Day 45 - 08.09.11

1. Our friends had their baby, and all is well!

2. I got a lot done yesterday - it was a very productive day for me, which is a good thing. I have so much to do over the next few months!

3. I had to run to school to practice in the labs and saw a couple of my friends. I am not looking forward to homework again, but I am looking forward to seeing all my friends.

4. We had Grannie & Peepop over last night, and totally enjoyed seeing them!

5. I was able to reschedule my CPR course - I missed the last one because I completely forgot about it, and was cutting it close to get everything done in time!

Day 44 - 08.07.11

1. We had a great time with friends from church Friday night. It was the first time we've had people over for dinner, and I enjoyed it so much!

2. We found wonderful bargains while thrifting Saturday - a coffee table with great bones that we are going to paint black and lay tile for the top, and a wonderful old wooden high chair. No, I am not expecting, but I couldn't pass it up. I *heart* it!

3. I spent most of the day yesterday with Jeff & B. We only have three more days before school starts, so the time was precious.

4. Friends from church are going to have their first baby today! I am so excited for them, because this is something they've waited for a very long time.

5. HBC finally got approval for a meeting place! It feels like we are cutting it close, but God's timing is, as usual, perfect. :)

Day 43 - 08.04.11

1. After the gas station put a $125 hold on my debit card... we were fortunate not to have a major financial crisis. I wish I could say that we didn't live payday-to-payday, but that's just not true. We're still trying to catch up from our moving expenses. That $125 hold is still here - oh, and so is the $25 charge for the gas I actually bought - but my check hit the bank in time to avoid a major crisis. God provided.

2. Finally got the dates for our internship at the hospital this semester, and it won't coincide with year-end inventory. This is a really good thing.

3. We're having guests over tomorrow night for the first time since we moved. I can't wait! So thankful that we have room for them, a place for them to sit - and of course, I'm thankful that we have friends to invite in the first place!

4. I'm not sure I know why, but even without the ability to hang my pictures, somehow this house feels more like me than our last place did. Maybe it's the color on the walls, or maybe it's the little projects I've made to spruce it up, but it just feels more personal. Even though we're not staying here more than a couple of years, I'm thankful that it can be pleasant and homey.

5. I am thankful for my dog. He is my constant companion. He may be a chicken, but he loves his Momma! I'm so glad that God gave animals the personality to be our friends.

Day 42 - 07.30.11

1. Jeff came home from a four-day stretch of work and instead of crashing (precisely what I would have done), he wanted to hang out with me. :)

2. I love seeing our church grow! We're getting closer and closer to launch, and it is so exciting to see the pieces falling into place week after week.

3. Pretty sure I have the sweetest kid in the universe. He's been so polite the last few days, and that just makes my heart sing.

4. Mom felt well enough to go to her church Sunday morning. Once her chemo starts, she probably won't get out much. I'm glad she's feeling up to going out some now.

5. Money is tight, but God has a way of providing when I need it most.

Day 41 - 07.29.11

Where has the summer gone????

1. Braeden went "up da mountain" with Grannie & Peepop last night. I'm glad he has this last chance to spend time with them before school starts again.

2. I had a chance to putter around yesterday... I dragged B to Goodwill and found all kinds of things I could "fix." It was fun to imagine possibilities.

3. I am so glad I've only got one more semester left. For some reason, I'm really not looking forward to going back this time, so I am thankful I've only got a few months of this in front of me. Soon, it will be over!

4. Blue cheese. I love that stinky stuff!

5. My sweet cat, Fritz, was determined to sleep on my head last night. I swear he purred for an hour straight. I love that skinny little furball - he's got to be the sweetest cat I've ever seen. :)

Day 40 - 07.26.11

1. I had the best time with Braeden last night. He curled up in my lap and we watched old X-Men cartoons on Netflix. I totally enjoyed my snuggle time!

2. After X-Men, we read Exodus 7 together. It's the beginning of the ten plagues, and Braeden was so interested in it that he wanted me to keep reading! I couldn't because my throat hurt, but I'm looking forward to reading together tonight. It did my heart good to see his interest. I've done a terrible job of teaching him about God, and I'm trying to do better.

3. It seems a lot of my gratitudes revolve around food... what does that say about me? ;) At any rate, I dug up an old recipe and made these uber-delish pumpkin muffins, and everybody dug in! Even Braeden liked them, which is saying something. I loved seeing my boys enjoy so much something I cooked. It's rare that we all like the same thing.

