Happy Thanks A Bunch Day

Our Thanksgiving was a little..... crazy this year. I won't go into details, but we're moving and that just adds so much stress. But thanks to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, I've had the "Happy Thanks-A-Bunch Day" song stuck in my head.

I admit, I've been thinking about my dad alot lately. I've been wanting to call him and shoot the breeze like we used to. I've been wanting to ask advice on house repairs and tell him funny things that the girls are doing and saying. I actually saw a white diesel van with a yellow canoe on top a few weeks ago and thought of dAd and our canoe trip of long ago. I'm seeing just how much he must have missed us when we moved to Utah. I'm seeing how much I really did think about him and talk about him to my friends. I still do.

I've been realizing just how much I'm like him: my sense of humor, my train of thought, my story telling, and my grudge holding. I miss him so much and I'm so thankful for the time I had learning from him and about him. He was a great example of the type of person to be, and the type of traits to have. He also was an example of things to NOT do and to NOT say - but isn't everyone? I prefer to remember that he was just a human man, imperfect. But many of those imperfections are what makes him dear to me.

This year - I'm thankful for my new house and all the potential it holds for family and babies (maybe in the next few years, maybe!) and happy years to come. I'm thankful for the fresh start it offers. I'm so blessed to have a great job and the steady income and not have to worry about being laid off. I'm thankful for good friends (especially Ora & Megan who made the move possible) who care enough to watch out for me and my family. I'm thankful for my daughters - who are sad when I leave and happy when I'm home.

And mostly, I'm thankful for Ryan: for all the happy and sad times that we go through, so we can grow stronger together. Without Ryan, I wouldn't have our girls that keep us going, I wouldn't have the daily joys of trying to make him laugh, or see if he'll raise an eyebrow to one of my many colorful comments. I wouldn't have a happy life at all.

I'm so thankful.