Thankful Sunday

It's been...yikes...almost 5 months since my Thankful Thursday, so even though it's not Thursday, I am very thankful and in the mood to write. I also have plenty of time to write tonight since I loaded my Crockpot up with delicious goodness (intended for lunches this week) around 4:00...then set it on low. I looked at the recipe again around 7:30 and realized it was SIX hours on low and FOUR hours for high. Bless it. This is why I can't have nice things. Since I'm sitting up waiting on that to get finished, I felt like writing something. Thus...Thankful Sunday.

Today I am thankful for...

• the wonderful and growing relationship I have with God and my awesome Jesus...we've gone on a wild ride together this past year, and I'm praying that it'll never stop!
• my sweet family and friends and the way they love me
• the feeling of being truly known and loved and thought of and prayed for...gives a girl the warm fuzzies fo sho!
• hard times, because that makes the sweet times even sweeter :)
• Angie and the way she just "gets" me...God knew what He was doing when He brought that precious little goober into my life!
• a great walk and chat with Byrne earlier this week
• my incredible church and the amazing way my life has changed since I started going there
• God's plan for my life, and reminders to trust in that COMPLETELY...sometimes very hard since the sweet little plan I've always had for myself was clearly mine and not God's :) I've gotten a lot of encouragement in this area lately and I appreciate it more than I can put into words!
• 21 Days of Prayer...it's tough to be up and at 'em and at church for a prayer meeting at 6 AM but what an unbelievably awesome way to start the day
• a great reminder at the prayer meeting yesterday to pray relentlessly and shamelessly...I was inspired to put a couple of things I had given up on back on my prayer list
• all the new friends I've made since this time last year...an answered prayer for sure 
• a precious, happy-tear-inducing message from Audry the other day...Audry, I don't know if you'll ever know how much that meant to me!
• a very productive Science planning meeting after school on Friday...yes, we stayed until after 5:00, but we have a KILLER two weeks of Science planned. Thanks for leading us, Dedra! And Melynda, I can't wait to watch you dissect that cow eyeball ;)
• my much-loved, helpful, hard-working coworkers, from one end of the (very, very long) hallway to the other
• a roof over my head, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, electricity, clean running water, food in my fridge, enough money to cover my needs, all my appliances and gadgets and doodads
• my job and the opportunity to be a great role model/influence to my students
• the fact that I'm only teaching Math, Science, and Social Studies this year...LOVE! That has made such a huge difference in my emotional well-being :)
• getting to serve with the awesome Hospitality team a few times each month
• adding another item to my "30 by 30" list...I'm praying that 29 is going to be my best year yet!
• this message and this one...I promise you won't regret making some time to watch them!
• this song...great reminder of how I want to live my life
• some exciting opportunities coming up to step out of my comfort zone...praying for bravery!
• my simple little life

HAPPY NEW WEEK, yall! Find something that you can make better, and get after it!

Thankful Thursday

I've taken an intentional and very much needed break from social media the past few months. I'm not sure yet if it's a "right now" thing or a forever thing. I decided to do a Thankful Thursday today because someone anonymously gave me something the other day that meant more to me than they could possibly know.

It's a Wordle, made up entirely of kind words that some coworkers think describe me. On the day this was put in my box, I was feeling discouraged and TOTALLY overwhelmed. I was on the verge of tears wondering how I was possibly going to accomplish everything on my to-do list. This sweet little Wordle totally changed my attitude and the course of my week. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you to whoever put this sweetness in my box! (And thanks also for being willing to use that much color ink on me!)

I haven't stopped being thankful just because I've stopped posting. I'm more thankful now than I've been in a long time. I'm thankful for a million, bajillion things. I'm most thankful that the good Lord has been working in me to make me a radically different Julie than I was 7 short months ago. I'm not looking back!

{I have a much better quality picture but can't get it to load. This'll have to do, because ain't nobody got time to sit around and wait for a picture to load!}

Thankful first Thursday in 2014!

