Thankful - Day 26-29

So I have a few days to catch up on and these particular things don't necessarily have to do with a specific day. But I am definitely thankful for them!

Day 26 - My friends from college - God has blessed me so much with my friends from college. They are Godly people who are such great encouragements to me. I'm so bad at keeping in touch with them, but God is good and we are able to pick up where we left off when we are together. 

Day 27 - Traditions - I love that my family has traditions around the holidays. One of them being Julie and I and now Danika decorating our family's Christmas tree. It was so much fun with Dani this year. I'm so thankful that we are able to do these fun things. 

Day 28 - Christmas Lights - My dad is so amazing when it comes to Christmas Lights! This year he wasn't able to put as many up because of a tight budget, which I know was hard for him. But he did such a great job anyway and had such a great attitude about it. I love driving up to their house and seeing the lights down the street. I feel so proud of him. Christmas lights just make me feel so happy. 

Day 29 - Danika's Singing - I'm so, so, so thankful that Danika likes to sing. We were all wondering if she would and now that she has started it is hard stopping her. She has such a sweet voice and sometimes doesn't really know the right words to the songs. Sigh, I love it! 

I threw this one in for fun! I am so happy for my friend Stacy and her husband, Andrew Farris! Congrats!!

Thankful - Day 25

This may sound redundant, but today I'm thankful for Thanksgiving.

Not just being thankful for things, but the actual holiday. It is so nice to have a day set apart to give praise and thanks to God for the many things He has done for us. (yes, I know we do that on Sundays too, but you know what I mean) I love spending time with family and friends, eating good food, playing games, and hearing what other people are thankful for.

In my family we always go around the table and share the things we are thankful for. As we sat down this year my mom informed us that we needed to think of a serious thing and a silly thing that we are thankful for. This year, my entire family was thankful that we have jobs. God has been so good to us in how He has provided for our every need. The "silly" things we were thankful for were pretty focused on Danika, but that is because we all love her so much!

After lunch/dinner we played an exciting game of Hide and Seek. Danika loves playing it with the whole family. She picks people to count and then she takes turns of who she is going to hide with. It is so cute. You can always hear her throughout the house while she is hiding. :o)

The day ended with a visit to a friend's house and a lovely game of Banana Grams.

It was a good day.
Thank You, Lord for this wonderful day!

Thankful - Day 24

A few days off of school - I truly enjoyed my day off yesterday. I was lazy, lazy, lazy. Which is nice to be able to do every once in a while. I'm so thankful that I was able to sleep in and relax for the day.

And then the day ended with a movie night at my parent's house. My dad makes the best popcorn! I think I ask for it every time we watch a movie.

You have to know, my family is very varied (or random) in our movie interests. I grew up watching Star Wars and Star Trek, which I still enjoy watching occasionally, Jerry Lewis movies, John Wayne, musicals, a variety of old movies, chick flicks, action films, and many animated films.

I love watching movies with my family.

Many of the movies we like to watch together don't do well in the rating system, but to us they are just plain fun. One of the movies we watched last night is called "Rocketman." Don't get mixed up with the movie "The Rocketeer." It is completely different. Rocketman is a very goofy movie that Disney made quite a few years ago. The humor is cheesy and the story isn't very realistic, but it gets my family in stitches every time we watch it. It was so fun to have a good laugh last night.

So not only am I thankful for a few days off of school, but I'm also thankful for family movie nights. I think we should have them more often.

Thankful - 18-23 (yikes)

I was gone over the weekend and now I have some catching up to do. :o)

18 - Trumpet Lessons - I give 2 trumpet lessons once a week for 4 elementary boys. I love playing my trumpet, but don't get to do it very often. But not only that it is nice to have a little extra income from these lessons.

19 - Clean water - In my attempt to lose some weight I've been drinking a lot of water. I carry around a big bottle with me and have to drink two of them during the day. There are so many people around the world do don't have the luxury of turning on the faucet and having clean water come out. I know that is something I take for granted. Thank you, Jesus, for clean water!

20 - Friday, I was very thankful that my car has cruise control. On a long drive it is so wonderful.

21 - This may sound funny, but on Saturday I was thankful for Panera Bread. This was the day of my friend's wedding, and I didn't eat much until the evening because I was so busy. Karis and her fiance took me to Panera Bread. I LOVE Panera! I really wish Santa Rosa had one. It was such a treat and I was really hungry.

22 - My mom - I'm not sure I have said much about my mom, but I am so thankful for her. While I was driving home from SoCal on Sunday she called me several times to check on me. I know that she was worried about my driving so far by myself. I love her so much! This isn't the only reason why I'm thankful for her, but I'll write more another time.

