Thankful.

Thanksgiving was lovely.  I spent all weekend with my family, and it was really nice.  Not sure if anyone remembers my Family post, but I read that to my family at dinner.  Everyone teared up or cried a little, myself included.  It was pretty cool to be able to put my feelings out there in a way I don’t usually get to.  I was actually really nervous to read it to them for some reason, but I’m glad I did.  I never want to be in a position where I think back at all the things I should have said.  I only wish my brother could have been there.

School is winding down.  I finally see the end of the semester.  I’m all registered for next semester, although that was an ordeal in itself.  I got it all worked out, though, and one of my classes that had initially filled up had an open spot, so I’m relieved.

A couple of weekends ago, I went on a trip with my friend from work, his fiancee, and my roommate, along with six other people.  We all drove down during the day on Friday, went out Friday night, tailgated all day and saw a college football game on Saturday, and went out Saturday night.  On Sunday, we all drove back to our respective homes (a lot of us were from different surrounding cities).  It was a really fun time, and I ended up hitting it off with one of the guys on the trip.  We’ve been talking since, and he seems really  nice.  I don’t know if anything will come of it, and I’m not too concerned.  He lives 4 hours away, which sucks.  It’s a place I like to visit, though, so who knows.  Like I said, I’m just getting to know him for now, and we’ll see what happens.

God, I really can’t believe 2014 is almost over.  Time is speeding by.  I figure I should start thinking of some resolutions for the new year.  Hmm…

Family.

The one thing I am completely and absolutely thankful for above all else is my family. I spent a lot of time over there the last weekend recovering from getting my wisdom teeth out, so you’ll have to excuse all of my gushing (and this may be long). 😛

They are some of the best people I know. The more time you spend with them, the more you want to be around them.

My dad is the hardest working man I’ve ever met. We didn’t grow up with much, but he constantly worked his ass off to make sure we were getting by. His sense of humor is so cheesy, and he loves to make people laugh. He quietly endures his struggles, never wanting burden anyone else. And he’s always made sure that I’ve never doubted for one second how much he loves me.

I sometimes think my friends like my mom more than they like me, ha. She is the backbone of our family. She’s always kept us together, even when everything else was falling apart. She has a way with words, and she lets us know what unique qualities she loves about us. She is full of strength and resilience, but she’s also playful and fun. Whenever I’m down or upset, I call my mom. She is honestly one of my best friends.

I love how my parents care for everyone they meet. More than that, I love how they love each other.

My older sister is quite rambunctious. She’s made some mistakes in her life, but she’s worked hard for everything she’s achieved. She’s always been a guiding light for me. She is talented in many ways. And my favorite part about her is that she laughs loudly and often, no matter what life throws her way.

Brother #1 will always be my delicate little brother, no matter how strong he is now. He is the first person I ever really had to defend, and I did it without hesitance. He is sweet and kind. His wit is unmatched. He has the most self-control of anyone I’ve ever met, and that’s only helped him in life.

Life never feels quite complete without brother #2 around. I’ve missed him a lot lately, and I dream of him often. He lives halfway across the country, so I don’t get to see him near as often as I’d like. He has that way of getting under your skin and making you angry, then cracking a joke and making you laugh seconds later. He is seriously impossible to stay mad at. He works hard and plays hard. He has always been fearless, and that’s something I’ve always admired.

My little sister is a firecracker. She always says what’s on her mind and doesn’t have a filter. She cares for others passionately, and she has so much empathy for others’ struggles. She is full of faith and quiet strength. She is just starting the next step in her life, but I am completely convinced that she will be very successful.

And finally, my youngest brother is a combination of a lot of things. He is very cautious at times, only to turn around and be completely brave. He is very verbal with his feelings, and he’s not shy with hugs. He is a good person; he’s the type that will say “hi, how are you today?” to a stranger or help an old woman with her groceries.

I will never, for one second, take for granted how lucky I am to be a part of such an amazing group of people.

In Deep.

I’ve sucked at updating lately, but I’ve been busy! Camping, fishing, mini road trips, and enjoying the short bursts of sunny weather we’ve had.

I deleted my Tinder today. I haven’t ever met anyone off of it anyway. I was sick of the pointless, dead end conversations and the creeps looking for a lay. I had been holding out hope that I’d meet someone cool, like a couple of my friends have, but I’m still seeing the guy from before, and it’s awesome.

I am in deep, and I’ll totally admit it. There are so many things I like about him. We have been talking every day and we hang out often.

Yesterday, we went fishing. It was windy, but warm out, and once we had casted our lines, we sat and talked. At points there were times of comfortable silence and I was sitting looking out at the water, and I felt so damn appreciative for where I was and who I was with.

Like I said, I’m in deep. I don’t know how all of this will end up. It’s scary as hell, but I’m not half assing it.

And I love how that feels.