4. I'm thankful for the chance to work a few extra hours last week and this week.

5. I'm thankful that we were able to get all of Braeden's school supplies and enough clothes to at least start the year. Having a dress code for the first time meant a new wardrobe, but God provided enough for us to be able to get him what he needed.

Day 39 - 07.25.11

Mom fussed at me for not keeping up like I should be. Point taken, Mom. :)

1. I am thankful for my new church family @ HBC. It is so good to just to be with them; I never feel unwelcome or out of place.

2. I am thankful that Jeff has a stretch of four days off. He's worked awfully hard lately and I'm glad he gets a break.

3. I am thankful for the $23 pair of Nikes I found this weekend. I needed new ones so badly, and was thrilled for such an inexpensive pair.

4. I am thankful for the slight break in the heat. After heat indexes hitting well over 100, a temp of upper 80s feels nice!

5. I am thankful for my super-sweet little boy, who still cuddles with me and doesn't mind sitting in my lap. I know this almost-3rd grader will soon think he's too cool for that sort of thing, but I certainly do cherish it right now!

Day 38 - 07.20.11

1. I am thankful that summer doesn't last forever. It will be fall (and much cooler!) before we know it!

2. I am thankful for home-grown cherry tomatoes... especially since I didn't have to grow them!

3. I am thankful Jeff had the opportunity to hang out with some friends today. After the way he's worked so hard lately, he deserves a bit of a break.

4. I am thankful for the sweet secretary in the nursing school office, who helped me with paperwork that I sorta forgot to do on time.

5. I am thankful that I can at least still file for financial aid. Yes, it's going to be a little late, but at least I should still get it.

Day 37 - 07.19.11

So I might have gotten a little behind. Oops....

1. I am thankful that I've gone two weeks without having to refill the gas tank on my car. That is wonderful!

2. I finally had a chance to indulge my artistic side yesterday, and it felt so good to create something. I'm not the best at anything I do, but I manage to do fairly well, anyway, and I'm grateful that God gave us talents and abilities that could serve as an outlet for our tensions.

3. I got to see my bestest college buddy, Aimee (and her family) yesterday when they dropped in for their yearly trek from Illinois to Florida. I always enjoy our visits, even though they are brief.

4. God just keeps blessing HBC - providing needs in unexpected, yet often spectacular ways. Case in point: if we get the final approval to meet at David Brainerd Elementary, it will cost us 1/4th of what we were prepared to pay for East Hamilton High. How cool is that?

5. Money is excruciatingly tight right now, but I've been given the opportunity to work some extra hours this week and next. That little bit of cash will help a lot.

Day 36 - 07.12.11

1. I dragged Braeden with me to go shopping... we did a little dreaming at Hobby Lobby about how we'd like to decorate our own house someday. It was actually quite fun. Then we went to Office Depot to look at office furniture, and B had a blast "test driving" all the office chairs. I am thankful for his youthful exuberance, and the gentle reminder not to take life too seriously.

2. Air conditioning is wonderful, especially when it is so unbearably hot and sticky outside.

3. I finally located Dexter's hot spot medicine, and even thoug he's most cleared up at the moment, I am so glad to have that expensive stuff located to help him out when it comes back.

4. Braeden was watching Home Alone last night, and the sound of his giggles coming up from the basement made me smile. I love so much to hear his belly laughs.

5. Although I've still been busy, this week has felt more restful than any I've had in some time. For the first time all summer, it actually feels like summer break. Nice. :)

Day 35 - 07.11.11

1. One of our cats went missing shortly after we moved. I called the vet office at the corner, thinking someone might have taken him there. Yesterday I received a call from a woman who thought she might have Spazz, and although it turned out not to be him, I was grateful that the veterinarian's office had passed along my info about the cat. Maybe, just maybe, he'll still turn up someday.

2. My living room now looks like a living room. Except for the five large bins of scrapbooks awaiting a cabinet of some sort, it actually looks pretty good. I'm looking forward to hanging pictures and adding a more personal touch.

3. Jeff took some overtime last night. I'm so grateful to him for working so hard for us.

4. One of my goodest friends is going to come up Sunday and we are going to see the new HP movie and then she's going to church at HBC with me - I'm sooo excited!

5. Jeff brought up a piece of my old, humongous, L-shaped desk that has a burn mark on it from where a candle sat too long - that I love anyway. There isn't room for the whole thing, but we were able to fit one "leg" of it into the corner. Add the nightstand from my bedroom suite that didn't quite fit into the room, and I have a reasonable place to work until we can afford a nice-looking desk. It's definitely a step up from using the old school desk from the 70s that I picked up at a thrift store for Braeden. I spend so much time at the computer that I really need a comfortable place to work.

