Thankful ~ Week 1

I am doing the monthly challenge for November where you are to take pictures and/or write about what you're most thankful each day.  I love doing this type of challenge because it helps one to stop and slow down and appreciate the little things (or big things!) in life.  I definitely could use a reminder to take stock of the blessings each day so am always thankful when a chance to do so arises.  Although we should really embrace this mentality or mindset all year not just during the month when the best holiday ever occurs.  Hehe!

Day 1:  Last weekend, we made a trip home to my parents' house and then to a friend from college.  It was a quick getaway that resulted in unexpected trick or treating with my twin's two boys and then spending the day/evening the next day with my older brother's four kids before heading out for some Halloween fun with Monika in Scranton, PA.  What a fun weekend and I'm thankful for the invitations to join folks at trick or treating, Knoebel's, and Reaper's Revenge!  Reaper's Revenge, a haunted hayride combined with haunted house style attractions was creepy but there were also moments of fun entertainment thrown in there. My favorite part involved a huge disco ball in the woods and the song, "Thriller" by Michael Jackson.  Unfortunately, I only made it halfway through the Pitch Black part of the tour where we literally walked in a pitch black building with walls inches from either side of us and not being able to see in front of us at all.  I would like to say I made it half way through the house but in reality, I was probably only 1/3 of the way through it with Monika and Adam before needing to duck out through an Emergency Exit door. I didn't think I was claustrophobic until that night....!  Anyhow, if you've never been, go check it out next year!  Here is the link to their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/ReapersRevengeHauntedHayride/?pnref=story.  Thinking back on November 1st last week, one of my favorite moments was seeing my niece, Mason, hold Hershey.  She was so excited to be back with him (and with Dusty but more so with the younger pup) and couldn't stop smiling as she cradled him in her arms.  

I finally got to take Adam to my childhood amusement park!

He is the perfect size for kiddos!  ; )  I'm thankful for adorable nieces and nephews....and puppies.

Day 2:  I'm thankful we have such well behaved dogs in the car for when we take long trips or even just quick trips here and there.  I've heard horror stories from other petowners about how their animals get sick in the car, whine, cry, tear up the upholstery in the seats, and are anxious travelers.  Fortunately, we lucked out with Dusty Shamrock and Hershey Bar who usually just nap and cuddle during road trips.  I snapped this as we returned to Ohio during the five hour trek from PA last weekend.

Day 3:  I'm thankful for Dollar Store finds!  My parents gave us the two new light decorations we placed at the top of the hutch that make our living room even cozier.  These light decorations have me in the mood for Christmas and who knows, maybe we'll leave them up all year round as they change color and simulate candles burning but in a safer way!

Day 4:  I was thankful it was not raining or cold when I discovered my car had died at work due to my not turning the lights off 12 hours prior and that I still had the emergency kit Mark gave me years ago in my trunk...it had been really foggy that morning when I drove to work and I forgot to flick off the lights before entering my building.  Oops.  Fortunately, Adam was able to rescue me, jump the car (twice), and get me home within a half hour so we could still be on time for our 9pm Holy Hour that evening.  I guess that was why I had let my class out an hour early that night...so much for surprising Adam at the house with an early return to the house that night.  ; )

Day 5:  These are "Bath Bombs" Adam gave me as a surprise gift!  When we returned from our trip last weekend, we had a package sitting on our doorstep.  Turns out these Beauty by Earth organic bath salts were inside the box thanks to my thoughtful husband who gave me this "just because".  I used the "Just Relax" and the "Get Well Soon" (my pesky allergies have been acting up as of late) fizzies so far and appreciated the aromas that filled the bathroom, the soft silky skin after the bath, and enjoyed the fizzing in the water as the bath bombs "exploded" in the tub under the running faucet.  I'm thankful for a nice deep tub in which I can get bubble baths (one of my tiny luxuries I like to indulge in) and of course for a hubby who knows me well enough to spoil me with little surprises like these especially since I would probably never indulge in this sort of thing myself!

Day 6:  The other day I was to have a meeting in Christ the King Chapel on campus.  The meeting ended up falling through but I was still grateful for the chance to squeeze in some quiet time and prayer in the beautiful chapel amidst a crazy busy work week (as they all seem to have been as of late).  Since it is November, there is a basket in which you can place prayer intentions for those who have passed so I listed these four people who have been weighing on my heart lately.  Aunt Ollie and Grandma are never too far from my mind and heart so they were the first two I thought of right away....I so wish they both could have met Adam.  I often wonder what a conversation with Grandma and Adam would be like.  I just know that she would have loved the fact that he is Catholic and tall....for her super tall since she was so short in stature.  I would even guess she might compare him to Richie (my dad)!  With Aunt Ollie, I'm not sure much talking would be happening from all the food she would be sure to serve him as we sat in her dining room and looked at the birds out the bay window.  ; )  I think I spelled Eddie's last name wrong but ever since finding out he passed away after a year long battle with cancer recently, I can't stop thinking about his family.  He was only a few years older than I and had moved to Florida with his family in the late 90s or early 2000s so we fell out of touch but it's always unsettling to hear the news of someone within your age group dying so young which leads me to Jess.  I can't believe she has been gone for this long as this past September marked nine years already.  If you could offer up a prayer or kind thoughts for these and others you know who have passed, I would appreciate it! 

Day 7:  Yesterday morning was an early one with meeting up with two friends to carpool to Pittsburgh area by a little after 8am.  We attended a beautiful conference from 9am - noon where we heard inspiring testimony and praise and worship music.  The band just happened to be from our town and I've heard them before at my church every now and then so that was an unexpected surprise!  They even sang the theme song that I absolutely love from my Women of Grace bible study days with Johnette Benkovic.  I'm so thankful for the time spent with friends in fellowship whether it is at the Magnificat Conference or our monthly Good Godly Grub gatherings or just as we walk the neighborhood together.  We don't have a young adults group here that I have been missing from my time in NC and PA but this small group of spiritual and lovely women I am honored to call friends are certainly helping to fill some of the void left by the lack of a YA group.  I'm thankful for the times we have already spent together (a play on Friday night on campus, the morning retreat yesterday, an upcoming Thanksgiving themed GGG) and all that will come in the future too!  However, I'm also thankful for something a bit more domesticated....upon my return to the house, Adam proudly showed me the new kitchen faucet!!  We had waited since late August for the plumber to install the new garbage disposal and our new kitchen faucet that we had in a box on our desk in the dining room for the last couple months.  Our sink looks so much better and a bit more modern with this small update!!  Speaking of which, I need to get back into sharing the before/after pictures of the house on here as well as the Meals as a Mrs. recipes I've been trying out this fall.  One such dish, the Pumpkin Pie Cake, was a hit that I will be sure to repeat next year!!

Day 8:  Today, as we are about to advance to the 24th week mark of pregnancy, I'm even more grateful for this precious life growing inside of me.  At the doctor appointment this past week, the baby appeared to be giving the sonographer and me a high five.  ;)  I have been journaling the experience (including how we shared the news with loved ones, ramblings related to first time pregnancy on my end, and informational facts about where the baby is development-wise) since we found out we were expecting so will probably begin to share some of the thoughts via the blog at some point. Sadly, I was able to write more in the summer than I have been able to do during the school year but even if I don't have the time to write, the baby is never far from my prayers and thoughts.  It's incredible how you can love someone so much you haven't even met yet.  To quote Fr. Vince from North Carolina (and more recently one of the speakers from yesterday morning:  "God is good....all the time.  All the time...God is good!") and we're now under the four month countdown until the expected due date so soon enough we will get to meet the newest little member of our growing family!!