Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for...

-the new Kneader's location even closer to my home. Baked goods, delicious sandwiches, fantastic breads, I love everything about it- and love enjoying it with friends and family even more.
-Addie's pre-school. It's so nice to have a place where she loves to go and learn and make new friends. Hearing her say the Pledge of Allegiance cracks me up- I especially love "indirisible". I need to record her saying it soon so the cuteness is preserved for posterity- her expressiveness is hilarious.
-Pat's new car! After over a month of searching, he found a car that's the perfect fit for us (an '02 Toyota Corolla with pretty low miles) and we're excited that it will take him back and forth to work with such great gas mileage. Speaking of which- hooray that he can now fill his tank for less than $25 and I can fill mine for less than $30!
-planning ahead. There are so many things coming up that I'm excited about. My brothers just called to let me know that they're coming to visit in a few weeks. I haven't seen them for a long time- one of them for over a year, so I can't wait! I'm excited to do Thanksgiving warm-ups with them. I'm excited for a huge Thanksgiving feast with family and friends. I'm excited about the holiday shopping I've already begun and for decorating for Christmas and for holiday baking. I can't believe Addie's almost 4! And shortly after that, Sam will be 2. There's a lot to get me through the next few months. Most of all, I'm excited to get as much done now as I can so I can truly enjoy the abundance of love and joy and peace that come as we celebrate the birth of the Savior.
-the beauty of democracy. If nothing else this election year, it was inspiring to see people care again and be passionate and get wrapped up in political fervor. I still don't love either candidate. But I am joyful at the significance of the first black president. And I'm hopeful that our country can feel more unified again.