Thanksgiving Day . . . wait, what day am I on again?

Okay, friends. I'm giving up on the daily posts. I know, I know, it's sad, and I'm a quitter, and blah blah blah. But let's be completely honest here. I haven't written a post in thirteen days. I have a week's worth of drafts saved, but for the rest, I'd have to think back to the specific days and postdate the posts and all that jazz. So, I'm giving up. I'm too busy for this. I'll still hopefully blog on occasion, but I've got other things on my mind. And I'd rather spend my evenings with Andrew than worrying about my daily post.

But that doesn't mean I'm not thankful for everything I have. As any reader is well aware, I am so thankful for my incredibly wonderful fiancé. He is amazing and so patient with me when I'm ornery, which has been more frequent than usual lately. Not because of him, though—he is always so understanding. When I just need to cry for some unknown reason, he doesn't question it. He just offers his shoulder and lets me cry. And then he talks to me so I can pinpoint what's wrong. I love him so much.

I am also thankful for my awesome family, which I got to see quite a bit over Thanksgiving. Andrew and I spent a few days at my parents' house, and it was fun to see my nieces and nephews and spend time with my family. It was a relaxing few days, and it was a much-needed break.

In other news, Andrew and I have an apartment! It's a basement apartment, and it has a lot of space. The kitchen, master bedroom, and master bathroom are huge. There are two bedrooms, so we should have plenty of room for all our crap. The family that owns the house and lives upstairs seems really nice, and I think it will be a good situation for us. I'm so happy that we have a place to live! Our own little space. I can't wait to move in and start making it our home.

There are a mere 84 days until I get married to the love of my life. That's a little less than three months. As of yesterday, we have been together for six months. And it's been six of the best months of my life. Really. I'm so happy. And although 84 days still seems like a long time, I know it will go fast. We take engagement photos this Saturday (and I am so excited!). We have a bazillion Christmas parties to attend during the next few weeks. Then it's Christmas and New Year's, when we can move Andrew and hopefully a good portion of my stuff into our apartment. Then I'll be taking bridals, and we'll be getting our announcements out. Then I'll have to worry about getting everything ready so I can take my endowments out. And then it's our wedding day! So when I think about it in terms of what still needs to be done, 84 days isn't long at all.

I apologize again that I fell short with my month of thanksgiving. But it's all in my heart, I promise.

Thanksgiving Day Thirteen

Tonight was a very low-key kind of night. Andrew wanted to play his new video game, and he told me he'd like some company, so I went to his place prepared with a book. I spent a good portion of the evening with my legs over his lap, reading my book while he played his game. That may sound boring to some, but I thought it was very nice.

So while I am thankful that Andrew and I go out and do things, I am also thankful that we are capable of doing our own things, and doing them together. I didn't necessarily need to have 100% of Andrew's attention tonight, but I wanted to be near him. He makes me happy, and I like knowing that he's near. When he had a break in his game, he would rub my leg, and I loved that little acknowledgement of my presence. I'm thankful that we're comfortable enough with each other that we can do our own things while still being together.

And yes, most of my thankful posts this year are going to be about Andrew. Because he's amazing, and I'm thankful for him every day. I'm marrying him in 97 days, so he's on my mind. All the time.

Thanksgiving Day Twelve

Tonight we had FHE at my apartment. We played Rock Band, and since the game is mine, it made sense for me to be there to set everything up. My roommate bought some pizza and we were set to have a grand ol' time.

And then people showed up. There were a couple of people who were fine and just had fun, but there was an entire apartment of giggly, air-headed girls that were flirting with an apartment of tools. I don't mean to be mean or horribly judgmental. I'm sure these people are perfectly fine people. But the combination of personalities there made for an . . . interesting evening, to say the least. Everyone was really loud, and there was one guy who was particularly douchebaggish. I'm sure he thought he was something else, but anyone who calls me "girly" is automatically put on my douchebag list.

Believe it or not, this is leading to something that I am thankful for. Which is the fact that I am leaving student housing and singles' wards forever in a little over three months. I am so thankful that I don't have to deal with the dating game anymore and that soon I won't have to deal with the drama of other people who are dealing with it. I no longer have to worry about who's dating who and who likes who and who has a history with who and who hates who, and I can't tell you just how happy that makes me.

Also, as much as I love my roommates (they're some of the best girls I know), I am so thankful that soon I will have my own place where everything will be mine and Andrew's and we won't have to label food or clean up other people's messes. I can't express just how wonderful that thought is after having spent seven and a half years living in student housing.

