30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 30

November 30, 2010 - I'm home sick today. :( I have some kind of nasty viral infection. Contagious for 3 days. So...I'll be back to "normal" on Thursday. I feel completely NORMAL...except my throat hurts...and I'm contagious. Ick! So, today, I'm thankful for an entire month full of things to be thankful for. I love that I can look back at everyday this last month and see all the good things that God has done! I love that I have a day to recover and have guilt-free TV watching and a little blogging. :) Thank you Lord for showing me that there is something in our EVERYDAY lives to be thankful for!

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 29

November 29, 2010 - I'm thankful for my working body! I was back at work today and got my butt to the gym! I am so thankful that I have a healthy enough body that I can work out and it functions the way its supposed to! It felt good to be back in the gym....especially, after all the yummy food! :)

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 28

November 28, 2010 - I'm thankful for our Chirstmas tree and new tradition that we've started! Ken and I started a tradition last year to go to a tree farm and cut down our own tree. So, today we set out to find our tree! It actually didn't take us long at all. The only thing that I wanted different from last year was for the the pine needles to be less prickly. And, we found the perfect tree! :) I LOVE IT! And, after looking at pictures of our tree from last year? I like the 2010 tree much better! This is one of my favorite traditions! We have so much fun every year! :)

We also were able to make a quick trip to see Finley before her nap time. Just love that girl!!!

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 27

November 27, 2010 - I'm thankful that today is the last football game of the season!!!! I always get so excited when football starts in August/September, however, I'm always VERY ready for it to be over. I love my parents being in town and visiting, but to have most of my Saturdays filled with football gets old. I SO enjoy getting my weekends back to spend with Ken and doing things around the house. The Cowboys did SO well this year and its been a really fun season, but I'm thankful for the break! :)

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 26

November 26, 2010 - I'm thankful for breakfast at The Renaissance! We got up and headed to breakfast at The Renaissance Hotel, where Ken and I got married, for breakfast. They have a nice buffet, but I LOVE their regular menu! They had Banana's Foster French Toast! And, they always have some kind of yummy pancakes (like lemon infused pancakes with raspberry syrup) and the Tulsa Eggs Benedict looks SO good! I chose the Mashed Potato, Bacon, Swiss, and Cheddar Omelet! YUM!!!!! It was FABULOUS! :) I love having big breakfasts!

30 Days of Thankfulness, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!

November 25, 2010 - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!! Today, I am thankful for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!!!!!! I know, you thought I'd say something more sentimental. :) I truly am thankful for all the Lord has given me. But to pick one thing for today? Its the parade!!!! I haven't watched it from beginning to end in years!!!!! Since we weren't doing a big family dinner today, I set my alarm and I was UP and ready to watch with coffee in hand! I loved it! My dad and I sat in there by ourselves and then mom got up and then Ken. :) It was wonderful!!!!!!

We did get to visit some of Ken's family at their dinner. It was fun to see people and actually talk to some that we didn't get a chance to visit with last weekend at Incredible Pizza. After our good-byes there, we met my parents for the annual "Lights On" ceremony at Utica Square! One of my all time favorite traditions!!!! We sang carols and counted down with Santa before the the lights came on!!From there, we ate dinner at Ruby Tuesday. I felt bad for the people that were having to work...but it was nice that we didn't have to cook. :)My dad positioned Ken perfectly so that he could look like an elf! ha! :)We had such a fun time at dinner! We were being so silly with pictures....maybe it was the Sangria...even though dad and I didn't have any. :) I'm so thankful for all the time we were able to spend with our families! And, I'm thankful for the little things....like The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! :)

Hope you all enjoyed the day and your family!

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 24

November 24, 2010 - TODAY is our family Thanksgiving!!!!!! YAY!!!!!! I LOVE THIS DAY!!!!! I'm so thankful that I just woke up early and was ready to get started! I'm thankful that I spent the morning baking and cooking. I'm thankful that while I was doing that Christmas music was playing in the background!!!!! Its my most favorite time of the year!!!!!

We arrived at my mom and dad's house around 2:30pm and were able to visit for a little while before the rest of the family got there. I love the sound of the alarm that dings when someone comes in the house. I'm peeking around corners to see who is coming in! I love seeing all the kids' faces as they make their way into the kitchen! They are growing up so fast!!!! I just love seeing them!!!! I'm so thankful for each and everyone of them...

Mason
Raley and Kassie Spencer CadeKylie Caleb Cannie and Cannon!Each so unique and beautiful! I love seeing God's amazing work in each of them!

