The ABC's of Thankfulness {Link-Up}

I’m so excited to participate in this link up with Marquis from Simply Clarke today! This is such a great idea, and apart from everything else listed here, I am quite thankful to Marquis for sharing this idea and giving me the idea to stop and really take some time to be grateful!

A: Advil! Seriously, sometimes those little pills save my life. God bless whoever came up with that chemical concoction.

B: Bubbles! They’re fun and playful, plus they make my little nephew giggle, which makes me incredibly happy.

C: Caleb! With an age difference of only twenty months, my brother Caleb and I have always been close. As I have gotten older, though, I have gained a whole new appreciation for his love, protection, and wisdom. We don’t always agree on everything, but I honestly don’t know where I would be without him.

D: Daddy! I am one of the luckiest girls on the planet, I think, because I really do have the world’s best father. He is always available to me when I want to laugh, cry, ask advice, or even when I just need to hear a friendly voice or see a smiling face on Skype. My daddy loves with the love of Jesus, and I am forever grateful for God’s blessing in the form of a perfect example of His love for me.

E: Eggs! I don’t really like to eat eggs by themselves, i.e. in the form of omelets, scrambled, or on a sandwich. However, I love baking, which is tough to do without eggs, so I’m glad they’re around. Also, I made crepes this morning, which were delicious if I do say so myself, and that would have been impossible without eggs.

F: Food Network! I’m obsessed. Like seriously, it’s probably unhealthy. I could literally sit and watch Food Network all day every day. I get totally inspired by the shows, and have actually used a lot of ideas I learned from various shows in my own cooking.

G: Gum! Is it silly to have this on here? Maybe, but I don’t care. I love chewing gum, it’s true. I love Orbit Wintermint, or Eclipse Spearmint. I love trying new flavors, too! I just think gum is really fun.

H: Heat! I absolutely hate being cold. If I could live on a tropical island for the rest of my life, I probably would, only making the occasional pilgrimage back to cool weather.

I: Ideas! I love love love idea sharing. I love getting to talk to other people about their thoughts, and learning from them. I love writing ideas for the blog. Ideas are the springboard for everything, I think, so I am grateful for the ability to think and share and brainstorm, even moreso when I get to do it with others.

J: Jergens! I love Jergens lotion – the smell, the hydration, everything. Yay for Jergens!

K: Keyless entry! It’s a small thing, but I am thankful for the ability to lock/unlock my car with just the push of a button, instead of having to manually unlock it.

L: Learning! I am beyond thankful for the fact that I grew up in a country that not only allows education for women, but also encourages it. I know there are a lot of women in the world who are less fortunate than I in this, am I am very grateful for the opportunities I have been given to learn and grow and expand my horizons.

M: Money! I hardly ever have any of it, but I’m not destitute, either, and I appreciate the fact even though I may not have much, I have enough.

N: Negative feedback! Obviously, I don’t love hearing negative things about myself, but the thing is, without that kind of honest feedback, it would be a lot more difficult for me to identify areas for growth and improvement.

O: Ovaries! I’ll be the first to admit that I hate getting periods, but I am grateful for the opportunity I will have to be a mother. Obviously, it’s not going to happen for a while yet, but I am looking forward to when it does, and goodness I couldn’t do it without the good ol’ ovaries.

P: Pants! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy wearing skirts every now and again, but I really like being able to curl up in a cozy pair of sweatpants (usually stolen from Boyfriend…I do wear my own sometimes, but I mean, really, what’s the fun in that?!), and who doesn’t love a pair of perfectly broken in jeans?

Q: Quarrels! This sort of goes along with the negative feedback part. I don’t like fighting, but sometimes when in relationships, whether familial, friendly, or romantic, quarrels are a necessary evil. And in my experience, a good, honest quarrel has always been the stepping stone to a much more peaceful and settled relationship.

R: Roads! Driving is one of my favorite ways to clear my head, so I appreciate long roads leading to random, unknown places. Also, I have a strong appreciation for well-kept roads, since in Minnesota, roads tend to be either covered in snow/ice, or under construction.

S: Sleep! Sleeping is awesome. ‘Nuff said.

T: Treats! There’s just something about a treat, be it a delicious snack in the afternoon or a pedicure that stretches the budget, that has the ability to brighten up my day. And since they’re not something I get all the time, that makes it even more special. And um, does this picture look delicious, or what?! ---->>

U: Underwear! I may or may not have an unhealthy obsession with Victoria’s Secret, so I am very thankful for the fact that I live in a time and place where undergarments are a normal part of getting dressed.

V: Variety! Life would be really boring if everything was the same all the time, don’t you agree? It’s quite true, I think, that variety is the spice of life, and I love the fact that there is always something new to see, hear, read, think about, etc.

W: Wine! Ahhh, a glass of red wine at the end of the day is an amazing thing. It’s a great way to relax, and if you get good stuff, it’s also delicious.

X: X-Rays! I’ve gotten a lot of x-rays in my life, and I’m very thankful for the fact that x-rays gave doctor’s the ability to properly treat my injuries/set the broken bones.

Y: Yelling! Sometimes, yelling just feels good. I don’t really like the anger that usually comes along with it, but yelling is often cathartic, and I like that part of it.

Z: ZJ! I know that I have listed two family members already, and obviously I am thankful for everyone in my family, but boy oh boy, I sure do love my first nephew a lot. He is just so cute, and sweet, and loving, and smart! There has never once been a time when I’ve been around him and he didn’t make me smile a hundred thousand times. I love him more than life itself, and I count myself blessed to have that little bundle of joy in my family. 

Seriously, how could you not love this little guy?!

What things make your "ABC's of Thankfulness" list?