28 and Grateful

In no particular order, 28 aspects of my life for which I am so grateful now that I'm 28!

1. Our adorable, hilarious, cuddly "kitten" who is really a cat but is so small we can call him a kitten forever.

My name is Scout and I sit in hats.

2. Cougar Town, my most recent (and perhaps most ridiculous) favorite silly sitcom.

3. My husband's adventurous side, which brought us to salsa dancing lessons last night. We weren't too bad!

4. Being back on the workout wagon. After my ten-plus days off to let my back heal, I was able to work out all week, and yesterday Terry and I ran four miles together! This evening after Terry gets home from work we're tackling a Deck of Cards workout.

5. Surprise schedule changes. Terry was originally supposed to be out of town for our anniversary and my birthday. Some scheduling changes resulted in a complete 180: we got to spend our anniversary and my birthday together, and now Terry leaves on Wednesday. My parents are taking care of Scout for a few days while I hang out with Ter, then I'll go back up to help my parents pack while Terry's in Buffalo. Hey, more time together? I'll take it!

6. Social media in the summer. Scrolling through my different feeds, I love seeing all the engagements, weddings, baby announcements, new jobs, big moves, travels, and exciting adventures in my friends' and families' lives. I can't help but feel excited for everyone!

7. My parents, who are watching Scout for a few days, despite the fact that they have to pack and move out of their house in a week. I miss the little guy, but I'm glad he's having a blast running around and jumping on all the boxes!

8. The chance to explore the world. Terry and I have made travel a priority in our lives, and I'm so grateful for the places we've been and the places we're going. Our third trip to Europe is only 42 days away!

9. Gorgeous floral greetings at the airport.

10. Cute downtown neighborhoods. Terry and I currently live walking-distance to some fantastic restaurants and tons of people watching. When we move to a more permanent location, we hope to find a similar area where we can walk to local shops, cafes, restaurants, and other activities.

11. HGTV. Need I say more?

12. Great friends. I'm so grateful for the sweet texts, calls, and messages on my birthday. I'm terrible about remembering birthdays, let alone acknowledging them, so I'm always impressed and humbled when friends go out of their way to make me feel special.

13. California weather. My mom and I chatted the other day about how unextreme (not a word, but I'm going with it) California weather is. Southern and Northern California have generally mild, predictable weather, no tornadoes or extreme temperatures. But of course that also means that we would likely have a rough time trying to live anywhere with snow or crazy weather!

14. The little squirrel in our backyard who entertains Scout and who seemed pretty upset when he realized Scout's not home! Terry sent me this photo when the squirrel woke him up, presumably pouting about the lack of a kitten to play with (through the door, of course).

15. Mojitos. I looooove mojitos.

16. Our new phones! We've had them for a few weeks, and they are much faster and more efficient than our old ones. We have the Samsung Galaxy 4, and thank goodness!

17. Breakfast. I don't know what my favorite meal of the day is, but breakfast is definitely in the top three. :-) Yesterday's breakfast at the farmer's market:

18. Buzzfeed.

19. Trader Joe's. The checkout guy there recognized us yesterday and asked where we'd been--he hadn't seen us in a few weeks. Who knew we were regulars?

20. Fresh sheets and clean laundry. I'm making it happen today and can't wait to snuggle into those fresh linens!

21. This apron, a gift from Terry for my birthday:

22. Tea. That morning "cuppa" just gives me a little bit of joy to look forward to each day! We use Irish Breakfast, but Terry also bought me some black tea from London for my birthday. We add a splash of milk and about a teaspoon of pure maple syrup. It's perfect!

23. Regaining my flexibility. It's on my list, but it took my back pain to force me to truly focus on stretching more each day. I really hope I will continue to make it a priority, because it feels SOOOOO good!

24. Julia Child. Wasn't she amazing? Completely unconventional, she made such an impact on the world of cooking. My mom and I took a "Celebrating Julia Child" cooking class this weekend through Sur la Table and had a blast! It was my mother's day gift to my mom, and we learned a ton and loved the meal.

Potatoes Anna

Coq au vin

25. My bed. While I've been staying at my parents' house I have to sleep on a not-so-great mattress and a terrible pillow, so my bed feels glooooorious.

26. Bookstores. We end up in bookstores almost everywhere we go. I love wandering through the aisles, checking out various editions of old books. I even read a whole book in a bookstore once. Not a bad way to spend a day.

In Paris

27. Simple, quick, surprisingly delicious meals, like BLTAs.

28. My incredible husband. He makes me so happy every day.