I can't remember the last time I've been this excited to see a new year roll in. I was more than happy to close the door on 2013 and welcome 2014. I have a feeling this is going to be a fabulous year!

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord and what He has in store for me this year
• my family and friends
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, a dependable car, central heat, the doodads and gadgets that make my life easier
• the fact that I didn't give myself a hernia pushing my car out of its spot on Christmas morning, and kind neighbors who took time away from their loved ones to come out in the COLD and help jump off my car 
• the people who used to push ol' Mitzy whenever she would stop working...I didn't realize until having to push Frank on Christmas morning how ridiculously heavy a car is...Uncle Billy, Aunt Dianne, Katie, Sam, and dear, sweet Mikee (who got to push Mitzy at least 1000 times in Auburn)...I feel your pain now...I should've bought yall supper or a pony or a rainbow or something
• the fact that that a dead battery is the first issue I've had with my car since I bought it nearly 3 years ago
• enough money to take care of my needs and some changes in how I've decided to spend the money I have
• my job, job security, my sweet coworkers, and the 27 sweeties that I'm looking forward to spending the day with on Monday
• thoughtful Christmas gifts from my students and their families
• a job that provides me with much-needed, much-appreciated (paid!) breaks during the year
• a work day tomorrow
• my essential oils and the opportunity to put them to the test...praying that they get rid of the little bit of sinus trouble I've got going on
• realizing that I'm going to be able to survive just fine without my satellite radio and cable...I'm excited to break up with Charter...AFTER the National Championship game, of course ;)
• my Auburn Tigers going to their second National Championship game in 3 years...can't wait to see them in action again!
• New Year's resolutions that I'm actually going to be able to keep
• my resolution to get rid of one item every day this year...I want to live a simpler life with less STUFF, and I figured this is a manageable way to do it
• the beautiful view from my windows
• plans for a DIY dining room table...still a work in progress but I think it may turn out to be exactly what I've been looking for
• good lotion, because winter and my skin hate each other
• fun mail
• tasty new recipes, particularly this one...I never would've imagined that split pea soup would be something that I would look forward to, but this one is amazing
• answered and unanswered prayers
• my simple little life, which will hopefully be made even simpler here soon
• peace and contentment
• laughter
• a brand new year with 364 more days to enjoy

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Thursday

This has been another tough week, but today was spectacular. I so, SO needed a good day, and today was that day. I am truly blessed and have so much to be thankful for.

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord, and the fact that He loves me 110% of the time
• my family and friends
• the fact that my close friends truly are some of the loves of my life...so blessed to have them
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, a dependable car, my phone, my computer, the appliances and gadgets and doodads that make my life easier
• my washer and dryer
• my job, my sweet coworkers, and my 27 schoolbabies who made me smile so big today
• my wonderful teammate Sarah and the news that her kidney transplant surgery is a success...please pray that Sarah's father-in-law can tolerate her kidney and that they both recover quickly
• the fact that, Lord willing, my dear Laura Allyson and Randolph will be parents tomorrow...literally can't wait to see pictures of little Allie Grace!
• enough money to take care of my needs, and some big changes in how I choose to spend what's left over
• a fun girls night out at the Alabama Theatre with Kira and Byrne last Saturday
• the serious attitude adjustment God gave me today...much-needed
• getting to see so many of my former students today...the biggest surprise was the sweet, beautiful former-3rd-graders-now-9th-graders who showed up at my classroom door this afternoon...I love getting to see how my old students are doing!
• a hilarious, highly successful auction with my class this afternoon...they're buying items with the "money" that they've earned this semester doing their classroom jobs...getting a glimpse of their buying skills/money sense put a huge smile on my face
• the fact that my students LOVED their whiteboards and hot chocolate today...I'm glad they were so excited about their present from me
• the gorgeous sunset this evening...I wish Sears wasn't all up in my picture, but such is life
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• a wonderful class Christmas party on Tuesday
• an early dismissal day tomorrow :)
• pretty new nail polish from Angie...planning to paint my nails as soon as I'm done writing this
• thoughtful gifts from students and their parents, and a very unexpected (& totally appreciated!) gift from Randy today...I love my 5th grade team
• some great talks with Mom this week
• the opportunity to serve coffee at four Christmas services...I'm loving my new "job"
• being literate, a great meeting with Mr. L. this week, and the opportunity to surprise my friends there with homemade peppermint bark
• the Christmas music CDs that Mr. L. and my fellow tutor Ross made for me...Mr. L.'s CD is titled "Black Christmas" and I'm not sure that I've ever smiled so much about a CD :)
• Christmas music on Pandora...Celtic Holidays has been rocking my world lately
• my near-daily texts with Carrie...even though I see her every day, her texts always make me smile...she's hilarious
• great music that makes me look forward to my jogs...I'm not going to admit how many times I listened to this one during my workout yesterday
  
