Since I've been focusing on a Thankful Soul this holiday season I've been sharing the things I'm thankful for each day on twitter. I wanted to list just a few of them here as well.

• I'm thankful for Aaron and everything he does for me. His strong arms around me at the end of the day are all it takes to feel the stress melt away. He is my true partner in life.
• I'm thankful for Everly and everything she teaches me. She is an absolute joy in my life. I am truly the luckiest to be her mom.
• I'm thankful for my parents. They've always loved and supported me no matter what I choose and they've always been an amazing example to me.
• I'm thankful for my brothers and sisters. They are the best. Just the best.
• I'm thankful for my niece and nephew. They are both so sweet and Everly just loves them.
• I'm thankful for my in laws. They're such wonderful people and they raised the greatest man I know. 
• I'm thankful for my friends, both old and new. I have some of the greatest friends a girl could ever ask for.
• I'm thankful for all our extended family. There's so many of them and they're pretty great.
• I'm thankful for my blog. It's a wonderful outlet no matter my mood.
• I'm thankful for my little shop. It's been so much fun to work on my jewelry these past few months. It's a gift to be able to share something I love with people. 
• I'm thankful for being a doula. I absolutely love my job of helping women give birth. It is empowering to watch these women warriors and support them as they become mothers.
• I'm thankful for books. I love to escape into them and dream of magical worlds. 
• I'm thankful for social media. Yes, I said it. I enjoy it. It's so much fun.
• I'm thankful for a kitchen to cook in. I love to dream up new recipes and tasty dishes for my family to try.
• I'm thankful for hot chocolate and warm cookies. They need no explanation. 
• I'm thankful for the new opportunities that have come our way despite the difficulties we've face this past year. 

Aaron, Everly, and I are truly blessed. We have so many beautiful things in our lives, including each other. I love them with all my heart and soul.

xo Sue

Yesterday I mentioned the thankful soul and I wanted to write more about it. Sometimes it's hard to be thankful. I know that in some ways we've been so blessed this year. Our precious Everly was born and we've had the absolute joy of watching her learn and grow. I cannot ask for anything more wonderful than that.

But this has also been a difficult year for us. Aaron lost his job and we moved our little family 5,000 miles away. We had to leave our precious puppies behind which was heart wrenching in itself. We're getting settled into our new home, our new routine, but it's only semi-permanent. We're still looking for new opportunities and ways to help our situation. Aaron has a job that pays him and gives him good health benefits for our family but it's not quite enough. We're so lucky to be with my family who love and support us through it all but we're ready to do more. We've adjusted to a new way of life. And sometimes it's hard. I'd even say that a lot of the time it's hard. There are moments when I wonder why this is the way things have gone. There are times I can pinpoint and ask myself "what if..." I try not to, but they happen. Sometimes too frequently for me. So in those times I've started something new. I take a deep breath, I concentrate inward, and I think of the things I'm thankful for.

And every single time these two are at the top of my list. Without Aaron and Everly my life would have little meaning.

I have a small confession. Since I was 11 years old, I have not liked Thanksgiving. It's not because I'm ungrateful, it's because of some particularly painful and heartbreaking memories associated with my 11th Thanksgiving. As I've grown older I've learned not to tell people that. Usually they assume I'm a brat because I don't enjoy this holiday. Slowly I've learned to let go of the hurt that accompanies this holiday for me but I don't think I'll ever completely lose it.

Two years ago was my first Thanksgiving married to Aaron and it was the first time in a very long time I've enjoyed the holiday. We spent it up at my cousins cabin, played in the snow, and enjoyed the togetherness of the family. It was also my last holiday before moving to Japan so I was particularly aware of what I was thankful for. Last year we were overseas for the holiday and spent it with some good friends of ours. It was nice to have somewhere to go instead of being alone... but it was a reminder of how much I love and wish for my big family when the holiday season comes around.

This year will be wonderful. I have my husband, I have my daughter, I have my big family to hug and share food with. I have so many things to be thankful for. They may be small or silly things but they're things I'm thankful for nonetheless.

Even though times may be hard, this holiday season I'm truly striving to keep a thankful soul.

xo Sue

I know that I'm not the only one who loves getting mail. When I pull out an actual letter addressed to me I get so excited! So this year I'm making a real effort to send Christmas cards out in the hopes that I'll get a few back. With that in mind, let's swap Christmas cards! If you want to mail out cards this year just send me an email sue.asitseems@gmail.com and let me know your mailing address. I'll send you mine and we'll get excited over the beautiful cards we get. Sounds wonderful, right?

This was last year's card. I miss those sweet puppies but I'm sure glad that baby isn't in there anymore!

PS If you want to swap cards with several bloggers hop over to Amira's blog where she's doing this same thing, except organizing whole groups of bloggers to send each other happy mail. So fun!

xo Sue

I love this time of year. The music, the lights, the general spirit of cheeriness in the air. A lot of people get angry that Christmas decorations are out before Thanksgiving but I see no point in that. Instead of thinking of the two holidays separately, I like to think of the Holiday Season in general. The happiness, the love, the beauty of the world. I like to focus on those things.

Since this is Everly's first holiday season I'm trying extra hard to make it a good one. I've been thinking about traditions I want to start with our family and things I want to teach her. She may be only 9 months old, but she's so smart already and learns every day. She's not to young to understand the meaning of love, happiness, and giving.

Last year Aaron and I started two family traditions that I hope to continue for a very long time. The first was a Secret Santa for another family. We wrapped up a little bundle of goodies we thought they'd enjoy and we dropped it off at their doorstep on December 24th. I was 7 months pregnant so I waited around the corner while Aaron rang their doorbell and ran like the wind. It was so much fun! That evening we settled onto the couch with new pajamas, hot chocolate and our Christmas book for the year, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Aaron read it to my round little belly and Everly kicked him to say thank you. It was such a sweet moment for us all. I've already picked out our Christmas book for this year. It will be wrapped and waiting for us under the tree on Christmas Eve! I hope Everly enjoys it as much as I did growing up.

It's such a gift to see the world through my daughter's eyes. I took her outside a few nights ago to see the twinkle lights that are hung over the garage. She looked at them in awe and reached her chubby hand out to try and touch them. I've never seen more beautiful twinkle lights.

Because of Everly I'm seeing things in a whole new way. I'm remembering the true spirit of Christmas and I'm learning to keep a thankful soul. It's such a magical thing.

xo Sue