Giving Thanks: Part One

It's that time of the year again!  I cannot believe that November is here already.  Where has the year gone?!?!

I love November.  Not just because it's my birthday month (yay!), but because so many good things happen during it.

I love the cold weather it brings and the fact that election day is always on the first Tuesday of the month (yeah, I'm a bit of a goober). 

 It is always exciting to know we all get an extra hour of sleep thanks to daylight savings and we can curl up in bed, under the covers, and stay warm for just a bit longer.  

The leaves are gorgeous shades of reds, greens, yellows, and oranges this time of year!  I always love driving down country roads and taking in the sites.

We have one day this month to eat gloriously rich foods with family and friends and not feel guilty about how many calories we've had until the next day.

After Thanksgiving I can put up all my Christmas decorations!

And who doesn't enjoy the feelings of gratitude and general happiness towards others?  

On the topic of gratitude and happiness, every year I write down what I am thankful for.  God gives us so many blessings and it is easy to get caught up in life and to take what He gives us for granted.

This year has been pretty amazing so far and getting married was definitely the highlight.  I would say the first thing I am thankful for is my wonderful, hardworking husband, but I think that's a given.  Instead, I'm going to tell you how thankful and overjoyed I am to officially be a part of my husband's family!  They are some of the nicest, most giving, and wonderful people I know.  I met them a few months after Chris and I started dating in 2009 and have been a part of the family ever since (and now, it's official!).

This family photo is from December 2010.  Our niece was about
three weeks old in this picture!  

I'm officially part of the family now!  Unfortunately our
brother-in-law couldn't be there but he was definitely missed!

My entire family at our wedding.  This doesn't include
all the cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, or our
brother-in-law, but this is most of our immediate family!

We also had one other addition to our family: our nephew.
My youngest sister was able to visit the family in the hospital
and get pictures of him.  I'm a little jealous that he is awake
in this picture because every time I've seen him he is fast asleep!

Stay tuned for part two of my four part series!