• a nice break from work RIGHT around the corner :)
• new traditions
• fun goodies from my Secret Santa...Penny, thanks bunches for taking such good care of me! Love you!
• my essential oils...thanks again, Emily!
• the new opportunities that 2014 is bringing
• weather that's my kind of cold...cool enough during the day for long sleeves, and cold enough at night for flannel PJs...any colder than that isn't really necessary, thanks
• hope 
• peace and contentment

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord, and the moving & shaking that's going on in my life these days...sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it, but I'm stepping out on faith and letting Him lead
• my family and friends and loved ones
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a roof over my head, central heat in my little home, hot showers, clean running water, food in my fridge, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, appliances and gadgets and doodads that make my life easier
• my washer and dryer
• coats, gloves, and scarves that keep me warm
• living in a place where the cold weather never lasts long...I love cold weather as long as I'm nice and warm and cozy...if I'm not, forget about it!
• my job, my supportive coworkers, and the 27 little people that I spend more time with than I do with anybody else in my life
• getting to hold a darling baby kangaroo at school today...pictures to come
• enough money to take care of my needs
• some big changes in how I choose to spend my money
• a fun girls night at the Jarrell ranch last Sunday
• my Auburn Tigers headed to their 2nd national championship in 3 years...I'm so proud of them I could just bust!!!
• friends who love me and let me know that I'm loved
• getting to surprise my secret Santa with some fun goodies this week :)
• happy memories
• Christmas cards in the mail every day
• my new essential oils and diffuser...I'm having the best time experimenting with them...thanks a million billion for hooking me up, Emily!!!
• sweet Byrne and Ashley ending my decade-long streak of going to church by myself...so thankful that I have them to go to church with now
• a rough week...makes me thankful for all the other weeks that were (and will be) lovely and fun
• being literate, and a great study session with Mr. L. this week
• this video, which reminds me how spoiled I actually am, and how mindful I want to be to look out for others instead of myself 
• being a part of the 5th grade team, and the way everyone banded together to provide a coworker and her family three baskets full of "we love you" treats
• all my friends who are growing or raising babies...I'm in awe of them and the amazing job they're doing
• an easy, uneventful week of morning duty
• Lauren's "Healthy Thru The Holidays" challenge...it's been so fun to check in with the other girls on the team every day
• fun plans the next two weekends
• getting in a short jog today
• http://www.faithit.com/ ...if you've never visited, there's plenty there to make you smile
• my Christmas tree
• all the many, many things I get to do by myself now because that'll make me appreciate NOT doing things by myself someday
• my tidy little home
• the smell of cinnamon
• peace and contentment 

