Gratitude Project, Day 30

Today I'm thankful for slightly less crazy in my life. Let's just say that people handle stress and grief in different ways and it has been...interesting, to say the least...to see how that works in my family. The last time we lost anyone in our family, I was a little girl, and I wasn't really privy to any of that. Doing it as an adult is very different. And I'm just glad to say it was a little less crazy today than yesterday. Hopefully that trend will continue.

I'm so thankful for sweet moments with my Grandma. I haven't slept in days, and last night was no exception. I woke up super early and could hear on the ceiling that I wasn't the only one awake. I waited for awhile, but when I could tell that person didn't go back to sleep, I headed upstairs to join them. My sweet Grandma was awake, sitting at the kitchen table with her newspaper, watching the birds and squirrels out the window as tears rolled down her cheeks. I put my arm around her and we had some sweet moments together. Then we worked on the crossword puzzle in the paper. Sometimes it's good to cry, and sometimes it's good to be distracted from the grief.

My Uncle Kim has been up here since before Thanksgiving, and I tell you what, he is a ROCK. He has struggled through all this as much as anyone (maybe more), but he continues to do everything with grace, strength, and his hilarious sense of humor. He definitely knows how and when to bring a little levity to the situation. I'm so thankful for him, and the chance to spend some time with him this week. He's amazing.

Today the good ol' Rocky Mountain winter hit with full force, so I am so thankful my sweet cousin Michaela made it up from Bozeman in the crazy storm. We had a good time playing Apples to Apples tonight to try and lighten everyone up a little bit. And with that Montana blizzard, I'm thankful for heaters and boots and ways to stay warm in the cold. The Pacific Northwest is diluting my hearty Montana blood, I'm afraid!

At my Grandpa's request (about five years ago), I have to sing for the funeral on Saturday. My sister has agreed to sing with me (thank you, God!). We met with the pastor today and talked about all the different song choices, and he is giving me the freedom to pick and choose whatever I'd like to do, which is a huge blessing. My Grandma already told me I could do whatever I wanted as long as it was okay with him, so I think we've almost gotten it all figured out now. My good friend Dave was going to play for us, but then he realized he's going to be out of town this weekend, so guess who has to play the guitar--me! Eeeeek. I haven't picked up my guitar in probably a year. This does not bode well for my fingers the next few days. Nevertheless, Dave picked us up tonight and played through the music with Amy and me so we could at least sing through it a couple times. I'm so thankful he was willing to do that for us, and to lend me his guitar for the week, too. We had a good time hanging out and spent a lot of time laughing and chatting--exactly what we needed.

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 29

Today I'm thankful for clear, dry roads all 12 hours of our trip to Montana, with deer staying on the sides of the road, instead of actually being ON the road. After we got the call yesterday morning, Amy and I decided we needed to leave straight away. There were lots of reasons, but we knew we needed to get there soon. We both went to work, talked to our bosses, and got the rest of the week off. Sterling has finals next week, so he couldn't come, which means he gets dog-sitting duty for the week (thanks, Ster.) Suitcases packed, lunch made, and gas tank full, we hit the road bright and early this morning. We half-jokingly asked Grandpa to give us a safe journey, and it must have worked.

My sister is the best, most hilarious, awesome person/friend/sister/travel buddy you could ever want. All things considered, we had a really fun trip. We made it safe and sound to Great Falls and didn't get a single speeding ticket (which may or may not have been a minor miracle in and of itself).

I'm so thankful for all the texts, emails, phone calls, and facebook messages of love and support that have been directed toward my family and me these last few days. I've been to many funerals, but Grandpa is the closest person I've ever lost, and if the last few days are any indication, the next few promise to be difficult, at best. I don't know what I would do without all the love and support and prayer we have pouring in from all sides. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

When we arrived in Great Falls, my mom immediately burst into tears, so Amy took her and I took Grandma and we chatted with them separately. My grandmother has got to be one of the strongest women I know. She is a rock. I am so thankful to have her in my life and to see her amazing example of strength and faith, despite her deep sadness. She is amazing.

