Thanksgiving

So much to be thankful for. Where do I begin? I guess I'll start at the beginning. I am thankful for the love of my life, Eric. I feel like everything really fell into place in my life when we found each other. Granted, we found each other at 18 and 19 years old, dated for 2 months and decided we would be better as friends. Well, maybe I decided that and broke his heart. But he was a WAY better person than me, and stayed my friend. And ended up being my best friend all through college. And he was my best friend through my many dysfunctional relationships. And he was the person I turned to when the worst things in my life happened to me. And one day I just started to look at him with completely different eyes. And I realized that I had fallen in love with my best friend. It was all complicated and messy, considering he was in a relationship with someone else, and had been for 5 years. But somehow we sorted through all the bullshit, and realized that at the end of the day, it was always supposed to be him and me. So finally at 27 and 28, we found our way back to each other. And he loved me at my ugliest (or what I consider my ugliest.) At 360lbs, he supported me when I decided to have gastric bypass surgery. And the best part about it was that he didn't really want me to have it, because he was afraid something would happen. He always said "You are beautiful, you don't need to do this." And that made me love him more. But I still went through with the surgery. And he held my hand through it all. And he took care of me. And after losing 180lbs, his love was just as strong as it was when I was so much heavier. He always supports me, loves me, takes care of me and makes me laugh on a daily basis. Eric, you are my everything and the light of my life. Nothing means anything without you by my side. There certainly are no words for me to express how thankful I am for you.

Finally in Dec 2003, on a snowy (read: BLIZZARD) winter night, we got married in what was the happiest day of my life! I couldn't imagine being happier. And we enjoyed the first year of marriage. But then we decided to start trying to start our family. And we all know how that story ended. After a tough road, we have (no offense to anyone else) the most beautiful babies in the world. I didn't think I would be able to love anything or anyone as much as I love Eric, but that was just silly of me. I can't even explain what it felt like to see and meet my kids for the first time. It's a moment I will never ever forget. I am beyond thankful for those two perfect little angels. They have fully made my life complete, and I really feel like the luckiest person in the whole world. I have been blessed with so much love in my family that sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure this isn't some sort of dream, because it truly feels like it is.

I am focusing on my immediate family in this post, but there are so many other things and people I am thankful for. My parents, my sister (who is my best friend), my brother, my in-laws, my job, my home, my health, my family's health. Gosh, the list goes on and on.

I can remember so vividly exactly one year ago. We had just found out that we were having a boy and a girl. It was still such an intangible thing. I couldn't wrap my brain around the fact that we were going to have two babies! Now on this Thanksgiving, I'm so glad they are here, and healthy and happy and thriving.

So, Happy Thanksgiving to you all! May you take a moment to appreciate all the amazing blessings that are in your life.