I love my mom's house and how she perfectly decorates! Its so festive.I'm so thankful that we were all able to be together! I enjoy having the family together and getting see everyone. The food was INCREDIBLE! I never think that we will "top" the year before, but somehow we do! My mom and dad made the turkey, dressing, gravy and ham! Mark and Kim's family brought the rolls and Kim's wonderful sweet potato bake! Jeff and Aimee's family brought the mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and a yummy pecan pie...which ended up being Ken's favorite! :) Ken and I brought cranberry-horseradish cream, brussels sprouts gratin, and caramel-pecan cheesecake. Everything was SOOOOO good!!!!! This year, all the adult-kids sat together and Grammie and PaPa sat with all the grandkids. Its seem that my favorite time comes after dinner. Usually the girls go in one room and the boys go in another. It was too rainy for the kids to play outside, so they all watched "Elf". I love that I got to sit and talk to my sisters-in-law and just visit! Its very few and far between that we get to do that. Maybe one day I'll live closer and get to spend more time with them.We also celebrated my dad's birthday!The evening was really great! We ended the night with Ken and I and my parents, just watching TV and spending time together.

Thank you Lord for family! Thank you for the holidays when we get to spend time together!

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 23

November 23, 2010 - I'm thankful that God grows us in unexpected ways. I had to be confrontational at work today. If you know me at all, you know that I HATE confrontation!!!! I even avoid good confrontation sometimes. Its pretty pathetic, actually. Anyway---it wasn't something I was looking forward to doing, but it was something I knew I had to do. I completely had to rely on God to get me through it and have the right words to say...and get them across in a loving way. The outcome didn't change, but I still over-came a fear and stood up for myself and I'm proud of that. I'm so thankful that God doesn't leave us where we are...comfortable, stagnant, and un-changing. As much as change can hurt, I know we need it.

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 22

November 22, 2010 - Ken's mom left today. I'm thankful that she was able to come and visit us. I'm thankful that she was able to see all the work we've done on the house. I'm thankful we had fun and got to do so many things and see so many people! It was a really nice visit and I think we made a Cowboy fan out of her....an Oklahoma State Cowboy fan, not a Dallas Cowboy fan....she pretty much bleeds PURPLE for her Vikings! :) I think we hit just about every sport possible while she was here....from football to soccer to basketball. Plus, we were able to visit all of her family that lives in Oklahoma and fit in a few Christmas things....like shopping and looking at Christmas lights! I'm sure she was exhausted by the time she got home b/c we kept her pretty busy!!!!!

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 21

November 21, 2010 - I know this is lame, but I'm thankful for being able to sleep-in and read a book! We had such a busy day yesterday that the three of us were exhausted!!! I woke up and just spent some time reading in my room. It was wonderful! I don't take time to read often, so I enjoyed it! The rest of the day was a whirlwind, so I'm very grateful for the quiet time I was able to have this morning!

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 20

November 20, 2010 - Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!!! Today, we spent the entire day in Tulsa. We watched some of the OSU Football game at my parents' house before heading to Incredible Pizza to spend time with Ken's family. Incredible Pizza was fun and I was able to meet a lot of family that I hadn't met yet. It was pretty much a family reunion. :) From there, we went to Philbrook Museum, where they lit up their formal gardens. It was beautiful!!!! They had people singing Christmas carols, a place to decorate ornaments, and an entire display of Christmas trees! It was wonderful! I am so thankful to start the celebration of Christ's birth so early! I just love it! I love this time of year!!! There is just something magical about it all. From there, we went to dinner at Los Cabos and ended back at my parents for the more Big 12 football...and then back home. It was a fun day...and so thankful for all the things that lead up to Christmas!

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 19

November 19, 2010 - You will not hear me say this often...I'm thankful for the cold weather! Its been SO warm this year. So warm, that its been really hard for me to get into the holiday spirit. Even during the day, today, it was warm and didn't expect the cold that hit tonight. Ken, Sandie (my M-I-L) and I went shopping in the afternoon and it was really fun....but hot! Tonight, we headed out to the OSU Soccer game where the girls are in the Sweet 16!!!! (For the first time EVER...since 1996, when the program started). We bundled up a little. I had a jacket and a scarf; Sandie had had a coat on; and Ken had a windbreaker-pull-over...and thankfully he brought a hat. By the time we got to the game and sat down, it was FREEZING!!!!!! So cold, there were times I was checking the score board to see how much time was left before we could leave. Thankfully someone had a blanket in their car and we snuggled up in it. Even though I was COLD, I'm thankful it finally hit!!!! I love the cold weather when the holidays are here b/c it just feels Christmasy! :)

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 18

November 18, 2010 - I'm thankful that God show's me that He is bigger than anything going on in my life! He had been showing me all week, but today was the day it really hit. I love the words to Chris Tomlin's new song, "Our God". The chorus really stuck with me and I've used it as my theme song recently:

"our God is greater, our God is stronger
God you are higher than any other
our God is healer, awesome in power
our God, our God"

He's been reminding me that there isn't anything that He can't handle! I'm so thankful to call Him MY GOD! I am so very thankful that He carries us when we are too weak to stand on our own. I am so thankful that he is bigger, stronger, and higher than any problem we might have. He is AWESOME!

