This is almost 2 weeks late, but better late than never.

Happy birthday to my amazing mother & my friend.

This woman is the epitome of a genuine person. She is so down-to-earth, compassionate, and caring. She doesn't put on a front with anyone she meets...she is herself no matter who she is talking to.

My mom has such a kind heart. Like, an unbelievably kind heart. She loves with every ounce of her being and I swear her heart is made of gold. She is always putting others first, even when she needs something right away. She doesn't have a selfish bone in her body. Too bad I didn't get that trait.

My mom is my personal cheerleader. I don't think she ever missed a volleyball game, a track meet, a recital or performance, or anything school/athletic-related throughout junior high and high school. She has been to every Baylor SING performance and every race I have run. I don't know how she does it all. She is so committed to being there for me every step of the way, and for that I am very grateful.

I remember many times, when I forgot something at home and she would leave work in the middle of the day just to drive 20 minutes home and then 20 minutes to school just to drop it off and go back to work. She also has been known to leave work early just for a volleyball game, so she can be there for the very beginning of it. She came on almost every single one of my field trips and she was a parent supervisor for so many activities in school.

My mom is one of the first people I go to when I need to vent or just need to talk. She always listens without saying anything, knowing that I just have to get it out. She is such a phenomenal listener & a wonderful advice-giver. She knows me inside and out, so she always knows what to say and what specific advice to give.

My mom is the perfect wife for my dad. They are complete opposites, but they fit so well together. She knows him so well and takes care of him like he is the only person in the world. Always willing to help and assist, always excited to see him, and always keeping him grounded. She is a perfect role model of what a wife should be like.

She is also a perfect mother-in-law. She loves Eric like a biological son. My dad & I have always teamed up against her and now Eric usually takes her side either to a) spite me, or b) because he loves her. I think it a good mixture of both.

My mom would do anything for Eric...and obviously for me, but she has always loved Eric ever since she met him and she wanted me to marry him before we were even thinking about marriage. ;)

In the past few years, my mom has taken up 2 things: running & getting a college education.

She took up running to stay fit (because she looks like a million bucks) and just something to do. She loves to call me for running advice and then use it in her weekly runs. 

I'm extremely proud of her for doing it, and for finishing all the races she has competed in. She is awesome.

She also decided to finish her college education a few years ago. She took classes at a community college and then transferred to Sam Houston U to finish off her degree. She is truly a rock star.

She studies all the time and of course makes straight A's. I am so proud of her!

PS-She also loves Kourt like her own daughter.

My mom absolutely LOVES children. When she sees a baby, she just automatically gravitates towards them. I loved watching her with Abigail and Sawyer at a recent bridal shower. She just can't get enough. I can't wait to see her with Eric & I's kids. I know she is going to be a fantastic gma (definitely doesn't fit my mom...she needs something more hip). She is probably going to love her grandkids more than me ;) jk ma.

Can we just go ahead and acknowledge the big elephant in the room? My mother does NOT age. I swear she defies age. And she looks like she did in her 20's. It's totally unfair.

Just look at this picture of her when she was prego with me...

Umm, can you say beautiful?

What a knockout.

And what a beautiful smile. I hope I look like 20 for the rest of my life. :)

I know I give you a hard time mama, but you really are one of the most influential and special people in my life. Thanks for putting up with dad & I making your life miserable sometimes. You are so tolerable and sweet-natured. And thank you for showing me what a wife should be like, and what a mother should be like. You really are the best. Love you so so much.

Growing up, my family didn't celebrate Christmas, due to religious reasons. Thanksgiving was our main holiday. And my parents made it so very special every year. Many people always used to ask me [when they learned I grew up not celebrating Christmas], "didn't you feel so deprived?" And the answer is, no. Thanksgiving was always such a special time in my family and I really don't feel like I missed out at all. This holiday was (and still is) all about being thankful for everyone and everything in our lives and my parents always made it feel like Christmas. Now, I celebrate Christmas on the Udell side of the family, and I love every minute of it! But Thanksgiving will always have a special place in my heart.

Because I am in the thanking/thankfulness/thanksgiving spirit, I decided to list a few of the many things that I am thankful for in my life.

1. THAT THERE IS A GOD & THAT HE CARES FOR ME

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. -Psalms 23

I think that pretty much sums it up.

2. FAMILY

I am so incredibly thankful to have such a loving, giving, and all-around wonderful family. Not just my family, but Eric's family as well. My parents are some of the most amazing people you will ever meet. Maybe I am just biased, but even so, others have told me the same. They have been my biggest supporters and my loudest cheerleaders. They raised me with the intention of letting me make my own mistakes and learning from them, but asking for advice and help when needed. I wouldn't be who I am without them. Not only are my parents great, but so is my entire family. I love each and every one of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents in their own way. They are all so unique and so incredibly fun to be around. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Mom, me, & my beautiful Mimi

Cousins!

My daddy & I

My cuz, Tearyn.

And not only is my family great, but so are my in-laws and Eric's familia. I always have such an amazing time when we are all together. My in-laws have been to many of my races cheering me on and are always encouraging me to shoot for the stars, both in my education and in my everyday life. Eric's brother/sister in law, and all of his cousins, are like my brothers and sisters. I love the relationships I have with each of them.

Cousins!

Udell clan

Brie-Brie :)

My mommas...doing the sorority pose ;)

Sorry, I get carried away. But I do have to add, that I am also very thankful for this little girl...

Our niece, Abigail. 

I love this little one so so much. She overflows with happiness and you can't but smile when you are around her. I can't get enough of her.

