“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”- 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:18‬

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a big fan of Thanksgiving. For one, I have been a vegetarian for nearly a decade so a holiday centered around eating a poor bird just does not sit well with me. Also, the holidays can just be so stressful with traveling and fighting crowds while you rush around trying to get the last few items for the meal you are cooking; and well, Black Friday. Then there is football. Do not even get me started on football… Thanksgiving is just not my favorite holiday.

However, I do enjoy that my dad and I have run the GE Run Thru The Woods 5 mile race for the past few years. This morning was our fourth time running it. I guess it is a tradition now! We both did well today, in spite of not running much the past few weeks. I love starting Thanksgiving being active!

I also like to take stock of all that I have to be grateful for. Oftentimes, it is very easy to get hung up on what we do not have that we do not see how much we truly are blessed. It seems that the true meaning of Thanksgiving is lost in the food, football, and stress of it all.

This year, I have so many things to be thankful for, God has greatly me. But I would like to devote this post to how especially thankful I am for Chance. We have been through a lot over the past few years. There have been so many ups and downs with this horse; whether it was physical setbacks, training issues, horse show issues, or just me being a nervous wreck every time I rode. It has a been long and winding road. But I have learned so much from him – far more than I have from any other horse. He also seems to have learned a lot from me. We are finally getting to a place in which we really trust each other, and we are becoming true partners. I am very thankful for the recent good times, as well as all the struggles; for the past few years have completely transformed me as a rider and trainer.

…I am really looking forward to what the future holds for us!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!