Smell the roses...

I normally don't post twice or let alone do two link up posts, but I really love Jessica's Smell the Roses task for this week. Thought about waiting until tomorrow to publish it, but I loved the challenge too much! Her challenge was to create a list of ten things you are thankful for. In the last week, I've really tried to focus on those good things. Here goes!

1.

My family. This is one of my favorite pictures of my entire extended family. Even though my mom, my dad, my brother and I have lived away from them almost my entire life, I'm still really thankful for them. All of them are always there when you need them.

2.

My pretty girl. She makes me laugh. Athena drives me crazy, but I know my life is much better having her as my pet.

3.

This guy. He has his moments and I have mine, but I adore him. He's always surprising me, like on our Atlanta trip.

4. I'm thankful that I have a job doing what I love. If I wasn't teaching, I'm not sure what else I would be doing. I'm very excited for this new school year at a school that seems fantastic.

5.

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm thankful for the city that I live in. I'm close to the beach, we have an NFL team, it's huge but still feels like a small town, and it's close to a lot of other fun places. I'm glad that I grew up here. (16 year old me is rolling her eyes!)

6.  I'm thankful for my friends. Two of my closest friends live far away, but if I need them, I know they'll answer my call. I'm lucky enough that my best friend is someone who has known me for ages but still wants to hang out! Oh and I'm thankful for my CRES friends, the ones who didn't want me to leave, but supported my decision to do so.

7. The internet. It can be a curse at times, but it is something to be thankful. It makes staying in contact with said friends and family a lot easier. It's helped me better my teaching. Plus, without it I wouldn't have met all you amazing people who read my blog!

8. My parents (guess they're techinically under number one, but this is my list right?) now that I deal with kids on a daily basis, I can tell how hard it was for them to raise us right. My brother and I would not be the people we are without their sacrifices, love and support. I'm glad I got punished when I acted up. They taught me well. Oh and my brother. He's my best friend. For reals.

This picture is SUPER OLD and SUPER CHEESY but still one of my faves!

9.

This one is no where as deep as the others, but I'm so thankful that the Olympics are taking place the last two weeks of my summer vacation! This way, I can stay up late watching all the action and not have to wake up early the next day!

10. I'm thankful for books. I'm glad I have something that can take me completely out of this world when I need it. :) (I need to pick the new Emily Giffin book ASAP)

What are you thankful for? Go link up with Jessica!