Still Thankful...

We are nearing the end of November, which means that we are also nearing the end of the "What I'm Thankful For" social media posts.  I have to admit, I have really enjoyed the positive atmosphere of my news feed over the past few weeks and I'm kind of sad to see it go.  I started out on November 1 posting what I was thankful for, but because life happened, I got off track around day 20.  So, I have decided to dedicate this post to getting back on track and getting ahead with my complete list of what I'm thankful for this month and always:

Day 20:  My relationship with God.  There are some days when holding on to His promises is all that gets me through my day.

Day 21:  My husband.  I've been married for 15 years and I truly believe that my husband and I were meant to be.  We're not perfect, but we are perfect for each other. 

Day 22:  My children.  I have two amazing children and I feel so blessed to be their mother.  

Day 23:  My parents.  I'm pretty blessed in the parents department, too.  

Day 24:  My job.  I work with an amazing team and absolutely love every day of my job.  That is so rare these days.  I am so glad that I was obedient and took a leap of faith to pursue this position. 

Day 25:  My friends.  I have an amazingly supportive friend group.  I wouldn't trade any of them for the world.  

Day 26:  My church family.  I am blessed to be surrounded by a loving church family. 

Day 27:  My neighbors.  I've lived in my neighborhood for nearly 12 years and I can't say that I have a single "neighbor nightmare" story.  

Day 28:  The Hallmark Channel.  Need I say more?  They have the best movies on Hallmark and I am so thankful when I get to sit back, relax, and watch a great movie.  (I'm especially partial to the Christmas movies on Hallmark!)

Day 29:  My house.  I am so thankful that I know exactly where I am going to lay my head every night.  

Day 30:  Samford University.  I am currently working on my administrative certification and my doctorate in educational leadership.  I have the best professors and an amazing cohort who help me keep my sanity while I pursue these degrees.

I love that this month helps people take a moment to stop and focus on the many blessings that are in their lives.  I'm glad to have this documented on the blog so that I can refer back to it as a reminder and as encouragement.

We have two days left in the month and I am going to be checking my news feed to catch a glimpse of the final few "What I'm Thankful For" posts.   See you soon!


  

Kicking off the Season of Thanks

I blinked...and now it's November.  Time flies when you're living.  I can't believe it's been nearly five months since the last time I logged into my blog!  I've missed being here and am really hoping that I can work Diva on the Run back into my schedule.  Since the last time I blogged, I've started a new job, my first born started high school (I'm still trying to figure out how that happened), my baby started junior high, and several other things have happened in between.  But, as always, this busy mom wears whichever hat she needs to wear to make it all work!

Since we are approaching Thanksgiving, I decided to follow the status quo and theme this month's posts on being thankful.  Often times, we get so wrapped up in what we don't have that we fail to realize what we do have.  It only took me a few minutes to take a quick assessment and realize that I really do have a lot to be thankful for! (I don't know why it's so easy to forget that sometimes.)

I love social media during the holidays.  People tend to post what they are thankful for and the drama is often muted.  Well, most of the time, anyway.  It is so refreshing to see people focus on the things and people that they are truly thankful for.  

In my last blog post (I know it's been a while), I mentioned the devotional book that my friend gifted me.  Well, I'm still reading that book on a daily basis.  The book is Joyce Meyer's The Power of Being Thankful:  365 Devotions for Discovering the Strength of Gratitude.  What I love most about this book is that just when I think I've covered every area of my life that I'm thankful for, my daily reading brings to remembrance something that I have overlooked.

Today's reading was titled, "Doing Something Great With Your Life".  When I think of all of the things that I aspire to do in life, I am so thankful for the opportunities that I have been given.  I am thankful in advance for the opportunities that are in my future.  

Take a moment and think about the things (outside of the norm) that you are thankful for.  The things that you are truly thankful for.  We all love and are thankful for our spouses, our parents, our children, our houses, our cars, our clothes, etc.  But what are you really thankful for?  

image from www.dogonews.com

Thanksgiving Break 2013

Thanksgiving Break 2013 has officially come and gone and it was, indeed, everything I anticipated it being!  Here's a rundown of what my Thanksgiving beak consisted of:

Wednesday, November 27:  On Wednesday, I spent the day cooking.  Twice a year, I pull out Occasions to Savor, one of my favorite cookbooks, to get recipes for my favorite holiday dishes. This year, I made the marinated vegetable salad and cranberry mold to go along with my smoked ham, dressing, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, sweet potato casserole, and apple pie. 

Later that day, I went over to my mother's to spend some time with her and my aunts and cousins since I wouldn't be joining them for Thanksgiving this year. I had a really good time laughing and talking with my cousins as my mom and aunts did the prep work for the family's annual feast.  It was a great afternoon!

That evening, I came home and served dinner to my husband and children.  We sat down to the table (with no television playing in the background) and had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal.  I think we may have just started a new family tradition.  Dinner in our home with just us on Thanksgiving Eve. 
It was nice to have an intimate dinner with just us. 

