Day 30 of Giving Thanks

Last, but certainly never least ...

Today I am thankful that I do not have to save myself.  There is nothing I have done, will do, or am doing that is good enough for salvation, but I don't have to worry about it.  I come to Jesus and He is what gives me salvation and the peace of mind to know that even when I screw up (and, of course, I will) ... that I can still know His love and my place is still secure in Heaven!  There is no greater blessing in all the world!  ... Seriously. ... I dare you to find me one!

Day 29 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful that my sweet little puppy is much better after she cut herself on a broken dish when we weren't home AND was feeling a little bit sick ... I imagine her being sick gives me the same helpless feeling that mom's get with very young children.  She doesn't understand what is wrong with her and isn't capable of making herself feel better!  But I am happy that she is back to her perky, feisty self without a trip to the vet!

Day 28 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for my iMac and my MacBook Pro ... Both computers are reliable and so easy to use ... it reminded me how thankful I am for a non-Windows alternative and for a company that is fiscally responsible, treats their employees well, and makes great products.  Unfortunately, that is something to praise these days, because many companies don't do any of those things.  After having to use a windows computer that shut down 4 times in 2 days to install updates that I probably didn't even need and has no battery life whatsoever, I am thankful for computers that do neither of those things to me.  I can enjoy a few hours sitting at Starbucks with my MacBook Pro and the battery will still be working and I don't get constant updates that are probably irrelevant to any work I am trying to do!

Day 27 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for a few hours of peace of mind ... It was nice to have some time to just read a book, check Pinterest, and chill and really let my mind wonder away from all of the things going on in the world and in my life to just not worry.

Day 26 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for an early morning ... even though I begrudgingly got out of bed at 5:30 and groaned about how sleepy I was ... Getting up early has been a blessing this morning.  It has given me almost 2 hours to myself, to do my daily Bible reading, catch up on emails, look through Cyber Monday deals, enjoy some Christmas tunes and Hazlenut coffee at Panera, and get to see the sun rise and watch the city wake up!  Not to mention it is only 8 a.m. and I am almost halfway done w/ my daily to-do list!  I probably will not make it a habit to get up quite as early as I did this morning, but I will say it feels good to be this productive before 8 a.m.

Day 25 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful that I am not where I was ... I may not be where I should be, but I am not where I was ... the past few years have not been easy for my husband and I in a lot of ways - mainly financially ... and even though we are definitely nowhere near where we want to be, we are definitely not where we were because of tough decisions and perseverance through the tough times ... and not giving up when things haven't gotten easier!  I know there is a prize for us for that ... whether it be in this life or in eternity.

Day 24 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for my in-laws.  I am truly blessed to have married into such a wonderful family!  From day one they have treated me like family and I have never once had one of those moments where I dreaded a visit with the in-laws!  My mother and father-in-law have been amazing to me and such an inspiration to my husband and I on how to make a marriage work ... I am also blessed to have inherited 2 extra siblings along with the ride as well!  They are wonderful people and I can't imagine life without all of them :)

Day 23 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and the rest of my extended family ... I cannot tell you how amazing it is to have all of these people who look out for me, encourage me, and have become my friends over the years!  I am so thankful to have wonderful cousins and aunts and uncles all over the country!

Day 22 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for many things that we often forget to say we are thankful for ... like hot water, running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, telephones, vacuum cleaners ... it really is all the little things in life ... I am also thankful that I get to spend Thanksgiving Day with my amazing family!

Day 21 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for Butler University and my college experience!  I can't even begin to explain how amazing those 4 years were!  I met some amazing friends, got a great education, and had the time of my life!  Even today, I get the same warm, fuzzy feeling when I go to campus that I did the first time I ever visited.  It still "feels like home" to me.  Today and forever, I bleed Butler blue!  GO DAWGS!

Day 20 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for my father.  He is such a great man who has been such an amazing part of my life.  I owe so much to him.  I am ever blessed that he helped me learned how to ride a bike when I was 5, bought me a car when I turned 16, was there to help me pick where I went to college (and still wears his Butler Dad hat with pride), gave his permission for my husband to marry, got to walk me down the aisle, and now has become more than my father and more like a friend.  I am so grateful for everything he has done for me and I know God blessed me when he gave him to me as my dad!

