Countdown to 30

-304 days to go, and a very happy Thanksgiving to you! In honor of the last Turkey Day of my 20’s, I wanted to pause to give thanks for some of the many people and things that have blessed my life these past 29 years.

1. Of course, first and foremost I am thankful for my parents, who have shaped my life in a delicate interplay of nature and nurture.  Through all of my successes and failures, they have been unerring in their support and have always loved me for who I am.  More on each of them later.
2. It’s only been a little over two years, but I am so incredibly blessed to have found Sarah.  She is the love of my life - a love that let’s me be who I am, encourages me to be better, teaches me new things, and makes me laugh instead of cry.
3. I have four of the most incredible sisters a girl could ask for - each of them brings different strengths to my life and inspires me with who they are.  Leah is generosity and spirituality, Kristine is individuality and warmth, Merrianne is creativity and dedication, and Disa is innocence and love.  They are my muses, my greatest examples, and my very best friends.
4. I don’t have kids of my own, yet.  But I am incredibly blessed to be an aunt to 7 nephews and 6 nieces that bring so much joy to my life: Colte, Charlianne, Alexander, Max, Tyler, Destiny, Kirsten, Jade “Boo”, Melanie, Tia, John, Sammy and Eddie.  These kids are so much fun and are growing into such amazing people - I am truly lucky to know them.
5. Also in the “no kids yet” department, I am also incredibly lucky to have two little pets with crazy-fun personalities and just the right amount of love in the moments when I need it most.  I’ve had my kitty, Chunk for 7+ years now, and got Percy two days before last Christmas - and I am one lucky mom. 
6. Now back to my Mom - to her I am most grateful for my grasp of words, love of reading, fairly intuitive spelling and grammar skills and most importantly, my drive to write.  She is the foundation for any endeavor in that area, including this blog and others, songs I have written, and countless poems, stories and yet-to-be finished novels.  Thanks Mom.
7. There are many things I am grateful to my Dad for, but I’ll boil it down to two here: 1) My love and thirst for knowledge, and 2) my crazy, scattered, optimistic and open view of life.  Like him, I strive to make my life about so much more than my day job, and because of him I have made and accomplished goals like getting a Master’s degree, recording a CD and playing in a band, and traveling the U.S. (and next, the WORLD!).  He’s the reason I listen to NPR and subscribe to the Tribune.  Thanks Dad!
8. In the past few years I have also been incredibly lucky to become acquainted with Sarah’s parents, Richard and Libby.  In some ways their greatest gift has been their daughter, but along with that they have welcomed me into their family and made me feel like a part of it.  From meals and books shared, to inviting me along on my first international trip to a family wedding, they have been generous in both time and affection, and I am truly grateful to them.
9. My extended family, of course, has also had a vast influence on me, but here I want to especially thank my Grandmother Marguerite Nedreberg, who I have been lucky enough to get closer to over the past few years, for her strength and love.
10. Beyond the family, I have so many friends that have greatly influenced me, and I could probably never list them all, but I want to hit on at least a few: Jessie and Tia who have been friends/family since 6th grade, and their wonderful husbands; Nicole, who has been instrumental in reawakening my writing bug and deepening my love of the place I live; Anita, Chelsea and all the girls from Westminster; Jamielee, my twin from another mother; Brittany, who has stuck by me through rock bottom and beyond; Bruce, who shares not only some good beer, but some deep thoughts that have shaped my outlook in so many ways - miss you man!; Dustin, for being one of my most loyal friends and showing up for nearly everything that’s important to me.
11. And now, for the THINGS that make life great: Living in Salt Lake City, minutes from the mountains, a few hours from several of the country’s most beautiful national parks, in a city small enough to avoid nasty traffic and big enough for a symphony!
12. Excellent cheese and good wine.
13. Locally-brewed beer and pub food.
14. Autumn leaves and crisp, wood-smoke tinged air.
15. My awesome back yard - thanks Sarah!
16. A car without a car payment.
17. The Nedreberg Ladies Book Club, for the incredible books and even better conversation.
18. Pandora (especially the Rihanna channel for playing Party Rock Anthem right now!) and Netflix for making music and movies available without me needing to actually buy more STUFF.
19. An awesome job at an organization that makes a difference, with passionate coworkers who make every day at work meaningful.
20. A little space to grow a vegetable garden - I can’t wait for spring.  I will become a “gardener” before I turn 30!
21. Social media, for keeping me connected to my small town, family I’ve never met in Norway, and my aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers and sisters spread across the country.
22. Sarah’s amazing ability to cook - to which I can also give thanks for an extra 20 pounds.
23. My new bicycle, though only used a few times before cold weather, for giving me a gas-free and exercise-based way of getting to work.
24. Tools that help me take a look inside my psyche, like the Enneagram and Great Life, for bringing light to who I am and how I can bring out the best and overcome the worst of that.  ;)
25. The good life that Sarah and I are building together.
26. Water, which brings me peace in nearly any clean form it takes.
27. Holidays that bring my family together.
28. A dog that forces me to take walks - which I always enjoy much more than I thought I would when I first put his leash on.
29. The fact that I have made it nearly 30 years mostly unscathed - that’s a pretty excellent accomplishment.