This one goes out to Natalie Merchant.

Tomorrow, over 100 guest will descend on us for 4 days of Thanksgiving Family Camp. It's been a whirlwind of preparation, and it wasn't until tonight that I really thought of it as being Thanksgiving - one of my favorite holidays in the world - tomorrow. Thanksgiving kicks off the best time of year: the holiday season where you have an excuse to tell people how much you love them, all while eating a ton of good food.

So, to get in the spirit, I spent some time tonight while making stuffing getting all teary-eyed thinking about all that I'm thankful for, like:

• Amazing friends who supported a life-changing decision to quit my job and make a cross-country move.
• A sister who impresses me everyday with her ability to keep balance in her life AND find time to call me regularly.
• A new city to explore.
• A cat who makes me laugh at least once a day.
• Supportive, smart, amazingly considerate parents.
• A husband who is smarter, funnier, more considerate and better in every way than every romantic lead in every movie out there.
• This new community that I work and live in, which is full of diverse, supportive and kind people.
• A Grandma who, at 95, is in complete control of her mind and getting spunkier every year.
• To have in-laws that I don't think of as in-laws, just as family.
• Time to sit around thinking about all the things to love about my life.
• And also: avocados, campfires, Entertainment Weekly and Ellen Degeneres.

I figure this can also act as a mantra: Tomorrow, as things get really crazy, I will think about this list, and a million other things I could add to it.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!