Day 19 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful to have a long weekend to spend some time with family, catch up on sleep, pack, make a little extra money, and just to take a breather from the typical daily grind that gets to us all after awhile!  I can already smell the turkey and sweet potatoes :)

Day 18 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for the church God brought us to ...  We have met so many great, godly friends and people at CCG.  And not only that I am regularly challenged by what our pastor teaches us on a regular basis.  I feel very blessed to have a church that makes me feel excited to get up for on Sunday morning!

Day 17 of Giving Thanks

Today I am so thankful that I got to spend the day with my Hubby shopping for appliances for the new house, oogling over TV's (well, he did anyway), getting Starbucks and cooking dinner together.  It was a great day together and I love it when we get a chance to just hang out without all of the stress of what needs to get done :)

Day 16 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for the sunshine!  It is out in full force today!  I know in the coming months we won't see it as much as we all like to, so I am glad to see that it is out and the weather feels like a perfect crisp fall afternoon!  It is my favorite season for many reasons, but one is the combination of sweatshirts and sunshine :)

Day 15 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for Chase's remote deposit from your phone option ... I know this sounds lame, but I have been very busy lately and today I was overwhelmed before my day even started thinking about all of the things I needed to get done in my office and at home.  Luckily, I did remember as I was fretting about having to go to 2 different banks in 2 different cities today to get all my money deposited, that I could use my iPhone to deposit my checks to Chase!  It was easy and allowed me to get another task off my to-do list!

There are days that I love technology and today is one of them.

Day 14 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for my mother!  She has done so much for me throughout the years.  She sacrificed so much for my sister and I, so we could have her around when we were younger.  She had dreams of her own to go to college and even graduate school and put those on hold so she could be home with my sister and I instead.  As much as I hate to see people not fulfilling their dreams, I know when I look at my mom that her true dream was to spend as much time as possible with my sisters and I when we were growing up so she didn't miss anything ... And I can't thank her enough for that!  Also, as the years have gone by and we have grown up, she has become a great friend to me.  I still love that she does lots of "mommy" things for me.  She took care of me a few weeks ago when I was sick.  She made my husband and I a huge brunch after church a few weeks ago.  And she even got as giddy as I did walking through my new, yet unfinished home, and helping me make plans for decoration!  She is a great inspiration to me and I got blessed when God chose this specific woman to be my mother!

Day 13 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for how busy I have been over the past few weeks ... It has been stressful.  I have had more things to do than I could possibly fit into the hours I had available, but it has been such a blessing!  I have been waiting for times like these to come up when I could have enough work to do to keep me busy!  It is great!  This is the first step in making my law practice a success ... So bring on some more work, and enough work to keep me on my toes and keep my hopping!

Day 12 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for my 3 grandmothers ... I, not only was blessed to have 2, but actually 3 grandmothers who have taught me so much in life ... All of 3 of them are excellent motherly examples and examples of strong women.  I feel incredibly blessed to have all 3 of them in my life.  I have extremely fond memories of all 3 of them from my childhood and it has been even more of a blessing to get to know them as friends in my adult years.  As I have had several friends lose grandmothers recently, I knew I should thank God for allowing me to have 3 wonderful grandmothers that are very strong and healthy and that I will hopefully be able to continue to enjoy and get to know for many years to come.

Day 11 of Giving Thanks

Today I am ever grateful for the brave and selfless men and women who serve our country ... They protect us from outside and inside harms.  They protect our freedoms, rights, and privileges.  And they allow all of us to sleep easily at night, knowing that it is unlikely that a war bomb will be coming through your home in the middle of the night.  We are ever grateful for the many things that we take for granted on a daily basis in our country and one of them is that we have thousands of men and women who volunteer to protect and serve our country!

Thank you to all of those men and women who have served and continue to serve us!  We are ever grateful for the privileges we have because of you!