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 17

November 17, 2010 - Every year, you will see the same thing for November 17th. I'm thankful for my dad! Today is my dad's birthday! He's very lucky to have his birthday in November b/c its guaranteed that it will be what I am thankful for on the 17th. No one else in the family gets a "30 Days of Thankfulness" post, but it doesn't mean I'm not thankful for getting to celebrate each of them. I love my dad and I am so blessed that he is in my life. I'm so very thankful and blessed that God allowed him to be my dad. Tonight, my parents came into town for an OSU Basketball game. Since they weren't getting here until 6pm (and we eat out all the time), I decided to make dinner. I made a pot roast with potatoes, onions and carrots. I also made green beans and beer bread. For dessert, I made The Pioneer Woman's Pecan Pie with homemade crust! YUM!!!!! It was a really nice night! I loved being able to celebrate my dad's birthday with him.

I also have to say that I am so thankful that I finally had a day to cook and bake and clean the house! It was just wonderful! :)

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 16

November 16, 2010 - I know everyone is going to think I'm crazy today....but I'm thankful for Walmart! :) I know, I know...its usually the place that I dread going every week, BUT I do appreciate that I can go to one place and get b-day cards, gifts, crafts, home decor, movies, appliances, hunting gear, sports stuff, toys, clothes, and food! When I was in college, I would go with my roommates just to go. We would just walk every aisle that we wanted and played with toys and bought junk food and anything else that was fun! :) I LOVED IT! Now, its more of a "chore" to go. I actually make my menu for the week and then head to the store. Its not always my favorite, but I LOVE to cook, so its fun fo me to get all the ingredients knowing they are going to turn into something really yummy! Anyway---today, I also enjoyed seeing everything decked out for Christmas and!!!! LOVE IT! I'm just thankful for the blessing that we have money to feed ourselves...and, somedays, buy a little extra.

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 15

November 15, 2010 - I'm having a hard time figuring out what I'm thankful for today. I know there are many things...that I'm alive, for my house, my dogs, my friends, my family, etc., but today was a disappointing day. My whole focal point revolved around a city council meeting and we were all extremely let down. This is not where I want to talk about all the details, so I will save it for later. However, two of our friends are losing their jobs. I feel selfish to say that I am thankful for my husband's new job, but I really am. I am thankful where God safely brought us...it truly is a blessing and I don't want to over-look that blessing. However, it doesn't make me feel better about what happened tonight. So, I know that when I am extremely let down by this life, when my focus sets on something of this world, when life is disappointing, and when its hard to find something to be thankful for, God reminds me that in those moments we can be thankful for His grace and gift of salvation. So, today I'm thankful for that..."For God so loved the world, that he sent His only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." When this life gets us down, I'm SO thankful that my God has saved me from eternal separation from Him...and that I have hope, because of Him alone, that I will leave this sinful and fallen world one day to be with Him for eternity.

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 14

November 14, 2010 - Today was another incredible day where we just spent time together! We woke up early enough to enjoy the morning and have coffee before heading to church. We had a nice service and then went to lunch with a dear friend. I'm so thankful that Dora came to 2nd service and wanted to have lunch with us. She is just a beautiful woman! We so enjoyed getting to know her better!!!! I'm thankful that we have such godly women in our church that I can look up to and be encouraged by.

I also have to include how proud I am of the OSU Women's Soccer team! They won their game today and are now in the NCAA Sweet 16!!!! YAY!!!!!! They've never been this far in the tournament before and it was a SUPER exciting game today! :) Can't wait for their game against Duke next weekend!!!!

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 13

November 13, 2010 - So thankful for a lazy day. Ken and I have been so busy lately that we really haven't had any down-time. This weekend has just been perfect! Not only did we get to have a date night (Nov. 12th), we had such a nice and relaxing Saturday. We woke up and I made breakfast. I don't even remember the last time I made breakfast on a Saturday morning! I made Puffy Pancakes with Butterscotch Syrup and we had coffee and watched football on TV. FABULOUS! My parents came into town for the OSU Men's Basketball game. We had lunch at a GREAT burger place, called Boomerang, and then watch OSU beat Houston Baptist. Once home, we snuggled in for the night to watch OSU Football beat University of Texas, AT Texas, for the first time since 1944!!!!!!! It was AWESOME! I'm so thankful that we had a really nice weekend where we got to spend so much alone, quality time together! I just love my husband! :)

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 12

November 12, 2010 - I am thankful for DATE NIGHT! :) Its been awhile since Ken and I got out of the house and just had a night of fun. The last month or so, our lives have been very inconsistent. We've traveled and still working through the transition of the new job. Tonight, we finally went out and left the computers, the TV, the house work, and everything else that takes us away from each other. We went to dinner and then rented a movie. I ended up falling asleep during the movie...but it was SO nice to get out of the house and be just us!

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 11

November 11, 2010 - Today I am thankful for all the men and women who fight (and have fought) for the freedom of every person in the United States of America!

They sacrifice their families, their time, and their life so we can live a life of freedom and a life filled with choices. Our freedom is not free.

I love this country and pray that we remain free! I pray that people would not take for granted what these men and women are fighting for. So many things are pulling our country away from where it started and I just pray that my children are still able live in "the land of the free and the home of the brave."

Thank you to all who serve!