Thankful

With Thanksgiving officially behind us and leftovers dwindling I’ve been reflecting on what I’m truly thankful for this year. And while I could give you the standard “family, friends, health” list and call it a day… well, that’s just not my brand. So instead, here’s my thoughtful-yet-humorous-but-also-kind-of-serious gratitude list, straight from the gym-goat-farm-fitness-life whirlwind I call home.

Connections & Relationships

Listen… I don’t care how you know me:

• the “gym lady,”

• the “goat lady,”

• "you drive the FITTEAM car,"

• or the “wait—you run how many miles?” lady…

A connection is a connection, and I’m thankful for every single one of them.

I love the relationships I’ve built through the gym, through grazing jobs, through work, and through the community. Sometimes it blows my mind how many people I’ve met simply because I own goats, teach fitness classes, or show up in the FITTEAM vehicle. But hey—people are people, and whether we bond over deadlifts or goat poop, I cherish it either way.

Friends

I may not have a giant friend circle, and honestly? I prefer the “small but mighty” version. The friends I do have are the kind of people who would move mountains for me.

They’re the ones who are a phone call, text, or Snap away. States apart or five minutes down the road, I know I’ve got people who show up. And that kind of friendship hits different.

My Dad & My Husband

The two men who have tolerated all of my chaos over the years. They’ve survived my impulsive animal-adopting phases, my “let’s build a something!” phases, and my “wait, I signed us up for WHAT?” moments—all while continuing to love me anyway.

They can build anything. Fix anything. Think through anything. And still look at me like, “Yeah, we’ll figure it out.” They are quite literally the two smartest people I know, and I’m insanely thankful they continue to put up with me and my ideas/projects.

Neighbors

When I say we hit the neighbor jackpot, I mean… jackpot.

These people aren’t just “wave from the mailbox” neighbors. They’re:

• pull your lawn mower out of a rut,

• saw wood for your chicken roost,

• chase a fox off your property,

• babysit goats in their backyard and lose their hostas because of it,

• show up at a moment’s notice kind of neighbors.

They’re the type of people you meet and think, “If we had moved into literally any other house, we would never have met them,” and you immediately get sad thinking about that alternate universe.

Our Large Animal Vet

There’s “I love my vet,” and then there’s “I deeply appreciate my vet because he takes care of my goats and sheep like they’re his own.”

Our vet shows up to the Christmas parade just to see the animals walk. He genuinely cares. He doesn’t come often (which, thank goodness, means healthy animals), but when he does—our crew is in excellent hands.

A good large-animal vet is worth their weight in gold… or hay bales.

Heated Toilet Seat

Yes, it’s on the list.

Yes, it deserves its own category.

Yes, once you have one, there is no going back.

If gratitude had a throne—literally—it would be heated.

Health & Fitness

I’m not completely free of aches or ailments, but I can move. I can work out. I can run. I can take care of myself. And that is something I do not take for granted.

While some people come up with a million excuses for why they “can’t,” I show up. I show up for me. For my family. For my animals. For the people who depend on me.

Some days I don’t feel like working out at all—but I do anyway. Because being strong, capable, and healthy is the foundation of everything I do.

Landon

He’s not my little boy anymore. He’s got his own life now, and he doesn’t live nearby… but the relationship we have is something I’m deeply thankful for.

He’s grown into a smart, responsible, thoughtful human. He makes me proud to be his mom every single day. And when he comes home? He hangs out with me, visits the animals, and jumps in to help without even being asked.

How did I get so lucky? Truly.

In the End…

This year, gratitude looked like goats. And friends. And neighbors. And heated toilet seats. And early morning workouts. And a kid who became an incredible adult.

It looked like community. Connection. Chaos. And love—lots of love, from all directions.

And I’m thankful for every piece of it.