And on a lighter note, I'm thankful for pomegranate seeds! Those little guys got us through a big chunk of this crazy trip--the 20 minutes it took to coax them out of the fruit were well worth it!

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 28

Today I'm thankful for the life of my sweet, strong, amazing, beloved Grandpa Harold Hasenkrug. He was the only Grandpa I had growing up, and the best I could ever want. I am so blessed to have shared this earth with him for this long, and to see the love he shared with my Grandma, his wife of 62+ years, his five children and their spouses, and his ten grandchildren. Ever the respectful gentleman, he waited until my sweet mom had him all cleaned up and shaved and ready to go before he went to heave then morning--he went looking his best to meet his Maker. I love you Grandpa. May the choirs of angels come to greet you, and may they lead you to Paradise. I will see you again someday.

Rest in peace.

Gratitude Project, Day 27

Today I'm thankful for a fun morning at church and the Advent Festival with Theresa and her beautiful daughter, Siena. Last night was a rough night, waiting for the call that might or might not come at any moment, so I didn't get much sleep. My alarm didn't go off, I woke up late, and I threw some clothes on and went to church without even showering, but it was good to be there, and it was an amazing relief to laugh and have fun with Theresa and her hilarious daughter.

My mom rented a car in Boise and left at 3:00 in the morning to drive to Montana to be there with my Grandpa and family. I'm so thankful she made it safely...and in time. And I'm thankful my dad made it back to Vernal safely, too.

I'm thankful for fleece-lined dress pants--why did no one ever think of these before? Thank you, Eddie Bauer! Finally I can be dressed up and not freeze to death!

I'm thankful for grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches and peppermint ice cream--can you tell today's a comfort food kind of day?

I happened to catch the Hallmark movie of Mitch Albom's book tonight, "Have a Little Faith," and it was exactly what I needed to see. Sometimes those Hallmark movies are pure cheese, but this one was beautiful.

I called my mom tonight and she was up at Cambridge, the assisted living place, with my Grandpa. I got a chance to chat for a minute with my sweet, beautiful, gentle, wonderful Aunt Sandy, and I am so, so, so, so thankful for her, and her calming presence, and her love. She is the ex-wife of my mom's brother, but she is very much still in our family and we love her so much. I'm glad to know she's there with my Mom and my Grandma and my Uncle Kim and she can take a little of the burden for them. This whole thing is so, so hard, but I'm glad we have each other and there is so much love going around. Family is an amazing thing.

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 26

Today I'm thankful for lazy days at home. I needed a break today, and I'm glad I didn't have anything going on so I could have one. I'm thankful that I have delicious Thanksgiving leftovers at my house so I don't have to cook, and I'm thankful for my awesome and super comfy yoga pants.

I'm also thankful for my sweet, sweet Grandpa. We got bad news today. Debbie called this morning to tell us he has an infection of some sort, and they think he probably only has a week left, at most. Then apparently Grandma called Mom and Dad tonight while they were in Boise and said it's even worse than that--they think he'll probably go tonight or tomorrow. So, so sad. I'm so thankful that he is on hospice care and they are treating his pain, but this is very hard. I'm so thankful that I have such amazing and incredibly supportive friends who have reached out to me in so many ways as this news has come down. I'm also so grateful that my family is so close and the we really can (and do) lean on each other during hard times. We're going to need that more than ever these next few weeks.

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 25

Today I'm thankful for sleeping in! No Black Friday shopping for this girl. Especially not when it's still Thanksgiving! No thank you.

