22 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 17 - My Stretchy Comfy Pajamas

Every day from now until Thanksgiving I will be sharing things I am thankful for.

Day 17:

I am thankful for my stretchy comfy pajamas. After indulging in a magnificent epicurean delight with my husband that started with an amazing bottle of red wine followed by a 3-tiered seafood appetizer consisting of lump crab cakes, sea scallops and grilled oysters; a scrumptious main course of incredible fish with the most delicious sauce; followed by a decadent gourmet banana pudding for dessert... I am thankful and grateful for my stretchy pajamas so I can let the food digest in comfort while I sit on the couch watching TV with my husband. I am thankful for a delicious dinner date with my husband and my comfy stretchy pajamas.

22 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 16 - Being an American

Every day from now until Thanksgiving I will be sharing things I am thankful for.

Day 16:

I am thankful and proud I am an American. This morning, with tears streaming down my face, I watched a live naturalization ceremony as 30 people became American citizens on the Today Show. Many of those new Americans waited years for this moment and had to work very hard to make this happen. I am grateful to my Filipino parents who made incredible sacrifices so I could be born in this country as an American citizen. They left their own families to raise my brother and me here in the United States so we would have opportunities they didn't have and I never ever take that for granted. We live in a great nation where freedoms and opportunities are available if we take them and I feel like I live the "American Dream". I am proud and thankful to be an American.

My amazing parents.

22 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 15 - My Neighborhood

Day 15: I'm thankful for my neighborhood and the location of where we live. Realtors always say, it's all about, "Location, location, location!" I really love where we live. I enjoy our neighborhood and everything it has to offer: beautiful streets lined with old live oak trees, shaded jogging trails, convenient location that is so close to so many great restaurants! If you follow my posts, you know how my hubby and I love to dine out so it's wonderful to be walking distance to what's called "restaurant row" - not that we ever walk! We're also only 15 minutes away from the airport, 5-15 minutes from the theme parks depending on which one you're going to, and good shopping is in every direction you turn - hooray for that! Our neighbors are great - all friendly, neat and quiet. I love that I feel safe in my neighborhood. We're also just moments from downtown, interstate, turnpike and Bee-line (toll roads). I agree, it's all about location and yes, I love ours and I'm thankful and appreciative to have so many conveniences handy an close by. I'm thankful for our neighborhood.

22 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 13 - My Comfy Bed

Every day from now until Thanksgiving I will be sharing something I am thankful for.

Day 13 of Thanksgiving:

I am thankful for my comfy bed. After a busy, long day when I'm tired like I am today, I look forward to crawling into my bed and snuggling with all my fluffy pillows with my hubby next to me along with my furry kids. And as I lay in my bed and close my eyes reflecting on all that I am blessed with in my life, I say my prayers of gratitude and that always helps me fall asleep with a happy heart. I am thankful for my bed.

22 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 14 - A Cup of Coffee

Every day from now until Thanksgiving I will be sharing something I am thankful for.

Day 14:
This morning I am thankful for the simple pleasure of a cup of coffee. I love mornings when I don't have to rush out of the house and can enjoy and savor a good hot cup of coffee or tea. A lot of the times we all rush around because of our busy lives, but I always think its important to appreciate and be grateful for the small things like this that we often don't even give a second thought unless we just need a "jolt" to get our day started. As I try to do each time I eat to drink anything, I try to enjoy the taste and flavor of every drop and morsel and appreciate where it came from and how it got to my table or kitchen. I am thankful for my cup of coffee.

Mmm...A hot cup of coffee with So Delicious dairy free creamer.

22 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 12 - My Friends

Every day from now until Thanksgiving I will be sharing things I am thankful for.

Day 12 of Thanksgiving:

Just a few of my friends - there are too many to show!
I'm a lucky woman to have so many people to call friends.

I am thankful for my friends, old and new. I'm fortunate and grateful to have some great friends. One of the things I love most about my friends is the diversity of them. I'm not one who has to be around people or have friends that are exactly like me. So while I'm a married Asian-American woman in my forties who is a Christian, a registered Republican, a "cheating vegetarian" who loves food and wine, dogs and all animals, and currently works part-time - I love that my friends are women and men of all ages. I have friends who are white, black, Asian, and Latino. Friends who are Republican, Democratic and Independent. I have friends who are straight and friends who are gay. My friends are Christian, some are Baptist while others are Catholic and Methodist and Mormon. Others are Jewish and Muslim, and yes I even have friends who are agnostic and atheist. I have some friends who are vegan, some who are vegetarian, but most who are meat-eaters. 

Some friends I've met through work, others I went to
school with, others I met on vacation.

A lot of my friends have pets and friends who don't like animals at all. I have friends who are busy career people, others who are in school - some who do BOTH at the same time and some who work two jobs to make ends meet. I have friends who are married, divorced, single, separated and widowed. Some friends who are retired and some who gave up their careers so they could raise their children. 

While my friends are diverse, the thing ALL my friends have in common is they are good people with good hearts and because they aren't exactly like me, I learn so much and gain different perspectives that I believe help to make me a better person. I am thankful for my friends.

22 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 11 - Our Veterans

Every day from now until Thanksgiving I will be sharing things I am "thankful" for.

