HAPPY THURSDAY!!

random wedding picture that has nothing to do with anything, I just love it.

If you remember, Thursday is one of my favorite days! I still don't know why, but I just love them.

Today was extra special because I found out I won a blog giveaway!! I am pretty excited about it :) go check out Daina and the other gals! They are great!

I hope you all are having a great week. I know that this week as been particularly tough. It has been tough waking up in the mornings and trying to do anything productive after work. I have been feeling pretty sluggish and down right down. Soooo worn out. 

So, I am ready for the weekend. Also, some thanks. Here are my five thanks on thursday for this Thursday :)

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I am trying to come up with some thanks that I normally view as "not so good", but realize I am blessed to have them.

1. I am blessed to have somewhere to live. Although our apartment isn't ideal for us anymore, I am truly thankful to have somewhere to live. I am thankful to have air conditioning and heat, as well as a space heater, etc. I am thankful for a home filled with STUFF, even though it is annoying that it is everywhere sometimes. Aaron and I are still in the process of looking/thinking/praying for a home for us to purchase. After we didn't get a house we put a bid on, we got pretty discouraged. We resenting our current home, and hated it. How selfish. Just learning to be thankful in all circumstances. Many people would kill to have a place to stay even for one night, and we get to LIVE there.

2. I am thankful for clothes. I am thankful that although I have TONS of clothes that I rarely wear, but are somehow thrown all over the house throughout the week, I am thankful I have them. I hope that I can start being more mindful regarding purchases as well as taking time to go through my clothes (and Aaron's!) to be able to give those to someone who may not have many clothes at all.

3. I am thankful for the job I currently have. I complain about being so busy sometimes and how I want to punch my own face in, but I am thankful that I HAVE a job. I have the best boss. He is so understanding when I need time off, and he laughs at how insane I am at work and the weird things I say... so that is awesome. I am grateful that I work in an environment where I feel accepted (for the most part). I am thankful that somehow, someway, this job is preparing me for my future and a job I really hope to have some day!

4. I am thankful for family. I know I have said this thanks before but... I need to keep reminding myself that family is a good thing. Growing up I had some unfortunately things happen within my family. To me, family was just 'there'. Sometimes, family was out to ruin your life. And, still, others, family was there as a support system. Lately, I have really been seeing that my family, although MENTALLY INSANE, and unstable, my family is mine. Those who continue to stay there and support me and my sisters are amazing.. I wouldn't trade them for the world.

5. and finally... I am thankful for today. Although I didn't want to get up today, I am glad I did. I am glad that I came to work. I am thankful for this dang insurance meeting I have to go to. I am thankful I have an OPPORTUNITY for insurance. I am just really blessed.

I have been to 5 other countries serving in mission trips, and various places in the USA. Each time it has reminded me that I have SO SO MUCH. I have been given so much. When I think back on those people who have nothing, but prepared a meal and asked me over, I get this overwhelming feeling that I have TOO MUCH. I need to share it with others. I need to bless others with it. I just... I can't explain it. I hope that you can look at your life and know you are blessed despite your thinking so. And to think it not just during the holiday seasons, but all year round.  

Hopefully these don't bore too many people out there.. just trying to remember for myself, the things I should be thankful for instead of grumbling about them!

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Have a lovely day :) Maybe, just maybe I will be back soon.

five thanks on thursday + FALL!

Source: witanddelight.tumblr.com via Joanna on Pinterest

Hello :)
Today marks the official beginning of fall, and guess what?!

I LOVE IT. I absolutely adore fall. The sweaters, the scarves, boots, big chunky socks, drinking hot chocolate to keep warm, lots of blankets, the crisp of the air, bonfires, flannel.... ohhhhh I could go on.

I live in a town where basically we love pumpkins. Every third Wednesday through Saturday of October we shut down our town for something called The Pumpkin Show. If you haven't heard of it, you are either 1) living under a rock, or 2) have a life outside of pumpkins. :) Either way, you should go back and click on THE PUMPKIN SHOW to see what it's all about. I will post more about this lovely event another time, probably right before it happens, but oh well..

So, as you can see... I FREAKING LOVE FALL. :)

Okay okay, enough sickening love stuff about me and fall.... today I am trying to restart my five thanks on thursday to truly revel in those things I am grateful for.

