Thankful.

I know it's cliche to write a blog about being thankful at Thanksgiving...frankly I am thankful everyday for my life, my wife, and my son.  But in the spirit of being thankful for the things that matter most, I am thankful for (in no particular order-this isn't a ranking).

My wife for putting up with me and for letting me be me.  My son, because he has filled a space in my life that I didn't know was missing, he completes our family and he is our pride and joy.  My family because they helped make me who I am.  I am thankful for in laws that have accepted me into their family as one of their own.  I am thankful I have a job in a company that respects me and what I do.  I am thankful that my career helps me keep food on our table and our bills paid, many aren't so lucky.  I am thankful for my friends because they keep me in check and the keep me grounded.  I am thankful for my health, many aren't so blessed.  I am thankful for my renewed fitness and lifestyle I struggle everyday with the thin line between veggies and chips...here's hoping I keep eating the veggies.

I struggle at times with the holidays being married now because we have to do our best to divide our time among both families.  I don't wish it any other way, because I am thankful that we have this dilemma as well.  We will spend our afternoon/dinner with the in laws, then head over to my grams for dessert and so that my extended family (cousins etc) can meet Noah.  I am incredibly grateful that my family gets along, that we don't bicker and fight.  I am blessed that my family isn't divided due to conflict.  I want my son to grow up in a family like that, I want him to enjoy family functions like I did as a kid.  I just want for him to have many of the wonderful, loving experiences I had as a child.  Being that this is his first ever Thanksgiving I am sure he won't remember it, but there will be plenty of pictures to prove that he was there.

Eventually we will need to create our own traditions as a family for the holidays, tradition is what shapes us, tradition is what makes the holidays so important.  I want Noah to understand the reasons why we get together at the holidays and the only way he will see that is to experience tradition and family.  Our families don't have any unusual or unique Thanksgiving traditions yet.  The most important thing for us is the experience with family, it's what brings us to the table and keeps us out too late that night.  During the holidays I feel like there is so much going on that we don't have time to connect with everyone close to us.  I hope no one thinks less of us because of it.

We love all our family and all our friends and we are grateful and thankful everyday for all of you.

Happy Thanksgiving all!  Now, go out and eat too much, don't drink and drive, and don't regret it the next day...what's a few extra miles on the trail when you can have a full belly and lifetime of wonderful memories with family and friends!  I hope your Thanksgiving is as wonderful as it can be!

Noah says Happy Thanksgiving to everyone too!