THANKFUL.

I had much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. An awesome new job, a love greater than any I've known, and the continued support of my family and friends. I've got more than I could have asked for, and likely more than I deserve.

The office closed at noon on Wednesday and after lunch and short-lived farewells with Drew, I headed out to Oakland to help mom prep for the big day. I'm beyond happy that her back surgery went so well and that she's almost completely back to normal and able to handle the amount of work that goes into having the extended family over for Thanksgiving. Having the biggest house in the family is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to holidays. It goes without saying that you're expected to host all gatherings, and my parents do so without ever making a fuss about the cleaning, cooking, and cost that goes into it. I'm glad that they are able to do so and am more than grateful that they continue to uphold the traditions our family has created. It gives us all something to look forward to during the holidays.

The prepping on Wednesday turned into more of a pre-Thanksgiving celebration, with a taco bar and lots of family and drinks. Ashley and her kiddos came over and I got my baby fix. Baby Clara is just the sweetest. The boys played cribbage, as per usual, which turned into a heated economics-fueled chat about farming. The joys of living in the midwest.

Thanksgiving festivities started around noon on Thursday, and I was on my way back to Omaha by 5:30 with a food coma and a couple extra pounds of pure body fat. All I could think of was wearing sweatpants and snuggling my cat. Not much different than any other day at 5:30, I suppose.



All in all, it was a wonderful Thanksgiving and I'm happy to be home avoiding all of the crazy Black Friday crowds today. Instead, I'll spend it watching football while simultaneously filling online shopping carts with clothing that I can't afford yet.

-k.