giving thanks

when my alarm went off this morning my first fleeting thought was a glimpse of sadness that i was not waking up next to my sister in my mom and dad's house to the awesome smells of the beginnings of a thanksgiving dinner. i gave myself a minute to miss cooking with my mama (crumbling cornbread, mashing potatos, mixing many pitchers of sugar and tea, going over "the list" every five minutes to ensure we don't forget a dish), goofing around with my cousins who are much older than we act when we are together, grumbling when my mom makes us go around the table and report what we are thankful for (even though we secretly love it), playing dominos, dozing in front of the tv covered in a fur blanket, and scanning dozens of newspaper ads and going back and forth on how early we will get up to shop tomorrow. this is my first thanksgiving away from my family.

then that minute was up and i am putting the sadness on the back burner. i have way more to be thankful for than to be sad about. here are just a few of those things:

- while i don't particularly want to be getting ready to go to work right now, i am so thankful that i have a job to go to and that i really enjoy going (when it isn't a holiday :))
- i am thankful that i have awesome friends who have invited me to their home after work to eat and be together (and that cort's mom makes dressing that tastes exactly like my mom's!)
- i am thankful that i am gonig to the hospital to work and for no other reason.
- i am thankful that my aggies are going to play tonight and hopefully kick t.u.'s ass one last time.
- i am thankful for all of the preggo's in my life (oddly there are 8) that are having super healthy pregnancies and will have super awesome children next spring and summer (starting with my neice due january 16th!!).
- i am thankful that i was able to get ready in 15 minutes this morning because i have the option of wearing scrubs when i don't want to put on the professional get-up.
- i am thankful that i do get to go home for christmas and have the above experience with the fam (and that my sister is going to text me updates of anything that i am missing today).

while this list could go on and on, i do have to get to work and hopefully bring some thanksgiving cheer to my patients who are having to spend the holiday in the hospital. i hope that you all have a lovely day with ones you love...i know i plan to. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!