As the season changes and my two favorite holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas approach at lightening speed I always find that it’s a good time to remember what I’m grateful for. Each year I like to take some time to write them down in a ‘Gratitude journal’ so that I can go back and look at them throughout the year, and see what I’ve added to my list as the years go by.

There’s so much to be grateful this year in particular that it might seem overwhelming at first, so start with the littlest things that make you smile. For me, it’s a collection of little handwritten notes from my grand-twins. I keep them taped to the wall by my very messy desk. Every time I look at them I can’t help but know how fortunate I am to have these two special little human beings in my life!

There are four crazy doodle dogs living in this house with me and I’m so thankful that they are here every single day. Even when I’m trying to have a phone conversation and they think it’s more important to bark at a neighbor walking past the front door. Even when I would love to sleep late on a day I don’t have to go to work and their cold, wet noses wake me up early. Since my camper is small, two of them camp with me at a time and I’m so thankful for their company in my cozy little camper. Yes, I’m extremely grateful for my special dogs.

Family and friends are a huge gift in my life. I’m so grateful that I still have my sweet mama around to keep me in line and to show me what a truly grateful person looks like. I’m thankful for my brothers and sisters-in-law and their children who made me a Great Auntie! I’m grateful for my two wonderful sons who I know are there if I need them to be and who have grown up to be happy and productive members of society. My friends are always surrounding me and supporting me even when my ideas are silly or crazy! My friends truly are the family that I got to choose for myself and I love them all the same.

My fun little camper makes me happy, and gives me the opportunity to explore new places and go on adventures that I otherwise might not be able to find. For that I’m ever grateful. I love exploring new parts of my beautiful state of Colorado and seeing the beauty that is literally everywhere. I’m thankful for camping traditions like campfires, s’mores, hikes and bike rides.

And I’ve added something new to my list of things to be grateful for, and that’s Girl Camper and the women who work so hard to make this an exciting, fun, educational and safe place for girls of all ages, shapes and sizes, colors and creeds to be. It’s opened up new opportunities for growth for me and thousands of other girls like me, so you can bet it’s on my list!

Of course my list could go on for pages and pages… our country, the job I adore and people I work with who make it fun to go to, my pick up truck named Woody, freedom to worship, good old fashioned books.. You get the picture! So this year, take a few minutes to write down the things you’re grateful for. I bet your list will be ongoing, just like mine.