I'm also thankful for a great afternoon with my friend, Dave (aka "Puddy"). He moved away to Montana a few months ago, and it was fun to catch up today. We had a good time hanging out over hot chocolate, stopping by the grocery store, and doing a little cooking at my apartment, then heading over to hang out with some really amazing people who I don't get to see very often. They are super fun, and we had a good time with our homemade pizza and old school video games. :)

I'm so, so, so super duper thankful that my parents brought their carpet cleaner with them, and since they took forever to get to my house today and I was gone when they got there, they just did the carpets for me! They are the BEST!! And my carpets look so good. :)

I went over to Amy's after I'd seen my friends for a bit, and my mom and I watched, "The Red Violin." It was Ster's recommendation, and it was SUCH a good movie! Not going to lie, I may have nodded off a couple times, but that was entirely due to my exhaustion, and not at all to the quality of the movie. :) I snuggled with sweet little Annie, the new puppy, during the movie--it has been fun to have her around. My folks are headed out tomorrow, but it's been such a nice visit, and I'm so glad the weekend isn't actually over!

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 24

Today I'm thankful for so, so many things, but I'll leave it at this--I'm thankful for my friends and family, both old and new, near and far, who bless my life and enrich it in ways I can't begin to measure. I'm thankful for the opportunity and privilege to love and be loved in return. And I'm thankful for my faith, and the knowledge that a God who loves us is in control and has promised us a future full of hope.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gratitude Project, Day 23

Today I am especially thankful for the life of Margaret Cosgrove, and the chance I've had to know such an amazing, kind, special, remarkable woman. Margaret was Erik's "Grandma Coz," and she passed away this morning after a valiant battle with cancer. She was a major part of my life for many years, so I'm sad to see her go, but I know these last few months have been very difficult for her. She was a very gentle, graceful woman--a true lady--and I'm sure no one knew how much she was really suffering. Ellicia (Erik's sister) said their granddad kissed her goodbye and told her it was okay to go, and then she passed away peacefully. Thank goodness for small blessings. She was so sweet and always so good to me. What a beautiful woman, and how awesome to be Home for Thanksgiving. :)

Eternal rest, grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. And may God bless her family with comfort, strength, and peace.

I'm also thankful for phone calls, text messages, and emails, and the ease they provide for connecting with people we love.

I'm thankful for pumpkin curry, ala Williams Sonoma. An employee at the store recommended it to me a couple weeks ago, we picked some of the sauce up a couple weeks ago to make for dinner tonight--sooooo, soooo good! Seriously, if you have a WS near you, you should pick some up! It's seasonal, so they won't have it for long, and it was delicious!

I had to have a root canal and some dental work done this morning. Nothing like a dentist who calls you kiddo and hums (and sometimes sings) along to the Christmas music on the radio while he works on your mouth for the better part of three hours! :) He's really, really good, and so far, I'm just exhausted and not in total agony. I am definitely grateful for good, strong pain meds, and especially for the fact that so far they have not made me feel crazy nauseated. Having a root canal the day before Thanksgiving definitely could have been much worse! He even called to check on me before he went home tonight, and gave me his cell number in case anything happens over the weekend.

I'm also so thankful my family is in town, and I could spend a low-key evening chilling with them, even though I'm all hopped up on painkillers and exhausted. They're the best! :)

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 22

Today I'm thankful for St. Cecilia! St. Cecilia is the patron saint of music and musicians, and today is her Feast Day! She is also the saint I chose as my confirmation saint (largely due to her association with music), but she has a cool story, too. I also received a couple sweet, unexpected text messages from some very thoughtful friends wishing me a happy feast day, so that was awesome, too. I am very blessed.

I'm SO THANKFUL FOR A LONG BREAK!! Today was my first day off for Thanksgiving and it was awesome! My parents came over and we went to Benihana for lunch--yum! The food was delicious, and the hibachi chef was HILARIOUS!! He was literally flipping a raw egg yolk up in the air on the back of a spatula without breaking it--awesome. And lunch wasn't crazy expensive there, either. It was a lot of fun.

Umm, by the way, have you tried peach-flavored Fresca? I'm not usually a Fresca fan, but this stuff is awesome! Try it...you can thank me later. ;)

We went out for dinner with my sister, and my dad insisted on me riding with them, even though it meant he had to bring me home and drive back to Amy's later. This saved me some gas money and meant I didn't have to drive in torrential rain and crazy traffic (and we all know how much I hate driving in general), so this was super sweet! I had the best, best, best salad at dinner--YUM! And on the way there, I got an unexpected phone call from my friend, Tana, so we had some time to catch up. It was really great. So much to be thankful for today!

