:: give thanks ::

* hums *

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ His Son

* end hums *

i am so very thankful this Thanksgiving! thankful for life, thankful for love, just plumb thankful!

because i like (well love) lists so very much, i thought i would make one of the things i am so very thankful for....so here we go....

:: my life...though its not always easy...God is the giver of life..therefore life is good :)

:: the love my Heavenly Father has for me

:: my precious hubby who is so patient, kind, and loving...and a good cuddler too

:: my amazing friends...who always love me...even through my blond moments...which can make catchphrase hilarious!

:: my family...especially when they come to visit...and when they fill my email inbox with their love and arguments

:: my adorable puppy, who gives the best kisses and cuddles, and no longer smells like a hamster
:: cool friends from the past who come to visit...thanks Yi!

:: a super cool house that is almost ready to live in...its ours...and its home (or will be soon)

:: the ability to run and let off steam...just me...my puppy...and my ipod...its great

:: bubble baths...LOVE EM!

:: preparing for the holidays...though they can seem overwhelming...the love given through the gift that is the reason we celebrate...and the joy of giving make it all worthwhile

:: black friday shopping with....my MOM!!

:: Thanksgiving eve dinner with super awesome friends...so close they are family...i <3 the blrs!

:: preparing a meal of love for family and friends (and i'm also thankful the fire alarm did not go off)

:: a restful and much needed break from work

:: reminiscing of the past...through facebook stalking...yes i am a stalker :)

:: wonderful sunshiney days

:: and spellcheck on blogger...even though it doesn't like my lack of capitalization :)

so what are you thankful for?

i like ...

~ sunrises ... i think God made today's just for me ... cause i'm his favorite and everything

~ sunsets ... who would have thought that all those colors would go together ... seriously?

~ my hubby ... well actually i lurve him ... but yeah ... i'll keep it g rated :)

~ warm beds with soft pillows ... zzzzZZzzzz

~ a roof over my head ... even if its not "home"

~ puppies!

~ daisies

~ puppies named daisy!

~ finally getting it ... the third/fourth/fifth time i'm told (it can take a while ... but i get it now :) )

~ chapstick ... the cherry kind ... oh and the watermelon kind too

~ cuddles ... from hubby and puppy

~ hugs ... from hubby, puppy, and friends ... yes my puppy hugs me ... she kisses me too ... bet you didn't need to know that ... heh

~ happy music ... like the insiderz ... oh wait ... thats escapism music ... but yeah that too

~ waffle house

~ love ... all kinds

~ elephants ... giraffes ... bears ... cows ... hippos (but not in my moat) ... rhinocerouses (hehe) ... horses ... zebras ...missie's ... rusty's ... and cp's ... no matter how bad their breath

~ most animals in general

~ except the mean ones

~ bubble baths

~ candles

~ organization ... i crave it ... and if i can't have it ... i give up

~ chewy sweet~tarts

~ running in the rain

~ being reminded that im beautiful and loved ... thanks jus!

~ rocketdogs ... mine are dying ... tear '

~ tevas ... my feet breath a *happy sigh*

~ long hair ... today ... don't ask tomorrow

~ friends like Lys and AB

~ Miracle on 31st Street ... the classic

~ sand ... between my toes ... NOT in my swimsuit

~ sunshiney days

~ life

... to be continued

today's sunshine

~ "Mizz Felsh...that's a nice bead" ~ student while touching my diamond on my engagement ring

~ being almost domesticated...i made beef stew (from scratch), coffee cake (from scratch), monkey bread (from scratch), and dinner tonight too!...tea and kool-aid too..and remade them without having to be asked...oh yeah i folded about a bajillion loads of laundry, cleaned the guest bathroom for the guest boys, and washed more towels so they would have warm fresh ones...and i'm house trained!

~ running with my puppy

~ playing on the playground with said puppy

~ cuddling my puppy after the run (she was pooped)

~ the house almost being done ~ thanks boys!

~ my ipod shuffle

~ the happy music on the shuffle

~ Mom's coming for Thanksgiving

~ being nice enough outside that I can open the windows when i fill the house with *ahem* smoke

~ getting warm mushy text messages from the hubby .... he loves me you know ...shhh dont tell anyone!

~ getting asked and prodded about my pockets :)

~ tomorrow's Friday!!! (so do the Friday dance!) (...we do it every Friday in Mizzez Felsh's room :) )

~ cute kids dancing "da twiss"

~ cute kids ~ you know the ones in my class...not that ones in public or such hehe

~ camping tomorrow!?! yup really

~ 8 days ... and yes im actually excited about it ... having people that love you will do that to you

today's clouds...

~ falling up the slide ~ OUCH! new bruise :P

always wear clean underwear

Someone once said "Change is good, if it wasn't, you would still be wearing yesterday's underwear." But that doesn't mean change is easy...change can be easy, but it can also be hard...scary...fun...exciting...stressful...all of the above....



Change seems to be a theme in my life lately. We have completed our internship...are starting to organize our Chi Alpha's direction for the fall...meeting with our leaders...TOLD OUR TRAILER (WOOT)...trying to find somewhere to live...temporarily living out of boxes...starting to raise support (called itineration)...lots of change.



