FBFF: Gratitude

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say "thank you?"  

- William A. Ward

Today, we are showing our gratitude and giving thanks where thanks is due.

Link up with your Fashion Beauty Friend Friday answers at Modly Chic.

{one}

When it comes to me personally – I owe a lot of who I am to:
 My mom and my husband - hands down. My mom has been the constant source of strength and support for every event, every challenge, and every goal for my entire life. She is steadfast, never ending, and her independence amazes me. She loves with abandon and will never stop giving. She believes so deeply that we are doing what God wants us to be doing and that there will be something better around the corner. I hope to be as inspirational and strong as her, someday. My husband has pulled me from the rocks many times. At first, he didn't know how low I was, because we barely knew each other. But I fell for him and it changed my perspective on what was really important in life. At 19 years old, I decided to grow up. He showed me how to have fun without being stupid, that chivalry wasn't really dead- I'd only been looking in the wrong places. He showed me what real love is. And I'm so glad he chose me.

{two}

When it comes to me professionally – I owe a lot of who I am to:

Well, I still struggle with this, every day. I'm not happy with where I am, professionally and I haven't really ever been, because what I want to be doing is staying at home, raising a family. But I definitely owe it to my first boss out of college, Susan, for showing me that I'm not only resilient, but I'm also a hell of a lot smarter than most people would assume. She knocked me down a few times, only for me to come back three steps ahead, just to prove that I was a whole lot more than she thought I could be. Looking back, I don't think she ever didn't believe in me. I think she knew I was a lot like her and that I needed a swift kick in the ass to bounce back even bigger than I knew I was capable of doing. 

{three}

When it comes to the art of blogging, I’m grateful to these people for helping me through some rough spots:
Oh my goodness, there are so many of you... I want to name everyone, but the people that have really gotten me through the last 4-5 months and helped me figure out who I am when it comes to blogging are the following:

Rochelle

Collette

Melissa

Megan

Holly
ML

Kori

LMCBW

{four}

One blogging challenge I’m grateful happened because it made me stronger was…

The Great Google Account Hacking of 2011

Remember that? Seems like ages ago, but it was really only three weeks ago. I feel like I've come so far since it happened. I owe it to that major breakdown for the organization and prioritization that have helped me realize WHERE blogging stands in my life. It's a fun hobby. It's not a job. It's not making me money. It doesn't help me take care of my family or cook dinner and serve it in the dining room. I realized who my REAL friends were, because of the support I had while going through the hacking situation. And I also figured out that I won't be blogging for the rest of my life. Yeah, I actually thought I'd be doing this for a living at some point... I really feel much more at peace, now that I have my priorities straight. I'm sleeping a TON more than I was a few weeks ago, too!

{five}

To my readers, I’d like to say…

I definitely wouldn't still be here without you. I probably would wear sweatpants to work if you didn't care about this blog! I'm so happy you come here to see what's going on- and to the handful of you that have really reached out and become lovely friends, THIS is what blogging and community are about. Am I right?