What are YOU thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 21

Today I'm thankful for being on vacation! We have Thursday and Friday off, and I took Tuesday and Wednesday as vacation, so I am officially DONE! Yay for 6 day weekends!! :) And yay for not having to set my alarm clock tonight!

Tonight we had our first meeting for the Young Adult Retreat. This is one of my favorite things I do in Portland, and even though it's a ton of work, I am blessed to work on it with some of the best people I know, and we always end up creating an awesome experience for everyone who comes. I'm so proud of the work the seven (or so) of us do together, and even though our group changes a little every year, we always have a lot of fun together. So even though I had to miss out on a fun time with my family, I'm really glad we got a chance to catch up and we got a ton accomplished tonight. :)

I'm also thankful my long game of phone tag with my friend Dave finally ended. He moved to Montana in August, and I really miss having him around. We had a really, really good conversation, and made tentative plans to see each other while he's in Portland this week! He's a great friend.

And while it's silly, I'm thankful I randomly caught Brian Williams's interview of Betty White on TV tonight. What a remarkable woman! She is hilarious and insightful, and it was a nice way to end the day. :)

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 20

Today I'm thankful for the hilarious little boy and his extra-sweet big brother who sat in front of me at church this morning. When it comes to little kids, I am a shameless flirt, and this little boy was probably about 18 mos. old, and when he batted those big, gorgeous brown eyes and grinned around his pacifier, how could you not be totally taken with him? SO ADORABLE. And his big brother, who was probably about 7, was SO CUTE watching him and grinning at me as he realized what was going on. :)

Since my folks came up in their truck and we had access to it, we went out to get Christmas trees today! (Yes, I know it's early. I'm okay with it.) Something like 85% of the country's fresh Christmas trees come from Oregon, and there is no shortage of tree farms, even nearby. We went to an awesome one and picked out two, one for Amy and Ster's house and one for my apartment. It was a gorgeous, sunny, dry day, and we had a blast searching for the perfect trees with my dad (so thankful he's feeling better and over the nasty bug he had yesterday!), while my mom wandered through the Christmas shop. It was awesome.

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 19

Today I'm thankful for a fun day of shopping with my mom and sister! I am not a big shopper, but we had a lot of fun. My parents are so, so generous, and I was mostly after pants for work and my mom insisted on buying the two pairs I was going to get. They are such a blessing. It was a fun girls' day. :)

I bought a pumpkin caramel latte smelly wallflower thing for my apartment from Bath and Body Works--OMG, it is awesome! I don't like coffee, but it smells amazing. :)

I'm so thankful I'm still connected to the SEARCH program at Gonzaga. I know it's SEARCH this weekend, and I know the amazing, incredible, truly miraculous things that happen on those weekends, and I'm grateful to know that those things are happening this very weekend at a special place in Spokane. :)

My dad wasn't feeling well today, but Amy, Sterling, my mom, and I had family game night tonight, and it was so much fun! We are board game nerds and I love it!

I made these awesome ornament wreaths for my mom and sister and was able to give them to them as an early Christmas present tonight--they turned out beautifully! I am thankful for my ability to create beautiful things and to surprise people I love.

I'm also thankful for games of phone tag. Even if I don't get to connect with that person right away, the messages and missed calls remind me that someone is thinking of me, and to that person, I matter right now, which is kind of awesome. When you reach the person right away, they might not be on your radar again for a few weeks/months/etc., but when you're playing phone tag, that person is on your mind until you get ahold of them. And I'm also thankful to know that eventually the phone tag comes to an end and you do get to connect with that person. :)

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 18

Today I'm thankful for our amazing office manager. They are shuffling us all around at our office, and because I run three different programs, there is a LOT of stuff at my desk. They needed it moved while I was gone, so she asked if she could do it. She insisted on doing it all herself so she could make sure it was still in some semblance of order when I got back to the office (thank goodness!). And today she kept me from completely losing my mind when I realized that ALL of my files for an entire program have mysteriously disappeared from our server. NOT GOOD. But she is awesome!

