Four Weeks of Gratitude // Week Three

Thanksgiving is only a week away! Can you believe it? I personally can't wait for some time off to visit with family and, of course, stuff my face without remorse or shame. 
This November, I made it a mission to share one thing for which I'm grateful every week. I figured: surely I can manage that right? Well, life got in the way as it always does, and I missed last week's installment. I had written a lovely post about family and sisters... only to accidentally delete the thing. Ugh. So, if you'll bear with me, I'm going to combine week two and three into one post. Rules shmules, right?
This week, I'm thankful for two rather different things: my sister and my pup.

When I was a little girl, I used to love watching my sister apply her makeup. She would occasionally walk into my room with her makeup bag and sit on the floor, and I felt so special that she wanted to "hang out" in my room. I had a little girl room-- all plastic horses and fluffy pillows-- and she was a teenager, way too cool. She would rove through the bag, plastic compact cases clicking against each other as she searched for a specific tool or item. Foundation, concealer, blush. But my favorite was always the eye makeup. One eye closed, lips slightly parted, she would expertly apply layers of silver and blue. Watching her from my perch on the bed, I would think "Is there any way I'll ever be that pretty?" 
While I don't sit and stare at her in wonderment like I used to, there are times when I stop and think "Wow, I'm glad she's my sister." (Don't worry, there are times I want to thump her on the head too. And I'm sure the feeling is mutual. It's a sister thing.) She's simultaneously the toughest and the tenderest person I know. I've seen her pull over to help a wounded animal on the roadside, and I've seen her hackles raise in defense of those she loves. She's brave enough to stand up for what she knows is right and brave enough to admit when she's wrong. One thing I've always been sure about? That my sister loves me and is there for me. And that's something to be very thankful for. 

This week, I've also been thankful for our little pitbull pup Solo. He's stinky and mildly destructive but I'm so thankful that he's part of our little family. No matter how rough the work day has been, when you open the front door to find fifty pounds of wiggly-happy-to-see-you-ness, you can't help but feel better. I've learned so much about the pitbull breeds since welcoming Solo into our home. This little pup has taught me a lot about love and patience, but also another very important lesson: to not judge until you get to know someone. 
The little things I'm thankful for this week: - husbands who encourage you to meet your personal goals  - an empty squat rack at the gym - library cards because free books! - blueberry muffins in the morning #oopsdiet - the ginkgo tree across the road, whose bright leaves turn our room to gold - coffee because it's coffee
If you missed the first installment, you can find it here. What have you been thankful for this month?