A post full of thanks...

In this season of Thanksgiving, I am continually reminded of the blessings that surround me in the forms of people, feelings, experiences, and physical objects, among other things. Please excuse me for a few moments as I take some time to thank just a few of the amazing and incredible people in my life individually and publicly. (Though don't, by any means, think that these are the only people I'm grateful to. If I had time, I could write so very many thanks.)
MOM: Thank you for giving birth to me. Seriously, that's a big deal. ;) hahaha! Also, thank you for being one of my best friends. You are an incredibly forgiving, compassionate, and merciful individual and I can only hope to become the type of person that you are. You have always been an example for me of all that I should aspire to be... and you have taught me, as well, to follow my dreams and to be my own person, as unique and different as I may sometimes be. Thank you for always encouraging and supporting me, and for being my tv watching buddy. ;) I love you!
DADDY: You're absolutely ridiculously stubborn and sometimes it's completely obnoxious. Thank you for passing that on to me and showing me how it can also be used positively! I mean, I could rewrite that first sentence to say, "you're absolutely, incredibly steadfast and sometimes it is completely inspiring" and it would be just as true. ;) Anyway, thank you for also raising me in such a way that I recognize the value of being headstrong, independent, honest, and having a good sense of humor. Oh, and thank you for teaching me the value of an education and proper grammar. Proper grammar is practically a lost art, right?! hahaha! Thank you also for being the most wonderful, protective Daddy. After all, if those guys can't handle an interview with you, they're not worth a date anyway. ;) I love you!
KATRINA: I hate you. Oh, wait. Just kidding. This is a loving post. I guess, then, I should tell you that I absolutely love you and you are seriously fantastic. No joke. Psych and half a carton of ice cream? Yes please. How else would we spend our time? ;) Seriously, though, you are so inspiring. Your testimony of the gospel is so steadfast and it translates into all that you do. You really are like a sister to me, and I SUPER appreciate the fact that you don't like unnecessary drama. It makes hanging out and talking so easy, because I feel the same way. hahaha! Thank you, Katrina, for being an example to me, and for being such a wonderful friend. I love you!
KATHERINE: Thank you, darling, for sticking around through thick and thin. You are so much fun to be around and even though sometimes I'm an absolute party pooper who is way too lazy or tired or grumpy or sick or who knows what else to be any fun myself, you still put up with me. I'm sorry that sometimes I might take you for granted, and that I'm not always the best at expressing that I'm here for you, but just know that I always am. I love you so much and I have so much faith in you and what you can accomplish. don't let the world drag you down, hun, you've got so much good inside of you!! I love you!
OLIVIA: Thank you for always being so kind to me. I know that when we first met, I didn't give off the most welcoming vibes, and that maybe I haven't always shown the most appreciation for you. So I wanted to take the time to tell you that I love you, I am grateful for you, and I love that you bring my brother so much joy. You are so very talented, and I'm thankful that you show honest interest in what I'm working on, because it makes it so that I'm always excited to show you what I accomplish. I always admire your testimony and your talent, and I am so grateful that you share both with the world. I love you!
GRACIE: I miss you when you're at college! I loved that while you were here I got to have such a wonderful talk with you and Katherine. You are a great listener. I have always looked up to you in a lot of ways, and I can remember always thinking that you were so incredible as I looked up to you at girlscamp my first few years. As I've gotten to actually know you since then, you've become a dear friend, and I am so glad that I've been blessed with your friendship. I love you!
LEE: Thank you for always making me smile. :) You are such a sweet person, and you are absolutely a hopeless romantic. I have no doubt that you will marry someone absolutely wonderful! I'm thankful that I can talk to you about whatever I'm going through, good or bad. You have been super supportive of me ever since we met, and I am so very grateful for your loving friendship. I'm thankful that you have a love for the gospel and for your family, and I believe that you can do so much good as you continue to grow in your testimony and as an individual. Thank you for being a dear friend. :) I'm so thankful, also, that we can be honest with one another. I seriously can't wait until we get the chance to hang out and go on some adventures! I love you!
GEOFFREY: First of all, thank you for being a best friend before you even knew it. ;) Thank you even more, though, for sticking around. Like I mentioned, I haven't had a lot of guys who cared about their friendship with me enough to really make effort to keep it up. It has always been obvious from how Kaitlyn and Elizabeth talked about you, but now I can say without a doubt - you are one of the most incredible and fantastic older brothers anyone could ever wish for. Thank you for being a part of our family, for late night conversations about my screwed up brain, for intense games (I knew you'd be fun to play Curses with!), and for honest communication. I hope you know you're pretty much stuck with me telling you all kinds of things, in whatever form of communication I need to use. Being busy is no escape - I'm afraid you'll still be stuck with me telling you at least the important things. And hopefully sometimes you'll have time to talk to me too. ;) Thanks again for sticking around! I look up to you so much and I love you!
JACOB: I've gotta say, it's super satisfying to say one of my super opinionated statements and just have someone say that there is no argument for it. ;) Thank you for being a fantastic listener, and for making such a wonderful effort to keep in touch after you got home. I can't wait for you to visit! I am looking forward to all of your jokes. I am seriously so thankful for your sense of humor. It's fantastic. Also, Jesus loves you. And so do I! :)
Well. It's kind of 2 AM, and I have volleyball in the morning. So I should really get some sleep. Maybe I'll write more of these another time, but no promises.
Y'all are fantastic. And if you are reading this, I love you. If you are reading this and we aren't close or I don't know you, that's okay... I still have love for you. ;) I don't know what I did to be so blessed, but I am eternally grateful for it!