When life gives you Lemonade ... drink it!

For some reason, I woke up feeling just freakin' fabulous this morning. 

Personally, I think it's because Ashley & I rented Shrek last night & that movie is so freakin funny. I mean really, if you need some good, clean laughs Shrek is your movie.

I had another post planned for today, but it's a little harsh so I decided that when life gives ya Lemonade, you should drink it. 

I'm drinking it. 

In the spirit of all this happiness over no thing in particular, I'm remembering Kelle Hampton's recent post about Thanksgiving & being thankful.

She said that being thankful isn't saying thank you for gifts or sending thank you cards, although those things are important. Being thankful is realizing the little gifts that are present in every single day, the ones that just come naturally. 

I truly believe being thankful makes me a happier person. Actually, focusing on what we have instead of what we don't makes us all happier people. 

So just because, I'm going to make a list of the little things I'm happy for today:

- A really fabulous roommate. I haven't written much about her because I don't want to jinx it but seriously? She is perfect.

- The opportunity to meet a lady in Starbucks yesterday who could have some really awesome internship possibilities for me.

- Putting on my down North Face coat which I had pretty much thrown the towel in on because it had a huge stain on it only to realize that stain is gone. I had taken it to the dry cleaner and it was still there. It's weird, but I searched for it & I promise, it's gone.

- A hard, hard workout last night. I'm talking the Stairmaster, baby.

- A good, long night of sleep

- Babysitting a new family tonight. I'm pretty sure it's 4 girls under 4. I love chaos!

- The sun & warm temperatures we're having in Indy today

- All my great friends like you :)

So there's my list of things I'm thankful for today, the little things. Of course, I could make a list of things that upset me yesterday or things that I want but I'm choosing to focus on what I do have today instead of what I don't.

Spread the love, be a source of cheer today.

Happy Tuesday! 

For every single mama out there ...

I could go on and on and on about my mom today but I brag on her all the time & you guys know how I feel about her.

& more importantly, this day is about more than just my mom. It's about every single mom in the world.

I've been thinking about this for a while now. 

Almost every day, I read blogs from moms who are trying so hard to be the best mom they can be & they're doing an awesome job of it.

I read about moms who wake up early & go to bed late, who plan special birthday parties for their kids before they will even remember them because they love them that much, who spend a lot of time thinking about & planning meals for their kids because it helps them to be healthy.

I read about moms who kneel beside the bathtub every night even though it hurts their backs because bath time is fun.

 I read about moms who struggle with disciplining their kids because as much as it hurts, it's necessary.

& since I've been reading these blogs & really thinking about all of the awesome moms out there, I've decided that behind every good person, behind every responsible, contributing citizen is a really awesome mom.

So I want to say a huge Thank You to every single mom in the world.

Thank you for doing your best to teach your kids right & wrong.

Thank you for teaching them about what's important & what things they can let go.

 Thank you for teaching them how to have fun & put their best forward all the time.

Thank you for loving your kids, for letting them know that no matter what, you're there for them.

Thank you for the huge sacrifice that is raising kids.

You're making the world a better place one bath, one story time, one dinner & one sleepless night at a time.

Thankful on Thursday!

With the sun pouring in the windows while I'm sitting at home, one of the dogs humming in the background which is going to get annoying in about 2 seconds but right now, reminds me that it's good to be home, and an iced cookie settling nicely in my stomach for a not-so-healthy breakfast, I'm thankful.

Today I'm thankful for ...

The sunshine & getting back into the groove of running.

Stepping on the scale today & much to my surprise, I've lost 6 pounds!

Every single commenter & follower. It makes a hobby that I love seem so much more worthwhile & while I don't always respond to comments, I'm thankful for them. Please keep them comin'.

My girlfriends.

Drew & the Ice Cream date we had last night.

Definitely not the best picture of me, but the best picture I've seen of my boy in a long time.

As always, my momma.

Being Home today for the remainder of the week & weekend even though I have so much homework, I might die.

Remembering to be thankful for the little things is, I'm convinced, one of the surest ways to live a happy life.

Thankful on Thursday!

It's been a while since I've done a thankful on Thursday post & for that, I'm very sorry.

Even on the worst days, there are things to be thankful for & today is no exception so let me make a little list ...

I'm Thankful For ....

The babysitting job I have for this summer. God never fails to provide.

Starbucks & Soy Lattes with sugar-free vanilla syrup

The kids I babysit. Even when I grumble that I have to go, they make my heart full

This awesome school that I have the opportunity to go to even though I swear I'm not smart enough for it.

My Mac

My Camera. It's just a little point & shoot & I'm always dreaming of an SLR but this one does a great job for such a small little guy

My mom even when we don't get along.

Good Blog Friends

My boyfriend. Love him.

Christmas At Last!

Christmas was lovely.

We worked really hard to make it that way.

Divorce & death have changed our holidays and in a very bad way. I was determined that the two ugly D's wouldn't run our Christmas anymore - and they didn't. Our Christmas rocked!

