I am thankful for...

First off, I would like to apologize for not updating this as often as I thought I would. I was so excited to make my blog when I did. I still have yet to actually design my blog. I know. I’m slacking. Hard. I’m sorry. My bad. Please forgive me. I’ve just been super busy with work and other things. But I promise that I will try harder to keep everyone updated with all the things that are occurring in my life. Actually, I will make a blog to follow this one within the next few days. I promise.

I would also like to say that my brother is here in town for Thanksgiving. I don’t think I have ever spent Thanksgiving with him. (Weird, right? It’s a really long story that I will explain in another blog on another day.) I honestly could not be more excited to spend a holiday with him and his awesome family. Yay!

I was going to do the daily status thing on Facebook. But I don’t know if I could think of that many things. And I didn’t have time for that. Maybe next year? I don’t know. We’ll see how this goes.

So, without any further ado, here is my list…

1.  I am extremely thankful for God. Without Him, I don’t know where I would be. I have been through some dark times and some difficult trials in my short 22 years. I know that if my parents had not raised me in church, I would not have had a connection with Him. I would have probably never found Him. So, that is another reason that I am thankful for grandma. (She has her own post down below.) Anyway, back to God. He is my rock. My fortress. And my refuge. I know that He is the one person that will never leave me no matter what I do. I will forever praise Him.

2.  I am thankful for my family. Even though we fight sometimes and push each other’s buttons, some more often than others, I really do love them. Some of them keep me sane. Other’s drive me insane. (Everyone has family members like that, right?) But, I really do love my family.

3.  I am thankful for my job. My job really is a lot of fun. I really am thankful that I have the opportunity to work for a company that does so much for their employees. I have some pretty awesome coworkers too. My coworkers treat me and each other as a family. Not just a team or people that you have to semi-tolerate, but a family. It really is great.

4.  I am thankful for having a car. I always say that I’m not very fond of my car, but I’m very thankful for it. It’s roomy. It’s reliable. It’s relatively new. And it’s affordable. For real though, my payment is crazy cheap. I don’t think I could have gotten anything for the same price that I was willing to drive. So I really am thankful for my car.

5.  I am thankful for my grandmother. I seriously have no clue what I would do without her. She put a roof over my head when I was an infant. She has pretty much been my mother. I could not repay her back for all that she has done for me. She helps me in every way and any way that she can. I do not thank her enough.

6.  I am thankful for my Aunt. She had a lot to do with my upbringing. She has taught me more about life than anyone else in my family. Seriously, this woman would probably die for me if it meant I was safe and sound. She is someone that I know that I can always count on. I always have a good time with her no matter what we do. I don’t thank her enough for all that she does.

7.  I am also very thankful for my mother and my other grandmother. One thing is for sure, there is never a dull moment with my mother. She’s definitely a character. My grandmother is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. I pray that I age as well as she has.

8.  I am gratefully, eternally, very thankful for my brother and his wife. Between the two of them and their kids, I am constantly laughing and having a great time. There is never a dull moment when I am around them. But seriously, I really do love them. They have helped me through more things that I can ever repay them for. I know that I can always come to them about anything without being judged or ridiculed for it. I am also very glad that he married her, even if I did meet her on their wedding day. (Thanks, Bro.) But seriously, I really love both of them.

9.  Speaking of their kids, I am extremely thankful for my niece and nephews. Seriously, they may sometimes be a handful. But they really are the most intelligent kids I have ever met. They are five, four, and two. (My brother and his wife were very busy.) But for real, they are awesome. The oldest is hysterical. It is never a dull moment being around him. The middle one, oh, where do I start with her? She is definitely a princess. She even got a pillow yesterday to prove it. But don’t let the cuteness fool you. She’s devious too. The youngest really impresses me the most when I watch him grow. How many two year olds do you know that can unlock a smartphone and find the exact game that he wanted to play? Yeah, I can’t think of any others either. Ok. So, I may brag on my niece and nephews. What of it? I love them. Seriously.

10.  I am thankful for my best friend. I would not know what to do without him sometimes. He’s hysterical. He keeps me laughing all the time. He is the person that I rant to about things. He keeps me sane. It’s really a good feeling when you know that you have a friend who you know will always be there for you no matter what you tell them. It’s also nice having someone to talk to, other than family, and know that you’re not being judged. For that, I am eternally grateful.

11.  I am very thankful at how forgiving God is. I tend to screw up. A lot. I try. I really do. But I still fail Him quite often. So, His abundant second chances and never ending grace is much obliged. He really is amazing.

12.  I am really thankful for music. Music has the power to ruin or brighten your day. It can change you mood for the better or worse. Music can bring back memories that go along with whom you were with and where you were when you heard the song. It can also make you think of people depending on the meaning of the lyrics. Not many things can actually do that.

13.  Speaking of music, I’m really thankful that God gave me a semi-awesome voice. Some people tell me that I am really talented. I have my doubts sometimes, but it’s something that I am really passionate about. I really do enjoy singing. I someday hope to make a career out of it. But I don’t know. We’ll see.

