So Thankful

Not all of you are located in the US but to those of you who are I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving! If you’re not in the US I hope you have a fantastic Thursday!

I don’t necessarily believe I need a specific day to be thankful because I believe in expressing my gratitude on a daily basis. I am an extremely thankful person and I make sure people know how much I appreciate them and the things that they do. Gratitude and thankfulness equate to happiness in my mind. However, Thanksgiving is a fun holiday and a nice excuse to spend more time with family. My Mom, who is a teacher, gets the whole week off and it’s so wonderful with all 3 of us being home together.

This year has been a bit rocky, to put it mildly, but I’m so thankful for the way it all turned out.

I just realized I never posted the good news – My Dad is in remission! Multiple Myeloma never truly goes away but right now he is as cancer free as he is going to get and I’m so happy. We all are. I cried tears of joy when I heard the news and I’m so excited for what comes next in our lives. It was difficult to be separated this summer with him in the hospital in Portland and my Mom there to take care of him. We are looking forward to being able to go on a vacation soon!

I am, obviously, very grateful for science and modern medicine. Without it my Dad probably wouldn’t be here to celebrate the holidays with us this year so I’m so thankful he was able to receive treatment and get such good care from his team of doctors.

I am also grateful for the help that our friends and family gave us when we needed it the most. We had to set up a GoFundMe account and the outpouring of love and support was truly overwhelming in the most wonderful way possible. We never expected the kind of help we received but we couldn’t have made it without it. Thank you to everyone who helped us. We are forever thankful.

In general I am thankful for my parents because they are the most wonderful, kind-hearted, loving and caring people in the entire world. They are my best friends. They are my people and I love them more than words can say.

I am thankful for Cooper who always knows what to do whether it’s giving me a kiss when I’m feeling sad or barking to let my parents know that I’m having a seizure or snuggling in to me when it’s cold out. He is the most wonderful dog a girl, or anyone, could ever ask for.

I am also thankful for this little boy who came in to my life when I needed him the most. I thought my heart would never stop hurting after Parker went missing and while I still miss him so much Hunter has helped me in ways I never imaged he could. He has brought me so much joy, happiness, and love. I adore him so much and I know he adores me as well. He makes me laugh every single day and laughing is the best medicine. He is the world’s best cuddler and I’m so thankful to have him in my life.

I am also thankful for my blogs. I would be so lost without them. They gave me something to do when I felt like I wasn’t capable of doing anything. They have grown so much and I am thankful for each person who reads one, or both, of my blogs and interacts with me.

My heart is full and overflowing with love and I am so thankful for this life I live. 

Beautiful Basics Beauty Tips for the Unwell

Loving Life Despite the Pain...

I love my life. I live a very happy life and I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful family. I’m really happy but when I sit down to write updates for this blog I can only think of negative things to write about involving my health. I always want to be real with you all and that means sharing the details of my pain but I don’t want any of you to think for one second that I’m miserable or depressed.

Yes, sometimes I get a little down and wind up feeling sorry for myself (don’t we all, sick or not?) but I try my hardest to keep a cheerful and positive frame of mind even when the pain has knocked me on my ass. Every time I sit down to write though I feel myself complaining through my text and that’s not what I want to do.

The pain has just been so extreme lately. My head hurts so much, all of the time, and the spikes are almost unbearable. I’m so lucky to have such amazing parents who understand and do whatever they can to help me. It still hurts though. My bones feel like the break, randomly throughout the day, or they feel like they’re being crushed under a tremendous and forceful weight.

I’m also currently in a mood where nothing tastes good so I don’t want to eat anything. And, as always, I’m so exhausted and no amount of rest seems to do anything to alleviate how tired I feel inside and out.

Despite the pain, I’m still in a good place. My family and I have been spending so much time together and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. We went on a day trip on Sunday and had the best time. Hunter and Cooper are the perfect cuddle buddies and there’s a lot of great TV to watch. Life is good. I’m also super excited Christmas is coming up so quickly. I’ve been having a lot of fun shopping online. I actually started a few weeks ago. I love seeing what kind of deals I can get on things for my family.

And I moved and remodeled both of my blogs! I’m really happy with Beautiful Basics actually but not with the way this one turned out so I’m going to keep working on it when I feel well enough to do so. It came out so bland looking. What do you think?

In a side note, I really need to find a new doctor.

Okay, that’s about it. How are you doing? Do you have anything you want to share or any questions you have for me? Also, let me know what shows or movies you’re currently loving since I’m always looking for new things to watch and would love your recommendations.