I've been ok thus far with the change. God has given me an amazing peace about the transition...selling the trailer...no worries...raising support...no fear...its amazing. The transition(s) have not neccessarily been smooth and stressfree...but there is an underlying layer of peace.



I'm excited about the other side of the change...getting through it may be rough/tough but once I'm through it...I'm through it and I've grown (whether I liked it or not).

why you do the things you do?

Pockets! I really like pockets! They are frequently full of treasures...chapstick...candy...money... :D happy things.

When we were little we probably got caught with even cooler treasures. I vividly remember getting in trouble for the Roly Polys hidden (ie. dying) in my pockets. Its stereotypical for boys to carry around frogs and lizards in their pockets (think Little Rascals). A penny in a pocket felt like a million dollars. A note from a friend, pretty rocks, maybe an arrowhead or two (maybe more like rocks we thought were arrowheads), little things that made us all smile and be happy.

Today, life is more complex, but the pockets full of treasures are still remembered and still make us happy. Can you imagine how awesome life would be if we could still keep our treasures in our pockets, a constant reminder of the things that make us happy? A close friend hidden deep in the back pocket, my husband in my front pocket, a puppy in one and sunshine in the other. The things that make me happy may be a little bigger now, or maybe I just need bigger pockets.

blessings

One of my friends is currently blessing her friends. Here is the blessing she gave me :D
Thank you Zoe!!!


May the fire be in our thoughts
Making them true, good and just,
May it protect us from the evil one.

May the fire be in our eyes;
May it open our eyes to see what is good in life.
We ask that the fire may protect us from what is not rightfully ours.
May the fire be on our lips, so that we may speak the truth in kindness;
that we may serve and, encourage others.
May it protect us from speaking evil.

May the fire be in our ears.
We pray that we may hear with a deep, deep listening
So that we may hear the flow of water, and of all creation, and the dreaming.
May we be protected from gossip and from those things that harm and break down our family.

May the fire be in our arms and hands so that we may be of service and build up love.
May the fire protect us from all violence.

May the fire be in our whole being - in our legs and in our feet,
enabling us to walk the earth with reverence and care;
so that we may walk in the ways of goodness and truth
and be protected from walking away from what is true.

- St Patrick's Province, Australia

friday felicities

Welcome to Friday Felicities, create by Nattie. Friday Felicities is all about creating a list of things that make you happy and Nattie knew that when you concentrate on your blessings your sorrows are not as overwhelming.


~ snow day (singular)

~ sunshine

~ 75* days

~ laptops

~ barlowgirl

~ communicating with hubby

~ flip flops

~ half days at work

~ planning for the future

chickenhut and tornadoes

As we all know trailers attract tornadoes, so when my husband and I woke up to the weather sirens going off on Saturday morning, we knew it was going to be a long morning. After checking the weather, my husband yelled "Get dressed!! We are under a tornado warning!!" We started debating what we would do and where we would go. The stream in the backyard (which was quickly become a rushing river) was quickly ruled out, friends were probably still asleep or too far away...it was a conundrum (10 points for big words). I wanted to go to Petsmart (so we could take Miss Daisy) but they were still closed, and probably not very safe.

After much discussion, it was decided we would go to Chick-Fil-A (which is brick and recessed)...it was also decided that we (I) felt much better about Daisy going with us and staying in the truck (remember tornadoes like trailers). So we were off to chickenhut (our code word for Chick-Fil-A).

Not long after walking in the door and leaving Daisy in the truck, I realized that I could NOT leave her...without even consulting my husband (who was debating on what he wanted for breakfast) I asked for the manager. A guy in the midst of several employees spoke up, saying "I'm the manager" (little did he know that he was about to have a crying woman on his hands). With tears streaming down my face (cause she's my baby) I told him that we had a puppy in the truck and asked if we could bring her in. All of the employees immediately spoke up "Go get her!" "Bring her in!" It was music to my ears. Miss Daisy was allowed in Chick-Fil-A (probably the first dog ever)!

My husband went and got Daisy (we keep a leash in all vehicles) and brought her to me. Of course my social puppy was excited about all the people (and the smell of freshly fried chicken did not hurt either), but she was very obedient. We sat at a table by the bathrooms (the safest spot in the restaurant) and Miss Daisy sat under the table (I believe there were some crumbs keeping her occupied). The lovely employees brought her water and treats and welcomed her (and us) wholeheartedly!

We survived the tornado warning as a family (including all the Chick-Fil-A employees, and travelers that pulled off the interstate for a reprieve from the weather)!

A very special and sincere thanks goes out to all the employees at Chick-Fil-A!! I don't believe we could have gone anywhere else and been welcomed completely (puppy and all) and kept safe all at the same time (and my husband enjoyed the food as well)!

friday felicities

Welcome to Friday Felicities, create by Nattie. Friday Felicities is all about creating a list of things that make you happy and Nattie knew that when you concentrate on your blessings your sorrows are not as overwhelming.



