Sounds like everyone had a pretty good Thanksgiving. So glad to hear it. Hope everyone got a chance to do that all embarrassing circle around the table where everyone has to say what they are thankful for. Joe’s family made me do it. Hope somebody made you do it too. If you live in a world where someone doesn’t shame you into saying Thanks on Thanksgiving, I’m sorry. But here’s your chance. I gave my embarrassed head hung word of thanks in front of the whole in-laws family. It’s tradition, and my mom made lots of people do it over the years at our house, so it was my turn. But now that I’ve had a week to think about all the things I have to be thankful for this year, I figured I’d send it out into cyberspace, without everyone hungrily waiting for me to do it, ready to pounce on the Turkey and Cran, wondering if I’ll do the Huge No-No “skip me”. I really am very thankful this year. Maybe more than ever. Maybe because I’m older. Maybe because I now know better how important it is to remember how good life really is and how blessed we are to have it. I’m thankful for my parents. For loving me, for teaching me, for working together first, and for us second. I’m thankful God — and my parents — gave me built in best friends. For Michelle and her caring kind loving selfless bold sensitive tenacious protective loyal and giving way. For Jonathan my big little brother my roommate my friend my confidant and protector when times seemed too tough to go alone and someone who looks up to me and takes care of me at the very same time. For Robert and his good nature and hilarious dark humor his good taste in wives and his ability to act like he is doing nothing at all while silently carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. For Kristin who holds us all together without a complaint for loving us all like she’s known us forever and being one of us even when that is not a fun thing to be. For baby girl Frieden who I already love and who reminds me that we have so much good life ahead. For Liz. Sweet Liz. Heart of gold, spirit of fire, voice of an angel. My little Liz. My grown up friend. With a grown up life, helping me through grown up problems who is still just my sweet little Lizzie. For Benn, a rock, who would come over and wake up a brother and drive him where he needs to be and for loving Liz and letting her grow up into a beautiful independent woman… because I would keep her eight years old if I could. For Daniel. Dan the man, our baby boy with the ancient soul. genious. silent and strong. And for Isaac, our reminder that God does not make mistakes. I am thankful I get to work at the job I’ve wanted since I was 8, that I have been blessed to abundance, for so many friends and family, for the two spiral bound cookbooks in my cupboard holding the memories and reminders of my heritage (and keeping my family from starving to boot), for my puppies to love, for Joe’s family, for DVR (I can’t help it, DVR is fab). For my God and his sacrifice and the blessings of answered prayers every day in every thing I ask (whether I always know it right away or not, I know it always works). I’m so thankful for the promise that I don’t have to understand everything, because He does. And all things work together for good. For things so numerous I can barely count. And for my husband, my best friend, my enough.