I’ve concluded the second week of practicing gratitude every day this month for National Gratitude Month.

Here’s what I was thankful for:

Day 8: I’m thankful for my dogs. Y’all know how much I love these puppers, and even though we’ve had a rough time training Milo (and we still have a ways to go), they still bring me so much joy. I love how they keep me company in my office while I work during the days and cuddle on the couch in evenings while we’re watching TV. They help make my heart feel full.

Day 9: I’m thankful for the cheesy Christmas movies that are always playing this time of year. They’re always so positive and predictable, but that’s what I love about them; sometimes it’s exactly what my anxious mind needs. I’m grateful that on days like today, when things start to feel like they’re just a little too much, I can get lost in a fictional winter wonderland. Btw, Hallmark has the best ones but without cable I’m making due with those on Amazon and Netflix!

Day 10: I’m thankful for the opportunity to always learn new things, even if it’s stuff I have very little interest in or feel like I’ll never use in “real life.” There’s a world full of knowledge out there and getting to access even a fraction of it over a lifetime is pretty cool.

2016 was a bumpy year for Nick and me. It started out great; Nick and I got healthy and lost some weight, and I finally had a job with some vacation time so we visited my best friend for a week in Los Angeles. Then we experienced a heartbreak we never knew was possible when we suddenly lost our little Chihuahua and the love of our lives, Chico, to complications from adrenal cancer. It happened so quickly that I’m still recovering from the trauma but my therapist has helped a lot. On the flip side, the year ended with a very much-wanted and planned pregnancy and the thrill of waiting to welcome our baby boy in the spring. My Instagrams (from my personal account) are a reflection of the year, with a focus on the positive so I’d like to share my favorite ones with you.

Spending a freezing winter morning in February with a cup of coffee and a book.

Chico is taking a rest in the fresh spring grass. We would soon learn that he had developed arthritis in his hips.

Spring in my neighborhood. This beautiful tree is in my neighbor’s yard and the color of the flowers against the color of the sky is stunning!

2016 was the year we got healthy and spent a lot of time eating better and working out at the gym.

Toes in the sand during a girls’ weekend at the beach.

My sweet, silly Chico with his eyes closed. I miss him more than anything.

Summer date night with sushi and beer. This was taken at the bottle shop.

Homemade churro cupcake for brunch club, courtesy of Nick. Yum!

NCsquared travels to Los Angeles, CA.

NCsquared in California. That’s the Santa Monica Pier behind us.

My sweet Mia. If ever there was a daddy’s girl dog, she is it.

Mia is getting a little brother in March!

This photo warms my heart. Mia has never been much for burrowing or being covered up (that was Chico’s expertise) but when I brought this blanket home, she fell in love with it and claimed it as her own. She even laid in it like this for a while.

24 weeks pregnant.

NCsquared at the Durham Holiday Parade.

Christmas dog. Mia waiting patiently until she can open her presents. She got a new squeaky toy and plenty of treats for Christmas.

Hello Monday Linkup | Confident Twosday

This is Mia and Chico. They’re our furbabies and the apples of our eyes. I obsess over taking pictures of them like parents obsess over taking pictures of their newborn babies. I get lots of videos of them, too, because they’re super funny and entertaining, but we’ll save those for another time. In all honesty, I haven’t gotten any good photos of my outfits lately so I thought I would leave you with these adorable little creatures.

Chico is my oldest at 8 years, but he’s my baby because I got him when he was 6 weeks old. He is my whole world. He isn’t usually very photogenetic but every now and then I can get some pretty good ones. I believe this one was taken while I was still in school and I was home after a long week of classes. He missed me.

Mia is my youngest baby at 4, and she’s a big goofball! Nick took this of her one morning while he was getting ready for work. She really sleeps like this or in some other contorted way that doesn’t look like it could be at all comfortable but she doesn’t seem to mind it.

Chico is pretty much the king of the castle and has claimed the corner of the couch as his thrown.

But he’s a big cuddlebug, which is one of my most favorite things about him.

Ahh, the kitchen/dining room, Mia’s favorite rooms in the house.

The little prince sleeping in his thrown/corner.

We set up an extra bed in the office while my family was in town and Mia thought it was put up for her. The bed is still up and if we can’t find her anywhere else, we know to check in the office. Since she’s usually in there, we’ve started calling it “Mia’s room.”

Sometimes they sleep together (Mia is in that silly position again, see!) and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I love it.

My furbabies!