Day 10 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for public libraries ... I love to read and I love books, but beyond that, public libraries provide a safe haven for children and adults.  They provide free resources like books, movies, CDs, and workshops to help students with tutoring and help adults get necessary training and job skills.  There is just nothing like walking into a huge room that is floor to ceiling filled with books.

Day 9 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful that my husband and I get to build a brand-new home.  It has been amazing going through the process of picking a lot, picking out floorplans, etc and watching the house go up!  It will be an amazing thing to take a house and make wholly our own, since no one but us will have ever lived there.

Day 8 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for my playful, fun, sweet, snuggly, furry child: Wrigley!  The past 3+ years that she has been a part of our life has made our family complete!  She has such a sweet, loving, and forgiving personality and there is just nothing quite like a dog's unconditional love.  I know no matter what is going on in my life, who is demanding things of me, or who is hurting me, that the only thing she demands is my love!  And I give it willingly to the dog that is more than just a furry creature, but is my friend and my baby girl!  No matter how many more dogs, cats, children, or other critters we end up with she will always be our first baby!  Love you Wrigley!

Day 7 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for all of the people who have inspired me to be a better person ... past, present, and future ... these people have, either through their words or lives or personal encouragement to me, have made me a better person and are continuing to make me a better person!  These people may or may not know who they are but they deserve a standing ovation for taking who I was to get me where I am ... To those who have not yet inspired and encouraged me you deserve a round of applause in advance ... Thank the Lord I am not who I used to be, but I know I'm not where I want to be yet either!

Day 6 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful that I live in a country that allows me to make my own educated decision based on my own unique set of values, beliefs, and opinions.  People my not like my decision.  They may call me stupid or ignorant for my beliefs but I am forever grateful that I have the PRIVILEGE and RIGHT to vote in line with my beliefs and values and not be persecuted by the masses or by my government for doing so.

Day 5 of Giving Thanks

Today I am ever grateful for the man by my side ... I am so glad I met my wonderful husband 4 1/2 years ago and are heading toward 3 years of marriage ... He is loving, caring, sweet and would do anything to make me happy!  He makes me laugh, he cries with me, and he even takes care of me when I am sick ... He does so much to provide for us and works so hard.  I am inspired by him as a teacher ... a job many are leaving and yet he is such a great role model for the young minds he molds!  Thank you for all you do Matthew Parker!  I love you!

Day 4 of Giving Thanks

I am ever thankful for a good night's sleep after a very rough evening / night with my back last night ... and for the extra hour of sleep I was able to get.

Day 3 of Giving Thanks

Today I am ever thankful and grateful for my best friend and Siamese twin Susie Meredith!  Most people don't get to have the same best friend for over 20 years! I am one of those very lucky people.  Her family has always treated me like I was one of them and no matter where the world takes us I always know I can pick up the phone and it will be like there is no distance or time between us.

Thank you Susie for being such a wonderful best friend and for being there for me through everything!

Day 2 of Giving Thanks

This morning I was thinking about what I am thankful and so many things crossed my mind ... because I have so much to be thankful for!

But today I am especially thankful for my 2 little sisters.  I grew up with one of them and am now getting to watch the baby grow up and it has been such a blessing!  I wanted a little sister so bad and God blessed with me to grow up with ... and now be best friends with!  I never asked for the baby sister, but I truly couldn't imagine life without her.  She has been such a blessing to our family and so much fun!

Casey Jo and Emma Grace ... I am so thankful for you!  (And I'm so glad you weren't brothers ;) ... jk ... maybe)

Day 1 of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful that I feel much much better and this sinus infection appears to be moving on!

What are you thankful for today?

30 Days of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is really all about giving thanks for the many blessings we have in our lives ... This really should be a daily thing, but most of us don't stop to think about it often enough.  I'm pretty horrible about it myself ... so this year I am devoting November to giving thanks!


What things are you thankful for this year?

Apologies

Okay, so I am sorry I gave up on my productivity blogging ... To be honest, I guess that doesn't say much about my level of productivity, but honestly I just had a lot going on and kept forgetting about it!

So sorry folks!