23 - As much as I greatly (!) dislike the taste of Robitussin, I am very thankful for it because it works. I'm pretty sure because of the lack of sleep over the weekend and being around a few sick people, I caught something. But thankfully there is medicine I can take for it. :o)
I laughed at the packaging though. It said "New and Improved Taste!" The person who came up with that must have not tasted it.

Well, nothing very profound, but definitely things that I am thankful for. :o)

Thankful - Day 17

Music - 

      I love listening to it, singing it, and playing it. This shouldn't be a surprise. I have been singing since before I can remember. I think the first time I sang in church was when I was 3 or 4. I have been so blessed to come from parents who are amazing musicians. Some of my favorite memories are just singing congregational hymns next to my family. We all sing different parts.  

     Currently I love hearing my adorable niece singing. We were all beginning to wonder if she would ever sing. Now that she has started she won't stop. :o) 

     I love that I can worship my Savior through music. There are so many songs out there with fantastic lyrics that sing of God's wonderful grace and love. 

I'm so thankful for this part of my life.

Thankful - Day 16

      All teachers know how important recess is during the day. Rainy days are especially hard because the kids don't get a chance to run around outside...and the teachers don't get much of a break from the kids. Lol.
      Especially working with younger children I can tell when the kids need to go outside and get their wiggles out. For the past few years I've had several responsibilities on the playground at school. This year I'm out on the playground less than I was the past two years so that is nice. Anyway, as the person who goes out to the playground first it is my job to get out all of the balls and jump ropes the kids use on the blacktop. I usually check the balls to see if they need to be inflated more and throw them away when they don't hold anymore air. (Yes, I know this is exciting information.)
      Today I was excited because we just got in a shipment of kick-balls and a new tetherball for on the playground. It was something I was very thankful for this morning. The kids were excited when they saw the new equipment out there. And it was fun for me to see them enjoy the new things.
      So today I'm thankful for playground equipment. :o) Random, I know, but it is true.

Thankful - Day 15

Ok this may sound lame, but I'm thankful for coffee. Yeah I know I'm sad, but I'm thankful that it helps me stay awake when I need to (like this morning). And I love sipping on a cup of coffee on a cool day. My favorite is a White Chocolate Mocha. :o) I've been saving money by not going to Starbucks lately, so when I do get my White Mocha it is such a huge treat! Tonight was one of those times. Thanks to my work I was able to get my favorite drink from Starbucks. I'm happy. :o)

Thankful - Catch up

I've had crazy weekend so I got a little behind on the things I am thankful for.

Day 12 - God's Plan - Today (Friday) my car decided to be naughty. I was driving to my parent's house and my power steering went out. Ugh....ok now for the thankful part. :) Because of this I just stayed at my parent's house, because I didn't think I could drive it with my wimpy muscles. It turns out that my serpentine belt came off. Not sure yet how that happened. But if I would have driven it very much I could have majorly ruined my car. So Saturday I had it towed to my mechanic and they are fixing it.
That leads to ...

Day 13 - AAA - Saturday morning I decided to have my car towed so I called Progressive to use my road-side service that I've been paying for. Well, the company that was going to tow my car took about an hour and a half when they said they would be there in 30 min. So I called them and told them not to come and used my sister's AAA card. They were there in 30 min. :o) I am totally switching back to AAA for my road-side service. They have saved the day for me many times.

Day 14 - Sunday afternoon naps - I love Sunday afternoon naps! And after this weekend I really needed one. It was nice to curl up on the couch and sleep for a while.

Now I'm caught up. :o)

Sift!

Today I was able to go to Sift for the first time. I've had a few of their cupcakes before, but I've never been there before. Julie was so sweet today and took me there. Oh yum!! The cupcake I had was called "Knock your socks off." Wow was it good! A vanilla cupcake, filled with bavarian cream and topped with chocolate ganache. I am ashamed to say that I devoured it. 

Thankful - Day 11

Beauty in God's Creation -
I'm not a big fan of spiders, in fact I kill them or have someone else kill them whenever I see them, but the other day I noticed this spider web. It was a great reminder of how amazing God is. We are so blessed to have a Savior who created such beautiful things! I'm thankful that God helps me to notice the beautiful pictures He paints for me everyday.

A Big Thank You!

