Happy Thanksgiving! Whether you’re hosting an army this Thursday or bringing a store-bought pie to a small gathering, I hope you have a fabulous holiday! Because It’s Thanksgiving week, I wanted to do what we in the mom-blogosphere refer to as a “Thankful Thursday” post where we list a few things we’re thankful for in our lives.

I have family coming into town in a matter of hours, and for whatever reason, when relatives visit, I tend to get a little neurotic about making sure everything in my house looks better than it usually does. For example, I just re-vacuumed the entire house, only to have my dog and my kids track in more leaves behind me. I feel sorry for my husband because when he sees me like this, it drives him crazy, which makes me even more neurotic. At this point, it is what it is. Three nephews under 10 + my kids + my dog + tons of other relatives= a zoo by the time I pull the (please-be-juicy-and-fabulous) turkey out of the oven.

I’m praying for a pleasant visit filled with happy, healthy kids & adults, blurred vision for those passing any unkempt corners and a dog that doesn’t jump or hump anyone until Saturday.

And I digress. There are so many things to be thankful for this year!

#1 I’m thankful for my family. I’m grateful for my husband who makes me laugh every day and actually enjoys folding his own laundry.

#2 I’m thankful for my third grader and sixth grader. And I’m SO relieved that I don’t have to go through sixth grade again. Although I had a lot of friends, I had no idea at the time that I was pretty much the female version of Farmer Ted in the movie 16 Candles.

#3 I’m thankful that I did most of my food shopping ahead of time so that I don’t have to wait in the check out line with four elderly couples who brought a shoebox full of expired coupons.

#4 I’m thankful for my friends who even with a single text or email, have the power to transform my mood and make me laugh so hard, I often need to run to the little girls’ room.

#5 I’m thankful for my mom and dad. They are wonderful people who raised me to be a caring individual and I’m happy they will be celebrating Turkey Day in Florida or else I would be even more neurotic trying to make everything perfect for their visit. 😉

#6 I’m thankful for online shopping. I don’t have the patience to shop the Black Friday deals in person this year. Going to the grand opening of Nordstrom Rack with friends was awesome, but after 40, crowds are even more annoying. Plus I plan to eat enough food on Thursday to erase any progress I’ve been making with Pilates and jogging, so I’ll need to trot off my turkey (and multiple servings of pies, veggies, potatoes, casseroles, rolls, cranberry sauce and sandwiches) that day.

Happy Thanksgiving!