Thanks

Today especially, I'm so thankful for big things like

• My husband who makes me laugh every single day, never takes himself or life too seriously, is interested in and enthusiastic about so, so much, wants me to be happy, and knows what I'm thinking two weeks before I even do. Thank God I met him.
• My child who is the most exciting thing that ever happened to me, who lets me experience everything again for the first time, surprises me constantly, loves to sing and dance as much as I do, and keeps me honest.
• My family back in North America who keep in touch even though they know (through the blog) there's usually nothing exciting going on over here. The fact that my parents remarried and brought two new amazing people into my life. That my grandparents are still some of the healthiest, most active people I know. Also, related: the technology that allows us to communicate across all these miles.
• My Swedish family. Fate could have paired me up with a great guy who with a lame family but I got really, really lucky to genuinely enjoy the company of every single one of these Swedes. 
• Our health. Our bodies are working as they should and I try to always remember what a gift that is. 
• My girlfriends, here and abroad. Every girl's gotta have 'em. They're the best.
• My job. I have the best colleagues, and while I love the weekend as much as the next guy, I really like going to work in the morning. 
• My home, which is the perfect size for my family and which is so full of love and warmth, and exists in a neighborhood that couldn't possibly be more fitting. Our home is the place I most like to be.
• Jamie's teachers. They are truly our partners in raising this child and they're doing a great job.
• This country, where I feel so taken care of. Hardly a day goes by that I don't stop and take a moment to appreciate all the things I don't have to worry about because I live here.
• The sheer luck of having been born under the circumstances I was. 
• A reliable vehicle and public transportation should it suddenly become unreliable. 

And slightly smaller things like

•  The quality of TV these days! I'm stressed out by how much good stuff there is to watch.
•  Singing in a choir. How did I not do it for so many years?
•  Makeup. It's actually embarrassing how much joy it brings me.
•  The fact that my kid has a good sense of humor.
•  Blogs, because I love to write and they're my favorite reading material.
•  Having things to look forward to like a party, a vacation, a holiday, a fun weekend plan or even just going home at the end of the day.