14.  I am thankful for my pastor and his family. They treat me like I am one of their own kids. I really feel at home when I am at their house. Seriously, they always ask me if I want tea when I walk in. Who wouldn't like that?! Even though their kids are off at college, we always pick up right where we left off. They’re some of my best friends. They’re also some of my longest kept friends. I really love them.

15.  I am very thankful for technology. You would not be reading this without it. (See? You’re also thankful.) But for real, what did we do before smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs, cameras, those vibrating head massaging spider-looking thingys, etc.? That list can go on for days. So for that, I am very thankful for the inventors of these things for making my daily life easy and bring me hours of entertainment. You are awesome, inventor peoples!

16.  I am thankful for my father. Even though he was killed thirteen years ago, I am still learning so much from him and about him. It’s really funny when people tell me that I am exactly like him. (I’m not sure if that’s good or not. But’s I’ll take it. Haha.) I loved my father more than anyone will ever know. The man, despite all that he was involved with, would have done anything for me if he was able. Though I will never fully understand why my father was killed, God knew what he was doing. He knew that it would have lasting effects for generations to come.

17.  I am thankful for seasons. I love the different temperatures and changes in the climate. Fall and Spring are definitely my favorite. I really love watching the colors change on the leaves until they eventually end up on the ground. Then the best thing to do is jump into piles of leaves. I also love that everything is pumpkin flavored. I love that it’s cold but not freezing. So getting all you need to go outside is a coat or jacket. I really do love fall clothing. It might be my favorite type of clothing. Spring is my second favorite because the temperature is perfect. And we can officially start swimming again. And I can wear shorts. I really love shorts. It’s funny that these two are my favorite because I have terrible allergies. Why am I thankful for seasons you ask? Can you imagine having one season all year-round? Yeah, I’ll pass on that too.

18.  I am thankful for animals. Seriously, I love them. I really wish that I had a pet. But sadly, I do not. You know that guy that stops in the middle of the road to move a turtle? I’m that guy. I’ve always wanted to travel around the world to see all of the different animals. Except maybe not Australia. They have some terrifying creatures in the Outback.

19.  And last bit not least, I am thankful for food. Yep, food. I really love food. It’s one of my favorite things in the world. I really love eating. Speaking of, it’s thanksgiving. Guess what my favorite part is. The food! I am so stoked to start grubbing on this feast that consist of turkey, ham, dressing/stuffing (whatever you may call it), green bean casserole, pies, etc. My mouth is watering just thinking about.

That’s actually a much longer list than I thought I would have. I’m sure there are more things that I am thankful for. I just can’t think of them at the moment. I may add more to it later. So just check back. Once again, I love you guys! You are awesome! I’m out!

Recently...

Since this is my first blog on here, I thought I would give you an insight into what's been going on in my life lately. So, here we go...

        I went on a vacation in July that could not have had more prefect timing. I needed this vacation to happen. I was at a point in my life when I was confused and needed guidance and that's exactly what I received. God really opened my eyes to a lot on this vacation. I was going through a rough time. My girlfriend of a year and a half and I had just broke up for reasons that were out of either of our control. It's a horrible feeling when you don't have control of something, especially when it weighs so heavily on your heart. Even worse, we don't even speak. It sucks. But it's better this way, I think. My brother and my sister-in-law helped me through a lot that week we were at the beach. (By the way, I REALLY love the beach. I could live there. Seriously.) It turns out that they went through similar situations. The only difference? They're still together and extremely happy. I'm not saying that I'm not happy, I just ready to be as happy as I once was. I'm ready to be whole again. That may take time, but I'm getting closer each day.

        On a happier note, I filed my FAFSA a few days ago. (HA! Take that, government! You are, once again, paying for me to go to college!) It feels awesome to finally get something productive done to move forward in life. But considering that I have to get three semesters off of this money, it may not be enough. I might have to add some of my own money to it, but none-the-less, I'm extremely excited to start back school in January. I just need to be motivated to actually do well this next semester. But before I start school, I need to save some money and buy a few things. So, I'm about to start finding a second job. I need a new phone. My blackberry broke so I currently have a crappy flip phone that barely does anything. (How did I function before I got a smartphone?) I also need a new laptop. This one has it's good moments, but it pretty much sucks. (Macbook, maybe?) 

          I also recently bought a new car. (Yay! For new cars!) For once, I have something that is reliable and will not leave me stranded two hours from home. (That happened with my last car.) I now have a 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser. It's not what I wanted, at all. But I needed a car and it was affordable. So, it will do for now! Hopefully I can trade it next year. Fingers crossed.

          All in all, my life is going pretty well right now. It could be better. But it could always be A LOT worse. Let's hope it doesn't get worse. Fingers crossed for that too. 

          I think I'm done with this post. I'll keep you posted on my thoughts, epiphanies, both funny and heartfelt stories, and more recent events as they happen in my life.