ABC's of gratitude

Today's challenge is to use the alphabet to make a list of things I am grateful for so here goes:
A: Autumn..it is my absolute favorite time of year..the changing color of the trees, college football, pumpkins, the colors, etc.

B: boating on the island with my family. I absolutely love being on the boat with my family, and since we moved to NC this was the first year I got to experience this for more than just one weekend during the summer.

C: Coffee!!! I don't think I would survive without my morning coffee

D: My dog, Mason. He is the best dog in the whole world. He is such a great cuddler, never barks, doesn't really shed. I couldn't ask for a better dog.

E: Evenings at home. I love when Nick gets home from work, and we have that time together. I love making him dinner, sitting down at the table together, and then cuddling up on the couch to watch some tv.

F: Family. I have the most amazing parents and siblings in the entire world and miss them so much now that we live here.

G: God, Although I have been away from the church for a few years and not really practicing my faith, I feel like God is calling me to get back. And it is a really good feeling. I am so grateful that I was raised Catholic and believe in God, and can now go back to the faith that I grew up with.

H:Husband...I love my husband more than anything in this world, he is my best friend, my soul mate, and he makes my life so incredible wonderful. I could not imagine having a better husband than Nick!

I: Ice cream...a small thing i know..but I love it : ) It's a great comfort food. lol

J:Jessica, my best friend who was killed in a car accident 3 and a half years ago. She was the most inspiring person I have ever met, she had a wonderful spirit and was a great friend. Even though she is gone, I feel her with me all the time and I am so grateful that she was in my life, even if for a short time.

K:Kelly Rickels..she is my cousins wife and a great friend! She has been there for me through so much, listened to me bitch and cry, always gives me great advice, and never judges me. She is a wonderful person and I am so grateful that my cousin fell in love with her : ) I just wish we lived closer, I miss her allot!

L:Love. I am so thankful that I have found the love of my life, and was able to let go of my fears and allow myself to love this amazing man that God has given me. Love is truly the most wonderful feeling in the world!


M:my mom, she is so amazing. Every day I have more and more appreciation for her and everything she did/does for our family. She is an amazing woman, and truly like a best friend to me. I can always call her for anything and she always knows how to make me feel better.

N: Night out.. it is so wonderful when we do get to have a night out together, whether its just to get some dinner or going to the bar with our "Topsail Friends" : )

O: Old friends, time was not age! lol My friends are wonderful and some of them I have known for so many years I can't even keep track! Being away from them is really hard, but when we do go home to visit I am so grateful to see them and know that we will always be friends. No matter how far away we may live.

P: Parents..I know I already talked about family and my mom, but my parents deserve two mentions, at least!! I am so grateful that my parents are such caring, giving, and loving people. I had such a wonderful childhood and I am so happy that we have such a great relationship. And I am even more grateful because now I have wonderful in laws as well. They are two of the sweetest people I know, and they really make me feel welcome in their family.

Q:Quiet..sometimes it is nice to just have peace and quiet and reflect on my thoughts or have time to pray. Knowing that we want kids some day and that quiet time will be rare..I am grateful to have it right now : )

R: Recording device..aka my DVR. I am so grateful to the genius who invented this. I hate sitting through commercials!!!! lol

S: Sunshine..it can make any day better and I get so much more of it in NC than I did in Michigan!!

T: Topsail Island...this is truly the best place in the world. It is so beautiful and peaceful and I am so blessed that we only live 2 1/2 hours away and go visit anytime we want.

U:United States armed forces!! They are true heroes and I am so thankful that they choose to put there life on the lines everyday to protect our great country. (Thank you Michael, Joey, and James!)

V: I won't say the actual word..but lets just say I am grateful I am a woman(and have this anatomy) and not a man! lol Being a woman is a wonderful thing.

W: Waffle Saturdays..something very simple but that means allot to me. When I was growing up, my mom made pancakes every Saturday and I loved it. So every Saturday that we are home I make waffles for breakfast and I like to think of my waffles as our own little Baker family tradition that someday my kids can talk about.

X: Xmas..it is such a magical time of the year, and I always feel so blessed to have so many wonderful memories of Christmas with my family while I was growing up.

Y:Year..with my birthday coming up this seems very appropriate. I am grateful for every year I get to be alive.

Z: ZZZ's---I have such a hard time sleeping(between insomnia and Nick's snoring this doesn't happen very often) So when I get some ZZ's I am very grateful.