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

A Thankful Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord
• my family and friends...I feel so blessed to have people who love me
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, a dependable car, my warm and comfortable bed, heat in my home, the appliances and doodads and gadgets that make my life more convenient
• my job, my awesome coworkers, and my precious students
• enough money to take care of my needs, and some to occasionally cover some wants
• being literate and getting to teach Mr. L. every week
• a few days off of work :)
• unanswered prayers
• turkey and dressing and cranberry sauce and green bean casserole and Cousin Katie's pecan pie...does a meal more perfect than Thanksgiving even exist??? I think not.
• stores that close on Thanksgiving so that their employees can spend time with their families
• being an early riser
• getting to enjoy the world before most everybody else wakes up
• the gorgeous view from my living room
• some really COLD temperatures lately...I'm a huge fan of cold weather up until New Year's Day (after that, I'm ready for spring)...in the meantime, bring it on!
• a fun tailgate party at work on Tuesday
• a really long phone chat with my Laura on Monday...thanks for calling, Boo!
• random acts of kindness
• the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade...excited for it to start
• the chance to spend time with some of the fam today...I especially can't wait to catch up with Cousin Jerry and hear all about his new life in NYC
• happy holiday memories
• that I have people to spend Thanksgiving with
• the opportunity to start some new traditions this year
• the opportunity to go to the Iron Bowl this weekend...when the season first started, I would NEVER have imagined that Auburn would be #4 going into this game...so excited!
• fun plans next month
• peace and contentment
• my simple little life

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, yall!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord and how hard He's working on me these days
• my family and friends and loved ones
• my health, and the health of my people
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, clothes in my closet, shoes on my feet, a dependable car, my comfortable bed, the appliances and doodads and gadgets that make my life easier
• my washer and dryer
• good sleep, even though I don't get nearly enough of it lately
• my job, my supportive coworkers, and my energetic students
• Carrie being back!
• enough money to pay for all of my needs
• the smell of cinnamon
• happy memories
• work stress, because that means I have a job
• the stack of papers I still need to grade, because that means I have a job
• a precious college student who's wrapping up her time in our classroom...she's been wonderful!
• a spectacular science experiment today...the "blubber glove" was a rousing success
• 
• tough times, because I have faith that they make you stronger...as long as you survive ;)
• a lovely weekend in Auburn with the Buggs last weekend...I got to attend the best football game I've seen in a long time, got to visit with friends, and discovered something that made me smile...happy good times!
• sending our small group out with a bang on Monday...it was such fun and I'm going to miss it!
• pretty fall weather and leaves that are still turning
• a nice little home that gives me a place to go to get out of the cold
• fleece pajama pants
• my new boots
• lots of fun to look forward to next month
• Byrne and Ashley bringing my days of going to church by myself to an end :)
• regular emails from Kate...I'm thankful that she's my friend
• having people who love me...I am far more blessed than I often take the time to realize
• dates in my classroom with pretty Angie...love her :)
• my darling Kira making a huge effort to stay in touch with me even though she's quite busy raising up 3 sweeties
• a fun, relaxing weekend to look forward to
• a very short work week next week...woohoo!
• being literate and getting to watch Mr. L. feel more and more successful every week
• peace and contentment and hope
• my simple little life

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Sunday

This has been the busiest week I've had in a long time...one of those weeks where I didn't get home on any given night before 8:00. This week should be calmer, so hopefully I'll actually get my Thankful Thursday post done on Thursday. We'll see :)

