Gratitude Challenge!

This week is all about being thankful and one of the lovely blogs that I follow (Keeping Up with Kelly & Co.) is doing a gratitude challenge and although I can't commit to the full 21 days, I love this particular challenge. The goal is to make a list of things you are grateful and thankful for using the letters of the alphabet as a guide. So, here's what I came up with:

Alpha Omicron Pi. I was a member in college and met some of the most important people in my life there. I grew so much during those four years, learned so much about myself and had the time of my life. I am still involved through the Advisor Committee and am so grateful to have this organization as part of my life. 

Bailey May. It’s no secret that I am OBSESSED with my dog and treat her as though she is a human baby. In fact, one of my nicknames for her is Human Baby. I love her so much and am so grateful to have her unwavering and unconditional love.

Christmas! I am grateful for all things Christmas….Spending time with family. Amazing meals. Great movies and music. And most importantly celebrating God and faith. 

Dance. I love it. I love to dance. I’ve been dancing my whole life and it’s always been really important to me. I also love to watch dance….I love going to shows and watching dancing shows (So You Think You Can Dance is the best show ever created!)

Edina is the city I grew up in. It's a beautiful suburb of Minneapolis and I LOVED it. When I moved there in 7th grade I was nervous and scared and thought for sure I would hate it, but I was so wrong. I loved the high school, I loved our house and neighborhood and I especially love the amazing friends I made while growing up there! 

Family. J and I are blessed with an enormous amount of family members and they mean so much to us. I am so grateful to be so close to my grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, cousins, parents and siblings and that J’s family has embraced me and included me. 

Gopher football! If you read this blog on a regular basis then this is no surprise to you. I went to school at the University of Minnesota and have been a die hard Gopher fan since the first day I moved in to the dorms. Going to the Gopher home games has gone from a fun college Saturday social event to a special time to be with family and friends. 

Hot Sauce, Frank’s Hot Sauce in particular. I don’t know what I did before I discovered this amazingness. I am thankful for Frank and his hot sauce for making all my food taste that much better!

In-laws. I am so grateful to have not 2 but 4 amazing people that will soon become my in-laws. I have known J’s dad and step-mom (Kevin & Judye) since I born and they have always been like an aunt and uncle to me. Lisa and Deward (J’s mom and step-dad) are newer in my life but are amazing. 

Jason. He is the love of my life. My best friend. My soul mate. My rock. My partner in crime. The funniest person I know. The most annoying person I know. The cutest person I know. I am so grateful to have to J in my life and I can’t wait to spend the rest of it with him. 

K___________. My last name starts with a ‘K’ and my mom’s maiden name starts with ‘K’ as well (sorry kids, I wanna keep my identity somewhat private). I am really proud of my roots and my heritage and my family. I am excited to be an F______ when I marry J but it’s weird to lose my last name. It’s been my identity my whole life and connects me to my family, it’ll be strange not to have it anymore.

Libby is my best friend in the entire world. We’ve been friends for over 10 years and I don’t know what I would do without her. She is the only person in the world that understands my sense of humor, only because she has the same. We have laughed and cried and been there for each other through thick and thin. She is one of the funniest and without a doubt the most beautiful people I know and I love her sooooo much! 

Military. I have a really close friends who spent significant time in Iraq and getting calls from across the globe hearing first hand what he was going through gave me so much more appreciation than I had before. I am so grateful to live in a free and protected country and am forever in debt to those who leave their families and friends behind to serve and protect. 

Nate is my younger brother and I don’t think I could love him anymore. He is a senior in college, the captain of the basketball team and the funniest person I know. I am so grateful to have a close relationship with my brother and cherish the amazing memories we have from our childhood. 

Opportunity. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given. The opportunity to go to school and the opportunity to open a business are the big ones!

Parents! I have two pretty amazing parents who I adore! They’re both hilarious (in completely different ways), support me no matter what I’m doing, love J, and buy me dinners now and then. I am really grateful to have both of my parents and to have amazing relationships with both of them. 

Quiet! There are some people (J) who always need to be doing something or don’t like to be alone…I am not one of them. I covet my alone time. Whether I’m just sitting and doing nothing, or reading a book, or taking a nap I am grateful for my “me” time.

Reality TV. I spend a lot of my free time winding down from an exhausting work schedule and nothing helps me unwind more than my shows. I watch a couple of “real” shows, but for the most part I love reality TV and am grateful it was created.

Sisters! I grew up with one brother but when I was 12 I got a little sister and then this past August I got two big sisters and next November I will get two more sister-in-laws. I am so grateful to have these wonderful women in my life! 

Twin Cities. I LOVE where I live. Minneapolis is a beautiful city with so much to offer. I love our downtown because it’s a big city but it’s not huge, it’s easy to get to and easy to navigate. I also love that St. Paul gives you a whole different feeling, a smaller downtown with more history and so beautiful. The best part though is all the lakes. This area is so beautiful and whether I’m walking around one of the city lakes or on a boat in one of the suburban lakes I love being by the water.

United States of America. I am proud to be an American and proud to live in this beautiful country. One of my favorite holidays is Fourth of July and I tear up every time I hear the National Anthem (seriously, I do).

Vacation. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to travel. I love seeing new places and wish I could go on more vacations. I have a long list of places I want to travel to and can’t wait to have the opportunity to do so. 

Wealth. I’m not swimming in the dough by any means but I’ve always had a roof over my head and food on the table. I have always been taken care of and have never had to deal with major hardships financially. I am really grateful to have had parents that provided for me and I hope that J and I are able to provide financial stability to our children as well.

Xenwood…wait for how clever this is….Coffee Buzz is located on the corner of 36^th Street and Xenwood. I am so grateful to have this business and be doing something I love. It’s not always easy but it is super rewarding and hopefully some day all of this hard work will pay off!

Years…this is a stretch I know, but I am really grateful for all of the years of my life. It hasn’t always been a bed of roses but I am very lucky to be healthy, have a healthy family and have so many amazing memories. I am also excited and grateful for the years to come.

Zzzzzs…I love sleep. I am so grateful to have a warm and comfortable bed perfect for naps, a good night’s rest or an entire day of catch up snoozing. I am also grateful that J gave me this idea because I was going to write about Zebra Print….I am really am grateful that it’s in style again. 

What are you thankful for?