Christmas Eve started at 10 a.m. when my best friend, Nikki & her mom came over for french toast & gift exchange. Nikki's dad died last year and our families are miraculously alike (and our moms are both super awesome) so not only has our bond strengthened, but our moms hang out now too. Nikki & Judy are our best friends and it was so lovely to start the holiday out with a nice breakfast and our really great friends! 

After breakfast, we hurried up and got ready to go to our cousin's house because that's what we do every year. We only see these people once a year on Christmas Eve and even though my brother always thinks it's really awkward, I love it. More good food, more good family. What more could we ask for?

By the time we left our cousins house, we were super tired so we took a fast nap before church. 

Our church is really big, so we had 4 Christmas Eve services this year. We went to the first one, the kid's service. Holy Moly! It was hilariously adorable. It was a skit about throwing a birthday party for Jesus put on by K-4th graders. At one point, I was in tears laughing at an adorable little boy singing up front. It was so sweet to see the little kids all pumped about Christmas.

Drew's grandma has everyone over on Christmas Eve every year, and it's something I look forward to. The food is delicious and the people are fun and it almost always includes at least one game of Friends Scene it. Drew got me a really cute bracelet, some awesome workout pants and a sports bra that I really wanted. I loved it all! We decided that it would be a small christmas since we don't have much money and we're not technically together anyway. 

We matched!

His dad got a colts hat, obviously.

Since my family had already gone to church, I didn't join Drew's family at the midnight church service. Instead, I went home to wrap more presents and stuff stockings. By the time I crawled into bed, I was more than ready!

My brother got a really big gift (a MacBook Pro) from both of my parents for Christmas. Since the gift was from both of my parents, we invited my dad over to open presents Christmas morning too. It was so nice to have him there and for an hour or so, feel like our family was back together. 

I woke up to him making biscuits and gravy (probably why I'm not trying really hard to lose 5 pounds)

My brother, Kyle, never wakes up early on Christmas Day. For the last 2 years I've gone to other people's houses and come back before he's even been awake. Not this year! He was up really early & so of course, I had to document it.

 

Mornin Sunshine!

Santa had filled the stockings. And the opening began.

After opening presents & receiving way more than I should have, I got my clothes on & went over to Drew's to check out his presents. Together, we came back over to my house for my family dinner - homemade lasagna!

The night ended quietly with a fire rolling and Christmas lights gleaming. Our house was cozy and my heart was filled with love and gratefulness for the awesome family & friends we have and the first holiday that really felt great in a long time.

Joy is in the heart of the beholder

Last week, or maybe the week before, Blair at The Heir to Blair wrote about her joy - the things that make her happy, and she asked what makes our hearts happy.

I started to write about it because I like writing about happiness, but my words all felt so cliche and dumb so I clicked on the Facebook tab about the page and started mindlessly stalking.

But tonight, I'm done with finals and I'm home for almost a month and my heart is freakin' exploding with joy.

I never knew how much this house really meant to me until I left it.

Today was hard. The whole last week has been hard, but today was the hardest of them all. I was on the last stretch of the marathon that is finals week and I could barely keep running. I woke up at 8:30 a.m. to a friend popping her head in my room asking if I was ready to study yet. "I'm so tired," I said, "I just wanna sleep a little longer, I think I'll do better on the test." She said okay with a smile and left, but when I do that I can't ever really go back to sleep again. Not when I know I should be up gettin' stuff done. So we worked, I conducted an interview, showered, took a long test, finished 3 papers, packed up, dropped the papers off at professor's offices and drove home. I honestly didn't think I'd make it.

but I did.

I pulled up to my house at 3440 Forsythia (that has been my house since I was in utero) and I sat in front of it thinking about how pretty it is with the white christmas lights strung over the bushes and the big wreath my nana made right smack in the middle of the house with a spot light shining on it.

it's my house.

I walked inside to find beautifully decorated christmas cookies, the fireplace on, the dim lights of the christmas tree glistening and my momma on the couch.

and that my friends? is where I find my joy.

I find my joy sitting in this lay-z-boy that I pulled up in front of the fire place just feet from the T.V. with stockings on one side of my peripheral and the glistening christmas tree lights in the other. I find my joy in the sound of my dog's toenails on the hardwood, because that's familiar.

This is my home, it's my safe zone, and I find my joy here.

Thankful on Thursday!

Today is SUCH a good day!

I don't really have an explanation for why it's a great day beside the fact that last night was really great. I cleaned both my side & Toogie's side of the room & having a clean room makes a huge difference.

Jessie & I worked out, we went to dinner with Devin and then hung out with Emily all night.

And so, on this Thursday, the first thing I'm thankful for my girlfriends, and especially these:

Jessie. Toogie. Me. Emily.

Me. Devin.

She didn't want her picture taken, can you tell?

There are times, like yesterday for instance, when I'm just plain grumpy. In two days, I had planned for 3 appointments, one being a tutor I had hired and 2 being interviews for a final controversy story I have to write ... AND ALL 3 EITHER DIDNT SHOW UP OR DIDN'T SHOW UP ON TIME!!