It's so easy lately to get caught up in life, the good and the bad. Lately, it's seemed to be more of the bad than the good.. yet, I firmly believe that in every bad there has to be, there just HAS TO BE something good from it. So, alas, here are MY thanks on thursday:

1) I am very grateful for the job I have. I am pretty sure I was thankful for this last time but.. I just need to express it once more. As I drive home very upset or worn out on my lunch breaks most days I usually pass many people out and about, walking, and sometimes they seem like that they have a very rough situation they are in. Each time I am very humbled by this. I need to remind myself that, 1)it is a blessing to have a job, period. Especially a job in a Christian environment. My boss is awesome, some people I work with are awesome. I just really need to start appreciating it more. Many people apply and apply to many places and never gain employment. I am blessed.

2) I am grateful for my family. As of late all I usually say are really negative things about my family. About so many people not having to deal with the things I have dealt with within my family.. and ya know what? Some of that IS true. Some of the crap my family chooses to do I don't know many people who have family members who do those things... BUT, I do know there are other families out there have to deal with these things and WORSE. So, I am counting my blessings on this one. I am grateful to even know that I am supported by my family. I can't wait to be able to start our own family one day.

3) I am grateful that the Father provides. For a few months I have felt this heavy weight of anxiety and worry on my heart. On days when it isn't so bad, I still feel it... Sometimes it gets so bad I can barely breathe, I can't even muster out tears or move, even though I want to so badly. I have had to take a step back and sometimes leave for a little bit in order to gain back some sense of peace. The other day it really hit me hard for some reason. Things kept coming at me left and right at work and within my family and friends... it was too much to handle. I left work that day and bawled my eyes out. I couldn't even muster any words.. just many tears. Later that evening I had the house to myself. I found a podcast about worry and anxiety and it was just what I needed. I am grateful that He calls us to NOT WORRY, to not put our hearts and minds on earthly things but rather in Him and in heaven. I am grateful that I can rely on Him. Yes, things are hard, He even promises that we WILL have trouble in this world (John 16:33), but we can get through it with peace with Him.  This is not our home.

4) I am also very grateful for my husband. He is my best friend, you guys. (cue the ganging or the aw's, either one is fine!) I don't even think you guys KNOW how insane I am. Well, if you do, then you know that my husband is a GEM. He is so supportive and loving, kind, sweet, funny, handsome, and all-together just tries for me. He tries to understand me. He tries to help me when I am struggling. Ah!! I could go on , but I will spare you. The Lord really works through Him to get to me. I have never met someone so patient. Wow!

5) I am grateful for my car. My grandma hasn't had her car for a few months now, so any chance I get I let her borrow mine. I am grateful for it because I sometimes get frustrated with having to let her use it, only to remember that she NEEDS it. I don't. I don't need my car on the weekend. Heck, we are lucky if I even put on real clothes, let alone ME drive somewhere. If I go anywhere, Aaron drives. So, DUH! Yes, grandma you can borrow my car!! I am grateful that it was a GIFT to me. I am not grateful for the circumstances that led to me getting it, but I am grateful to have it. We are blessed to only have one car payment instead of 2, and that is AWESOME because we pay the cost of a mortgage in school loans  haha.

What are YOU thankful for today?

Thursdays are the bomb

Something you may not know about me is.... I love Thursdays. I have no idea why exactly, but I just love love LOVE them. I think I just love the anticipation in knowing the weekend is coming :) I usually plan to not do much on Thursdays as well, which I think is the first real reason I love them. Husband and I would usually set that day apart to spend time with each other.  Speaking of which, have you SEEEEEENNN "Friday Night Lights"?! Yeah.. I know.. we are waayyy behind on things, so what? We are in love with it.. so by "spend time with each other" I really mean watching Friday Night Lights... all night... like losers.

Well, tonight was a little different and I loved it! We were asked by two of our best friends to come over for a cookout at their place tonight!! It was awesome. I made a cheesy potatoe dish my aunt usually makes at family gatherings (I was hoping to post the recipe and step by step post tonight, but... people, I am tired. and so are my hands from typing all day long at work.. so, Friday it shall be for that post! WEEE!) Mike grilled out and Lacey made the beans... mmm! Oh, and Aaron played with the dogs :) Can't forget how much he helped ;)

It is so refreshing to take time out of your normal routine and see friends, or family or just to spend the night a different way. I wish I had gotten some pics of our lovely walk we took looking at some houses with the 3 pups and all of us.. but, honestly, we just had too much fun enjoying each other (and... I forgot my camera. I am not surprised by this...)

I hope everyone had a lovely Thursday :) It was beautiful around these parts! What did YOU do on Thursday!?


OK, going to bed now because I am an old lady.