Top Ten Things I Am Thankful For

For this week's Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and The Bookish,  the topic is things you are thankful for.  I decided to go in general, rather than focusing just on books.  Here we go:

1. My dad:  My dad has always been there for me and is a great role model.  He's the one I go and whine to when I am ready to find a solution.  He is always helping me figure out what I can do to make situations better. He's also my #1 writing criticizer.  He isn't afraid to pull punches so I know that he is being honest and he helps me improve my writing. I credit him with my good grades all though my schooling. 

My dad with my niece.

2. My mom: The older I get, the more I realize I am turning into my mother, and I couldn't be happier. My mom is the most selfless person I have ever met.  With nine siblings, you would think it would be easy to get lost in the shuffle, but somehow my mom always makes me feel special.

Me and my mom at my wedding

3. My husband: My husband is one of the weirdest guys I have ever met, and I love it! There is never a dull moment with him.  He is true to himself and never worried about what other people think.  He tells me every day that I am beautiful and that he loves me. We are very different, but he loves me for exactly who I am. He makes me happy every day.

Me and my husband a few months before we got married

4. My siblings: I have a big family.  I am one of ten kids. While I hated it as a kid, now that we are all adults, we are each others best friends. We all hang out together and talk all the time.  I love them all!

This is the only picture I can find of my whole family (and this was quite a few years ago)

5. My job:  I have worked for the same company for over seven years (minus nine months). I quit and moved home to be with my family, and after nine months started to work for them again, this time from home. Its this job that gives me the ability to listen to so many books on tape. It also put food on the table.

I was my boss for Halloween this year.  Creepy!

6. My dog: I adopted my dog a little over a year ago and we have been best buddies ever since. As a five year old pitbull mix rescue from a pet hoarding situation, the pound didn't give much hope to her being adopted. But I can't imagine why.  She is with me all through the day, and never likes to be apart. She is sweet and gentle, even with my young nephew.

This is her spot next to my desk

7. My blankets: Ok, so this one is a little weird, but hear me out. I work from home, so I am almost always in my pajamas.  I also usually have a blanket wrapped around me. Its microfleece, which is the best!  I love that I can be this comfortable all day long.

My dog with one of my blankets (spoiled!)

8. Mt. Dew: This wonderful beverage is my go to when I am having a bad day.  I don't know if its the caffeine or the sugar, but I almost always feel better right away.

A tall glass after a long day

9. R. L. Stine: So Red Rain was a flop and I hated it, but I still adore this man.  Goosebumps were the first books I remember not being able to put down.  R.L. Stine started my love for books.

Seriously, don't read this book!

10. Sports: I love sports! I remember watching baseball with my mom as a kid and have slowly grown to love more and more.  I'm the person who yells at the tv, like the players can hear me.  Silly, I know, but I love it.  It's one of the first things my husband and I ever talked about and helped strengthen our bond.

My husband coaching high school football

I could keep listing things, but I will stop with just these ten.