Giving Thanks: Catching Up

It never fails...when I get something I'm looking forward to doing...I get sick.  So last week around day 4ish I started feeling horrible...throat swollen, runny nose, and generally run down.  I thought I was coming down with strep because we had just had a co-worker come back from work that was down for a week with it.  Anyway the day I told myself I'd go get checked out I started to feel better in the afternoon.  So what'd I do...skip the doctors and go wash a plane with the husband.  At 2:45 am I wake up with a burning throat a low grade fever and had lost the ability to walk without passing out.  Needless to say I was out of work for three days with that crud....lost quite a lot of time to work on thanks posts and when I should have caught back up this week...I've been utterly wiped after work and gone home and vegetated on the couch.  So here we go

Day Seven:  My sister Heather & Family
Heather and I never grew up in a house together so we didn't have the usual sister story about fighting and making up, but Heather is like a best friend/sister who is blood.  Heather is a bit older than I am so I can remember my dad picking my sister and I up to go to family functions like weddings and such for Heather.  It also doesn't hurt that she gave me the smartest, cutest, and most fun niece ever!!!  Sarah has always been a shining light to me...but I know that little girl is going to be somebody some day...I just have to stick around long enough to see it!!!


Day Eight:  The In-Laws
The one thing I always dreaded about getting married or dating anyone was their parents.  We've all heard the horror stories about the "other mothers" making life miserable for the spouses.  Most times it's always for the new daughter-in-laws.  But I thank God every single day when I won the jackpot by finding Russ.  Not only is he a great guy...but his parents and family are the greatest people!!!  His mom is a riot to talk with and very loving.  His sister is very loving and giving as well...the old saying like mother, like daughter is very true of this family.  Russ' dad was also very loving and warm towards me as well.  I've never had to wonder if his family ever liked me because every time we talk or visit it is always made clear to me how much they adore me.  And I just have to say...the feeling is very mutual. 

Day Nine:  Russ
What do you say about your husband?  He loves me...takes care of me...and adores me.  Sometimes I start to doubt it because he doesn't always show his affections, but when I need it most, or need him the most...he's always there for me.  I always know...he wuvs me...and that's really all I need.

Day Ten:  Thanksgiving
It always has been and always will be my favorite holiday.  Most people only see it as a day to visit family and eat, but if you spend the entire month giving thanks for everything in you life...this day becomes so much more than just eat and see family.  It's a chance to reconnect with those you haven't seen in a year, a chance to shower those you love with just a bit more love than normal and of course the chance to stuff yourself so much it sends you into a food coma wherever you just happen to plot your tush!

Day Eleven:  Insurance
Without insurance I wouldn't be able to see a doctor.  Without a doctor I wouldn't be able to get prescriptions.  Without prescriptions...I wouldn't be able to breath easily day in and day out.  I wouldn't have a rescue inhaler when I had asthma attacks...and the blessed anti-biotics that have helped me get over this crud I had would have been unattainable.  So thanks goes to my husbands workplace for offering health care and my husband for partaking in it.

Day Twelve:  Art
The fact that I am kinda artsy...amazes me everyday.  I can't really draw to save my life...but I can paint up a storm.  I love ceramics!  I can craft like a mad woman.  I'm teaching myself to sew.  And I can bake and decorate like a fiend!  And it's weird, but on a cake with a tube of icing in my hand...I can draw just about anything...I am always baffled by that.  But ART is a thing to truly be thankful for...without this, the world would be a dull place.

Day Thirteen:  Lurve
It's self explanatory.  Lurve makes the world go round.

Day Fourteen:  The Hampies
In July I was asked to join an incredible team at another property of the Homewood's owner.  That property was the Hampton Inn.  Since arriving over here I have learned so much and found many new co-workers/friends.  I am truly honored to work with these guys.

Day Fifteen:  My Mom
She's the person who made me.  Yes, we've had our difficulties and troubles, but we're working through them and becoming close again.

Day Sixteen:  My Dad's...all of them
Throughout the years I've had many great male role models to look up to.  My two dad's weren't always there for me, but when I need them most they always are.  My step-dad (the guy who raised me) is just now coming back into my life and I'm getting his side of the stories for a lot of stuff that happened when I was a kid.  Do I believe everything...nah...but I am taking the chip off my shoulder regarding him.  My biological father (or dad) has stepped up and showed how much he cares as well.  He's always calling me just to check on me and make sure I'm alright.  Then of course there's Carlas, Keith, and many more who have stepped up and been a dad to me when I need them.  And I say Thank You to all of them!!!

Giving Thanks; Day Six: America

There's only a few words that can express how thankful I am to live where I do. 

America; Home of the Free,

Because of the Brave.

We are given the Feedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion and many more

because of these brave men and women. 

Giving Thanks; Day Five: My Sister's Fam

My sister is the craziest person I know...but Lord Almighty I love her for it.  We've fought like cats and dogs, but lord help the person who puts her down or picks on her because there are only seven other people who are allowed to do it without me goin ninja crazy on them.  Her kids are the apples of my eye and it gets harder and harder everyday to see them growing up and not having enough time to be there everyday for them. 