Thursday, November 28:  On Thursday, we drove down to Montgomery and spent the day with our cousins.  The kids and I attended our very first Alabama State University football game!  (Not a new experience for the hubs.) It was an awesome experience! This year's Turkey Day Classic, the name given to this annual Thanksgiving Day game, was everything the hype had promised.  The energy from the bands, the intense rivalry amongst the fans, the deeply rooted pride displayed by students and alumni, and the overall atmosphere all worked together to create an experience that I will remember forever. 

After the game, our aunt and uncle played hosts to a marvelous Thanksgiving meal: smoked turkey and ham, dressing, collards, baked sweet potatoes, apple pie, pound cake, and an assortment of pickles and relishes.  I tell you, the food was absolutely amazing!  And, we were able to spend some time with family that we hadn't seen in a while.  Thanksgiving Day 2013 will go down in the books as one of my most memorable.

Friday, November 29:  Unlike several other people in the nation, I opt NOT to partake in the Black Friday madness.  It's just not my thing.  Besides, I needed the sleep after the two previous days.  I usually take out the Christmas decorations on the day after Thanksgiving, but I honestly didn't even have the energy to do that, either.  Instead, I opted to do a few errands around town and clean house. 

Saturday, November 30:  Iron Bowl LXXVIII was one for the history books!! In case you've been living under a rock, the Iron Bowl is the football game played between Alabama's two largest public universities:  Auburn University (my alma mater) and the University of Alabama.  We made the trek to Auburn bright and early Saturday morning and spent the day on the Loveliest Village on the Plains (as Auburn is so affectionately known).  The game was exhilarating and each team fought to the end.  To many people's surprise, Auburn pulled out a victory that will be talked about for the next 364 days.

Auburn fans storming the field after Auburn's big win!

 After the game, we rushed to Toomer's Corner to celebrate in Auburn's unique way of rolling Toomer's Corner with toilet tissue.  This was the children's first time rolling the corner and they were completely in awe of the magnitude of this age-old traditional celebration!  I am so glad that my children were able to witness Auburn's victory.  They enjoyed every minute of it!  

Sunday, December 1:  The day we set aside to worship our Lord and Savior.  We went to church and enjoyed worshiping and fellowshipping with our church family.  After church, I vowed that would come home and REST, and that is exactly what I did!  I spent the afternoon traveling back and forth from the bed to the couch getting the best naps ever!  Now, maybe I'll be rejuvenated enough to start my week of right! 

All in all, Thanksgiving Break 2013 was a huge success!  Now, I'm ready to go back to work, so that I can get some rest from my break! 

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

Today, I spent some much needed family time with some of my most favorite family members!  For several years now, my mother and her sisters have played hosts to the family's annual Thanksgiving gathering, and this year is no different.  Each year, the ladies of the family gather to begin preparing the feast of all feasts:  turkey and dressing, giblet gravy, ham, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato pie, potato salad, pound cake, strawberry pie, lemon lush, and whatever other surprises get whipped up in the kitchen. 

I'm no fan of cooking, but I am a fan of the memories that are made as we all squeeze into my mom's kitchen laughing, talking, and bonding. 

I am thankful for my family.  Even though I don't spend nearly as much time with them as I'd like to, I always know that they love me and will be there for me whenever I need them.

Today and always, I am thankful for my family, and I'm thankful for all the memories that we've made over the years.  

My Family, June 2011

Thankful for Thanksgiving Break!

I have really been enjoying reading everyone's posts about what they're thankful for.  But, I'm just going to keep it real.  What I'm really most thankful for right now is Thanksgiving Break! I have an ultra busy life and I just want to take a minute to recharge.  Here lately, even my weekends have been jam packed with meetings, games, practices and other events.  I love my life.  I really do.  But even the self-professed Super Mom needs a minute to relax, right?

So, I'm doing the countdown until Thanksgiving Break so that I can take a minute to thank God for what I'm truly thankful for!

1.  My family.  I love my family.  If I could spend every waking moment with them, I would. I'm thankful for my husband and the beautiful children that we have together.  They are my life.

2.  My job.  Even though I get frustrated sometimes, I still can't imagine myself doing anything other than what I do now.  Being able to make a difference in the lives of students make me happy.  And, who doesn't love being happy?

3.  My church family.  I am blessed to be a part of a very loving church family. I am thankful for the outpouring of love, support, and encouragement that I receive from my church.

 

Okay, on a less serious tip, I am also thankful for the following things:

4. Flat shoes
5.  Mary Kay Rich Fig Lipstick
6.  Keurig Coffee Machine
7.  Caribou K-cups
8.  Lancome DreamTone dark spot corrector
9.  Vera Wang Lovestruck Parfume

10. All things Apple (iPad, iPhone, iPod) 

This list could go on and on for days.  I have so much to be thankful for.  I'm excited to get a few days to sit down and reflect on it all.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving!