Ten things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving – Concordia, Missouri Photographer

I cannot believe it is already November. 2016 has been a whirlwind of incredible experiences, milestones and so much joy. I am thankful for so much this year, and every year, but I wanted to take some time today to tell you ten things I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving.

1. My incredible fiancé. He is the kindest and most caring person I know. He makes me laugh like no one else, and usually about the silliest things. We can spend hours doing nothing together and be perfectly content. He’s my best friend and the one I want to tell everything. He builds furniture for me, like my incredible Murphy desk and an amazing bookshelf. We get married in less than a year and I feel so incredibly blessed to be spending the rest of my life with him.

2. My family. My parents are loving, generous and have always supported me in everything I’ve done. They are the kind of parents that I hope to be some day. My sister is so strong and full of life. She loves fiercely and without apology; and I think that is so incredibly admirable. My nephew is such a blessing to our family. He’s crazy, energetic, imaginative and hilarious; but he’s also incredibly empathetic to everyone around him and loves to help no matter what the task.

3. The fact that my family is growing. I get the have two nieces and another nephew, as well as more siblings. Justin’s family is amazing. His nieces and nephew has such unique personalities and are a blast to spend time with. Christmases are spent playing various Mario games together and watching how excited they get. He has two sisters and two brothers. His twin lives in Concordia, but everyone else lives at least an hour away – with his oldest brother, Aaron, being the farthest since he is not even in state.

4. My friends – the people who stick by my side no matter what. The ones I see everyday or talk to every couple of weeks, they are there for me and always celebrating with me as life continues. I am so excited to have a reason to gather them all in one place next October as they stand beside me on our big day.

5. Photography. I am so thankful that I found this passion of mine. I love that it lets me create. I am working on hand lettering and calligraphy, but usually I don’t have the best handwriting. I can’t draw, unless it is stick people. Photography provides me with a way to be creative, and a way I can share that creativity with others.

6. Dogs. I love everything about them. Banner is such a cuddler – to the point that he will just lay on us so that we’ll cuddle and pet him. He’s always been that way. When we brought home the little 10 pound fluff ball he used to always lay his head on top of mine to go to sleep. Now, he usually spends the majority of the night using me as a pillow, with either my arm or leg tucked under his chin. It is amazing how unconditional their love is, how happy just seeing their owner can make them.

7. Coffee. I don’t think I would be able to function without coffee. I’ll drink it black, with cream, iced, hot, flavored – anyway it’s served, I want it. I need that caffeine and delicious goodness.

8. Foam rollers. They hurt so good. I upped my mileage too fast a couple of years ago when training for a half marathon and discovered using a foam roller on my IT band to help with runners knee. Now, anytime I run I love to stretch and then roll to prevent that from flaring up again. I love using it on my back as well. 🙂

9. All of you. Whether you are friends, family, clients or just happened to stop by the blog, I am so thankful you took the time out of your day to read this. I hope this list can inspire you to step back and take a look at some things you are thankful for this year.

10. God. While I may have listed Him last on this list, He most certainly is not last in my heart. He is amazing, loving, and there in ways people may not always see. I truly believe He has a plan for us, even if we can’t see it at the time. God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good.

What are some things you’re thankful for?

To book your session you can contact me at kelsey(at)rockybranchphotography(dot)com, or visit my contact page. Follow @rockybranchphoto on Instagram to see the more photos and like me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/rockybranchphotography to see more of my work.