Day 11 of Thanksgiving: 

I am thankful for all veterans who have served our great country. It is because of these brave men and women who courageously defend our freedoms and make great sacrifices that we can live in this country safely and with pride. So to my dad, and all the other men and women who have served and still currently serve the United States of America, I want to say I am grateful to you for all the sacrifices you have made. Happy Veterans Day!

22 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 10 - Beautiful Days

Everyday from now until Thanksgiving I will be sharing things I am "thankful" for.

Day 10 of Thanksgiving:

I am thankful for beautiful days with gorgeous blue skies and gentle breezes. I love being outdoors and playing even now as an adult. And when the sun shines and the temperature is perfect, mid-70's, like it was today, I love playing in the theme-parks or going to an outdoor festival so I can enjoy the weather. This is the time of year I love living in Florida the most because the weather is so nice and I spend as much time as I can outside. I think I must've said, "If today was any more beautiful, I just don't think I could stand it!" to my friend Jeffrey about a dozen times yesterday and thankfully he agreed wholeheartedly or I think he would have slapped me because I would've driven him crazy sounding like a parrot! I am thankful for beautiful days.

22 Days of Thanksiving: Day 9 - The Furry Kids

Everyday from now until Thanksgiving I will be sharing things I am "thankful" for.

Day 9 of Thanksgiving:

I am thankful for my two dogs - my English Springer Spaniels Hershey and Zeke, also known as our "furry children". Our dogs aren't just pets and responsibilities to us, they truly are family members in our home and I love them with all my heart. They both have distinct personalities that make them unique and charming in their own way, but they're both so incredibly sweet and loving. Dogs are amazing creatures because of their ability to show and demonstrate unconditional love and our two furry kids do this every day. I always look forward to coming home because they're there to greet us with their wagging tails, wet noses and sloppy kisses. I am grateful and thankful for my furry kids who show me every day how to love so completely and unconditionally.

22 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 8 - My Husband

Everyday from now until Thanksgiving I will be sharing things I am "thankful" for.

Day 8 of Thanksgiving:

I am deeply thankful for my husband and the incredible relationship we have. Tom and I have been married for 10 years and I can honestly say he has been more than I ever imagined a husband could or would be. At our wedding reception, one of our friends congratulated us and shared how happy she was for us; that we seemed perfect for each other because we were "good" for each other, but she thought it was unfortunate we hadn't met earlier in our lives so we had more time to spend together. I thought then and I still believe now, that God brought us together at the most "perfect time". I truly believe if we had met each other sooner, we wouldn't have appreciated each other as much. We don't ever take each other for granted and that's what makes our relationship and marriage so great. I am thankful for my amazing husband who came into my life at the perfect time.

22 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 1 - Munchkins, Not the Eating Kind the Hugging Kind

Everyday from now until Thanksgiving I will be sharing things I am "thankful" for.

Day 1 of Thanksgiving:

Even though I don't get to see them as often as I wish I could because we don't live in the same state, I adore my two little munchkins. For not getting to see them as often as I would like and considering they are not my grandchildren biologically, I'm always amazed at how genuine their love is for me and how real our relationship is. I love being their Nonna as they give me so much joy I can't even begin to describe or put into words. I look forward to seeing them grow up and into the beautiful women I know they will become one day because they are beautiful souls that shine inside and out right now who are being raised by two amazing parents.

22 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 3 - What Makes A House A Home

Everyday from now until Thanksgiving I will be sharing things I am "thankful" for.

Day 3 of Thanksgiving:

Anytime I am away on a trip, regardless of where I've been or how long or short the trip was, I always look forward to getting home and getting in my own bed at my house. Last night, as I watched the music special on NBC that was put together to raise money for victims of Hurricane Sandy, the meaning of "home" meant even more and I was so thankful to have a home to go to.

I love our home and how comfortable it is. I love that it is so bright with all the natural light that comes in. I love that we have big windows so we can always see the outdoors while being inside. I love the memories that have been made here. But the thing I love the most is our two dogs who are always here with us and greet us with their wagging tails. Living in my home with my husband and two furry kids all together with the the love we have for each other that makes it a "happy home". I am thankful for my home.

22 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 2 - I Can Fly!

Everyday from now until Thanksgiving I will be sharing things I am "thankful" for.

Day 2 of Thanksgiving:

For as many times as I've ridden on an airplane, I NEVER take for granted how incredible a feat it is that hundreds of people are traveling thousands of feet in the sky over mountains and cities and deserts and towns and oceans and seas in climate-controlled sheets of metal that has been welded together!  I am thankful that Wilbur and Orville Wright did not give up when everyone thought they were crazy. It's because of their great determination and of their discovery and invention I can travel so easily to see the people I love who live in a different state as well as venture to far-off cities, countries and islands to discover new places.  I am thankful I can fly!

Each time I fly I'm also so thankful for the crew (both inflight and on the ground) who get our plane to our destination safely each time. While we relax on our flight, they are working the entire time, not only to ensure our comfort by providing snacks and drinks, but they are they are there for our safety if needed and in many cases have been heroes in the past for others.

And each time I land safely without harm, I am thankful to God for giving me one more day to have another chance to live my life and get right anything I may have gotten wrong. Every day we are given is a gift - I am thankful.