Thanksgiving Day Eleven

It is Veteran's Day today, so I feel it only appropriate to be thankful for the brave men and women who have served and currently serve in the military. Those men and women have my utmost respect and admiration, as do their families who support them from home. These are the people who have fought for our freedoms and given their time, talents, and lives to make America what it is today. I'm thankful that there are people out there who are so willing to serve their country and who do so with such dedication.

Thanksgiving Day Ten

Goodness gracious, the weather is bad outside. Andrew and I spent the morning running errands and looking at apartments and stopping by my parents' house and doing various other things that we needed to do. Most of the time that we were driving around Salt Lake, it was snowing. A lot. And I was super glad that Andrew was driving and not me.

After we got back to Orem and relaxed at Andrew's for a little while, we headed down to Provo to meet my brother and sister-in-law. BYU's last home game was tonight, and we were all going together. So after grabbing some food, we bundled up as best we could and headed over to the stadium. It was SO COLD. Holy cow. And snow was still piled up under all the bleachers, so getting to our seats was treacherous. I was slipping and sliding all over the place.

Andrew and I only stayed for the first half. Because by halfway through the second quarter, BYU was beating Idaho 42–7, and I couldn't feel my toes or my face. On our way back to my place, we stopped by the Cocoa Bean and got hot cocoa and cupcakes. It was delicious.

All of this leads to what I am thankful for today, which is a warm house and a roof over my head. I'm so thankful for my working heater and all my blankets and a fiancé who is more than willing to cuddle with me to keep me warm.

Thanksgiving Day Nine

Yesterday was Andrew's birthday, so tonight we are going out to celebrate. We're going to gorge ourselves at Tucanos and then go see the new Bond movie. I've been looking forward to tonight all week, and even the snowy, icky weather won't stop us from going out and enjoying an evening together. (As a side note, I'm also thankful that Andrew is willing to drive tonight. Because I hate driving in the snow.)

So today I am thankful for date night. For a reason to go out and splurge a little bit and just enjoy life. I'm thankful that Andrew and I like to go out and that we do so fairly regularly. There are a lot of things that we like to do, and we enjoy doing them together, and I'm really thankful for that. Relaxing and cuddling at home is nice, but it's also nice to go out on the town once in a while.

Thanksgiving Day Eight

Tonight Andrew and I stopped by the mall so we could pick up his ring. Andrew wanted it engraved with our wedding date and "Always and Forever," which I thought was super sweet. He's just super sweet. My favorite part about that engraving is "Forever." Because it's true. Andrew and I will be getting sealed for time and all eternity in the temple, and I am so thankful for that. I'm thankful that I have the truth of the Gospel and that I will get to be with my family forever.

I'm so thankful that my upcoming marriage to Andrew won't just be for time. Death won't part us. I will get to be with him and grow with him for the rest of eternity, and that thought fills me with warmth and happiness. The children we have will be ours forever. What an amazing blessing.

Thanksgiving Day Seven

Today I'm thankful for my job. In addition to simply being thankful for a full-time, steady job that allows me to take care of my needs, I'm also thankful for my own ability to do my job. I've been with this company for nearly four years, and in that time, my position has shifted and changed as I have gotten more responsibility and learned more about what goes on in the company.

For the rest of this week, I am covering for one of my coworkers who is on vacation. It's stressful work. I don't do it every day, so I'm not completely comfortable with what I am being asked to do, but at the same time, it's nice to know that I have other skills at work that help me contribute more. I'm thankful that I've learned so much here and that I've really been able to make myself an invaluable member of my team. My boss tells me that I can't ever leave KLAS, and while I know she's joking, it's nice to know that I'm appreciated.

Thanksgiving Day Six

I feel the need to start this post with a disclaimer, which is that I am a terrible citizen. I am not voting today because I am not registered. Why am I not registered? The answer is simple: I forgot. That's truly it. I completely forgot until it was too late, and then I was up the creek without a paddle. I am fully aware of my own apparent apathy toward the election this year, so do me the kindness of not judging me too harshly. In my defense, I recently got engaged and have had plenty of other things on my mind.

Despite my own lack of obvious patriotism, I am immensely thankful to live in a country that has an open election that requires its citizens to get involved. I am thankful that I live in a country where I am free to form my own opinions and share them with others. Where I can do something as simple as write on this blog without worrying about whether what I say might get me in trouble. Where I am free to practice my religion and cultivate my beliefs. Where I can have a job and create opportunities for myself.

