Thankful

If I’m being honest, I started Thanksgiving feeling tired and cranky.

If I’m being really honest… that feeling has lasted all day. (In my defense, I think I’m getting an inner ear infection because I’ve been dizzy, off balance, and my head hurts.) But alas, that’s nothing compared to what so many people are going through.

This year, I’ve decided to put down what I’m most thankful for.

My dad’s in remission from prostate cancer

When I got the call in late March that my dad had Stage 4 Prostate cancer, everything changed. I think it’s particularly tough to hear it when you live 11 hours away. I’m a daddy’s girl, I call him everyday, so you can imagine the rollercoaster of emotions this year has brought. But, it was great news to hear just days before thanksgiving that his PSA level dropped from the high 220s now down to .02! He’s been responding well to treatment, and doctors consider him in remission. He said he saw the words in remission on a piece of paper, and I can only imagine what that felt like for him.

My Marriage

We just celebrated 7 years of marriage on November 24 and this was probably one of our best years yet. We got out and had several date nights this year, we went on several trips as a family. I’m thankful to have a good teammate, a good co-parent, and a funny and handsome one to boot!

My Children

I’m thankful both children are happy (for like 60% of the day😂) and more importantly, healthy. (Although the doctor just said Hayden needs to switch to 2% milk 🙊) They are exhausting and drama-filled little mini versions of Josh and me, but they make me smile and make me proud.

My Career

I love my work fam and I love my job. This has been a particularly rewarding year. I’m now 16 months in and it’s really starting to feel like home. Because of our position in the Omaha market, I feel like I have a bigger opportunity to make a difference. We have a large reach, surprisingly bigger than what I had working in larger markets because we have such a bigger piece of the pie. We’ve gotten to do some meaningful stories and investigations that have been inspiring to be a part of. Management can be really stressful and draining, but also very rewarding. I’m thankful this opportunity found me and looking forward to what’s next.

My Squad

I’m so thankful to be making friendships here in Omaha that I suspect will last for years to come, and I’m also thankful that I still have a large support system that spans the country. Technology I has certainly helped this. I get to FaceTime my family often, I have so many group chats that still connect me to buddies from college, Detroit, Pittsburgh and beyond. I love that if I need to vent, need a shoulder to cry on, or just want to reminisce or have a few laughs, they’re only a text away! Also so thankful that I actually got to see Mary, Jackie, Cindy and Barrett over the course of a few trips… and the entire Yobbi family when we went to Natalia’s wedding this year!

Travel

One of my favorite things about Omaha is how it is within road tripping distance to some other great cities. We had so many adventures this year. And with both of us making more money, there have been more opportunities for getaways! We spent a week in Denver, I visited Minneapolis twice, went to Kansas City twice, spent a week in Michigan, had a quick trip to Pittsburgh, got to meet up with Cindy and Barrett in Sioux Falls, day-tripped to Lincoln. And in just a couple weeks, Annabelle and I will be flying to New York City to get into the holiday spirit!

Memories Made

We’ve made more of an effort to use our weekends and time off the clock to make memories. Annabelle and I have seen so many shows this year like Cats, the Wizard of Oz ballet, Phantom of the Opera in the front row. Josh and I saw Hamilton and went and saw Third Eye Blind in Concert. We’re going to see the Nutcracker next week. Josh and I did one of those “float tanks”. We’ve been to the zoo and museums multiple times this year and of course the pumpkin patch and local farms!