11/24/25: Thankful, Grateful, and Blessed

It is easy to overlook Thanksgiving.  I know as soon as Halloween passes I want to pop up my Christmas tree, start watching all my favorite holiday movies and listening to the music.  My husband insists that all that waits until after Thanksgiving.  Don’t let my enthusiasm for Christmas fool you, I love Thanksgiving and the spirit of it – giving thanks.  That is what I am doing this week…giving thanks in writing.

First and foremost, I am thankful for my husband and daughters.  

Jeremy and I celebrated 15 years of marriage in June.  I will not say all those years have been easy, we have definitely lived our vows-sickness and health, richer or poorer, but at the end of each day I am nothing but thankful and grateful for him and all that he does for our family.  He works hard to ensure we have a roof over our heads, health insurance, food on our table, the list goes on.  He supports me while I chase all my adventures, like launching my own business, or saying it is important to me to be here for our kids during the week.  Meeting him 18+ years ago is definitely the biggest blessing of my life.

Then my daughters.

Ramsey is my introvert who marches to the beat of her own drum, but always knows when we need her to show up and be present.  Her creativity and artistic ability is mind-blowing, I’m not even sure she realizes how amazing she is.  She is very mature for her age.  She has a great friend group and I am so thankful she has good people in her life.  I love her confidence and how she is like me that she doesn’t care what people think of her…she’s unapologetically herself.  I cannot wait to see what her future holds and just hope she knows she can chase any dream.

Merritt is my kid who isn’t afraid of any adventure.  Anything Jeremy or I are doing, she wants to be there helping and learning, and I love that about her.  She is an incredibly quick learner.  I think my favorite thing about her is her empathy and ability to care deeply about the people around her.  Every teacher she’s ever had said that she is a “good friend” or “always knows which classmate needs her”, or most recently “she definitely feels the feelings of the people around her”.  I know there are times where I am sad and she can wrap me in the biggest hug and just make it all melt away.  As she gets out of her small pond I am excited to see the person she turns into.

My parents.  I am 39-years old and they have never stopped being there for me/us.  They give their time, energy, money (if needed), and love without limits or conditions.  My favorite thing is watching them be grandparents and love our girls with that same unwavering love.  

I have been very thankful for mostly good health, for me and my family.  Unless you know me, you don’t know that I have had some lifelong health issues, but I haven’t struggled with much more than a small cold for the past couple years. Aside from my health, I am very thankful for the health of my family.  We had one minor surgery this year that impacted our family over the summer, but all is well now.  One kid had oral surgery, one got her braces off, one is getting braces on, Mer went through vision therapy and was able to ditch her glasses, Mer has had great success with OT for her ADHD, and I continue to use PT and massage for neck and back pain.  All in all, not much to be upset about.  

Lastly, but certainly not least, I am beyond thankful for Balance & Business with Melissa and all that has come with it.  My inspiration for starting this business was to help women avoid my mistakes and find balance between work and life.  Although this journey is about helping others, I feel great about the women I have worked with so far and love what I do!  I am excited to see my business grow in 2026.

Along with that business, I am thankful for things that came with it.  I joined the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce and have loved being welcomed into that community.  I’ve attended and plan to become a member of the local Rotary Club.  Myself and two other wonderful women and entrepreneurs launched Strong Women Strong Connections in Jamestown.  I’ve collaborated with organizations like Jamestown Regional Entrepreneur Center and loved the connections and friendships that it has brought.  

Selfishly, I love being my own boss.  I love being able to prioritize my family.  I love that I work when my kids are at school and husband is at work and when they are home they get my time, energy, and attention.  I love that I am finally making my family a priority.  

There are many other things I am thankful for-Roughrider Poker Tour (the poker tour I work with), Speech (Ramsey’s favorite), local drama programs (both my kids love), a newfound love for date nights with my husband, great books, our dogs, cat, and guinea pigs, the list goes on and on.  I see the blessing in all the things life hands us, the good and the bad, and will embrace each of them.

Happy Thanksgiving, and I look forward to seeing you in December…with my tree up 🎄🤣

DON’T FORGET – November 30th is your last day to grab a seat in the Balance & Business with Melissa Group Coaching Mastermind seat with a 10% discount.  Treat yourself and give yourself something to be thankful for.