A: Aspen, Colorado. It's on my 2016 Bucket List (or to-do list, really). I spent so much time there growing up, and it's where I rode my first horse and went to my first ranch. My "aunt" lives there, I haven't seen her in way too long, and Wacey needs to see him some real mountains. It's the most magical place, Aspen, even though they have one of the most expensive Starbucks in the country, literally.
B: Bert. This is our sixth holiday season together, and they just keep getting better! This guy is an all-around great person. I like him.
C: Canines. Our dogs are the best! We miss our Jay buddy on a daily basis, and the other dogs are still adjusting to his absence, but we're getting there. So, Gaucho, Duckie, and Punch, I love you guys.
D: Daddy. I love my dad a lot. He's my Personality Twin (much to the occasional chagrin of my mom), and I love getting him goofy things for Christmas. This year's goofy gift has been ready to go since September.
E: Equines. I give thanks constantly that Bert has good horses to ride. He's had several very close calls that could have turned into major horse wrecks but didn't, thanks to our wonderful horses who kept their heads and allowed him to get them all safely out of the situation. It's one of the hazards of being horseback constantly, and one of the hazards of marrying someone who is horseback constantly.
F: Faith. I lean on it more and more as I grow up, and especially since becoming a mom. Faith makes me a better, more intentional, more thankful person, which in turn makes me a better wife and mother. It's like going home, you know?
G: Grammy! I cherish my grandmother. We talk often, she has the best stories, and literally knows a song or saying for any life situation.
H: Home. I love our house, and it's the first house we've lived in that really feels like home. We're so lucky that we have such a gorgeous house to live in!
I: In-laws. I have a stellar set of in-laws, and whenever I read a Dear Prudence about terrifyingly nutso in-laws, my love for them is renewed.
J: My Jeep. Again, weird. I know. But Hans (yes that is his name) and I have been together for almost eight years now, and we are best friends. He has survived being hit by bulls and antelope, a run-in with an ancient Volkswagon and a runaway four-wheeler, and has been on every ranch that I have. We've bounced through hayfields and awful county roads, been through Yellowstone twice and up I-70 to Winter Park and Breckenridge too many times. And, (knock on wood), he has never once been stuck.
K: Kin. I love my family, I'm so happy that they exist. It's especially great now that we've added Wacey into the mix--there's so many people to love him an it's great.
L: Library. We live near an AWESOME library and it's my favorite. I check out books by the pile (see "T" for proof), and devour them. I have a Kindle, too, that I love, but you can't beat the smell of books or wandering through a library to find them. This is also a major luxury for me; we've never lived close enough to a library to make it work, and I got my library card within one week of being here. I cannot wait to take Wacey!
M: Momma, of course! What would I do without that lady? Seriously. She's the best. She's harder to shop for than my dad for Christmas, though.
N: Netflix. Unlimited documentaries. No commercials. Longmire. The simple things. When we got new phone service, we got new internet, and being able to watch Netflix again makes us feel pretty hip.
O: Octobers. You know the quote from Anne of Green Gables about being glad about living in a world where there are Octobers? I'm all about that jazz. I mean, November is also great. But considerably more dead-looking.
P: Perspective. One of my very favorite parts about becoming a "grown-up" is the ability to put things in perspective, and know that everything has a season, and some seasons are easier than others, but they're all worthwhile and they're all valuable.
R: the Ranch. We love the ranch where we live and work, and I am thankful every minute of every day that we were given the opportunity to come here. The people we work for are the absolute best, and it makes life so much more enjoyable when you work for and with good people, especially on a ranch.
S: Safeway Starbucks. Yes, I just went there. We've never lived so close to a Starbucks (aka within 15 miles), and I relish the days that the Office Lady (me) gets sent to town for supplies or to pick something up from the farm & ranch store because it means I get to stop in and grab me a coffee. Aka coffee frappucino, but still. Sometimes, on Sunday mornings, I even get to run to town to the grocery store alone and get a coffee while running errands. The simple things, I tell you. I think it stems from living in Starbucks when I was in college. I'd get there early early on Saturday mornings, claim my table, and study well into the afternoon. It was one of my happy places! I have dreams of being able to work in Starbucks occasionally. Or any coffee shop, really, but coffee shops in rural towns aren't always common, so Safeway Starbucks is sometimes the only option.
T: Telephone. This might sound superficial, but it isn't entirely. We got new phones this month, and new phone service. Have you ever had a time when you didn't realize you were subconsciously worrying about something until the problem was solved? It turns out that I was worried about what we would do in case of an emergency since it was so hard to get a cell signal on our old provider. Now we can make a call anywhere in the house and all the way down to the barn and I'm thankful for that added level of reassurance that I won't have to frantically search for signal should I need to make an emergency call. Bert also gets signal in a lot of the pastures now, so that also makes me feel better.
U: Uggs. Again, totally superficial. But I love them. They make me happy, and cozy, and for that I am thankful. U is hard, okay?
V: Our village. It truly does take a village, and I'm so happy we have one! This year, in particular, has been so much better because of our people, new and old, who have supported us through all the changes that come with having a baby. Thank you, village people!
W: Wacey, naturally. He's the best baby. Happy, silly, chunky, and a darn good sleeper. He surprises us every day with something new he's learned (today he showed me that it's time to lower his mattress in his pack n' play at the office because he can reach up and pull things off of my desk), and his silly little personality. He's also adorable, no doubt about it. We love him.
X: X-mas. Okay, I know this is sort of a cheat, but X is hard! Christmas is in full swing at our house--tree is up, garland is hung, lights are aglow, and Wacey is trying to unplug everything. It's magical, truly!
Y: Yankee Candles. On cue, every fall, I start my Home Sweet Home and other fall- and cinnamon-inspired scents. In December I move to Balsam Fir. They remind me of home, and make the house smell like the holidays.
Z: Z is hard, y'all. Zippers! Particularly the two-way ones.
Happy belated Thanksgiving, and happy almost-December!
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