30DT: Day 30

Today I'm thankful for time spent with my husband, my best friend, and her kids! :) Today, Ken and I went to OKC to pick our Christmas tree. I'm thankful that Michelle was able to meet us with her kids! We LOVE seeing them!!! And, it just seems to get better and better b/c Finley is getting to an age where she is understanding so much more and can have conversations with us! We had so much fun with them!!!!

30DT: Day 29

I'm thankful for the upcoming Christmas season. I'm having a brunch this weekend and tonight was all about prepping for it. After making dinner and enjoying some conversation with husband, I got busy prepping for the brunch. I love the prep part b/c as I am working, I'm praying for all the ladies that were invited. I'm thankful for the beautiful women and who they are in my life. The brunch actually takes an entire week to get ready for, but I'm so thankful that I'm able to do this for my friends. I'm thankful my hubs allows me to spend an entire week of our lives focused on this. Its such a blessing to me!

30DT: Day 28

I'm so very thankful for God always providing for us. Tonight was my walmart "run" for the week. Its amazing how much money two people can spend for a week of food. A lot of times I'm shocked by how much I spend. I know a lot of it is necessities and not just food, but STILL! And, Christmas is the hardest time for me to go. I just love all the decorations and the sparkles and the magic! I'm thankful that we can go into Walmart and come out with all our needs and a lot of "wants" as well!

30DT: Day 27

I'm thankful for Christmas decorations!!! YAY!!! Its my favorite time of year!!! I spent most of the day getting all the Christmas boxes out and then pulling all of my Christmas treasures out of the boxes. It never fails, every year, I get so excited as I pull out all the Christmas decorations. You would think I'd remember them, but even when I do, I still get so giddy! I love it b/c all these decorations make our house feel so homey! :) YAY Christmas!!!! I'll post pictures of all the decorations soon!

30DT: Day 26

I'm thankful for early quiet mornings. I've started to appreciate the morning hours. Today, I woke up at 8:15am and was just "awake"! Usually its around 9:30 when I wake up on non-work mornings, so I surprised that I woke up so early since we went to bed around 2am. I love the mornings that its just me awake and downstairs. I leave the TV off and will have coffee and read. Quiet houses are just a blessing. Before conversations start and dogs run around, there's just something sacred about having the house all to myself. I guess its one of the things I miss about single-life. I'm thankful that still have moments of quiet in my blessed marriage as well!

30DT: 25

I'm thankful for lazy family days!

Happy Black Friday! :) Did anyone go shopping??? Not us! We stayed home and enjoyed a nice breakfast. My mom made sweet potato grits and leftover ham...with coffee! Of course! The most unexpected person did hit the shopping scene! The hubs went to get some new running shoes. Thankfull, the running store isn't too far from my parents' house.

We also had a fantastic lunch at Wolfgang Puck's on Brookside. After lunch, we packed up and had to head home to beat the rain that was coming. Rain isn't the issue, but Lexis rides in the back of the truck and we don't want her to get wet and freeze while we're driving. Thankfully, we made it back in time!

Nothing too exciting today...but loved getting to spend some time with my favorite people...my amazing husband and wonderful parents!!!

OH...AND, I'm so thankful that my mom gave me my nutcrackers early!!!!! Every year, she buys me a nutcracker for my collection! I can't wait to put them up! :)

30DT: Day 24 - Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Today, I'm so thankful for being able to share Thanksgiving with family. I'm thankful that we were able to have abundantly more than we could ask for. This was one of the best Thanksgivings I can remember!!!

Today was such a nice and relaxing day. I got up and wrote in my "Thanksgiving" book that Michelle gave me the year Finley was born. Every year since 2008, I've written things I'm thankful for during the year. It was nice to sit in our quiet home with some wonderful coffee and reflect on the last year. So many blessings this year! Once Ken and the dogs were up, we enjoyed the morning with Christmas music and getting everything ready to head to my mom and dad's.

