Gobble Gobble Gobble!

It's the time of year where we all think about what we have to be thankful for, and this has been such a wonderful year that it's often hard to remember everything that I'm so grateful for in my life.  But I feel compelled to share what has made our lives so fulfilled this year and what we are thankful for on this joyous holiday.

• My husband!  This was the first Thanksgiving we spent as "the Mobleys", and words can't even express how thankful I am to have him in my life.  I'm so grateful for how he works his little hiney off so that we can have the fun, exciting life that we live in Manhattan.  I'm so glad that I found a man whose main focus every day is trying be the happiest and most festive person you could possibly be.  It's an infectious characteristic that makes me smile, and makes it hard not to get caught up in his happiness.  He's incredibly supportive of me and my unpredictable hours in a crazy New York ad agency, and he's patient with me when I don't wake up singing and whistling like he does every morning.  Not a day goes by that I don't thank God that our paths crossed 3.5 years ago in LA and that we get to spend the rest of our lives together.  

• Our families!  Not only do I have two amazing parents who have given me anything I could ever want in life, but I just doubled my luck this year! We're so thankful to have the strength of two loving and happy families to spend our lives with as Christmas comes closer.  We wish every day that we could be closer to both our parents and our siblings, but that just means that we cherish the time that we do spend together that much more. 

• Winston!   It may sound silly, but that little critter brings both of us more joy than you can ever imagine.  I know that one day Michael and I will be wonderful parents to a real baby, but for now, he's it!  He's made us the little family unit and I can't imagine how sad a day would be without seeing that wiggly little hiney every day when I come home from work.

• Our Friends! Mike and I have a really, really fun life, and that is because we have really, really, REALLY fun people to spend it with.  We have friends all over the country, so there is sure to be a good time regardless of which state we visit.  But you all (and you know who you are) make us so happy, and the times we spend with you are some of the most festive celebrations ever.  We love you all and look forward to many many more great times with you. 

• Our home!  They say that home is where the heart is, and I'm thankful to have the quaint little Manhattan apartment that we live in.  It's almost been two years since we dramatically downsized from our LA living, and I appreciate every day that our sweet doormen give us a happy wave.  Or when I can have my laundry delivered to my front door, or that I'm just mere steps away from the 6 train.  Our fireplace may be electric, and our closet space is pitiful, but I'm proud of the home that we've built as a couple and I'm thankful every day that we are fortunate enough to live in such a special place.

• Iron Maiden!  I asked my wonderful husband to contribute to the blog with things he's thankful for, and this was his response...sigh.  

So it goes without saying that our first newlyweds Thanksgiving  was memorable and successful.  We are lucky to have some family close by in Connecticut to minimize the nightmare that is Thanksgiving holiday travel.  This year, we got a special treat because we had family from Chicago come in to join the DuPont family in Connecticut!  It was quite a houseful.  The wine was flowing, there was a lot of laughter, and of course, there was too much food.  We definitely missed the Mobley family, but we'll get to see them in just 3.5 weeks on Christmas Day.

I'm always a little sad when Thanksgiving is over, because it's a holiday I look forward to so much every year.  As a child, I always thought that Turkey Day was a pointless holiday that got in the way of me getting presents and putting up Christmas lights.  But as an adult now, Thanksgiving has come to mean so much more to me now.  It's more than just a gluttonous day of treats.  It's about family, and surrounding yourself with the ones you love.  It's about taking time out of the daily grind and the pressures of the real world to focus on what's really important in life.  Yes, the food is delicious, and football is on all day, but there is nothing more joyful than a houseful of love & happiness.