Thankful Thursday

I am always thankful for my family, friends, life, health, love, happiness, Jesus, freedom, safety, laughter and so much more…

This past week I have been and am still particularly thankful for:

-the Fall Festival that we had at our church. We had 126 people attend which is NUTS but ALL GOD for such a little church.
-God's beauty all around me with the changing of the leaves. I love Fall!
-another week that I got to eat lunch with my Grandma.
-the opportunity to see several of my friends and help Keith celebrate his 30th birthday surpise style
-finishing November's newsletter and getting it mailed out.
-my sister-in-law Stormy who is just fabulous and inspires me without knowing it.
-the fact that Tanner is really walking now. That little booger can roll.
-a full calendar but not a crazy calendar - I am really looking forward to Jill's Halloween Party tomorrow!

The Life I Have vs The Life I Want

Jill left a comment on my previous entry, Desk Job, and of course as Jill always does, she plays Devil's Advocate. Her question, "is that the life I have or the life I want?" raises a very good point though.

The life I have is great but sometimes I fall into that "grass is always greener" trap. I think to some level, we all do. I have a great family, wonderful friends, an awesome church, a God that loves me unconditionally, a nice roof over my head, food in my belly, and a car in the garage. I have a job that pays the bills so my lights work and my water runs.

So why in the world do I ever complain or dare want anything else? It's honestly beyond me.

The life I want is not much different from the life I have. I think it's just that I want more. Not more stuff or money, but more.

I want more time with Tanner. I want Larry to listen to what I say and actually respond more often. I want a job where I smile more and have more interactions with people. I want to feel the sun/son on my face more. I want more talking, less TV. I want more hope, less pain, frustration, and politics. I just think that currently I have this itch I can't scratch.

So, to you Jill my dear friend, I have the life God has fashioned for me so far and that is good enough for me.

Desk Job

I have felt "stuck" lately, like I'm not sure what to write. I got a text message from my friend Cathy the other day that asked me how was she supposed to procrastinate at work when I wasn't blogging?! My bad Cathy. It's just not coming to me these days. I'll try harder, promise :o)

As I sit here at my desk, procrastinating (like Cathy) and trying to avoid the few things that I have left to do, I think of the fun I have when I'm not at work. I also think about how I ended up with a desk job. Just to be overly dramatic for a second, some days I feel like the life is being sucked out of me. With that said, it's not always bad, and I should be thankful I have a job and one that allows us to have the life we do.

My time spent at home involves chasing Tanner and allowing him to chase and catch me. Currently this is his most fun thing, other than playing with a blue balloon that we've had for over a month. The pictures below are what make life interesting and worth while, while I'm not at work.

Keith’s 30th Birthday/Halloween Costume Party

Oh my gosh. I haven’t had this much fun in too long. I also haven’t laughed this hard in way too long. I’ve had some good times lately, but last Saturday was an entirely different level of silliness and fun as you can see by the pictures below. These are some of the funniest people I know. Enjoy!


Jason and Alison

Keith and Kelyn

Brandon and Bailey

Shawn and Renee
And of course...

Me and Lou :o)

Thankful Thursday, a day late

(Thanks Regina for the reminder!!)

I am always thankful for my family, friends, life, health, love, happiness, Jesus, freedom, safety, laughter…

This past week I have been and am still particularly thankful for:

-reconnecting with old friends – thanks Facebook
-meeting new friends – our new youth pastor Nick and his wife Dana are awesome
-another week I got to eat lunch with my Grandma
-a few good days with Pepper – he has liver cancer but we still get to experience some good days with him
-a fun time at the UVa game with Larry, Keith, Kelyn, Renee, Shawn, Lloyd and Teresa – Go Hoos!
-Jason’s birthday celebration at Larry and Darlene’s – man I love my family!
-A new stuffed shells recipe that turned out awesome – thanks Allrecipes.com
-travel mercies while on the road to and from Greensboro – thanks for no overnights this time
-my job – I know that sounds weird, but with this economy I am thankful for money coming in and most days I like what I do

A BIG thanks goes out to...

John Mark Skammer for giving my blog a much needed face lift. It's wonderful and I thank you so much! You and Regina both are truly amazing people and I am so thankful that you both are in my life. I hope that we can all grow closer and as Tanner grows up a bit the boys can play together. Who knows, Daniel and Lucas think 'Mushroom' is pretty cool, your boys might too. Thanks again John, you made my page look great!!

Happy Birthday Jason

My big brother Jason doesn't seem fond of birthdays, especially his own, and especially when he's turning 35. Yep, you guessed it, today is his 35th birthday. Happy Birthday Jay!

I am so thankful for Jason. He is not only my brother but my friend. Stormy often comments on the fact that Jason and I "talk in movie lines" and it's true. Jason is one of the only people that I could say "That just happened" to or "I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey" and understand what I'm talking about. I have grown to love to hang out with Jason and Stormy and the 4 of us have a blast - take for instance our couples weekend at Douthat. When I couldn't climb the hill as fast as the others on my bike, it was Jason who was there encouraging me and reminding me how to make it without it being harder then it had to be. Thanks Jay!

Not only is Jason a great brother and friend, he's a great uncle. Tanner adores 'Uncah Jay' and looks at him with great affection. I think Jason digs this too and he beams at Tanner when they are together. They have a special bond and that's pretty awesome.