Day 34 - 07.10.11

1. I have a couch and loveseat!!! (Thanks, Dawn & Jeff!!)

2. I finally found the handset to my phone. Now I don't have to irritate everyone in the house because I'm stuck on speakerphone.

3. We had a yummilicious lunch - chicken fajitas and homemade guacamole. Yum!

4. I did a little online shopping, and discovered that houses in my area are far more affordable than I'd realized. Maybe when we move in two years I will really be able to afford my own place. I am so excited at the prospect!

5. Last, but definitely not least - HBC got to meet in a building for the first time yesterday. It was so awesome to see our little group looking more and more like a church. Only nine more weeks till launch!!

Day 33 - 07.09.11

1. I got to sleep in some. That was nice. :)

2. I finished reading a cool new book - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. It's actually a young adult book, but really, really good. I *heart* reading.

3. I was absurdly lazy, and spent a good part of the day catching up on Doctor Who. I have really needed the time to rest.

4. Braeden came home from Grannie & Peepop's. I have missed him.

5. I found Peepop a new dog - all the way from Florida! He loves labradors and lab mixes, and a friend of mine from high school is hooking us up with a gorgeous lab mix from a shelter. I'm pretty excited about it. :)

Day 32 - 07.08.11

1. I was able to get in some Bible study without too much interruption.

2. I had a nap. I have been so tired lately... doesn't feel like I can ever get caught up on my rest. The nap felt so good.

3. I discovered more episodes of Doctor Who on Netflix that I'd missed. Woot!

4. I'm grateful to Jeff for working so hard for us... and he almost never complains, even though I know he gets so tired sometimes.

5. I am thankful for our differences. Each and every one has unique quirks and personality, and that makes life so interesting!

Day 31 - 07.07.11

1. I finally have a working phone line!!!!

2. Our ladies' bible study was so great last night! I so appreciate these women, and their willingness to share with me in the areas that, despite having been a Christian most of my list, I am really quite clueless about.

3. I gave myself a birthday present - a totally new 'do! I've waited for several years to get my hair long enough that I could donate it to Locks of Love, and it finally got there. I have wanted to do that for ages, and I'm so thankful that my hair was finally healthy enough to be able to donate.

4. I am thankful that God included in his Book stories of people who struggled just like I do. I'm thankful I'm not the only one in history who's had hard questions. I'm thankful that I'm not the only only who had problems with doubt of fear. Mostly, I'm thankful that God is patient with me, and that He included stories of people like Gideon so that my faith could be strengthened.

5. I'm thankful that science and medicine have been able to deal with so many illnesses. Granted, we still have a long way to go, but it is easy to take for granted just how far we've come over the last few decades. I am grateful to God for giving us the creativity and intelligence to deal with the challenges we are faced with.

Day 30 - 07.06.11

Wow... I've made it 30 days. I'm honestly a bit surprised at myself. And I have to admit, yesterday was an epic disaster. If it could have gone wrong, it did, and although the point of the daily gratitudes is to make thankfulness a habit, I struggled all day long with what my five gratitudes would be. It was just that bad. But here goes anyway!

1. Yesterday is over.

2. I took Braeden back to Kimball last night, and in the process got to see some friends that come in a few weeks out of the year from Florida. I nearly missed seeing them, but was grateful for the chance to visit a bit.

3. We got an unexpected refund on our water deposit. It wasn't a huge check, but it was still one bright spot in the day.

4. I saw one of my classmates @ Walmart yesterday. It was an unexpected surprise - she was the first person from school I've seen all summer.

5. I am thankful for family. Being able to gripe and moan a bit about my day to my Mom helped a little. I can always count on her willingness to listen.

Day 29 - 07.05.11

1. I'm still really tired. I haven't quite recovered yet from the long study sessions and late nights of nighttime nursing classes. Thankfully, God is allowing me time to rest, and I was able to get a nap yesterday afternoon. It felt good.

2. Jeff & I went to eat with Mike and Jaime (the pastor and his wife). On Facebook, I saw that other members of our little church were also getting together to hang out. It really excites me to see the congregation just being together that way. I love the closeness of the relationships and I can't wait to see how they develop as time goes by.

3. I will admit that I don't see it, but I am really thankful that my husband thinks I'm beautiful and tells me on a regular basis.

