Happy Thanksgiving!

It was sort of a weird Thanksgiving for our family this year. I'm used to lots of family and friends, lots of noise, too much food, not enough time, not enough chairs, a lot of stress, but tons of fun. Though this year has been quite a bit smaller and much quieter, it has also been a lot less stressful.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but a quiet, unstressed holiday was not it. Regardless, I'm thankful for the people I was able to share the day with, and I'm thankful for the remaining family we will share Saturday with instead of today.

This is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek, superficial, a little bit serious list of what I'm thankful for this year:
1) The turkey turned out great and was even done a little bit early!
2) The stuffing and gravy tasted OK. (Both were usually my Mom's job, and I've never had to make them before.)
3) I didn't have to eat Waldorf Salad, which I have disliked my whole life. Regardless, it felt wrong having Thanksgiving without it.
4) My family is currently healthy, and several of them have had great success. It's been exciting being able to celebrate their successes.
5) New nieces and nephews - Who would have known that adding a couple adorable kids to this family could be so fun!
6) I'm able to walk as far as I think I'm able to walk. No IT band problems, no sore knees, no sore ankles - I'm feeling great.
7) WALK! Magazine is currently growing faster than I can keep up with. I've hired help for processing orders. Though it is stressful, it is a good stress.
8) We have really enthusiastic subscribers! I get great e-mails and notes all of the time. I wouldn't be able to continue doing this without your positive comments.
9) The WALK! Magazine Walking Team was so much fun. When I envisioned this group, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. You all are great! As a side note, the events I entered this year have been a blast! Thanks to everyone who walked with me this year.
10) I have a somewhat new outlook on life. I am really appreciating mornings more than I ever have. Even cold and rainy mornings look great from my office window. I'm not always out walking when I should be, but I have a new appreciation for what can be accomplished very early in the day.

This isn't turning out the way I had intended when I started it. Though this year started out pretty rough for us, many good things have happened to balance it out, and I'm extremely grateful. I'm especially grateful for the friendships that have helped us get to this point.

To all of you friends, subscribers, Walking Team members and everyone else who reads this silly blog, I hope you all have had a wonderful Thanksgiving!