Happy Thanksgiving!

There's nothing like a solid Thanksgiving spent with my mom watching episode after episode of Parenthood, introducing my dad to The Hunger Games ("Oh, wait, Jennifer Lawrence is in this movie!?"), skyping my sister who is across the country spending her Thanksgiving in Virginia with our neighbor who is also across the country for school, and realizing a project worth 15% of my grade is due on Monday.

Solid. SOLID. 

This year has given me so many things to be thankful for. I can't believe all the things that have happened this year for my family and I. Between my sister's college dream come true, my parents' good fortune in having a mostly stress year for the first year in too long, and the summer of a lifetime for me spent in Seattle. 

Good things happen in time. I like to think we are all out of this slump we've been through and never before have I felt so thankful for the small things. We may not all be together this year, but we are all happy. We are all healthy. We have each other. Bad things happen and this year has shown me more than any other year that it's important to be appreciative of the good because it's not always so easy to push past the tough things to notice the small good details. When it's this easy to see the glory in just sitting in bed with both my parents sipping coffee, the happiness in it is so easily magnified when there's nothing bad to worry about. It's important to cherish this. 

Now is a gift.

the very best way to start december

is being named Ruchette of the month!

huzzah! considering this is where i get literally half of my clothes,

i was pretty excited. jump all around, hug my ruche clothes, and

squeal about it kind of excited.

the best completely unexpected surprise to start off my month.

read the nice things they said about me here!

i'll be honest, sometimes it feels like as big of a part as i make you all a 

part of this experience, sitting behind a computer screen really does 

feel like i'm alone in it sometimes. i forget people read it,

forget anyone at all is going to read this.

 your comments, emails, tweets, ect. are all amazing 

reminders. 

i'm thankful

• for chai tea lattes, because they prevent zits and stress during midterm weeks
• for ombre hair, because the messier it looks, the better
• for online shopping, because otherwise my wardrobe would be maurices and the buckle
• for macs, because for once i've had a computer last longer than a year
• for iphones, because i've never been bored in class since
• for the internet, because i've met people that are fantastically not boring
• for fleece lined tights, because they allow me to dress as impractically as i please in montana without completely freezing to death
• for strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries, because otherwise i wouldn't eat any fruit ever
• for taylor swift, because she wrote a hipster hating album when i needed it
• for my fleece northface gloves, because they allow me to drive to school in the morning when my steering wheel is colder than the 15 degree air outside

and mostly, i'm thankful that i'm the kind of person who is thankful for what and who she has every single day of the year. i'm extremely fortunate and blessed to have those people in my life this year there. and i'm thankful that i get to spend an extra long weekend with my three favorite people, cuddled up in my parents' bed in my onsie. truly, i have it good.

to my favorite people in the world...

to mom and dad...for being the best parents in the entire world. to dad for coaching me and going to every single one of my soccer games and creeping on my soccer practices. you'll never know how much it meant to me that you've been my life long cheerleader. to mom for being the kind of mom i can trust to tell anything and everything to. it's gotten me through the past 6 weeks and i love that i'm growing up and our relationship is, too. thank you for having my back when i've come home from soccer games sobbing because of mean people. i'll never, ever forget what you did for me.

to ardina boll... for truly being the kind of person i wish i could be and being the best substitute me anyone in the world could ever be for soap. you're ridiculously cool and savvy and intelligent and the kind of teenager i wish every teenager could be. (but then you wouldn't be ridiculously unique and awesome, so no thanks).

to steve jobs...i love your little devices so much.

to the renner family... i always feel at home in your kitchen. and on your living room floor. and in your cars. i love having a second family i'm not related to.

to jillian edwards... "birthday" has touched me where nothing else has (that's what she said) and i couldn't love your voice and lyrics more.


to margaret behre...for being the best and most mature 19 20 year old I know. and the best person i know. and for always letting me send 10 page long texts in the middle of the night. and responding with 12 page texts. for being what a best friend should be. for making me cry as i write this. for being guiltlessly there for me no questions asked... all the time. together, i feel like we can conquer the world and you define the word badass. i love you.

to grandma...your phone calls keep  me sane. i know for a fact i'm probably the only 19 year old in the world who would call her grandma in the car on the way to a party to say hello. i wouldn't know life without you.

to bloggers... more specifically: amber, jasmine, nicole, kylee, kate, sydney, erin, hope, eleanor, and kenzie. i'm so inspired by you guys and it goes beyond just your blogs. as people, you're all beautiful, beautiful people.

to sophie... there. is. no. one. else. that. will. ever. mean. more. to. me. than. you.
to my roommates... we're ridiculous and crazy and weird but we're all ourselves together and for that, i couldn't be more thankful that i found you and that we found each other. there truly aren't other people on campus quite like us and we're perfect together.

to niklaas... i believe in you more than i think you do yourself. you've made every day apart for a year worth it. i'll never know someone else like you and i'm so thankful to be a part of your life.

to myself... no one can be stronger in your life than yourself.

*most of these people will probably never read this.