On This Especially Poignant Thanksgiving...

This Thanksgiving is the first time I think I've ever felt such enormous gratitude. Sure, I'm a grateful person by nature. It's hard not to be when you survive a stroke at age 24, only to make a full recovery and be able to return to your normal life with nothing more than a little pill to keep you going. As most people now know, this past year has been a roller coaster of hopefulness and sadness for me. I continue to try and focus on the positive (which is not hard to do when you have such a gorgeous little boy greet you with a smile each morning). This year's list honors the people, places, and things in my life which are purely GOOD.

First and foremost, I am thankful for this little boy:


I'm also thankful for this guy, who happens to be an amazing Daddy:


And, of course, I'm thankful for this fluffy ball of love:


Sometimes I lie in bed with Daniel, Peter, and Ollie, and I'm overwhelmed by the amount of love and belonging I feel. I am loved unconditionally by all 3 of them, and they are my rock.

I am thankful to Daniel's school for making him feel so special and for encouraging him to try new things. I am thankful for my yoga class, which keeps me physically and mentally in shape and is a constant reminder of all that I have accomplished in the past 8 years. I am thankful for my Mommy friends, with whom I can commiserate without fear of being judged (and whose stories of personal struggle have gotten me through this tough year). I am thankful for cozy nights at home with my family, when it doesn't matter if I have a pimple or I'm a little bloated. All I'm expected to do is be present, in mind and body.

This list wouldn't be complete without some degree of superficiality. On that front, I'm thankful for chili lime tortilla chips, In Style magazine, and my Old Navy fleece pants. I'm thankful for TV shows like Glee and The Office, which always bring a smile to my face, and for actors like Simon Baker and Hugh Laurie, who aren't entirely unpleasant to stare at for an hour a week!

To sum it all up, I'm thankful to have the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom. It is a blessing to spend each day with my little boy. With him in my life, even the dreariest days have sunshine.