4. Still no land line. Thankful I have a cell phone!

5. Thankful that Mom's first post-op appointment with the plastic surgeon went well. He took out one of her drains and said that everything is looking really good.

Days 26-28 - 07.02.11 - 07.04.11

Hopefully this will be my last lumped post for a while. I am home now and things should resume their semi-normal schedule (if there even is such a thing as "normal" in my life!)

1. Yesterday was my birthday. It was great - one of the best I've had in years. I stayed at Mom & Dad's until lunchtime (they fixed my favorite - bbq sandwiches, baked beans, potato salad, and strawberry cobbler). YUM!

2. Then I drove home through one heckuva thunderstorm - the rain-blowing-sideways, can't-see-three-feet-in-front-of-you type. Thankfully, we had a safe journey home anyway.

3. I got home, and had a rockin' good time with Jeff & B. We went to Olive Garden (one of my faves!), then saw Transformer (oh my wow!!!)

4. My little man fell asleep on my shoulder on the way home. So sweet!

5. I am so glad I was able to help Mom the last few days. I learned so much in the process that I can use in nursing school, and I think she was glad to have me, too.

6. I am also really glad to be home now. I missed Jeff.

7. Speaking of Jeff - he worked hard for me while I was gone. He fixed a curtain rod, took a bunch of junk down to the basement, and even cleaned up the mess in the kitchen that I hadn't had time to deal with before I left.

8. I'm really excited about what's going on with HBC. We needed $42,500 for our first payment for our startup supplies and materials. God did some pretty amazing stuff over the last week, because He pulled together almost $30K in just a few days - $10K over what we needed! How great is that???

9. I'm also really excited about the way God is growing our launch team. We're now at 30 people, and I just have this feeling that it's really going to start taking off now. I am soooo thrilled to have been a part of it from the beginning, because it's been such a faith-building experience to see how God's worked in this.

10. I struggle a lot with feeling unloved and unlovable. Dad & I were talking about it, and he gave me some advice of how to more easily make friends. I'm a lot like him, personality-wise, and I really look up to Dad. He's such a great leader. He shared with me some of the ways he overcame the same tendencies I have to be a social klutz. I'm really grateful to him for his advice.

11. My pets were so glad to see me. I'm grateful that God let some animals be our friends, and not just be for food or work.

12. God is showing me a lot through our ladies bible study. It's easy to assume that we are good because we don't commit the "major" obvious sins, such as stealing or murder or that sort of thing. But things like doubt and complaining are also sins, and they are the kind that do the most damage - yet we are blindest to them. I'm thankful for the people and books in my life that can point out to me the things I need to change about myself when I am too dense to see it.

13. In the words of Erma Bombeck: "You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism." Glad I live in the good ol' U. S. of A. Maybe it's because my birthday is on Independence Day, but I have always felt a sense of pride in my country and my heritage. Although it saddens me to see the nation as a whole turn from God, I also take solace in knowing that there are still many of us here who love the Lord with all our hearts.

14. There may be someone who wants to buy some of my pictures! Dude!

15. I slept fairly well last night - in my own bed. I'm thankful to have a bed - especially one so cool as what I've got. Dad made it for us as a wedding present. I love it!

Days 23-25 - 06.29.11 - 07.01.11

Here's another lumped post - you'll excuse me, right? After all, my mom had a mastectomy, and I've been putting my nursing skills to use to help take care of her. And since Mom has been the center of attention lately, she is also going to be the star of my gratitude posts.

1. I am extremely thankful that her surgery went well and so far her recovery has been uncomplicated.

2. I am thankful that she & Dad really like her doctors.

3. I am thankful for the day shift nurse who, on learning that I was a nursing student, spent time showing me how to take care of Mom and allowed me to do most of her care before she was discharged.

4. I am thankful that I was able to be there overnight in the hospital with Mom.

5. I am thankful to have the nursing classes that helped me to understand what the nurses said during report, and to have at least some idea of what to look for and what to do when it comes to taking care of Mom's drains and incisions.

6. I am thankful that Mom talked when she drove - by that I mean that she would say things like "right on red after stop," and those little verbal lessons have stuck with me even today.

7. I am thankful for all the hours we spent after dinner, with Mom washing the dishes and me drying them. I always enjoyed our talks during that time working together.

8. I am thankful that Mom loves to collect scrapbook stuff as much as I do, and that she's always been generous and made sure that I got stuff, too.