Poor little Jessie walked into my room after my 3rd failed appointment and said,

"Hi! How are you?!"

and I responded with,

"I'm PISSED! I just had my 3rd failed appointment! ARE PLANNERS AND CALENDARS A F&*#%ing novelty??"

and I was laughing about it because it was kinda one of those things where I just threw my hands up and said what the heck can I do?

But Jessie said, "ha! oh, okay!"

And I am thankful for that.

I'm so thankful for her, a friend who keeps comin' back even when I'm being a butt.

& I'm thankful for girlfriends because they let me borrow clothes.

Seriously, I have a black & white party to go to tomorrow night & I had no idea what I was going to wear but as usual, Devin had the perfect skirt for me to wear.

I'm thankful for that.

Happy Thursday everyone!

What are YOU thankful for?

The perfect day!

Last weekend was the first weekend that I've stayed at school and haven't had non stop pre planned activities so, Saturday was an open door of opportunities for Toogie & I.

I of course, was up by 9:30 but she was sound asleep until 12:30. It was actually kind of nice to be up early because I just laid in bed and read and then tried to fall back asleep. When she woke up we watched some Gator Football (I thought I had moved past this since I won't be going over to drew's while football is on) because she is obsessed. It was actually pretty funny to hear her yelling at the team like the little girl in Remember the Titans. We ate lunch in our room and put jeans and t-shirts on to tackle the absolutely gorgeous 70 degree day.

Our first stop was Broadripple. The jackpot of all jackpots caught our eye: Ragarama! a cute little B-rip consignment shop. I got three things for Drew for 40 dollars and they're all really nice! Good thing his birthday is coming up!

After a good hour spent there, we headed out to see what else we could find and we found the second jackpot of the day: Red Mango!

Frozen Yogurt & Newman's O's

I'm convinced that there is absolutely no better frozen yogurt!

If you have one close by, go, go, go!

We left Broadripple with the hopes of finding Toogie, my little floridian ballerina, a winter coat. It's something she's never needed before but now does. We went to the mall in search of the perfect pea coat, but we didn't find it. It's virtually impossible to find a high wool count coat at a reasonable price.

HOWEVER, don't be alarmed. I did a great amount of damage at Sephora, as usual and I feel like my skin looks better than it ever has.

Since we left the dorm so late, we didn't get back to campus until 8:00. We topped the day off with some super greasy pizza and while Toogie went and watched some Friends episodes, I went and got fratty. I met some super cool Delt guys!

All in all, Toogie and I had a fabulous day together & for the millionth time? I'm SO thankful for her!

Thankful on Thursday

I think I'll skip around a little before I write this post. Yeah, I'm pretty thankful!

Check this out:

Granddad's Tablemates Ed & Merle.

.The nurses helping him after he walked me out from the picnic, he had to ride back on the bus & I had to go to work

If you haven't figured it out, that's my Granddad; happy! This week, one of his activities was a picnic at the activity directors house. I went along too! The nurses at his facility kept telling us that it usually takes Alzheimer's patients about 3 weeks to adjust to a new environment but of course we didn't believe it. Something was definitely wrong. & I guess it kinda was. We figured out that when he was living at home he was not getting his medicine properly. We weren't shocked. So then, when he came here & the nurses were giving him the medicine regularly, he was like sedated. Hence the reason he was hardly walking or talking; he couldn't. Now, he is on 1/4 of the medicine he was on before & walking well (sometimes even carrying his walker in front of him when he walks.)

Last week, we had our 4-H fair in town. I wanted to take him to see the animals & just get out a little. When I started talking to him about it, he said that he didn't know if he wanted to go because he didn't want to miss anything there. I was a little disappointed, yet thankful. The activity director there does a really good job of keeping them entertained and like my mom said, for the first time in years he has a social life. He loves it.

We still go visit him every day but it used to be that I would bypass all of the people in the main room & find him sitting alone in his room, asleep. I can happily say that I haven't been in his room for a week or more because he's always in the main room with the other people.

I'm SO thankful this Thursday!

Thankful on Thursday

I've got so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, SOOOO much, so much, so much, so much, so much, SO much, SO much to be thankful for!

(It's a Camp song, if you're not a Lakeview alum like me)

Really though, I do have a lot to be thankful for and it's so nice, as Blair mentioned, to be able to sit back and think of all of the things I'm thankful for. Sometimes it's all too easy for me to forget about the little things that make my world better because I'm so focused on the inevitable imperfections.

So anyway, here I am, Thursday night, with a list of things I'm thankful for:

1.) Having granddad here. Losing my Nana to cancer two years ago left such a void in my life & although I continue to miss her and always will, I now have another grandparent I can love on and take care of. This is the first time in my life I've spent more than a couple days with him. It's lovely.

2.) A great date night with Drew last night. Japanese food & putt putt. Sweet.

3.) Teaching baby swim classes.

4.) Getting to go to the lake all day tomorrow and soak up the sunshine & friends.

5.) The freedom to paint a picture & ride my bike like I did tonight

... I'm a lucky girl, no?