2013 has been one of the best years of my life. I have much to be thankful for. Here are the top 10, and not in order of importance, just in order of how they pop into my mind as I write. :-)
1. After a 4.5 year journey, first getting my BS in nursing, then my CCRN (critical care certification), now I am 3 weeks away from having my Masters in nursing! The emphasis in acute care nurse practitioner makes me eligible to sit for boards hopefully in February, and then look for a job as a nurse practitioner. Hopefully with a hospitalist team. Im so thankful to come to the end of the schooling journey, although I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
2. For triathlon! To start the year at over 270 lbs and end the year with 3 triathlons, one half-marathon and a 40 lb weight loss makes for a pretty gosh darn fantabulous year!!
3. For my sweet Tony, who has put up with our messy house for 19 years and who loves me whether I'm siting on the couch reading my iPhone or whether I'm gone to the pool. He is very supportive of my triathlon endeavors. As seen recently while I was in the spin bike:
4. My firstborn son Jimmy. Jimmy is in his senior year and he works part time at Olive Garden, and I just adore him. He's a good kid (as far as I'm aware, lol) and I am eager to see these next years as he fully matures and chooses a career.
5. Our youngest son, Jason. Our 13 year old son has so much raw talent. He sings, he plays piano and guitar and he easily gets straight As. That is, when we can peel him away from Minecraft on the computer. 
6. Lisa Anderson, my trainer and coach. Look, I know it sounds ridiculous that I, at this obese weight, have a coach. But I do. So read on. I met Lisa at a Chattanooga Triathlon Club meeting. Well, didn't really meet her per se, but she was pointed out to me as a multiple-time ironman, and also a personal trainer. So I looked her up on Facebook and asked her if she would train me. She said yes, and so twice a week since January I've gone to her house to do all sorts of strength training. In May I asked her if she would write my workouts for swimming, biking and running. So now she's my coach too! Some weeks I'm a disobedient student/trainee, what am I? But I've learned it feels a lot better both physically and mentally to just shut up and do the workouts. I'm so thankful for Lisa and all I've learned from her and for the accountability she provides.
This is Lisa with her husband Tim (on the left) and their friend, at Beach to Battleship 140.6 last month.
7. SwimBikeMom. Last February, I had heard the terms "Clydesdale" and "athena" in the triathlon world. I googled the words and one of the hits took me to Swimbikemom's blog. I found her blog down to earth, authentic and extremely funny. So I bookmarked it and occasionally went to her site to read. At the end of February I caught some virus and was sick in bed for nearly a week. During that time, I went back to Swimbikemom's very first blog post and read every single entry until I was current. What a huge dose of inspiration. I became a loyal groupie to her, bought tech shirts and a cycling outfit that all said "swimbikemom" on them. I was thrilled to actually meet her at the women's triathlon last August in Acworth, GA. Thankyou, SBM, for inspiring me daily. Check out her blog at www.swimbikemom.com
8. Drs. Liedke, Champion, and Rigsby. Dr Liedke is the acute care professor at Southern. He is a genius and even though I think he is entirely too smart in all things cellular, I have benefitted greatly from his knowledge and can only hope to one day be as intelligent as he is. Dr. Champion took me under her wing for 200 hours this year and taught me all about Emergency medicine. I loved every moment with her and in the ER. I didn't meet Dr. Rigsby until the end of my clinical hours, which is really a shame because i certainly would have spent many more hours with him. He loves hospital medicine and was so patient and such a great teacher. I am so thankful for such great preceptors this year.
9. April Burklow! I met April in the spring, and she has been part friend and part mentor this year. We've rode bikes together, ran together and swam together. And be aware that I am slower than her in all three, so it was really out of the kindness of her heart that she accompanied and encouraged me all season. I appreciate you April!! Thankyou!
10. My Facebook family. The encouragement and support I've had all year from everyone in Facebook land has literally kept me going. I love keeping up with everyone on fb and yes, I'm completely addicted to it. But it's because I love you all :-)
11. Of course I am thankful to my parents who are healthy and well in Michigan. I don't see them enough. But we keep the phone company in business, since they are not online.
12. God, and His son Jesus. I'm no longer sure where I stand in relationship to my beloved Seventh-day Adventist Church. While it shaped my teen years and early adulthood, I am, perhaps, left with more questions than answers. Fortunately Jesus never endorsed a church. He endorsed following Him and being a blessing to others. I'm thankful God knows my questions and understands. God, Thankyou so much for this year of health, weight loss, triathlon, education, and my family and friends. I may be in debt up to my ears (Thankyou Sallie Mae), but I am truly the richest woman. 
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