1. Family

My family on the farm. This picture doesn't include my newest
nephew but it's the most recent photo of us all together

The first thing that I'm thankful for is my family. This is a pretty obvious choice, and well, it's true. I really to believe that I have one of the greatest families in the world. We all love each other and have a great time together, and I'm really thankful for that. I can't help but feel sad when I meet someone who doesn't get along very well with one or more members of their family, simply because I can't bear to imagine not being as happy as I am when I am with my family.

Whenever somebody asks me what makes me happy or brings me joy, the first thing that pops into my mind is my family. Sure, there are other things that bring me a lot of joy as well, but my family tops the list. So many of my favorite surprises, memories, and occasions involve my family. Some of these include, in no particular order:

1. Kimberly and Charles randomly appearing on our doorstep for Christmas

2. Patrick calling me on a particularly rough birthday in high school. I'm sorry if I've never told you this before, Patrick, but I was really having a rough birthday where nothing seemed to be going right until you called. That call meant the world to me that day. Thanks.

3. Getting to meet and play with my nieces and nephews over the years

4. Having the whole family together for our family reunion in 2008. It's getting harder and harder to have everyone in the same place at the same time.

5. Pretty much any time that I spend with my family. It doesn't matter where it is or what we're doing.

6. etc. The list could go on forever, I just don't have the time for that right now.

Finally, I can't finish this up without saying thank you to my parents. They have been an endless source of love and support throughout my life. They've always been there when I've been struggling with something, making big decisions, and to congratulate me and support me through all the good times as well. I never have any doubt about their love for me, and I love them too. I know I don't tell them that enough (in fact, they probably think that I never say it), but I do.