Day 13: Friends

I am thankful for my college friends.  We have a close niche group of girls who are all in different stages of life.  Some married with kids, some pregnant, some engaged and some independent, social women.  Yet, we all can relate.  Everyone is always caring and genuine, and I admire unique traits about each girl.  We always get together for birthday and catch each other here and there in between those occasions.  We love it when there is a wedding in the future because that means more time to spend together with showers, bachelorettes, and of course, the wedding itself. (Hooray for Al's next year!)  Regardless, it is a good time.  We laugh, cry, share, and reminisce each time we're together.  At such a big school like UGA, I certainly feel blessed to have found these 7 other girls who I can count on to this day.  Good friends are hard to come by.  I feel blessed for having these ladies in my life!

Day 12: Our Home

I am thankful for our home.  We have a wonderful, spacious, cozy house we can call our home.  It is in a good neighborhood, with good schools and close to many of our friends and family.  We feel very blessed to have found this home, and it is funny how things work out.  I'm not sure many know the story behind our purchase. (To help you follow the story "this house" is always referring to our new house.)  We had placed two offers down on other houses.  On the first house, we were the 4th offer in 48 hours and our offer was eventually turned down.  (It was during this time frame that we were supposed to go see this house.)  By the time we heard back about our first offer, this house was under contract.  We never even got to see this house.  We then found a 2nd house.  It was a negotiating war, and we felt uneasy with the terms so did not accept a 3rd counter offer.  Randomly, this house popped back into our listings.  We asked our realtor to see it and found out it was an accident that it entered the listings again.  It was currently under contract but our realtor said she'd call and find out if they would still show it.  The previous owners agreed.  It was the middle of the week at nap time that I put the boys down at my parents (thankfully my dad worked from home so they could sleep there while he worked.)  I was in love!  This house was exactly what we were looking for.  I was disappointed that it was under contract.  I wanted it.  There was nothing we could do but wait on the pending sale to finalize or the house to come back on the market with a rare incident.  Our realtor said it was real late in the game and probably nothing would happen.  I told Kevin that afternoon that this was our home.  "I don't know how, but this is our house."  Kevin laughed but I felt it and insisted it was ours.  Three days later, the finances fell through for the person who had it under contract.  The owners immediately called our realtor.  We were on the way to the lake.  Without Kevin even seeing the house, we pulled over at a Kinko's and wrote up an offer.  It felt right.  It had so much of what we wanted, yet I don't think we knew how much we could love a home until this one became ours.  It is the place where our boys spend most of their time.  It is a place they need to feel safe and comfortable.  I am grateful for God's plan and for listening.  Thankfully, "this house" became our home sweet home.  It is everything we dreamt of. Bless this home and the memories created here!   

Day 11: Winnie

I am thankful for our wonderful sitter.  Both Trenton and Bennett love her, and it is so reassuring when your kids are in a safe environment with a person you trust.  She was a blessing to find in the beginning (came from a recommendation) and we are lucky to have had her for over three years now.  Life would feel strange without her.   She's just a regular with the boys.    

Day 10: Food

I am thankful for food.  Yes, I love to eat and I enjoy going out for nice dinners, but that is not what I'm referring to.  And, it seems silly and obvious, but food in general is easily taken for granted.  I was snack mom for Trenton's flag football team; we walked into Costco like it was no big deal......not everyone has these luxuries.  We are blessed to live in a country where hungry is less of a concern, or is it?  We definitely are not one of the underprivileged countries whose entire population is suffering from starvation, yet hunger exists for thousands all around us.  Which brings me to a new point.  I am thankful for the organizations striving to end hunger, the shelters who provide meals and the ministries that gather nonperishable items to donate.  I admire their will to help those in need. 

Day 9: Safety

I am thankful for our safety.  We had Ackerman out at the house this weekend working on the security system.  It was a reminder that you have to take these precautions.  In today's world there's greed, anger, betrayal.  All these, lead to crime.  Thankfully, I have never had to rely on these devices, and I pray we never do.  Nevertheless, I am thankful for the subtle protection they provide.  Last night, I watched Argo and was again reminded of how blessed I am to live where people defend what is right.  To have that unsettled feeling of fear is overwhelming.  I am blessed to live in a country that works hard to protect its land and people.  I certainly am grateful for the men and women who have defended and are defending our homeland.  God bless them, especially on this Veteran's Day weekend!  I admire their dedication to the United States and their unselfish behavior.   Our country is grateful for your service!

Day 8: Outside

I am thankful for the beautiful weather!  Autumn is such a wonderful time of year!  It has wiggled its way to my favorite season over the years.  I love propping doors open, the leaves changing colors, and the chill in the morning air yet midday sun's warmth by noon.  I'm blessed to live in a place where we get to witness a real fall and be surrounded by woods with these amazing transformations.   We might not live in the country, (but since we so regularly travel to outdoor places, especially in the fall--ranches, farms, patches, mountains, rivers, etc for day trips) Trenton has acquired the phrase, "We aren't in the city any more."  On numerous occasions he shouts that too us when we pull into a parking lot on the edge of woods or when he see animals or a dirt path.  It's a simple reminder that we need to get out and enjoy all that nature has to offer besides the traditional city landmarks like zoo, gardens and museums.  Everyone enjoys it.  We can get caught up in the busyness of life, but it's time to slow down and be grateful for the fall weather and all that comes with it.   

Day 7: Chai Fixation

I am thankful for chai tea.  This one is definitely silly, but I really am happy for the luxury of this item.  Sometimes I need caffine. I know, imagine that as a mom of a 1 and 3 year old!  :)  However, I still have never acquire the taste for coffee and cokes really aren't my thing.  I have found chai tea serves it purpose, and on these brisk fall mornings, there is nothing more enjoyable for a cup of the warm tea.  It wakes me up and gets me energized for the day ahead.