~ not owing taxes (WOOT)


~ honey nut cheerios


~ drawing floor plans for my dream house


~ friends who have 2 or 3 facebook conversations with me at once


~ hubby that protects me when im "positive" someone is in the house


~ newborn babies


~ a clean desk that has been messy and full of things to do all week


~ a puppy that will cuddle up to me and chew a stick (more like a log) while i read a book in the sunshine


~ finishing a book so i can start another


~ old ladies in jogging suits

heart biscuits and trailers

Ahhhh, Valentine's day...a day full of red, hearts and love (at least at Wal-Mart).


As newlyweds (we haven't been married a year yet...so we are still newlyweds) this was our first Valentine's day to be celebrated in marriage, so we planned on making a big deal out of it.


Our day began very early, because we were going on a road trip to look at land and trailers.


It began by me walking in on sweet hubby while he was arranging my V day surprise of roses and other flowers (that he arranged himself), skittles and starburts (i love fruity and chewy candy), a gift card to one of my favorite stores (that can be a little pricey), and a super sweet mushy card. He made me go into the office so he could finish arranging (which was fine by me because his gifts were hidden in the office and needed a little arranging too).


After we exchanged gifts and he drank his fill of his new Starbucks coffee we were off (Daisy came too). We stopped after driving about an hour for what would become our 2nd V day surprise.... Chick-Fil_A biscuits in the shape of hearts (the surprise was that they were heart shaped not that we got them).


And we were off again for a day of trekking through the woods, getting lost, and looking at what happened to be some promising trailers for the future. I also got to see one of my most wondermus friends and hear the awesome things that are happening in her life (she also brought us drinks and cake...see why i love her).


After a full day of events...we returned home to celebrate V day...just the two of us. My lovely husband grilled steaks and blackened shrimp shish kabobs (i really have no idea how to spell that...) while I gave Daisy a bath (she rolled in stinky stuff while on our road trip). Just for fun I decided to dress up for dinner...black dress pants...a lacey shirt with a white v-neck sweater...and of couse my black HIGH heels.


After I changed, I walked back into the kitchen where my awesome hubby had set the table with candles, and a silver bowl with ice and bubbly (sparkling apple juice). He is such a romantic!!! He also had dressed up :D Dinner was picture perfect with romantic toasts and wonderful food.

So I have to say, our first Valentine's Day was a complete hit!
It was an awesome day, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with my wonderful husband!!

Friday Felicities

Welcome to Friday Felicities, create by Nattie. Friday Felicities is all about creating a list of things that make you happy and Nattie knew that when you concentrate on your blessings your sorrows are not as overwhelming.

Things that make me happy:

~ my husband...who loves me and hugs me even when i'm annoying

~ mushy valentines from friends who avoid mushyness at all costs

~ cherry pepsi

~ valentine's day plans with the hubby (we're grilling steaks :D )

~ a puppy that greets me with her whole body quivering with happyness

~ a happy sunshiny day when the forecast called for dreary rain

~ knowing that God always provides...even when i'm scared and doubt

~ music that matches my mood and i can pretend to sing and dance to

Mushy Goodness!

Many years ago, in a tiny house on Collegedale Street, three vibrant and youthful girls termed the phrase "Mushy goodness." Now, the girls had a intense love-hate relationship with the term "mushy goodness"...in that some days they loved it...other days it was loathed...sometimes just one of the girls would love it, and the others would hate it. But, say the words "mushy goodness" and a smile/giggle/eye roll would follow from each of the girls.

What is "mushy goodness" you ask...well mushy goodness is that warm and fuzzy feeling you get when a certain someone walks in the room, or sends you a text message just to say they're thinking of you, or even when your thoughts wander back to that certain someone. Mushy goodness almost always produces endorphins (or at least one).

If you have ever experienced the mushy goodness I speak of, I encourage you to rediscover the source of "mushy goodness" in your life...whether it be a significant other, a sport (they produce lots of endorphins), or even just a personal retreat. You will be happier, more relaxed, and your hair may stop falling out.

Run Away

Typically running away is a bad thing, but for me, yesterday, running away was a very good thing. After a very busy and somewhat stressful start to the new year, I felt the need to get away and escape for a little while. Yesterday, this looked like me in tights (it was cold by my AL standards), shorts, and a t-shirt , and my puppy, Daisy, in her pretty blue harness and a leash escaping to a nearby park, and running. Running as far as our lungs could handle, and then even farther. Running over hills, trails, and over other runners and their dogs as well (Daisy did end up rolling a few times..it was funny). We ran and I processed my thoughts and fears. Being outside (in the sunshine :D) with just me, God, His creation, and Daisy was just what I needed. After I finished my run (which I did quite well being that I haven't ran in MONTHS) I felt completely refreshed and at peace. My thoughts were once again held captive, and on track. I then dropped Daisy off in the dog area (a huge fenced off area for dogs to run, dig, fetch, and use the restroom (just pick it up before you leave)) and rested. Catching my breath and cooling back down, I remembered how amazing running is and how much I miss it.

Today...my body is mad at me and my muscles are screaming because I pushed myself so hard, but do I regret it..No. I'm actually going to do it again...well maybe tomorrow.