Thanksgiving Thankfulness!

Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday!  Families gather together to celebrate one-another and blessings of the year, the food is delicious and plentiful, spirits are high, it's the kick-off to the Holy season and all of this is done without exchanging one gift.

Knowing our Thanksgiving will be very different in 2012, I'm focusing on what I'm most thankful for this year.  It goes without saying I'm thankful that we are two days away from being 28 weeks pregnant, have the love and support of amazing friends and family, a great job, etc. but what I want to really give thanks for this year is my husband.  In all of the blogging and conversations that have taken place over the past month, I feel as though he sometimes gets left out.  He is the hero in my life and the one we all should praise for a job well done during our very trying, extended vacation in Manhattan!  

In true New York style, I’ve devised the “Top 10 reasons I'm most thankful for Gayland Paffe this Thanksgiving”...

10.  He loves Tennessee football as much as I love A&M football!  You can bet when our teams meet in the SEC Championship one day I'll have on my maroon t-shirt and Volunteer flip-flips and he'll be wearing his Big Orange t-shirt and Texas Aggie baseball hat!  We'll both take turns holding Baby P who obviously comes from a house that is divided!

9.  While standing on the white sand beaches of the Iberostar Grand Bavaro Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, he looked like something out of a movie.  I was petrified when I got to the beach to meet him he was going to be gone and I can't say I would have blamed him.  (Perhaps I provided a little encouragement...well....um... persuasion... or threats...ok, ultimatums about the marriage part so I was fearful he was going to bolt right into the Caribbean Ocean because he wasn’t quite ready to take the ultimate plunge.)  I'm not the easiest person to love or live with but he made a decision to see us through.  That day and moment were, and he still remains, the biggest blessing of my life.

8.  Cucumbers don't have a thing on my Baby Daddy!  That man is calm as can be and never lets anyone see him sweat.  It provides a calming effect on me since I sweat more than anyone I know!

7.  He loves to cook which is beneficial to both of us since we'd starve or weigh 500 pounds each if it were left up to me to feed us.  Yes, I can bake a mean cookie, cake, pie or yeast bread but please do not ask me to cook anything other than breakfast, spaghetti or tacos!

6.  When I married him I also received his family, all of whom I love dearly!  His Mom, Dad, sister, brother and sister-in-law in FL are diverse and dynamic and they make me smile!  I can't wait for Baby P to meet his/her grandparents, aunts and uncle.

5.  In almost four years, he's never missed a songwriter's round, acoustic or full-band show.  He has listened to every song I've written and provided honest feedback, set up my sound equipment, sold my merchandise, supported and encouraged my crazy, expensive dream.  He’s been at every 5k, half-marathon and triathlon cheering me on when I wasn’t sure if my legs or mind would carry me to the finish line.  And then, he agreed to train for the Nashville marathon with me knowing well I’m a much slower runner than him.  True love is when an 8:30 miler agrees to train with an 11:00 miler...just saying!

4.  I used to hate when people would say, “My husband is my best friend.”  I always thought that was outright crap….and then I married Gayland Paffe.  I do have a best girlfriend that has been with me through the thick and thin of life in the past 12 years and I love her dearly but my bestfriendship with Gayland is different.  He is the Southwest Airlines to my 737, the salted butter to my white French bread, the vanilla buttercream icing to my chocolate cupcake, the Tide with Febreeze to my washing machine and the cashmere socks to my new black suede TOMS booties.  He is my heart and soul and I love this man more than I ever thought it possible to love another human being!

3.  During the trials and tribulations of our New York hospital stay October 22nd - October 26th, he never left my side (except to shower and get us food).  He slept on a hard, faux-leather couch every night under a shaggy blanket and flat pillow.  He was my constant in the midst of extreme chaos and he never threatened to kick the ass of all those male doctor's that were providing what felt like non-step cervical exams...Love this man!

2.  As I'm constantly unsure how we're going to pay our bills if we have to stay in New York, have a baby and raise it to be an upstanding and productive citizen, involve both of our families in the child's life when we live in different states all while maintaining demanding jobs that require a ton of travel, he constantly lies to me and tells me he's not worried about the same things.  This is the one time in our marriage I'm glad he doesn’t tell me the truth!

*And, the #1 reason I'm most thankful for Gayland Paffe this holiday season:

He chose me to be the mother of his child.  There is no greater honor or gift...

In the spirit of thankfulness, what blessings will you be celebrating on Thursday with your family?