3. SWEET HUBBY
You know who else I love...this guy.

There are just so many things I could say about him. But I will refrain. Just know that I am thankful for such a caring and generous husband. And I love him very very much!

SO happy I found you!

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
-Genesis 2:24

4. GREAT FRIENDS & AXO'S
I am also very thankful for wonderful friends. I really do have the best friends. No kidding. They are always there for me, they make me laugh, they give me a shoulder to cry on/vent on, and they are just all-around good-hearted people. Eric & I got really lucky in the friend section. We had so many mutual friends throughout college, so we were always such a tight group of people. Some of the groomsmen in our wedding party were actually friends with me first and then met Eric in college, who they immediately clicked with. I really loved our wedding party. It was our friend group to a T. We are like a little family.
Half of us joke that we were a family throughout college, and the other half were the "Friends" group throughout college (you know, like the show ;)).

Love these boys!

River Trip 2012

Eric's 25th bday surprise party

I love being so close to these guys & gals. I have always had many guy friends and only a handful of girlfriends, and these guys are really like my bros. I can't tell you how many times a few of them have actually helped me with boy problems and friend issues. Not even kidding.

I am thankful for my very best gal pal, Kourtney. She has been with me through thick & thin. I was not the coolest person in high school, and she saw right past that. She loves me for who I am & I love her for who she is.
Love you to the moon & back Kourt.
You will always be the Misty May to my Kate Walsh.

I also have the best "sisters". My Alpha Chi girls are so amazing. I am very thankful for their friendships. I loved having such a bond with them throughout college, and now an even better bond post-grad. Thanks for being there for me.

Liz & I

Alpha Chi fight song with my girls!

Kimber & I

So many great SING memories with this girl. Love her!

Baby shower for T...with my AXO's

You just don't find relationships like these everyday, folks.


5. GOOD HEALTH
I know I am not in "perfect" health, but I am better off than most of the population out there, and that is something to be thankful for. I may have a heart defect, but it doesn't slow me down and it doesn't keep me from doing the things I want to do.

6. ABILITY TO RUN
I am very thankful for the ability to run. The ability to take myself wherever I want to go and get lost in my thoughts. Without running, I would be stressed every second of every day and I would be an antsy mess. Just ask Eric...he hates the tapering week before a big race. I am a chaotic mess. I can't run as much, so I literally pace the house. It's bad.

I am thankful for a strong body and strong feet. I know the feet thing is a weird thing to be thankful for, but seriously, my feet have this crazy ability to run for miles and miles on end without cramping or wearing down. That is so amazing to me. I put my body and my feet through so much and yet, they haven't failed me yet (knock on wood). This is something to be thankful for.

I don't give my body enough credit. It's always, "oh I want to look this way" or "oh I need to lose this part of my body"...but in reality, my body is so incredibly strong and perfect in its own way. I am able to train for countless marathons with these long and lean muscles that God gave me. Instead of criticizing it, I should be praising it.
With that being said, I am thankful for the body God gave me.

7. DOGGIES
I am thankful to have 2 dogs who are well-trained & [usually] well-behaved, friendly, and loving. 

Dogs should make you happy and should increase your quality of life, and I truly believe mine do.
Very thankful for them!

8. ABILITY TO LEARN
I am so very thankful for the ability to learn, attend school, and receive a good education. I love learning and I love going to school. I used to ask my mom for extra homework when I was younger. *Nerd alert*
I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to go to Baylor and now the opportunity to attend graduate school at another great university.

9. Technology, music, & books
I know the technology part may seem weird, but I really do think it is something to be thankful for. Without technology, and all these social networks, I wouldn't be able to do some of the things I do in my everyday life. I can connect with friends and family I haven't seen in so long, I can use my phone as a GPS, I can find out how to get a stain out of my favorite shirt in a split second, and I can take a picture of something, file it as a pdf, and then print it straight from my phone (what?).
Technology really does make the impossible things possible.
And I am obsessed with my kindle. I love a good novel and some good music. I can't get enough.

10. Emotions
So, I am one of those overly sensitive, wear all your emotions on your sleeve sort of people. I cry at the littlest sweetest thing, and I cry when I get overly upset. I stress easily and definitely show it. I hold somewhat of a grudge when people hurt me or wrong me. I am not a very affectionate person, but when I am, you know somethings up. You can just look at me and see the emotion on my face. I have a tendency to show every emotion on my face. The people who know me best can just glance at me and see something is going through my head.
Sometimes I hate this. But right now I am thankful for it. I am thankful for it because without emotion, we would all be monotonous people with no souls and no feelings. Emotion is a big part of who I am, maybe because I have so many. Happy emotions and sad emotions. But I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. I think of it as, I "feel" more strongly than others. My heart is attached to almost everything I do, which makes my emotions attached as well. They skyrocket when I am overly excited, happy, or stressed, & they become non-existent when I am upset or sad. I may never understand them. But I do know that I am thankful for the ability to feel, have feeling, and show my emotions.
I am thankful for smiling, laughter, happiness, positivity, and everything in-between. But I am especially thankful for laughter. It is one of my fave things to do :)

11. Warm bed, roof over my head, warm showers, & a house full of love.
Eric & I have only been married for almost a year and a half and are obviously just starting out. We will be the first to admit that we don't have much, but what we do have, is love, laughter, and a roof over our heads at night. What else do you need, really? We love God, God loves us, and we love each other. We have an apartment, a bed, food in the refrigerator, a shower, and air conditioning. This is more than some of the population will ever have. We always want more and more, but we shouldn't even need it.
I am so thankful that we are able to have these things.

I am sure I will think of more as the weekend goes on, so maybe there will be a part 2 of this post. But right now, I think that sums it up.

I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving holiday :)