Well, it seems like I do this assignment every year, but I enjoy it. There are so many things to be thankful for in this big, wide world! And as wonderful as Taylor Lautner is, he unfortunately doesn’t make my top ten.

Every year I am thankful for my parents and this won’t change! My mom and dad do everything they can to protect me and keep me happy. They push me to do the best in everything I do. They help me make smart choices regarding school, friends, family, and sports, and stand by me when I make my choice. So thank you Mom and Dad!!

My brother is probably one of the best older brothers someone could have. I always heard these awful stories about how horrible their older brothers were to them, or how they were always arguing and fighting. But my brother and I never have those troubles; never have, never will. My brother, along with my dad, taught me how to dribble and shoot a basketball, how to throw a football, how to be sneaky in a water fight (water balloons + Brian cheating by throwing them over the house = me wet), and yes, he did teach me how to punch, not that I ever need to use that! So thank you Brian!

Now time for Becky! One, she lends me cute clothes!! What can beat that? But seriously, she’s one of my best friends. We tell each other our problems and try to find solutions. We’ve had our share of arguments, but they always resolve themselves. She’s super helpful when it comes to proofreading papers since she loves English and that was her minor for a bit in college! She’s one of the first people I go to when I need someone to talk to. We love watching Disney movies together while pigging out on popcorn and mozzarella sticks. Thanks Becky for being there!

Now this next kid doesn’t really affect me personally, but he makes my sister so happy, that I feel I should be thankful for him. I’m talking about my sister’s boyfriend, Scott. When she came home from their third date talking about shooting stars during the hayride at the haunted barn, I knew he was good for her! Thank you Scott for making Becky so happy!!!

I know this sounds cliché, but I am thankful that I live in America! I don’t live in fear of the government, I can practice my religion, which by the way is illegal in over fifty countries, and I’m not starving. Compared to a lot of countries, I am really, really spoiled!

This is a huge miracle that I can say this. My dad still has his job. He builds gages for car companies and amazingly hasn’t been laid off yet! Sure there have been pay cuts, but my family is fine! We still live in the house we’ve lived in for fourteen years, and we have more than enough food. I am so grateful that I can say this, because I know a lot of people can’t.

I am thankful for all my aunts and uncles and cousins. They all love me and care about my life and future. I love when the whole family gets together and everybody gives everybody else hugs and kisses. Its then that I know they’d do just about anything for me. Thanks for being so great!

I am also thankful for all my grandparents. I love hearing stories about when they were growing up. They all love me and they show it. They also push me to do my best in everything, and I do my best to make them proud! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!!

This may sound weird, but I’m thankful for the radio! Without music, my life would be horrible. Music lifts my mood and I have so much fun dancing, even though I’m not anywhere near a good dancer! It seems like there is a genre to fit every one of my moods and always another song to annoy my friends and family with my constant singing along to it. I don’t know what I would do without my music.

And last, but certainly nowhere near the least, I am thankful for my friends. Some of them I have known since preschool and some I met a few short months ago. But they’re all great. I thought it’d be really hard, going into a new school system, to make friends, but everyone’s been great. Without them, my school day would be so boring, and I would beg my parents to let me transfer. I am also thankful for my friends from my old school. We still talk and hang out like nothing changed, so thank you for standing by me after all this time!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!