It should go without saying that this year has been unique in many ways. While it has been heavy and difficult, there are so many things in my life that I’m so thankful for in 2020.

There were pre-COVID trips to Arizona, Nashville, and Hot Springs, home projects with Justin, learning to cook and bake new recipes, starting my job at the college, starting graduate school, a camping trip with my family, and a lot of river days - just to name a few things.

Since I was 16, I have worked nearly every weekend of every year, but in 2020, I got to experience what it was like to NOT work every weekend + I have to say I really, truly loved it a lot. I picked wildflowers and went on walks, Justin and I got to spend so much extra time together. We were able to starting building our very own herd of cattle + decide on what our goals are as a couple with a farm. We had a bumper crop in the garden and we learned to can together. We were able to share the bounties of our garden with so many people and, for that, I am so grateful.

I am choosing to focus on the good to come out of a wild year because I know that is healthy for me mentally. It’s never a bad life, it may just be a bad day. I have taken 2020 one day at a time and I am thankful for that in itself.

I want to encourage you to think about everything you’ve done this year. Write down or find some way to record all you’ve done or accomplished this year and that you are thankful for. Whether that be in the notes app on your phone or hand written in a notebook or in a blog like this one, I urge you to do it because while this year was pretty bad in many ways, it was also really good in so many ways. Tag me in your posts online so I can see all that you’re thankful for this year!