Earlier this week I was asked if I really could hear waves crashing from inside my room? The answer is yes, I can. Especially at times like these when the surf is really big. I have had this privilege for eleven years now and I think I appreciated it only the first month we lived here! As I pondered on the significance of this to most other people, I was struck with how ungrateful I have been for the amazing things I do have in my life. I remember as a child listening to my grandma describe hearing the waves crashing at night from her room while vacationing in Hawaii and thinking that it must be the most wonderful thing in the world. I hoped that someday I would be able to experience the same thing. 
It is sometimes difficult to not focus on the things I don't have instead of the things I do have.
I have been sick during this week I've had off from school and I have been grateful for the time to be away from the world and to sleep a lot without guilt. It has helped me to "refresh" myself a bit and to remember my goals and who I want to be.
Thanksgiving Day was wonderful and not food focused this year for me. We drove a couple of hours to my husband's aunt's house and enjoyed very light traffic in both directions.
One of my husband's cousins has two small children and I enjoyed playing with them. We as a group also played "Apples to Apples" (my favorite card game), played pool and played video games. It was fun to have so much interaction and to just "play" in general. It was nice to take a break from doing school work too!Now I am off to have a day after Thanksgiving dinner with my family! I look forward to driving the old backroad to their house and spending time together enjoying a good meal.