We are blessed to be so close with our family. So Jason, to you on your birthday! Salude and Shake and Bake!!

Thankful Thursday

I am always thankful for my family, friends, life, health, love, happiness, Jesus, freedom, safety, laughter…

This past week I have been and am still particularly thankful for:

-again, the angels that helped keep Tanner while Tina was on vacation
-Tina, since Tanner adores her and that gives me a great peace of mind. I am so glad you are back!
-good friends, I am so blessed to have several super close friends
-my brother Jason, because he is the best brother in the world even though he’s a Hokie (I mean seriously Jason, really?)
-my sister-in-law Stormy who is the sister I always wanted and who is always good for a laugh (ask her about her crotch pot)
-another week that I had lunch with my Grandma
-my Aunt Joyce and Uncle Smoot’s willingness to help me with my Halloween costume – gonna be a biker chick
-travel mercies while traveling to and from Greensboro and for keeping my boys in line while I was gone

Catching My Breath

I’m finally trying to catch my breath. I feel like I have been on the go for way to long and really need to slow down. I've been traveling a lot for work, Tanner has not been feeling well, his sitter has been on vacation so other Angels have stepped in to keep him, and the world around us keeps moving.

I told Larry yesterday afternoon (after a very short night since Tanner has been sick) that I needed a vacation. He simply asked, “Where would you go?” He didn’t mention that I have no time to take from work or that we have no money for a trip or anything negative, he just let me have my dream for that brief moment.

I explained that I would like to go to Virginia Beach for the weekend. Just to spend some time with my feet in the sand and my face in the sun, to spend some quiet time with God and a girlfriend. I would take my Mom. We would get away just to relax. We would have no real plan. We would wake up and go where God led us for the day. Maybe this can not be just a dream but I can make it a reality. We’ll see…

Thankful Thursday

I am always thankful for my family, friends, life, health, love, happiness, Jesus, freedom, safety, laughter…

This past week I have been and am still particularly thankful for:

-Cathy and Cory’s sweet wedding celebration and that I got to be a part of it
-birthday cake and celebrating Larry’s birthday
-my Mom and that her surgery went well and they got all the cancer (skin cancer)
-pedicures with Jill and Cathy
-another week that I got to eat lunch with my Grandma
-safety traveling for work
-Mom, Dad, Stormy, and Lori for keeping Tanner this week while Tina was on vacation
-being a part of such a sweet body of Christ, I love my little country church!
-time spent playing with Tanner and chasing him now that he’s walking more
-time spent with Pepper, God has given us a chance to really cherish these last days

Birthday Cake

I love birthday cake. I look forward to birthday cake. This past Saturday was Larry’s 31st birthday and we celebrated with family on Sunday since Saturday was too busy to say the least. Carrot cake and cream cheese icing, and please make it cold was the request. So that I did. After Cathy’s wedding on Saturday, I came home and made a birthday cake and put it in the fridge. I made sure we had milk to go with it. At our house after church on Sunday there was a flurry of activity all around my house. For the first time in a while, my house felt normal. I hadn’t realized that I missed normal. As I sat in the floor eating cold carrot cake, I had a moment where I was so thankful for my normal yet crazy life, and thankful for the simplicity, of birthday cake.

Best Friends

One of my best friends, Cathy, got married on Saturday and she looked beautiful with her makeup and hair done especially for the day. Her dress was gorgeous and it fit her like it was made just for her. She joked that her makeup looked like something from Dancing with the Stars. We all laughed. It was a light, fun day.

The closer it got to Saturday the more I felt like I needed to somehow magically be 2 different people that day and for 2 very different reasons.

One, I needed to do and be everything Cathy needed so she didn’t have to think about anything. The matron of honor’s job after all is to help the bride get ready to go down the aisle by helping her get into her gown (and yes, help with taking the pants off too, ha ha) and remind her to wear something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue, to make her feel good about her makeup although not only did she say it was Dancing with the Stars, but she also mentioned looking like an ice skater (it really was beautiful), to help keep the mood light, to help pack up after the reception, to see the new couple off, and to remember all the little things that the bride might have forgotten and shouldn’t have to worry about.

Two, to be everything Jill needed to get through the wedding – although everything in this category was brand new territory. Jill never asked for anything and never really seemed like she needed anything. She’s an oak (as Larry would say). Since Thayer died, little things in all of our worlds have changed. The line “til death do us part” in the wedding ceremony never before meant so much to me and I previously don’t think I took it seriously enough. Seeing one best friend have the happiest day of her life while standing next to my other best friend reliving what should have been the start of her long life with Thayer. Til death do us part should mean until we die of old age, like when we are 90+, not 31. There are constant reminders of the “little things” that meant so much between Jill and Thayer. Jill and I joked about being “snake chapped” but this is how I felt while smiling at the happy couple and then looking over to make sure Jill was holding it together, but her strength and faith is unshakeable and unyielding.

Watching Cathy and Cory’s ceremony was sweet and I was proud to be a part of it and Jill would say the same. Cathy, Jill, and I are the kind of best friends where you don’t have to say everything on your heart for the other to know it. So Jill, even though I don’t have to say, I want you to know it, I love you and I am really proud of you, and Cathy, I love you, and I am really proud of you too. I wish you and Cory many happy years together and I hope that you both cherish every single moment you have together.