Giving Thanks; Day Four: Mt. Olive Church

Almost everyone knows my struggles with my faith.  I grew up in the New Apostolic Faith.  My mother, when I was like 13, moved us to another city away from my sister and I's friends and family to make a new life for us and attend her childhood church.  My sister and I never really had a choice what we wanted.  Needless to say I grew spiritually...attended a fantastic youth group, which gave me even more friends and travel opportunities that I never would have been given otherwise.  Met so many people and dated a lot of guys from different places.  But in all of these great experiences...I questioned a lot of the beliefs.  I mean core beliefs that whenever I was teaching or going to service made me feel like a fraud because I was there and didn't believe. 

Our church was just a small congregation of a huge organization...we went through a lot of hard times.  The church basically went through 2 blowouts and rebuilds before a certain Pastor came along.  This man then tried bringing the church more into the community, but since it was such a small congregation they fought it the whole way.  It was when the 3rd blowout was coming that I decided...hey I'm not being fed spiritually, I'm not growing in my faith...I've questioned a lot of it...and why am I here?  I finally realized I was there because I felt like I owed it to my mom to be there.  Even though both she and my sister never really attended anymore. 

That's when I found Mt. Olive.  It was presented to me as a non-denomination church, but have since learned it's Methodist.  And you know what...I don't care!  Yea, there are some weird things they do, but I realized it was only weird because of the amount of time I spent in the NAC church.  Their worship services are fun, uplifting, and loud!  Hands are raised, people are clapping, and everyone is singing!  Sermons are inspirational and have a message.  Whenever Pastor Barry gets up to deliver a sermon I know he's been working on it...at least all week if not longer!  There's still that chorus of Amen's or Hallelujah that freaks me out a little...but its getting easier and easier to just let myself go and feel the love of God in my worship experience.  They are a very big face in the community.  They feed the community, do toy drives, give away coats and clothes, they are to me the very definition of a Christ centered church.  We always hear Christ said bring me your tired, poor, and hungry.  Well this church sends them away energized, a bit richer, and very full.  I couldn't have asked for a better church family to belong to. 

Giving Thanks, Day Three: Kristen

So what do you say about someone who has known you practically your whole life?  Kristen was my big sister in my youth group when I was growing up and we basically became sisters.  Her mom thinks of me as another daughter...her brothers certainly picked on me like another sister and to this day are very close with me.  This year was about the greatest gift she could ever give me when she moved to town.  See she grew up in Oklahoma City, which is about a 3 hour drive depending on how slow or fast you drive.  When she got married she then moved to Ohio, which is when we really lost contact.  But several years ago she moved home and in May (I believe...or June) of this year she moved to Fort Smith.  Now whenever I need her...she's just a 15 minute drive.  I'm still working on two other friends...but once their here (which will likely never happen) my life will be complete and I won't ever want to move away from here.

So to my soul sister Kristen...you complete me!!!

Giving Thanks, Day Two: Duck Pond Peeps!!



The Duck Pond Peeps!


On Day Two I am thankful for the opportunity to know and work with this great group of people.  This is their Halloween picture from this year...they dressed up as people from Clue.  From left to right is Aston, Chris, Monica, and Courtney.  I have learned much from them collectively, but each person has gifted me with a new sense of me.  They've helped me discover things about myself that I previously didn't know or care to know and how to be a better person in my work.  I am thankful that I can call each one of them my friend and I got the chance to work with each and everyone of them. 

Giving Thanks, Day One: Amy

And with this picture ends Halloween & October!  And it's on to the most exciting time of the year.  I have to say November is, for me, the best part of the year.  The colors, cooler weather, and thanksgiving, all wrap up to make this the best month possible.  This year has flown by so fast I can't remember everything that has happened, but I wanted to do a 30 day post about what I am thankful for.  Now don't get me wrong...I've spent the better part of this year re-training myself and my prayers to be more thankful in nature and less...can I please have this, lord I want that...but especially this month I want to take a little time out to single out people and things I am extremely thankful for.   Soooooooooooo.......

Day One: Amy



Amy has been one of my best friends for a long time.  We've been through a lot together...bar fights (please don't judge), chick fights, driving lessons late at night for a stick shift while she's drunkenly giggling beside me trying to tell me how to make her truck go at a green light...thats actually a funny story.  I can't work a clutch and I'm driving her drunk butt and a friends from Downtown to her apartment.  I get stuck at a light for (I kid you not) thirty minutes because I can't get the clutch in gear!!!  She's now a mommy and I'm a wifey so we've settled down since those times.  But, I don't know what I'd do without her or her tendancies to get us in some sort of trouble whenever we go out together.  And after the dinner we just had together I can't wait to fly across the ocean and visit another country with her to see what kind of hijinx and shenanigans we can get into together.  I don't think our guys have any clue what they just signed on for!!!

Carolina and Mommy (Amy)