9. I am so very thankful that Mom passed along her love for reading to me. Right now I'm sitting in her study, which is literally filled to overflowing with books. If she has one, she has a thousand.

10. I am thankful for our daily conversations on the phone. We started that when I went to college, and I still talk to her almost every single day - often more than once!

11. I am thankful that she and Dad were compassionate enough to go through all the hassle of adopting my niece and nephew, to make sure they'd be cared for. It meant a significant sacrifice on their part, but I'm so glad they cared that much.

12. I am thankful that she always tries to have things I like to eat and drink when I come for a visit. Of course, I will probably forever tease her for the diet drinks down in the basement with an expiration date of 2007, but she tried, right? lol

13. I am thankful for all the time Mom spent when we were younger preparing for Sunday school classes. She made more visual aids than I can count, and was always such a help when I was the one teaching and needed an idea or two.

14. I am thankful for our shopping trips. Neither of us particularly enjoy shopping, unless the two of us can get together and hit the scrapbook stores and bookstores. It's even better in the wee hours of Black Friday, when we're both bleary-eyed and just barely alert enough to find whatever the must-have deal is.

15. I am thankful that Mom is also my friend. I love that I can always call her, whether I have a funny story to tell, need to let off some steam, or just cry a little. I'm also thankful that she does the same with me.

Day 22 - 06.28.11

1. Finally! The living room & dining room are done! Well, except for the boxes that Jeff is going to carry to the basement, and the necessary addition of a new desk (I'm currently working from a very old elementary-school-style desk that I picked up at a thrift store for Braeden). It's as done as I can get it, and that is a good thing. I even vacuumed! lol

2. Two of the girls in the youth group @ Kimball were baptized last night.

3. Dexter's hot spots are finally healing up, and Fritz (one of my cats) seems to have healed from his battle wounds as well.

4. I'm so grateful that Braeden has Grannie & Peepop, and that he's been able to spend a few days with them this week. They have quite the Mutual Admiration Society going on. :)

5. Every day I'm getting a better sense of where I am and where things are. I know you have to be laughing at me, but I have the worst sense of direction, and I am so glad that I have the summer to get my bearings before the craziness of back-to-school hits.

Day 21 - 06.27.11

1. Fresh pineapple!!!

2. I can actually see the living room. Except for a pile of boxes that are too big for me to carry downstairs by myself, it's pretty much furniture-ready.

3. The problems with the phone line are driving me crazy. Since the 15th, I've had exactly one and a half days that the phone line actually worked. (For some bizarre reason, the internet is cooperating.) In my eleven-millionth call to customer service, they told me that I wouldn't have to pay for all the time the line was down. That was a good thing. Also, the CS reps were more helpful cooperative than usual.

4. In reference to #3 - I am really thankful I have a cell phone!

5. I am so thankful that my husband works so hard for our family. His job can be a stress and a strain, but I am so glad that he finally found something he truly loves to do.

Day 20 - 06.26.11

1. I finally got a little cooking done. Granted, I didn't get to grill like I wanted b/c of the flaky weather, but the chicken got cooked before it spoiled, and I managed not to overcook it (like I so often do when I bake it)

2. I tried a different route than usual to bible study, and it backfired. Now I know which way not to go. :)

3. I feel blessed to be able to give. I don't have much, but I don't want to be stingy with what I do have, either.

4. I've only got one semester of school left! (yikes!) Just one more semester of stress and craziness before I get to start a totally new career. I'm terrified and thrilled all at the same time - and thankful that I was even able to get into the nursing program in the first place!

5. I had a relatively lazy weekend. It was nice not to be crazy-busy for a couple of days.

Day 19 - 06.25.11

1. I was really lazy. That was a welcome change from all the busyness of late.

2. I went exploring and now have a slightly better sense of where things are. I also found a Big Lots - cool! - that may have some shelving that will fit my needs.

3. The weather was better - warm, but not oppressively hot, either.

4. I'm thankful for Jeff, who was very sweet when I was feeling rather down.

5. I have been uncertain as to where I could exercise - this house is old and the floor creaks when you walk across it, so working out upstairs could potentially wake the whole neighborhood! The basement isn't really an option because the ceiling is too low. So I decided to give it a try in the living room, and even though I was certain I must have sounded like a herd of elephants, I didn't wake up Jeff. Even when the furniture is in place, I'll still have more space than I have before. Yay!

Day 18 - 06.24.11

Think I can keep this up for a month????