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord
• my family and friends
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• the opportunity to go to church today with my sweet new friend Ashley
• my job, my dear students, my fun coworkers, and A DAY OFF TOMORROW
• the men and women in our armed forces who sacrifice everything so that I can live in freedom
• a roof over my head, clean running water, shoes on my feet, clothes that keep me warm when the weather is cold, food in my fridge, my dependable car, my comfortable bed, the appliances and gadgets that make my life more convenient
• my washer and dryer
• enough money to take care of my needs, and a change in how and where I spend my money
• being literate, and my weekly tutoring sessions with Mr. L...he did such a great job this week, and it made me happy to see him leave with a smile on his face
• gorgeous fall weather
• the beautiful red and yellow and orange leaves on the trees
• the view from my living room windows
• the smell of cinnamon
• good sleep
• getting to see Alton Brown on tour in Nashville Thursday night...it meant only 3 hours of sleep and a long day on Friday, but his show was incredible and I think I had as much fun as Daddy did
• McDonald's Caramel Mocha, for helping me get through Friday :)
• Bub and Liv coming to eat lunch with me Friday...poor Olivia ate her birthday lunch in a school cafeteria, but it meant the world to me that they stopped by to visit!
• getting to visit with Rachel and Todd and meet sweet Baby Sam on Friday...he is so, so precious and I loved every second of the one hour+ that I got to hold him :)
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• my rapidly-procreating friends who make it easy for me to get my baby fix :)
• a fun morning at Christmas Village with Mom yesterday...it was the first time she and I had ever been there together, and we had so much fun
• getting to go hiking with Sash at Oak Mountain yesterday...I so enjoyed our long-overdue date together
• Homestead Hollow, which has become one of my happy places
• the college student who is working in my classroom until the end of the month...she's doing a great job and we're going to miss her when she leaves
• challenges, because they make me stronger and they make me look forward to easier times
• peace, patience, and contentment
• my simple little life
• A DAY OFF TOMORROW :) :) :)

HAPPY NEW WEEK, friends!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord
• my family and friends
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a sweet friend who brought this into my world today...it's beautiful and absolutely gut-wrenching...if you are healthy and have healthy loved ones, send up a prayer of thanks...while you're at it, send up another prayer for all those who face health struggles every day
• the fact that the sweet friend I mentioned above checks on me often...that means so much to me
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, my dependable car, vitamins, warm showers, my comfortable bed, the appliances and gadgets that make my life convenient
• coconut oil
• the fact that 2 days in a bag of rice SAVED my phone...so thankful!
• my washer and dryer
• my job, my incredible coworkers, and my unstoppably enthusiastic students...love them
• a fun week of dress-up days at school
• getting to meet the sweet college student who will be spending the rest of the semester in our classroom...I hope she learns something she can take into her own classroom someday!
• enough money to provide for my needs
• conviction to make some changes in the ways I use my money
• a weekend right around the corner
• the stamina to make it through the really, really long days this school year is demanding from me
• legs that are strong enough to walk and arms that are strong enough to lift
• getting to jog just a smidge this week...that was the first time in quite a while, and my knee still felt really tight, but at least it didn't hurt
• being literate and my weekly tutoring sessions with Mr. L...I so enjoyed playing Bananagrams with him the other day!
• an exciting Auburn victory over Texas A&M...War Eagle!!!!!
• lots of fun last weekend at the Johnston family reunion
• absolutely, spectacularly gorgeous fall weather...I literally can't get enough of fall
• my cinnamon broom that still smells amazing
• good music
• patience, patience, patience
• peace and contentment
• the re-plumbing project in my little home being DONE
• one year of wedded bliss for Bub and Liv, and the fact that they made it home from St. Lucia safely
• a really intense episode of Walking Dead on Sunday
• good sleep 
• hope
• laughter and people with a great sense of humor
• my simple little life, and learning to love it exactly for what it is...work. in. progress.

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Thursday

Today, on this beautiful, dreary, cool fall day, I am thankful for...