There were giant, fluffy snowflakes falling as I drove over the top of the hill on my way to my sister's house tonight--the first of the season! Beautiful! We don't usually get much (if any) snow in Portland, and I love the snow!

I am also thankful for my awesome raincoat--it has been the best purchase ever! A $300 Eddie Bauer coat for $50? Yes, please.

I offered to bring the baby puppy home with me tonight to alleviate the chaos at my sister's house, and she and Allee are currently rolling around, wrestling on my bed. They are hilarious. I'm so thankful they get along and have fun together!

I'm also really thankful for the internet, and the easy access I have to it. Seriously, sometimes I can't remember how we did anything without it! Need a recipe? Google it? An address? The weather report? To talk to a friend? Movie times? Directions? Anything you want is at your fingertips with the internet. It makes my life SO much easier all the time. What a blessing!

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 17

Today I'm thankful for electricity! The power was out this morning when I woke up, and as I was contemplating how complicated and not fun it getting ready for work would be with no power, it came back on.

I'm also thankful I'm DONE with students for the next week and a half. Tomorrow I'm in the office, then next week the kids are out of school all week (the first two days are conferences), and let's be honest...I need a break! Here's what I've learned from working in schools: school staff need the breaks ten times worse than the kids do!

I'm also thankful that my parents arrived safely in Portland tonight for the holiday! It can be a treacherous drive this time of year, but it was fine (just wet) and they made it! My dad smoked his own salmon they caught this year and he brought some up for us--YUM!! And they brought their new puppy up, and Allee is the only dog with enough energy to keep up with her, so they were literally a rolling, rumbling ball of crazy puppy the whole evening. She is WIPED tonight, which means we'll both get a good night's sleep! :)

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 16

Today I'm thankful for delicious chai tea and spiced cider--hot drinks on a cold, rainy day are the best, and boy has it been cold and rainy here lately! Especially in the car, it's nice to have something warm to sip on while I'm trucking through the rain--and I'm thankful for windshield wipers that work! I've had ones that don't work well, and oh boy. I'm also thankful for warm, cozy scarves--are we sensing a theme today?

I'm thankful for patience, and that, for the most part, I'm a patient person. The kids at school have been crazy lately, and I'm thankful I have patience to put up with them, especially when they are particularly difficult. Today was one of those days.

I'm also thankful for early bedtimes (I totally crashed when I got home tonight and took a nap, and I'm heading to bed early) after I read a little in the amazing book I can't put down! (Okay, I'm actually reading about three of those right now!)

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 15

Today I'm thankful for beautiful morning fog and afternoon sunshine. I seriously really do love the fog! I think it's so pretty, especially when it's starting to burn off and the sun glitters through it. It was rarely foggy where I grew up, so I think there's something a little bit magical about it for me. And I'm also thankful for the gorgeous afternoon sunshine we had today! I thought it was supposed to be rainy and gross all day, so that beautiful sunshine on my drive home was a nice surprise.

I'm also SOOOOOO thankful for long emails from my best friend from college, Debi. She has lived in France ever since we graduated from college, and with only a few lulls, we have managed to email each other almost every week over the past EIGHT years. Even though we don't see each other too often (although I did get a glorious weekend with her in July) or get to talk on the phone too often, we always know what's going on in each other's lives and she is one of those people I can talk to about anything. She just graduated from medical school (in FRANCE, for crying out loud!) and is starting her residency, and I'm so proud of her! Love this girl! And every time her name pops up in my inbox, without fail, it makes me smile.

I'm also so, so, so thankful for my awesome sister and the fact that we live in the same town for once! We often have "Biggest Loser" dates on Tuesday nights, and I love just being able to go over and hang out with her. She is hilarious and brilliant and beautiful and one of my very best friends. I am so lucky to have such a sweet, awesome, amazing sister, and to have her living close by for awhile is WONDERFUL!