Once in Tulsa, I finished up the baking and got settled in. My brother and his family showed up and we sat down for our Thanksgiving Feast! I have to say that we have some AMAZING cooks in the family. My mom made the turkey, ham, rolls and dressing. My sister-in-law, Aimee, brought the mashed potatoes and her famous green bean casserole! And, we added in my brussels sprouts and horseradish cranberry sauce. We all got around one table this year and the kids loved it! They talked about how fun it was to sit around the same table instead of being all spread out. My dad prayed. We ate. We talked. We laughed. And, then we had dessert! :)

After dessert, we helped my mom clear the table and then watched the two youngest put on a mini-talent show. Before we all fell asleep, the girls grabbed some cameras and headed out for a scavenger hunt (I highly recommend this! Found it here on pinterest). The hunt was awesome!!!! We paired up and took pictures of the following things:
~ A family playing football ~ A turkey hung on a window or a door ~ A Thanksgiving-themed yard decoration~ 6 or more cars parked in front of one house ~ A pile of leaves~ Something with a pilgrim on it (the pumpkins are decorated at pilgrim turkeys)~ An ear of dried corn (in the above picture, the "feathers" in the turkey on the left are actually ears of corn)
~ A pumpkin or squash (I deleted the picture of this one, but the picture above has plenty!!!)
~ A pet waiting to be let in (the 1st thing Kass and I didn't find)
~ Smoke rising from a chimney (no one found this b/c it was so warm outside. however, we did see a chiminea).
~ Another family on a walk ~ A black bird (the 2nd thing Kass and I didn't find)
~ Mums ~ An acorn, pine cone or other nuts, seeds or cones ~ Early Christmas decorations It was great exercise!!! We walked the neighborhood for a good hour! When we got home, we all sat down and shared our pictures. Unfortunately, Kass and I came in last place. Ha! :) We had so much fun...and everyone agreed to do it again next year. While the boys played football on the Wii (or watched a football game in the game room), us girls sat around the piano and sand Christmas carols. I did find my old Aria book from high school and had my mom play a couple of my Italian contest songs...I was surprised how much I remembered!!! And, I surprised my nieces by "knowing" another language. ;)

Aimee had surprised us earlier when they got to the house by bringing a huge crockpot full of taco soup, plus a cheese ball with crackers. She thought we might want something besides turkey for dinner. And, it was much appreciated!

As dinner was winding down...my nephew challenged my husband to a dance off. Now, if you know my hubs, he doesn't turn down a challenge. My nephew had already beat him at a one-on-one basketball game in the backyard and the Wii football game....and now who was to win the dance off? I had all bets on Caleb...and while Caleb is super cute and has some fantastic dance moves....the hubs totally beat him when he busted out the "worm". hahahaha! Seriously....on his belly on the ground doing the "worm"!!!!! Hysterical!!!!

The evening ended with all of us watching the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M game. Perfect way to end the day! :)

Hope and pray that each and every one of you had the most blessed Thanksgiving!!!

30DT: Day 23

I'm thankful for getting to exercise with my hubby and for the holidays. Today, I only had to work a half day. When I got off work, I was planning to hit the gym, but I just wasn't feeling it. It was so beautiful outside, I didn't want to be indoors. So, after lunch with hubs, we hit the running trail together. I know I slowed down his time, but it was fun to run together...and his long legs are a good challenge for me to keep up! :)

When we got home, I turned on the Christmas music and started cooking! I am taking 4 things to Thanksgiving at my parents' house this year. Roasted brussels sprouts with apples and bacon. Horseradish cranberry sauce. Nantucket Cranberry Pie. Caramel Pecan Cheesecake. YUM! :) I did everything I could do at home and then prepped the rest for when we arrived at their house. I just love Thanksgiving!!! A time to be thankful for what God has given us. Family togetherness! Yummy food! Christmas music. Lazy weekend. Football. And, end it all with Christmas decorations!!!! :)

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

30DT: Day 22

Today I'm thankful that my husband is almost finished with his Bachelor's degree!!!! YAY!!!! Tonight, we drove to OKC to see a basketball game between his future Alma Mater, Mid-America Christian University, and Oklahoma City University. It was fun to watch the game and cheer on his team. He has 2 weeks left before he is officially a graduate.

30DT: Day 21

I'm thankful for small acts of kindness. As I was driving home from work today, it was raining. It wasn't pouring, but it wasn't a light drizzle either. There were people everywhere trying to get home from work and students going home from class. I was driving through an intersection that I had been stopped at and there was this girl waiting to cross the road with her arms crossed and head down, trying to avoid the cold rain as much as possible. She was getting soaked. The boy next her had an umbrella and was digging in his backpack. I could tell by their body language that they didn't know each other. As I drove past the two, I see him pull out a brand new rain poncho and hand it to her. I was so humbled by his kindness. In a world where life moves all to quickly and we see so often that people don't pay attention to anything accept a "to-do" list, its nice to see chivalry still exists.

And, again, it reminds me that I'm so thankful to be apart of the Cowboy Family!