• the good Lord
• my family and friends
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a roof over my head, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, clean running water on demand, food in my fridge, a dependable car, my washer and dryer, all the other appliances and gadgets and gizmos that make my life easier, my comfortable bed, enough money to cover my needs
• my cell phone and the magical 3 weeks we've had together...I sent it swimming in the sink last night, it couldn't handle the adventure, and it's trying to recover right now in a bag of rice. I am so sad that I tried to drown it, and I'm very hopeful that the rice will actually work. I'll report back.
• my job, my supportive coworkers, and my eager-to-please students
• a very productive math leader meeting today
• the cinnamon broom I bought at Publix the other day...cinnamon makes me so happy
• hot tea, lemon, and honey
• medicine and vitamins
• all those times I felt really great, because that gives me hope that this crud I have won't stick around forever...right???
• a spectacular weekend in Auburn with Mama and the Buggs last weekend
• the Walking Dead premiere last Sunday...looking forward to the next episode!
• learning my limits, realizing that I can't do everything, and understanding that that's okay
• Angie's statement that she's bringing back her Satisfied Sundays...now that I've made it public, there's no backing down, Jarrell!!!
• being literate, and my weekly tutoring sessions with Mr. L.
• getting to meet (on Monday) the college student who will be spending the rest of the semester in my classroom...I hope that she'll learn something useful while she's with me
• hard times, because they've made me more appreciative of easy times
• cute hand-me-downs...thanks bunches, Dawn!
• Bub and Liv landing on American soil tomorrow...can't wait to hear about their trip to St. Lucia!
• prayers
• peace
• seeing the leaves just barely start to change...I love fall
• feeling inspired to start a quilt this weekend...it can't be that hard, right? (Famous last words, I'm sure!)
• my small group and a FABULOUS lesson this week on entertaining within a budget...being a girl is so much fun
• my simple little life and being content with what I have right here in this moment

Thankful Thursday

Again, with the the Thankful Thursday on a Thursday. Get it, me!

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord
• my sweet family and some of the best friends a girl could ever ask for...I'm so blessed
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, clothes in my closet, shoes on my feet, health insurance, a dependable car, a strong body that does the things I need it to, my comfortable bed, the appliances and gadgets and doodads that make my life more convenient
• my washer and dryer...thankful for these always and forever :)
• my job, my darling students, my wonderful coworkers, and enough money to pay for my needs
• the totally unexpected and VERY exciting news that Rachel and Todd were chosen last week to adopt a sweet baby boy...answered prayers! I'm so happy for them I could just explode. Can't wait to meet their handsome Samuel!
• weekends
• a successful Parenting Day math lesson on Tuesday
• Bub and Liv's safe arrival in St. Lucia...those lucky ducks get two honeymoons in one year :) Enjoy, loves!
• my very full calendar these days...while I'm often busier than I prefer to be, these are some really great times and I'm determined to enjoy every last second!
• fall and October and breezes and cooler temperature
• getting to visit with Carrie and Baby Joseph this afternoon
• the baby boom that's happening to seemingly everyone around me these days...people I love have welcomed 4 new babes over the past 4 weeks, and I'm glad that there's no shortage of snuggly newborns for me to love on :)
• The Lumineers concert last night...gorgeous night, great venue, FANTASTIC talent, fun friends...couldn't have asked for a better night
• the Pumpkin Spice Latte that kept me going today...even non-coffee drinkers need a boost every now and then
• fun plans this weekend
• the Walking Dead premiere on Sunday...so excited!!
• Mimi getting to go on a "fall in New England" trip with Mrs. Linda this week...I love those girls and am glad they're getting to do something so fun
• an impromptu family supper at Aunt Dianne and Uncle Billy's last Sunday
• weekends
• my new friend Ashley
• my small group...I'm learning a lot and have really enjoyed meeting some new girls
• being literate, and my weekly tutoring sessions
• vitamins
• good sleep
• news that the work to replace the plumbing in my little home will be finished soon...I've felt like I was camping in my own home these past few weeks
• patience, and a great message on faith and patience last week
• contentment
• my simple, challenging, beautiful life
• weekends

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday! On a Thursday! Victoryyyyy!

