Giving thanks

At dinner last night my brother and I were discussing something dumb to do on Thanksgiving. Normally my grandparents are not here and we have a really laid back dinner at our house. We decided to dress up as pilgrims and Indians and go over to my grandparents house, as a joke. Since my mom is a preschool teacher she has oodles of ways that we can make crazy hats and outfits out of paper and other craft items.....in case you don't already know this, my family is goofy/quirky/just plain odd sometimes....haha. Last year for Xmas my dad dressed up like cousin Eddy from Christmas Vacation. Here is a photo of my crazy family.

In the midst of all this we started talking about making the "hand turkey" and writing on the fingers what you are thankful for. I think a list of 5 things is pretty limited so here are my 10 things I am thankful for:

1. My family - They have been there for me through every up and down and I love them. They always make me smile and always know the right thing to say.
2. My friends - We've had our ups and downs, some of them have moved away, some I've lost touch with but no matter what they have shaped me and they have shaped my life.
3. The opportunity to go to college - Okay so I messed up along the way, screwed off and failed some classes but college has really helped me grow as a person and I am so glad I decided to go to Otterbein.
4. My pets - Yeah, yeah, but you have to understand I love my kitties. Webster has grown up with me and she is now 20 years old. Last year we lost one of our cats, Priscilla, and I miss her soooo much and we also lost our golden retriever Pete who was wonderful and the most loving dog I have ever been around.
5. My health - I feel pretty fortunate to be healthy and to have that going for me at my age. I know there are plenty of people out there who struggle with their health (I have a good friend who has type 2 diabetes and another that is immune deficient).
6. My job - Again, there are a lot of people who are not fortunate enough to have jobs right now and that is a horrible place to be in. Although it took me 3 months to find this job it was worth it and I am learning a great deal here each day.
7. Andrew - Okay so we have really had our ups and downs but he has taught me a lot about life. Since we met I've felt like a more complete person and I've learned that a relationship is not all about expensive gifts and going out every night, its about enjoying one another and letting yourself totally open up to someone.
8. My God-daughters - Abigale just turned 5 a few weeks ago and Natasha turned 3 this summer. Those little girls are the light of my life, I just wish I had more time to spend with them!
9. My extended family - Granparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Second Cousins, they are all so wonderful and I have a special relationship with each of them that I would not trade for anything in the world.
10. My faith - I've gotten back in touch with my more religious side over the past year and it feels good. I'm not going around stuffing it down anyones throat but I am glad to be in touch with my faith again.

So what is everyone else thankful for?? (Sorry this blog is super long)