I know that I often forget about the amazing opportunities I have been given simply by virtue of where I was born. I often take for granted how blessed I am to live in a country whose government allows me to do what I want to do without fear of retribution. What we have here in the United States is truly amazing. So while I dropped the ball this election day, I am thankful for all those who didn't.

Thanksgiving Day Five

Today I am thankful that my wedding planning is going well. Even though I wouldn't mind it if Andrew and I were getting married earlier (being engaged is really no fun because I just want to be married already), I am thankful that we still have three and a half months to get everything figured out. We have a venue, my dress, a florist, and a photographer. Andrew just did the final fitting of his custom-made suit tonight, and it's going to look very good. I'm excited to see how we'll look together on our wedding day.

So while I'm not a huge fan of this wedding planning business, I'm thankful that things are coming along. We have most of the big things figured out, and now we just need to focus on the details. You know, the little things like finding an apartment and budgeting and combining our incomes. Those are just minor things, right?

Thanksgiving Day Four

I'm afraid that today's thankful post will be a little shallow, but sometimes that's just the way it goes. Today was fast Sunday, and I have church at 1:30 pm. It's always difficult for me to fast that long. I get a little shaky and super hungry. So by the time I got home from church, I was famished. And to help satisfy my hunger, Andrew made some delicious fettucine alfredo. It was so good. And probably really bad for me, but I didn't care.

So today, I am thankful for good food. And for a fiancé who likes to cook and spoils me rotten with how often he cooks for me. Even when we're supposed to be cooking something together, he usually ends up doing most of the work. Because he's a sweetheart like that.

Thanksgiving Day Three

For a couple of reasons, today I am thankful for my education and my steady, full-time job. And to piggyback on that, I am also thankful for Andrew's education and steady, full-time job. We went to look at some apartments this morning, and we drove past a complex that looked nice, so we decided to stop in and check it out. The lady in the office showed us the prices and amenities. After a 10-minute explanation, she finally got around to telling us that it was income-limited housing, which meant that we had to make less than a certain amount in order to live there. Together, Andrew and I will make about double the limit.

While it kind of sucked to be forced to miss out on some nice, affordable apartments, it was also nice to know that Andrew and I have been smart with our money and that we have given ourselves the opportunity to be successful. We should be able to afford a decent apartment, and we won't have to live paycheck to paycheck. That is definitely one of the benefits of waiting until after college to get married.

Another thing that made me thankful for my job was that I bought Andrew's wedding ring today. It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision to get it tonight, but there was a sale, and it worked out best to buy it then. I'm very thankful that I have enough money set aside that I could buy it right then without it breaking me.

Thanksgiving Day Two

Today, I am grateful for the little things that entertain me every day. For instance, Andrew recently got my Wii to connect to the internet. (I've had the Wii for five years now, and I'm just now getting that figured out.) Naturally, I had to go see what kind of fun old-school game were available from the Wii store. And there were plenty, let me tell you. I ended up spending more money than I should have, but I got Super Mario World, Startropics, Super Mario Bros. 3, and Donkey Kong Country.

This may be a goofy thing to be thankful for, but I was so happy to have this little bit of nostalgia. It's nice to have a little goofy fun sometimes.

Thanksgiving Day One

My goodness, I cannot believe it's November already. That's just crazy. Time seems to be dragging and flying all at the same time, and I'm not quite sure how that's possible.

At any rate, November means a solid month of thankful posts! I have countless things to be grateful for right now, so I have more than enough material to do a fourth year of these posts. I have found that it is a great way to remind me to count my blessings and remember all that I have been given.

So today, day one, I am going to start with probably the most obvious thing I am grateful for, and that is my fiancé.

I know I've already gushed about him on my blog before, but this man is so good to me. In everything he does, he shows me that he loves me. I have no doubt about his feelings for me or my feelings for him. I love spending time with him. We don't even have to be doing anything; I just like being near him. He makes me feel safe and secure, and I know that he will always be there for me to help me with whatever I might need. He also makes me laugh all the time, and we have so much fun together.

Andrew had to work last night, so I didn't get to see him yesterday. I always get a little bummed about that, though it was nice to just relax, watch the Jazz game, and attempt to write in my journal. But now I'm anxious to see him again. It may have only been one day, but I missed Andrew. And I'm excited to see him tonight. He means everything to me. I love him more than I thought possible, and I can't say just how thankful I am to have him in my life. I can't wait to marry him in 110 days.