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord and billionth chances
• my family and friends, and the feeling of being loved unconditionally
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, clothes in my closet, shoes on my feet, a dependable car, my washer & dryer, all the other appliances and doodads that make my life convenient, enough money to pay for my needs and some every now and then for my wants
• my job, my sweet coworkers, and my enthusiastic students...they keep my days fun and my job interesting!
• a precious student who gives me a hug every single day before leaving and says, "Thanks for being my teacher!"...every day without fail...such a nice way to end my day
• my students totally slaying division these days...that makes me so happy!
• October...aka, my absolute favorite month of the year
• 
• fall weather, even though it's still a bit warm around these parts
• a fun day spent with Mom last Sunday
• getting to take supper to Kira and Oliver and their babes yesterday...love them
• the rock that cracked my windshield the other day, because that means that I have a car
• answered and unanswered prayers
• plans to see The Lumineers next week with some of my very favorite people!
• the safe arrival of handsome Baby Jace this week
• good sleep and a comfortable bed
• being literate, and the opportunity to volunteer at the literacy center every week...such a great program
• Impractical Jokers...absolutely hilarious
• vitamins
• the stack of papers I still need to grade tonight, because that means I have a job
• comfortable shoes
• Commander in Chic on my toes...my all-time favorite fall and winter nail polish, and it makes me happy every time I look at it
• folks who make me laugh
• First Wednesday service last night
• my sweet new friend Ashley...we were prayer partners the first week of our small group, found out we're going through similar things in our lives, and have hit it off from there...that makes me so happy!
• encouragement
• the fact that God's plan trumps mine, even when I put up a struggle...I think it's best if He's in charge instead of me ;)
• a good walk tonight and no knee pain...jogging again soon?
• the weekend right around the corner!
• my simple little life
• contentment
• weekends :)

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Thankful Sunday

I've given up trying to get my post done on Thursdays. Maybe next week. "Thankful Sunday" isn't as catchy, but the thought behind it is just the same!

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord and the things He's teaching me these days
• prayers, both answered and unanswered
• my wonderful family and incredible friends
• tough times, and the good that can come from them
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, shoes on my feet, clothes in my closet, clean sheets, my comfortable bed, a dependable car, the appliances and doodads and gadgets that make my life easier
• my washer and dryer, and the 4 loads of laundry I was able to do yesterday
• enough money to cover my needs, and a little left over for my wants every now and then
• my job, my fun coworkers, and 27 of the most wonderful 5th graders in the world
• a conversation with a student Friday that left me seriously humbled and in tears...some kids are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, and we need to be there for those sweet babies
• the safe arrival of Baby Joseph, and the fact that his unexpected, nerve-wracking trip to Children's Hospital yesterday ended well
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• getting to hold 2 sweet, brand new babies in one month...love it
• a great haircut yesterday...thanks, Eric!
• a long conversation with Laura today...luh you, Boo!
• a fun day spent with my mama today
• getting to celebrate Daddy's birthday last week
• a really long chat with Angie after work on Thursday....much-needed, and it reminded how much I love that girl!
• a one-on-one Global Scholar tutoring session with Debbie...she told me she deserved to make my Thankful Thursday post, so here ya go, Debbie :)
• the fact that my knee is feeling better after some searing pain during my jog on Friday...I only made it 7.5 minutes and was afraid I'd done some serious damage, but I'm relieved that my knee seems to be on the mend
• sunscreen
• positivity and faith and trust
• reminders that things are not all about me
• gloriously cooler temperatures...fall makes me so happy I can hardly stand it
• the fact that my favorite month of the whole year begins on Tuesday!!!
• pretty new fall colors on my fingers and toes
• homemade chicken noodle soup
• my new phone
• small group tomorrow...I'm excited to learn some new things about healthy cooking and exercise, and I'm loving the opportunity to get to know some new girls
• being literate, and the privilege I have to tutor Mr. L. every week
• good sleep
• my simple little life
• contentment

HAPPY NEW WEEK, yall!

Thankful Thursday, now that it's Sunday and all

One of these weeks, I'll actually have time to sit down on a Thursday to write my Thankful Thursday post. I've been putting in some seriously long hours at work trying to stay one step ahead of the new common core, and that leaves very little time during the week for anything other than eating and sleeping. We're making some amazing things happen at school, though, so hopefully all these long hours are worth it!

