times this year, always splitting a beer, and laughing at how they had spelled her name on the receipt (Sherrin, Sharren, they get creative.) We shopped an ungodly amount, looking for wedding outfits, makeup, etc. I always have fun with her, and she never fails to laugh at my dumb jokes and mumbled sarcasm.

Now I look forward to our phone chats. We talk art, we discuss books, we joke. I love my mommy.

My Stepmom is one of the most selfless and sweetest people in my life. I know that not everybody gets along well with stepparents, which is why I feel so lucky to have a stepmom I love and who loves me back. I couldn't imagine growing up without her. She had this sort of stabilizing effect on my dad, and when she moved in, his place started to feel more like a home and less like a rented apartment. She and my dad had a beautiful marriage, and she will always hold a special place in my heart.

These three strong, intelligent women are my family and I couldn't be more grateful for their love, guidance and support.

This Life.
I love living in Sacramento, even when I hate it.
I love going to the park for my run and seeing all the happy people having fun and returning soccer balls that roll into my path.
I love having a craft room and the ability and reasources to be creative.
I love reading, meeting with my book club, and sipping hot chocolate while talking about this month's novel. 
I love lighting candles in the evening, snuggling with my husband, and watching Thursday night TV.
I love that cat that sleeps at my feet all night and begs me to throw her mouse for her before bed.
I love it all.

Lastly, I'm thankful to my brother-in-law, who took all those beautiful wedding photos! He has been a great presence in my life for several years, and he really rose to the challenge of documenting our wedding. It means the world to us to have wedding photos that were taken with love by someone we care about.