Another great week in the books! Here's what I've been thankful for this week.

November 8

My dad. Maybe because it's his birthday today and I'm grateful to have another birthday with him. Happy birthday dad!

November 9 

Podcasts. Commuting can sometimes be tough, but lucky for me I have a daily feed of podcasts to listen to. I'm so grateful to the people that produce these and that I'm lucky enough to be able to produce one with my brother Scott! You can check us out at www.podcastlifeasweknowit.com. (Yes, shamless plug, I know.)

 November 10

Today I'm grateful for great food. Food can invoke all kinds of emotions. It can bring you back to your childhood with just the aroma alone. It can be a comfort when you're sick, or expand your palate. I'm thrilled to be married to a great cook! He doesn't cook every night, but his creativity in the kitchen is always impressive to me and always delicious. This is especially important given that I'm 7 months pregnant and eat all day, every day. 

November 11

As is logical for today's holiday, I'm grateful for the freedom that I have and to those that have fought to protect it. I'm grateful for our veteran's today and everyday. 

November 12

Friendships. I can't say that I have many close friends, but that makes the ones I do have all the more special. I went to a baby shower today for a friend of mine and while I didn't stay long (since I had Gardner in tow) I am so grateful for one of my few good friends and can't wait to spend some time pampering ourselves before our new babies arrive.

November 13

Today it’s time management strategies. We all have so much to do and so little time. I’m grateful for time management tips and tricks because without it life would just be so overwhelming and cause so much anxiety. I consume so much information about how to best maximize my time and any little strategy that can improve my life I try it. The first step is understanding where you spend your time. Then you start implementing little hacks to maximize your time. I could go on and on, but the point is I’m so grateful for the strategies I have in my arsenal to help me manage my time.

November 14

My kids. I had to leave to go on a work trip for the next week. I didn’t get a chance to have a proper goodbye with Gardner when I left him at daycare drop off this morning because I was parked blocking the bus. It made me so sad to leave abruptly and it made it even harder to travel later that afternoon. I know I’m going to miss my kids and I’m grateful to have them even if they sometimes make me crazy. 

In the frustrating moments this morning of getting two kids in the car to get Gardner to daycare you would have thought that I couldn't wait to be away from them. Yet, I was so sad to have to leave them both. Distance really does make the heart grow fonder sometimes.