1. B wanted ice cream, so I got him Moose Tracks, and then found Starbucks Java Chip on sale! Woot!

2. I got a lot of unpacking done. I can actually see the living room now.

3. B had a new chapter book that he loved. He kept coming in the room and reading excerpts he found to be particularly funny. I loved hearing him read and hearing him giggle like that!

4. The phone is out (again) but my internet is working well and consistently.

5. I enjoyed such good meals yesterday - a salad with strawberry, blue cheese, bacon, and hot viniagrette; the aforementioned Java Chip ice cream; and a baked potato with bacon, blue cheese, and sour cream (can you tell what I'm craving lately? lol). I'm so thankful that God provides such a variety of food not only to nourish us but also for us to enjoy!

Day 17 - 06.23.11

1. I have a kitchen full of healthy food (not counting the five bags of chips that Jeff & B bought, of course!)

2. When you ask God to show you what you need to change about yourself, He will defintely answer that prayer! It's not always comfortable, but it's one that you can count on always being answered! lol

3. The weather yesterday evening was breezy and pleasant, which made it much more pleasant to sit in my car the two times it wouldn't start.

4. The car did cooperate when I needed to be somewhere on time.

5. Dexter's hot spots are looking a little better. Hopefully I'll find his medicine today.

Day 16 - 06.22.11

1. I have fully functional phone and internet service!!!!!

2. We had a great time last night - dinner with friends can't be beat!

3. If I can get enough stuff moved, I should be able to get my new-to-me sofa & loveseat this weekend.

4. The rain is much needed, and it's cooled things off a bit.

5. It's nice and quiet right now. I truly love and appreciate peaceful moments like this.

Day 15 - 06.21.11

So today is a struggle... it's been a rotten day. Maybe this will be a good exercise, eh?

1. Jeff actually got to work. He's been on call the last three scheduled nights - not so good.

2. The phone & internet may have been down all night, but at least the power didn't go out with the storm.

3. I got a lot of unpacking done. We piled all the boxes in the living room, and I think there might actually be a place for a couch in there after all - which, by the way, I hope to pick up this weekend.

4. I found the last bit of missing kitchen items - the ever-crucial cutting boards and pots & pans. I needed those pretty badly!

5. Braeden was really cute last night, saying "yes ma'am" and "please may I" and other such sweet things. Love that kid.

Day 14 - 06.20.11

1. In the process of moving, I found my debit card. It had been missing for some time, but I knew it had to be in my car somewhere... Turns out it had been in my car - in a grocery bag that I carried around for a while before moving to my closet. I'm just really glad I had enough sense to look through the stuff in the bag before I threw it away!

2. As ridiculous as it sounds, there is something oddly comforting about having a stove and dishwasher nearly identical to my previous set. It means I don't have to figure out how to best load a new one. (Yes. It's the little things that make me happy! lol)

3. We're having a fine time exploring the area. Last night we went to an ice cream place called Bruster's that was quite tasty, and I showed Braeden his new school. I've found a Big Lots that I didn't know was here, plus lots of other favorite restaurants (like Bojangles!) and other stores that are pretty close as well.

4. I am so glad there's not a deadline to UNpack.

5. I found the book we are using for our women's Bible study. Now I have two days to catch up!

Days 9-13 - 06.15-19.11

I have been out of touch the last few days with the move, so I'm playing catch-up. Here are five days' worth of gratitudes, all crammed into one post. I promise to be back on track tomorrow!

1. I'm done. The move is over. (Except that I will have to go back to get the wind chimes that didn't make it on the truck.)

2. All four of our pets made it safely here and are adjusting.

3. It took a few tries, but I finally got the internet up and running in time to go back to work as scheduled. The land line isn't working, but it's nowhere near as critical as the internet service.

4. I have assignments for my last semester of nursing school that can be completed before school starts in August. This is a huge relief, and will take off so much pressure and stress later on.

5. After much poking and prodding, I am going to finally start building my portfolio as a photographer. Leave a comment and I'll pass along info about a great deal!

6. We received such a warm welcome in Chattanooga! It's been so nice to feel wanted and appreciated. Our friends at Harvest were truly excited to have us in town.

7. I found the local Wal-Mart(s)! They are are enormous!!!

8. I am ten minutes from school, fifteen minutes from the hospitals, and twenty minutes from Harvest. That is so nice.

9. The kitchen sink at the new house has great water pressure - enough to sufficiently power the spray nozzle. Now I can wash my hair in the sink when I need to!