Monday morning as I was walking to my classroom before school, the fire alarm went off. So I went out to the playground with a few other teachers. It seemed like the alarm went off forever. And actually it was going for about 15 minutes. Talk about a major headache. In the end it was a false alarm, thankfully. But we had to wait for the fire department to come. So I am sending out a BIG Thank You to the Fire men and women who came to check on us at school. :o) 

Thankful - Day 10

My apartment -
I had a very good day today. Work was good and after a few trumpet lessons I headed over to my parent's house for dinner and some time spent with my family. I loved spending time with them. But now it is nice to be at my apartment. I call it an apartment, but it's not really an apartment. At first I called it a granny unit, but I don't really think it is that either. So I just call it an apartment.

I love having my own place! I've lived here for just over a year and I still love it. It is just the right size for me. I love decorating it and cooking in my kitchen. I'm really looking forward to decorating for Christmas in a couple of weeks.

I am so blessed to be able to live here. My landlords are wonderful gifts from God. I've known them for several years and I feel safe because I live right next to their house. I am able to go to them if I need anything. What a huge blessing!

The only downside is that I'm not here a lot because I tend to be pretty busy. But actually I think that makes me appreciate it more sometimes. :o) It is nice to go home to a place that is mine.

These pictures are from last Christmas.

Thanks Lord!

Thankful - Day 9

My 3rd Grade Class - I am so thankful for my 3rd grade students. They are such a sweet group of kids. They are easy to teach and love to laugh. As a teacher I love to have fun with my students, I can be strict for sure, but I love to laugh with my students and do fun activites. This group of 8 kids is so much fun. We laugh a lot together, sometimes they can get a little carried away, but for the most part we stay on track. I'm just so thankful that I get to teach them and be around them all the time. This is my first experience having my own class, and in reality I'm not their only teacher because it is a spit class, but God is so good to have given me this group of kids. Because it is a small class we can do more and have a blast at the same time.
Thank You, Lord for this wonderful blessing!

Thankful - Day 8

I have to admit to you. I'm sitting here trying to decide what to write about and all I want to do is have a pity party. I feel like I could give you this long list of ways I'm feeling sorry for myself. But instead I'm working at taking the attention off of me and putting it back on Christ.
After sitting here for a few minutes I'm drawn to one of my favorite passages in scripture, Psalm 139. And right now I think it clearly says what I am thankful for  today.

Psalm 139:1-18
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it. 
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night," even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. 
For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully make; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.   

and then the chapter ends with verses 23 & 24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.

I know that this is a somewhat long passage. But it is so encouraging to me. I love these verses. It is hard for me to choose just one or two verses out of this chapter. I am so thankful that God is always with me. There is nowhere I can go without Him! And He is always thinking of me!

Thank You, Lord for helping me put my focus in the right place tonight!

Thankful - Day 7

I'm thankful that I grew up in a Christian home. God is so good. I've already talked about how thankful I am for my family. But I praise the Lord for putting me into that family. I'm thankful that I was raised going to church, reading the Bible, praying, memorizing scripture and singing praises to God. Because of that I have a great love for my Savior. I love going to church, and not just because I like to be social. Growing up I practically lived at church. I love singing to my Jesus. I love hearing how God is working in other's lives. I love being encouraged when I open God's Word. My parents have always been great examples in that area. 

Thank you, Jesus for your many blessings!

Thankful - Day 6

My Savior - If I were to put these things in order I would probably have this one on the top of my list. I don't even want to imagine what my life would be like without my Savior. I don't deserve His love at all. He is always thinking about me and often I don't include Him in my plans. That is something I am always working on.
One of the hard things about being single is the feeling of loneliness I have every so often. But one thing I have to remind myself of is that God is always with me. I don't have to feel lonely. I can recite scripture and be reminded of how much my Savior loves me.

100 things about me as a reader

I love to read, and yet I'm in a season of my life when I don't have a lot of time to read. Vacations are wonderful because I can be content with curling up with a good book. I saw this on a blog somewhere out there and thought it was a cute idea. I might even suggest that we make a list at school. (hint hint Jen) :o) 


I'm pretty sure I can't finish this list today, but I'll add to it occasionally. 


