Holiday Season Challenge

Woah. Another crazy year almost coming to an end. The holidays bring up so many things that I am thankful for. So many things that I don't know how some people live without.

First off, there is my family. To put this into perspective for my readers who don't know me very well, my family is huge. I have 25 cousins (All between the ages of  3 and 26), 6 aunts and 5 uncles (not counting their spouses and all of them are married except one uncle), I have 5 sets of wonderful grandparents. I have been told that I am spoiled with family, and  maybe I am. While I don't normally spend the holidays with one side of my family, I get to spend it with the other 2 sides of my family. I had a ton of fun today and two of my grandmothers did a wonderful job hosting an amazing Thanksgiving lunch/dinner today. I am so thankful for the craziness that is my family. We have strong opinions that we try to keep to ourselves, but for the most part today with them was a ton of fun.


Second, there is my boyfriend. Today was his birthday and he spent it with his family. (Back story that I think is really cute.) Aaron and I met through the Guard. We both shipped out to basic together, so when I was sitting in the airport, anticipating for the long 10 weeks ahead, he was with me (along with two other great people.) Playing BS, and other card games in the middle of the airport floor. We were in the same graduating class from Basic and we came back to drill together for the year in between Basic and AIT. After that, we went our separate ways. We started talking again this fall and I have had a ton of fun getting to know him all over again. I look forward to all of the laughs and memories that the future brings. (Also, isn't he quite the cutie. (: )

Third, my best friend. Matt. Yes. He is my ex. Yes. He is still my best friend. He has been there through thick and thin for me. He has helped me through some really hard parts in my life. I simply don't know what I would do without him. He and I have gone on crazy, spontaneous road trips. We have spent countless hours watching some of the dumbest tv shows and laughing over one line out of an entire season. We will continuously quote that line for weeks, even months after we watched the episode. He has completely ruined my sense of humor and I now laugh at things that I would have NEVER laughed at before I met him, but I have also had the opportunity to broaden his mind. He really gets me when I am having a bad day. I am so thankful for all of the inside jokes and memories between us.

Forth, I am thankful for my writing. While I don't write on this blog as much anymore, I have been doing a lot of personal writing lately. Journaling a lot of my thoughts, prayers, goals, dreams. Writing and reading have always been a small escape from reality and I truly don't know what I would do it. I am also thankful for this blog, even though I don't write on it nearly as much as I would like to. I have a couple posts that are in the works, I just haven't had the time to pull them together. Without reading and writing, I would be lost. I spend so much time doodling, making lists of to dos and goals. I go back through and read my old posts and my old goals and dreams all of the time. I have watched my writing develop from where it was in the beginning and watched my thoughts grow as I have also grown.

Fifth. I am thankful for the simple things in life that I take for granted every day. I have a warm home. A full fridge. A car that runs. A job that pays. A start on a college degree. I have plenty of clothes. A friends list of more people than I even have time to talk to on a regular basis. Other than a slight cold, I don't remember the last time that I have been sick. I don't have any room to complain about anything in my life, but I truly feel like that is something I do the most. I complain about the things I don't have or the things I "need."

I "need" a car that gets better gas mileage. I "need" a place of my very own with no roommates. I "need" to buy the best foods. I "need" a better job, one that uses my education. I "need" to take more classes. I "need" a few more pairs of jeans. I "need" more close friends. I "need" to lose weight to be happy. I will always "need" something, but what about the things I already have.

I am sure that as you read through my list of thankfulness, some of this started to sound familiar. You are thankful for some of the same things I am, but you also "need" some of the same things I do as well. You were probably nodding your head as you read some of this, thinking "Yes, I completely agree."

There is so much negative in the world every day. People complaining about what other people are doing in their lives. People running other peoples' lives. Facebook drama about who said what to who. I am tired of it. Life is absolutely too short to be this negative. To be this angry at people. This holiday season, I am going to try to make the most of it. I am going to work on making the most of every single day in December to celebrate my family, friends, and skills in some way or another. Please continue to follow up with my plan and my adventures for December. My goal is to post quite often on my blog through the month of December and I would love for everyone to follow me and do the same.

Watch a Christmas movie. Bake cookies with friends or family. Decorate the house. Write a story about your day. Start to write a book. Spend and evening curled up talking with friends/ family. Connect and really catch up with someone you haven't talked to in a long time. Forgive, and actually try to make amends with someone you have been holding a grudge with for too long. I want to do as much as I can through the next month to celebrate all of the things that I have to be thankful for. I spent November listing them on Facebook, but now I want to really celebrate the great things in my life and I want others to do it with me.

Please share with me. What are you celebrating this holiday season?