"Be Thankful" Challenge Accepted! (via E. Rawls)

Thanksgiving might be weeks gone, but thankfulness and gratitude shouldn't ever be a seasonal thing :)

Elizabeth (A.K.A. Rawls E.) tagged me for this back in November, and I am delighted to finally post it. Make sure that you check out Elizabeth's blog here. She is a fantasy author who features chapters of her ongoing Madnes Solver blog series, haiku, movie reviews, writing advice, and much more.

Thanks again!

And here are the rules:

– Share this image in your blog post
– Write about 5 people in your life you are thankful for
– Write about 5 things in 2015 that you are thankful for
– Spread the love and challenge 5 other blogs to take part

5 People in My Life that I am Thankful For

1. I've mentioned my adorable niece Beatrice several times on the blog, and as the youngest addition to my family, I am listing her off first. She just turned one, and she has big blue eyes and a sweet smile, and I am so thankful that she is a part of my life <3
2. My sister-in-law Erin. Though she is Beatrice's ^ mother, she was my friend and "new" sister first! Kind, generous, thoughtful, wise, hospitable, and a godly young woman, Erin is a blessing to everyone who knows her. And she is a great person to play Pandemic* with!
3. My friend Stacy. I have a handful of close friends, but Stacy was my earliest best friend. Though we currently live on opposite sides of the state and are too busy to see each other often, we can always fall easily back into our comfortable friendship pattern, and we will always be in the other's corner. <3<3
4. All of the lovely readers and bloggers who have been so incredible this past year. I am still technically a newbie in the blogging world (I only really got serious in 2015), no one has ever made me feel anything but welcome and valid. You are all awesome, and my only regret is that I haven't (yet) met any of you offline! Drop me a line if you're ever in West Michigan :)
5. My lovely coworkers at The Book Nook and Java Shop. I am truly blessed to work with some classy ladies who are always kind and help things flow smoothly - even when it gets crazy!

5 Things in 2015 That I am Thankful For:

1. A book deal! Neverland Publishing picked up the rights to my debut novel, Knight of the Blue Surcoat, earlier this year. Though waiting isn't easy (Mo Willems is right), I'm trying to be patient as I wait for revisions, edits, advance readers copies and all that jazz.
2. BEA 2015! I had the amazing opportunity to go to Book Expo America back in May. I met authors and bloggers, and came back with a bunch of books. It was my first time in NYC, and I can't wait to visit Manhattan again.
3. A car that runs. Trust me, this is not something you take for granted. Though I have been dogged by car problems since last year, I am still more or less able to make it to work and back.
4. Friends and Family all over the country. Since I couldn't name off everyone above, I'm putting it in here. From the new friends I made in New York and Pennsylvania, to the supportive local community, I'm grateful for you all (even though I don't talk about my feelings much irl!)
5. Books and words and writing. Seriously. From the words of Scripture, to Shakespeare, to modern novels, to poetry and beyond. Literature is the love of my life and a great joy even at the worst of times.

Well, it's time to "spread the love," and instead of tagging people, I am challenging everyone who reads this post to think about all the wonderful things in their lives this year. If you want to, feel free to share something you are thankful for in the comments, or repost this challenge on your own blogs and spread it that way.

Adorable gif from Jackie @ chibird.tumblr.com - click the link for more cuteness!

Footnotes:

Pandemic is an awesome cooperative game. You have to have a calm head and be capable of working with other people, all while thinking several moves in advance.