Thanksgiving is a time of year when we all sit back and reflect on all the amazing and wonderful things in our lives we have to be thankful for….

This year I’ve decided to narrow it down to my top 3 for you.

(In reality I could have written a personal narrative a mile long because I truly have SO much to be thankful this year, but if you’re reading this, you probably want the short and sweet. I’ll save the long version for my family 🙂 )

I AM THANKFUL FOR…

#1… My unbelievably smart, funny, handsome and all around amazing husband who has been there for me through so many ups and downs and never stops loving and supporting me. Who would have thought that a year and a half ago when I said I wanted to start my own photography business it would have grown into such a success, but he believed in me. I couldn’t have done it without him.

#2… My children. My oldest, Tyler, is going to change the world someday. He’s intelligent and inquisitive and although he’s growing up quickly, he will always be my baby. Dominick, my second son, who tries his best at everything he does and is successful at anything he puts his mind to. And the baby of the family, Liv, who is my girl, my little mini me, independent and and full of attitude. They’re a crazy bunch but they are what keep me going everyday. Each one has a special place in my heart. They each are unique in their own special way and I can’t wait to watch them grow and become their own person. (But not too fast… PLEASE)

#3… More family, all the extended family who make me who I am. My mom who has become my best friend as I have become a parent and I have grown to understand all it means to be a mom. My dad who believes in me and always keeps me grounded, letting me know how it is, even when I don’t want to hear what he has to say. My step parents who came into my life at quite possibly the worst time in a teenagers life… 15. Yet they were there and now I love them like my own parents, they have a special place in my heart forever. And lastly my brothers and sisters who I still think of as my little brothers and sisters, even though they are all bigger than me now, I will always be the older wiser sister 😉

As you can see, it all comes down to family.

I think the older we get, the more we realize how important our family is to us. We spend the first few years of our lives wanting to be around our parents every waking moment, driving them mad, and then as we grow and develop our own personalities, we no longer want our family around. I do believe it comes full circle though, because now more than ever I want my parents around all the time again… and now I can’t have that. I have to be a parent myself, and watch as my children take the same path I did and know that deep in my heart they will return back to me. My boys are at an age where more and more they think mom’s not cool anymore 🙁 {What happened?!}

The past 10 years of my life with my family have flown by way too fast and I can’t imagine how quickly the next 10 years will pass, so I am taking today to take a moment to appreciate all that I have been blessed with and I encourage you to do the same.

Have a happy a wonderful Thanksgiving… Enjoy your time with good friends and family this holiday!