10. Thankful for Scott, Charlie, Kevin, Tony & Ann, and Mom & Dad for helping us with the move. We'd never have made it without their hard work!

11. My car cooperated for most of the moving transit. I think it only refused to start once.

12. The boys have their "man cave" and they think it's the coolest thing since sliced bread. I'm not sure I understand the appeal of hanging out in an unfinished basement, but Jeff & Braeden seem to love it, so I'm happy.

13. Although I know it will difficult to find a place for all my stuff, God seems to have answered my prayer for contentment with the situation. I really am at peace with it, despite my initial misgivings.

14. I have fruit and vegetables in the house. For weeks I've been eating out of the pantry or grabbing fast food. My body was screaming for fruits & veggies, and I finally have some!

15. My piano made it here in one piece, and there is even room for it after all.

16. My old desk won't fit, and we haven't the money yet to order the one we want - but I have a nice spot to work at the table by the window. I like it.

17. I like the wall colors in this house. The living room is chocolate brown, the dining room is a lovely red, the bedroom is a grayish-plum, and the kitchen is a light tan. Soooo much more interesting than walls that are all the same color.

18. We had a really nice Father's Day. We ate CiCi's for lunch, caught a matinee of Green Lantern, and then went to Harvest for church. It was such a wonderfully pleasant Sunday.

19. Braeden has such a sweet Daddy. I'm so grateful to have married a man who loves his son as much as Jeff does.

20. Chattanooga already feels like home, even though we've only been here three days. I didn't really expect this to be the case, but it just feels right to me. We might actually put down roots and stay here in Chattanooga.

21. I had feared that my asthma would become a problem again, since this is a much older house than I've lived in for a while and I tend to have problems in older homes. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to be flaring up again.

22. I am so grateful for my dad - he is such a godly man, and he has always been there for me. He is generous to a fault and I am so thankful for his example.

23. Between the black-out shades and the black-out curtains in our room, it is almost pitch-black in there in the middle of the day. This means Jeff can sleep well during the day, and the lights from the cars won't bother me at night.

24. My bed seems to be doing just fine on the bed risers. As heavy as it is, I was afraid it might not do well on the plastic boxes, but so far it's holding. Soon I'll start figuring out how to get my scrapbook stuff underneath it.

25. I found my Bible! I was feeling so lost without it, and I could not remember where I'd packed it! This morning I found it in my backpack, where I'd put my laptop. I'm so glad to have it back - never thought I'd miss it so much!

That's all, folks! Tomorrow will be back to the regularly scheduled gratitudes. :)

Day 8 - 06.14.11

Wow. I am really tired! This week has been some kinda crazy!

1. Jeff got put on call - not great, but he had signed up for overtime this week, so he'll at least get his regular pay.

2. Because Jeff was on call, he was able to come back to Marion County to grab a load of stuff to take back to the new house, which was hugely helpful to me.

3. Braeden's room is completely packed. There's only about one box left of stuff in the kitchen, and my office is almost done, too.

4. I found some medicine for Dexter's (my golden retriever) hot spots. I am starting to think that the flea treatment actually made matters worse. Poor guy is constantly itching, but he seemed to love the balm I put on his skin.

5. It's been fun to "discover" things I'd forgotten I had - like letters from Nanny, pictures Braeden had drawn, and other assorted fun knickknacks and such.

Day 7 - 06.13.11

1. I am making progress on the packing. There's still a lot to do, but I'm in better shape than I'd expected to be.

2. I found a desk that will fit our needs, look good, and isn't terribly expensive. Whew!

3. My dog is so sweet. I am his person, and he is pretty much devoted to me. :)

4. Coffee. I think I've used this one before, but since I was up until after 1am packing, I am really thankful this morning (again) for coffee.

5. My husband is so precious. He's bending over backwards to try and help me figure out a way to set up my scrapbook stuff. He even put his clothes and shoes in the basement so I could have as much space as possible upstairs. How sweet is that?

Day 6 - 06.12.11

What a day!

1. Thankful for the sweetness of a little boy who was terribly generous to my little boy.

2. Thankful that God answered our need for a couch. We'd about decided to get a cheap futon at Wal-Mart, because we couldn't find anything quite in our price range that we liked enough to actually purchase. As it turned out, we now have a sofa and loveseat that are exactly what I would have chosen if my budget hadn't been an issue! Not only did God provide, but He also gave me my heart's desire!

3. My car started every time I needed it to today!

4. The first round of boxes has been unloaded at the house, and I even squeezed in a quick grocery run (since Jeff is staying there this week instead of driving all the way back to Marion County).