100 things about me as a reader:
1. I love reading children's literature.
2.  I didn't like to read when I was in elementary school.
3.  Realistic Fiction and fantasy are my favorite genres.
4.  I started to like reading in Jr. High when I read my first Lori Wick book.
5. I have to love the character in a book to enjoy the book.
6.  I'd rather own a book than get it from the library. I usually have a large fee at the library. :o/
7.  I've met Jan Brett. She is my favorite children's author and illustrator.
8. I totally judge a book by its cover.
9. I have a couple shelves of books that I haven't yet read.
10.  I often skip parts in books when scenery or nature is described. But usually only when I'm reading a book for the second time.
11. I am love listening to audio books. Especially when I'm on a long road trip by myself.
12. I almost never like the movie better than the book.
13. I'd rather read the book before I see the movie. But I'll watch the movie first on occasion.
14. I'm not good at getting rid of books.
15. My 2nd grade teacher read Little House in the Big Woods in our class and to this day I love it!
16. I get excited about having authors autograph my books.
17.  I like to share my books with others, as long as I get them back.
18. I like to alternate between fiction and Christian living books.
19. I love used book stores.
20. I usually can't read in the car--I get carsick.
21.  I like to look at blog reviews and other reviews to find new children's books.
22.  I have many favorite authors.
23.  I haven't read too many graphic novels.
24.  I have a bad habit of starting a book and not picking it up for a long time. That has to do with the amount of time I have.
25. My aunt is an author and I'm planning on reading her new book when it comes out in December.
26. I love reading books that my students suggest.
27.  My favorite class in college was Children's Lit.
28. I have very little patience for reading how-to/directions.
29. I love love love to hang out in any bookstore.
30. I buy too many books!
31. I save gift cards to bookstores for a long time. It is just too hard to choose!
32. I could walk around a bookstore for hours. 
33. I like reading magazines. 
34. I really struggle with reading books that I'm required to read. I have 4 waiting on my bookshelf right now. And I need to get busy!
35. I don't read very much nonfiction. 
36. I'm really good at imagining I'm in the story. 
37. A Tale of Two Cities was my favorite book that I was required to read in High School. 
38. I'm known to giggle while I'm reading. Just ask my family. 
39. I'm a sucker for Christian romance novels. But I don't read them very often anymore. Once again...no time. 
40. I get really into the story when I read aloud to my class. So much that I might lose my voice if I read aloud for too long in one sitting. 
41. I love libraries even though I don't check books out too often. 
42. My favorite thing to do on a rainy day is curl up on my couch with a cup of tea and a good book. 
43. I use whatever I can find to use as a bookmark. But I can't keep track of actual bookmarks. 
44. I want to read all of the Nancy Drew books. 
45. There are only a handful of books that I will read more than once. 




Well, that is a pretty good start. More to come later on. :o) 
Don't forget to change your clock!

Thankful - Day 5

My Family -
I am so thankful for my family. I love being around them. We laugh a lot and sometimes cry together but mostly laugh. My parents are wonderful Godly examples to me. They have always been very supportive. My mom is a fantastic listener, and it is funny how much alike we are in so many ways.  My dad can always make me laugh.
Julie and I have grown so much closer in the last several years. I love spending time with my sister. I was just talking with someone the other day about how sisters often grow closer when they are living farther apart. Julie and I were friends before I went away to college, but we definitely grew closer while I was gone. :o) She is such an amazing woman! I love to see how God is growing her.
And of course there is Danika. It is so wonderful to walk in the door and have an adorable 3 year old come running up saying "Auntie! Auntie!" I love it. She loves to call me and sing songs over the phone.

Thankful - Day 4

Going for walks -

I love going for walks. Over the summer my mom and I went walking almost every morning. It was so great spending some one on one time with my mom and talking while we walk. Yesterday I went for a great walk with Danika, my niece. Actually I walked and pushed her in a stroller. She chatted with me the entire way and cheered me up. And then there are the walks I go on with Stephanie. She and I try to go walking a couple times a week, depending on the weather. We go for great fast paced walks, you know, the kind where your legs are tingly when you are done. We have a great time talking and we also work at memorizing scripture together.

Thankful

It is the month of November and I've decided that everyday I'm going to post something that I am thankful for. I'm a little late getting started, but that is ok.

Nov 1. - My job - So many people are out of work right now, and I have been richly blessed with my job. I love the kids I work with and I've grown very close to some of the people I work with too.

Nov. 2 - Catalyst Group - I truly love being a part of my Bible study. It is so nice to meet during the week. We eat great food every week, have a great time of prayer and best of all study God's Word.

Nov. 3 - A good mechanic - I had to take my car in to be fixed yesterday and I very much appreciate the guys who work at the 76 station where I take my car. They do a great job and I know I can trust them.

There's my start. More to come!

Flowers

I love taking pictures of flowers. A few years ago I discovered the macro button on my camera and now I am always playing around with it. Sorry if you get sick of me posting pictures of flowers (all two of you who look at this blog). :o) But I still like taking pictures of flowers. 

We have such an amazing creator!