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord and the fact that His plan always wins out, even when it doesn't match up with mine (I should say...especially when it doesn't match up with mine!)
• my family and friends
• a glorious, sunny, breezy, beautiful first day of fall today...today has been good for my soul
• my job, the 27 sweet peas I get to spend my days with, and my hardworking coworkers
• patience
• a roof over my head, clean running water, food in my fridge, clothes in my closet, shoes on my feet, my comfortable bed, a dependable car, my washer and dryer, the gadgets and doodads that make my life more convenient, a tidy little home
• church with Byrne and John today...great message, and I love seeing those two lovebirds together :)
• lunch at California Pizza Kitchen...I especially love the fact that since my first pizza was "too done" (the waiter's words, not mine), they let me keep that one and sent out another one...I have enough pizza to last for days!
• seeing the Fain fam at lunch...what a lovely group of folks they are!
• getting to sing this song at church today...one of my favorites
• answered and unanswered prayers
• my new phone
• enough money to cover my needs and a few of my wants
• my new small group, and a fun supper/flower arranging lesson earlier this week
• hard times, because I truly do think that some incredible things can come as a result of perseverance and strength and faith
• a really lazy day yesterday and a near-victory for my Tigers...it's still better than last year :)
• knocking out Week 6 of Couch to 5K
• legs that are strong enough to run
• some fun lessons planned this week, and the fact that my students are PUMPED about the novel I'm reading them right now...I love to see kids excited about learning
• sunscreen and moisturizer
• long talks with great friends
• some rain yesterday
• good sleep
• peace and contentment

HAPPY NEW WEEK, yall!

Thankful Thursday

In the words of Dierks, I'd settle for a slowdown. Life these days is great and hard and oh so busy. My week has consisted of three busy days at work, the Mumford & Sons concert, tutoring, making 65 Oreo balls for Carrie's shower, staying at school until 6:15 making sub plans, spending all day today in math leader meetings, going to see brand new Baby Lolly, making 35 more Oreo balls, making 2 trips to the bank and one to the post office, and typing this post. And I still have a stack of papers to grade before I'm letting myself go to bed tonight. Whew.

On another note, thank you so much for all the prayers for my loved ones and for me. These have been some really tough weeks for a variety of reasons, but I'm learning a lot from these experiences. Even though I can't see it now, I'm praying that God will use all of this for our good and His glory!

Today I am thankful for...

• the good Lord
• my family and friends
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• a roof over my head, food in my fridge, clean running water, clothes in my closet, shoes on my feet, my comfortable bed, hot showers, my dependable car, the gadgets and appliances that make my life more convenient
• my job, my coworkers, and my sweet students
• the pile of papers I still need to grade tonight, because that means I have a job
• getting to go to the Mumford & Sons concert Monday...it was BY FAR the best concert I have ever been to, and I really didn't want it to end...they are almost supernaturally talented and put on a killer show!
• getting to meet sweet Baby Lolly...she is 3 whole days old, and she is a precious little bundle of sleepy baby goodness

• a very successful shower for Carrie yesterday afternoon...I can't wait to meet Baby Joseph!
• getting a whole mess of burp cloths sewn last weekend...bring on the babies, friends!
• fun plans to celebrate Angie tomorrow night 
• picture day at school tomorrow...I always love to see the kids with their spiffy picture-takin' clothes on :)
• totally dominating Week 5 of Couch to 5K...coming up Saturday is 20 minutes without any walking at all...wish me luck!
• vitamins
• sunscreen
• fall right around the corner, even though I very much miss the sun still being up at 8:00 PM
• getting to go to China Grove last weekend...I love hearing Grandad's stories about the old days, and I love spending that time with him
• small group coming up on Monday...I'm excited about meeting some new ladies and having a flower arranging lesson!
• peace and contentment

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!