5. So grateful that the owners of our new rent house went to great lengths to clean it and take care of things before we moved in. It is going to take so much pressure off of me.

Day 5 - 06.11.11

1. A gullywasher of a rainstorm
2. New bagless vacuum cleaner

3. "rock-out" songs (Braeden's term)
4. All the cool furniture my dad has made for us over the years

5. By the end of this week the move will be over (and my stress level significantly reduced - I hope!)

Day 4 - 06.10.11

I have to admit, today is a bit of a struggle for me. I'm tired and grumpy and feeling really overwhelmed and decidedly ungrateful... so don't laugh it if seems like I'm stretching here, okay?

1. I am thankful that my cats adore my dog. In fact, he is the first "person" they come to when they walk in the door. Dexter never complains about the attention, either - he just sniffs them and occasionally returns a head-butt. It's cute on a ridiculous level, and never fails to make me smile in a gooey, mushed-out sort of way.

2. I will have two refrigerators in our new rent house, plus room for a freezer. It will be so nice when school starts again to be able to cook twice a month and store all the food in the freezers. I can't tell you how long I've wished I had room for a chest freezer, and while there isn't room for much of anything else, I can definitely put that freezer in the basement!

3. We'll have a fenced-in back yard, so Dex can run loose for a change. After our current crazy neighbor killed at least one (and probably two) of our dogs, I've been scared to death to ever let poor Dex off his leash. Now he'll be able to get some exercise.

4. No TV. I realize how strange that sounds... we currently have an older big-screen TV that simply won't fit in the living room, so Jeff is going to put it in his "man-cave" in the basement. Eventually we'll buy a flat-screen to go over the fireplace, but that's going to be a few months out. This means I won't have to listen to the TV for at least a little while. It really grates on my nerves; I prefer peace and quiet, or at most, Christian talk radio. Years ago I got used to not having cable or satellite, and I still prefer it that way.

5. I get my thyroid medicine refilled tomorrow, which hopefully will make me a little less tired and a lot less grumpy.

Day 3 - 06.09.11

1. I am glad that my car decided not to start in the cool of the day instead of the middle of the afternoon. It would have been miserable to sit in the stuffy car for ten minutes while the system rebooted had it been any earlier in the day. Now I have a moment of peace to reflect (and not sweat too much!) and yes, I am writing this post while I wait!

2. I am thankful for a great time of Bible study with sweet, godly women.

3. Books! What a great treasure we have in words and stories!

4. So glad for the Internet that lets me stay connected with people I would otherwise had lost touch with long ago.

5. Payday is good. :)

Day 2 - 06.08.11

Since gratitude moments can come at any point in the day, I've decided to schedule my posts for 8 AM with my thanksgivings for the previous day. Seems to make sense to me, anyway. 

1. I am extremely thankful for air conditioning. 'nuff said.

2. At work tonight, Jeff was given the Rapid Response Team pager. This is a first for him, and a big deal. I'm so proud of him, and so thankful for the way he works so hard for both his patients and his family.

3. I'm thankful for relationships that are strong enough to withstand a major trial. I love you, and you know who you are! :)

4. I love quirky T-shirts that make people laugh. Besides being fun to wear, it's so neat to be able to watch others smile when they realize what your shirt says! Case in point: Expressions of Vader

5. Today was a good day in a long series of really tough days. Just made me feel like singing praises to God - which I did, while also thanking God that nobody else was around to hear me!


"I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving." Psalm 69:30

Day 1 - 06.07.11

1. Cats that knead their paws on your belly and purr really loud.

2. Listening to my son read aloud.

3. Finding something rather expensive that was feared to be lost.

4. Chocolate chip pancakes

5. A husband who loves the Lord - and loves me, too.

An introduction ... and explanation

I'm reading a book by James MacDonald called Lord, Change My Attitude before It's too Late. One of the first attitude adjustments is to replace a complaining spirit with a thankful one. I freely admit that I am a pessimist and this is an area that really needs some attention. At the end of the first section is a fill-in-the-blank for the things for which I am grateful. Instead of writing them and hiding them away, I thought I would share in a more public manner.

Knowing me, some will be serious, and a lot will be silly. I may give an explanation for some of my more bizarre blessings, and others will be more self-explanatory. However, on each day I will express my gratitude to God as well, since He is the creator of all that is good.

Please feel free to join me. I'd love to know what makes your heart sing!


"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)