Today officially kicks off our Week of Crazy. My brother is getting married on Friday (yeah!!!!), so tomorrow after school we have the final dress fitting for the Bean and haircuts to pretty ourselves up, Tuesday night we have parent-teacher conferences, Wednesday is the rehearsal dinner, Thursday is Thanksgiving, Friday is the wedding and Saturday is my niece Lala’s 3rd (!!!) birthday party.  And then on Sunday, we all collapse.  Say a quick prayer for my sanity, won’t you?

I’ve really slacked this year with my 30 Days of Thankful postings (slacked = haven’t done it at all), which is a shame because I have so much to be thankful for. So here in they are, in no particular order:

> It’s 15 degrees outside. Today I’m thankful for my house, our fireplace, cozy blankets and cuddly cats.

> My family’s health. While 2013 hasn’t been the best year for us, my family (close and extended) has stayed healthy. I know that can change in an instant so I thank God for that every day.

> The kindness of friends and family.  From the minute I shared news of my layoff with my friends and family people went above and beyond to help in every way possible- from showing up at my house with chocolate, cheesecake and booze to passing my resume on to anyone they thought could help. I must have done something amazing in my past lives to be surrounded by so much positive energy and support.

> The Hubs. Oh how I love that man. He’s a giant pain in the butt in so many ways, but in all the ways that count, he’s steadfast and steady, encouraging and supportive. I picked a good one when I picked him.

> The kids. I joke about them a lot on here. I tease them, I share funny stories and I vent about the frustrations of raising two very smart, very busy, very independent kids. But they are my everything. There aren’t enough words that I could find in all the languages in all the world to share how much I love them. So I won’t even try. Just know that they are loved beyond all comprehension.

> My family. Living in NY means we see my family a lot and the Hub’s family as much as possible. And I wouldn’t have my life any other way. I can’t imagine a life where seeing our parents, grandparents, siblings and extended family frequently wasn’t the norm. The Hubs and I had to make some changes to ensure we could stay in NY and raise our kids with family all around around and it was one of the smartest things we ever did.

> My friends. The ones I’ve had since 3rd grade and the ones I’ve had since Scorch was 3 and everyone in between. Each of these smart, funny, empathetic, kind and lovely women are some of the best blessings in my life.

> Books. When life got hard, it was a relief to slip into a world that wasn’t mine. Whether it was a book that had me counting my blessings because at least that didn’t happen to me or it was a book that simply allowed me to escape into a whole other person living an extraordinary life, books have been a lifelong blessing.

I’m sure when I end this post, I’ll think of a million other things to be thankful for (like my various part time jobs, our critters, my comfy bed, good music, etc).  While I might not have had the time to look for all the lovely in my life lately, I know it’s there and I never take it for granted. So bring on the craziest time of the year- I can’t wait to celebrate all that is good!