30DT: Day 20

I'm thankful for family. Today, we went to Tulsa to celebrate my dad's birthday. We had such a good time. My mom made all his favorite foods in an appetizer style. We had lots of dips, pimento-cheese sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches, mini corndogs, and mini hotdogs with chili, onions, and cheese. I made his favorite dessert: lemon meringue pie. :) The food was good, but the fellowship was the best part. I'm really looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday so we can all be together again!

30DT: Day 19

Today, I'm thankful for friends. We had a day filled with spending time with people we care about. Breakfast and dinner were filled with beautiful conversation. After yesterday's devastating news and our loss in football, I needed to laugh and be normal. God blessed us with a day of just that. It didn't make me stop thinking about what happened or make the hurt go away or the thoughts of the past stop. It did make today just a little bit better. Thank you, Lord, for precious friends who get us through.

30DT: Day 18 - Tragedy Strikes Again

Today is one of those days where its hard to focus on what I'm thankful for.

Today we relived a nightmare. 10 years ago this past January, we lost 10 members of our athletic department. They were involved in a plane crash that took all of their lives.

Today, we found out that it happened again. Yesterday afternoon, a small plane crashed carrying two OSU alum, the head Women's Basketball coach and an assistant coach.

Again? Really?

I spent the day reliving every single moment of 10 years ago and grieving with our OSU Family again. Press conference. Tears. Hearts broken. Families destroyed. OSU students, faculty and staff pulling together to get through a tragedy. Again.

Our football team is on the road. Every other sport took the weekend off. Everything canceled, but our Boys went on to play! The game was devastating. We were trying so hard and just couldn't pull the "W". A year where we had so much in front of us. Tragedy strikes. Takes the heart of our team. It was like salt to a wound.

Through all the hardship today, its hard to focus on being thankful. But, the one thing that shone so brightly and was so obvious was that today I am proud to be a Cowboy! I'm proud to be in the OSU Family. I was so thankful for it 10 years ago when I lost 1o men, including 2 of my friends, and I'm thankful for it today as we mourn the loss of 4 more. There is no where else I'd rather be. Cowboys handle adversity so well and face it with strength, dignity and character. I love that we support each other no matter what. Even after a loss that could take us out of a dream we've had for years. I love my alma mater!

"Proud and immortal.
Bright shines your name.
Oklahoma State, we herald your fame.
Ever you'll find us,
LOYAL and TRUE.
To our alma mater,
O-S-U."

Check out this story to see the love and brotherhood we Cowboys share. :)

30DT: Day 17

I'm thankful for my dad. Today is his birthday. I'm so thankful that I get to celebrate another year of him being in my life. Counting down the years to our Utica Square date....but not too quickly. :)

I'm also thankful for my nights I spend with Michelle. Tonight, we did some shopping and had dinner together. I was also able to see her sweet kids. :) Just love them!

These are short and sweet, but I'm truly thankful both of these people. Love them so much!

30DT: Day 16

I'm thankful for errands that turn into something fun. We originally had plans this afternoon, but they got rescheduled so we had the entire afternoon free. I worked this morning until noon and when I got home, we decided to hit our favorite Wednesday restaurant. They have $6 pizzas. We usually go for dinner, but decided to go for lunch since we had some errands to run. After lunch, we had to go to the bank and the post office. THEN, to Walmart. The main purpose was to get a new watch battery. The only time I get to Walmart is for groceries. I haven't been to Walmart for FUN in years! It was one of my favorite things to do in college. Just walk all the aisles and check out the jewelry, clothes, purses, toys, cameras, TVs, home items, and CHRISTMAS stuff!!!! WOO HOO!!! We started our Christmas shopping and I got some $2 fall decorations for next year! I tried to tempt him with Christmas Peeps! They're not just for Easter anymore. I'm not a Peeps fan, but my husband definitely loves them. The Christmas ones are peppermint marshmallow dipped in chocolate. Two of his favorite flavors! I'm thinking "stocking stuffer"! :) I'm so thankful for fun trips to Walmart....and for the holidays!!!

30DT: Day 15

I'm thankful for Cowboy Basketball and spending time with my friends and impromtu "date night".

Tonight, we went to watch OSU Men's Basketball team take on Pine Bluff, AR. I was a little worried in the beginning because we had a pretty slow start. However, in the 2nd half, we really turned it on!!! It was an awesome ending. My favorite part of the game was getting to see Coach Eddie Sutton in the arena. I worked for him in college and it truly has been one of the highlights of my life. He and his son, Sean, were incredible! It makes me feel so at "home" in Gallagher-Iba Arena to see Coach Sutton there. No one can ever take his place...and Cowboy Basketball will never be the same again.