Speaking of my sister, she made me laugh so hard tonight that I literally couldn't breathe and I had tears streaming down my face for like 10 minutes. So thankful. :)

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 14

Today I'm super extra ultra thankful for my awesome chiropractor! They squeezed me in this morning and I feel SOOOOOO much better! Going back on Thursday again, and then will hopefully be good as new. My neck was seriously messed up--so thankful for doctors who know how to fix these things!

I'm so thankful for my amazing friends. I know the best people! How did I ever get so lucky? I am blessed.

My coworker surprised us with rainbow chip cupcakes at work today--my favorite! :) YUM!

Cheesy as it sounds, I'm thankful for simple pleasures like watching "the sing-off." Tonight Pentatonix (who is quickly becoming my favorite group!) did an awesome performance of "OMG," but they changed the lyrics up to accommodate the religious beliefs of one of their members. I think that's so awesome! And kudos to NBC for highlighting that--their "Oh My GoSH" was amazing.

And I'm thankful for clean, warm laundry. Even though I hate, hate, hate having to pay for laundry and having to haul my laundry out in the rain to do it, I am so thankful that the basic luxury (and it really is a luxury) is available to me. My amazing sister and brother-in-law often let me bring my laundry over to their house and do it, since it is pretty expensive at my apartment (they are the BEST! I am SO thankful for that!), but even when I can't, I am thankful I can afford the money it costs to have clean clothes. A lot of the kids I work with don't have this sort of opportunity readily accessible (you'd be shocked by how many kids come to school wearing the same thing every day, or wearing dirty clothes), and it makes me so thankful I have never been in that position.

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 13

Today I'm thankful for Christmas music on the radio!! (Yes, I'm one of THOSE people.) In high school I sang in a show choir. (I'm one of THOSE people, too.) And to tell you the truth, to this day it was still one of the best things I've ever done. I honestly loved every single minute of it. And the very best part (for me) was the Christmas season. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we usually had 40+ performances--yes, that's often several in one day--and we performed all over at Christmas parties, school assemblies, public gatherings, you name it. It was a blast. But starting right after Thanksgiving meant we usually started learning Christmas music in October in order to have all the songs and choreography down in time. That's why it's funny to me when people are freaking out about listening to Christmas music in mid-November--I just don't see the problem (thank you HiLites)! In fact, this seems late to start if you ask me! Plus, I love Christmas music. I always have. So why should I only get to listen to it for a month? I think at least two months of the year is perfectly acceptable. So if you are a "strictly after Thanksgiving" person, I totally understand and support that, but as for me, I'm rocking Portland's Christmas music station in my car, and I'm so happy it's back!

I'm also thankful for the ADORABLE kiddos who were around me at church this morning. There was this BEAUTIFUL little Asian baby girl in front of me--so sweet! And a cute little boy sat next to me. When I was in college, we had Masses that were specifically done by the University, catering to college students, but sometimes I really loved going to the Family Mass at the church--it's so awesome to see families with grandparents and little kids all worshipping together. I love the church I've been going to by my house. The priest is AWESOME, his sermons are always totally amazing, and the music is INCREDIBLE. I feel really blessed that this just happens to be the closest church to my house. :) Plus, at the end, they had all the veterans stand up today and the whole church clapped for a long time. It was really sweet. It's a wonderful place.

My neck and back are still tweaked, so after church and a quick stop at the grocery store, naptime was in order. Since my apartment was a little chilly, I curled up on the couch with a big, heavy quilt and Allee crawled under and curled up next to me. She is definitely my personal hot water bottle. :) She never lets me get more than a few feet away from her, and she loves it when we have naptime together. I'm so thankful for long Sunday naps!

And finally, I made a great big pot of delicious vegetable soup tonight. It is my new favorite thing--super easy, healthy, cheap, and so, so delicious. I will be thankful for that all week!