My friend, Steph, and her son, Treyvon, went to the game with us. We had the best time!!! She and I girl-talked. Trey shares my love for dancing. And, we all really enjoyed each others' company.

After we dropped Steph and Trey off at their home, the hubs and I decided to take a mini-date. We went to a wine bar and had a little appetizer and some wine. I love when we unexpectedly have fantastic date-nights!

30DT: Day 14

I'm thankful for pumpkin ice cream. I'm thankful for my job. And, I'm thankful when God proves me wrong.

Random??? Well, I couldn't pick just one.

Let's just start at the beginning. About a year ago, God really laid on my heart to start a bible study. He put specific people in mind for me to ask. I said..."no". I mean, of course, it wasn't so blantant. It was actually worse than that. Not only did I say "no", but I my reason behind it was b/c I knew those people wouldn't want to do it. I just figured they had too much on their plate or just wouldn't be interested. So, I ignored it. Well, yesterday morning in my quiet time, I was praying and just have this huge desire to be in a women's bible study again. I miss it! As soon as it came to mind, so did my original thoughts of leading it myself...and those same people came to mind. I tried to tell God the same excuse. However, this time, I just decided to ask people and let their answers show Him that I was right. HA! Has anyone else done this before??? I'm ridiculous! I know His character well enough that I shouldn't doubt or question Him. So I emailed some friends last night....and this morning I had answers from every single one of them saying YES! All I can say is....humility. And, excitement! :) I'm thankful that God proved Himself to me (yet again) and that He has opened this door for this small group to get to know each other better. For us to build friendships and seek the Lord.

Today was my first day back to work after having a whole week off. I would love to have another week off. :) However, I'm thankful I have a job to go back to. This is such a frustrating time in our country...the economy stuggling and unemployment is so high. I'm thankful that I have a job. And, a bonus is that I have some really great friends that I get to work with. I am queen of telling people that I don't focus one building relationships at work. I go and do my thing and then go home. I want to remember my life outside of work....even though that's where most of us spend the majority of our lives. God has really blessed with a few close friends that I get to see on a daily basis. They make my day so much easier!

And...I come home to Braum's Pumpkin Ice Cream. There is NO comparison. Seriously...I've tried them all. Even Blue Bell, people. Nothing compares to Braum's! I wait all year for this yummy goodness. Usually when I go, they are completely out. However, this week I found one container left! YAY!

For a pretty uneventful day, I'm feeling extremely blessed!!! :)

30DT: Day 13

I'm thankful for sweet homecomings! This past week, we got a fantastic text from a friend that her husband is home for two weeks from Afghanistan! He is on his two week leave and will then return for the remainder of his tour.

This morning, we were able to sit with him and his wife at church. What an incredible blessing to hug his neck! Sweet to see his face!

Its absolutely humbling to celebrate him being home. There are so many that never return. There are wives, children, parents, friends all waiting to see their loved one home safely. We got to see one of ours. I'm thankful that God gave us that opportunity.

30DT: Day 12

I'm thankful for our UNDEFEATED Oklahoma State Cowboys!!!! What a season!!!! This is the first time in the school's history that the football team has been 10-0! WOW! Impressive! The team is just incredible! Weeden and Blackmon are a fascinating duo! Its been so fun to watch and can't wait for the rest of the season. We still have some important and difficult games to go, but excited for Cowboys! They are giving it all they have. These guys have incredible character and talent. My two favorite things they do are:
1. Meet before the game for the prayer ring.
2. After every win, they go over to the student section (or at away games, they go to where the majority of the "orange" is) and sing the Alma Mater with the fans.

I'm thankful for the privilege of watching them play. I'm thankful for such a strong 2011-2012 team! :) GO POKES!

30DT: Day 11

I'm thankful for our veterans. Without these men and women, we could not live in comfort and peace in our own homes. We could not go to church. We could not praise the One and Only God. We could not speak whatever words we want. We could type whatever words we want. We could not marry who we want. We could not buy anything and everything we want. We could not choose to work...or choose not to work. We could not choose our own physician or medical professional. We could not choose our school.

I could go on and on about the freedoms we have because these men and women fight daily for us. We could never thank them enough. Since the beginning of our country, people have fought and given their lives so we could live in a free country. Something that many people will never know.

Numerous friends and family members have seen battle, as I know yours have too. I'm thankful for each and every one of them.