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 12

Today I'm thankful for "Harry Potter" movie marathons! :) It is drizzly and cold and dreary outside today, and so I decided that I should watch some of the "Harry Potter" movies because I love them, and it's been awhile (and it was either that or Christmas movies...I slept through "Love Actually" yesterday when I wasn't feeling well!). Did you know they are taking them off the shelves after Christmas? I'd better buy the ones I don't have soon! :)

I am so thankful I'm feeling about 70% better than yesterday! My neck is still pretty stiff and sore, but I'm not nauseated from the pain like I was yesterday, so I'll take it! It is getting better, and hopefully I can get into my chiropractor this week. :) When I had crazy whiplash, I bought an awesome heating pad and it is really helping (moist heat is the KEY!!). And since I wasn't feeling too hot this afternoon while I was running a couple errands, I hadn't eaten anything all day and the only thing that sounded good was a rootbeer float, so I'm thankful for rootbeer floats (even if I only ate half of it). And thank goodness for yummy leftovers in my fridge tonight so I didn't have to cook!

Since I'm still not feeling super great, today is a take it easy kind of day, so I decided to try to finish up a craft project I had started while I'm laying low. They turned out great! I'm sooooo excited about them, and I will post photos in a later post. :) So I'm thankful for time to be creative and a project that turned out well.

I took my cute puppy in for a haircut today--she hadn't had one since July! I am thankful for the groomer who was very patient and good with her, even though she (the groomer, not Allee) wasn't feeling well today. And my sweet puppy looks much less like a mongrel now!

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Project, Day 11

Today I'm thankful for my teapot! It was a Christmas gift from my folks a few years ago, and I LOVE IT! I use it almost every day to heat water for tea or hot chocolate or cider or something. It's always on my stove. I love it. :) Tonight's drink of choice is Stephen's Gourmet Hot Chocolate (it's the BEST!!) with French Vanilla mini marshmallows--perfect for a cold night when the lovely weather we've been having is making it's exit, and soooooo delicious.

Last night I must have slept wrong or something, because I woke up in EXCRUCIATING pain. Anytime I try to move my head or neck, I have this incredibly sharp pain in my neck and shoulder. I worked for a few hours, but it was no fun, and now I'm pretty much down for the count. So today I'm super thankful for sick time at work (so I could give up and come home early), good pain meds, and the awesome rice bag my mom made me years ago. They are definitely helping, even if only a little.

I'm also thankful it's college basketball season again! You know I love my Gonzaga basketball!!!!! Tonight was the first regular season game, and since my budget does not allow for cable (which I normally don't care too much about anyway) and I wasn't feeling up to going out, I was bummed I wouldn't get to watch it. However, leave it to the Zag fans, because one quick post on facebook elicited a couple places to watch it online (plus an invite to another friend's house to watch it). So I got to see it after all, and the first game of the season was a WIN! :) GO GONZAGA!!

I'm also excited and so, so thankful that I will get to spend my goddaughter's 2nd birthday WITH her this year!!!! :) Janna and Ryan's sweet baby girl, Olivia, is my goddaughter, and I haven't seen her since she was four months old! Originally I had thought Jan and Ryan weren't coming until late on the 23rd, or maybe even the 24th, but Jan just texted me that they'll be there on the 22nd, and I am sooooo excited!! I love my sweet Livy and I can't wait to see her! Living far apart is hard because I want to have a relationship with her, but we're doing the best we can. :)

Finally, today I am so thankful for the freedoms we enjoy in the United States, and more importantly, for the men and women in the military who fight and sacrifice and risk everything to guarantee those freedoms. I'm also thankful for their families, who give up so much to support the troops in a very real way. Tonight I'm especially thankful for my Uncle Jim and Aunt Joan, who were both in the Navy; for my Grandpa Einar, who fought in WW2; for my friend Mike, who is on his second tour and currently serving in Afghanistan, and his wife Sarah and son Patrick--Sarah is raising a two-year old AND completing her first year of PT school while Mike's deployed, which is certainly no small feat--they are an amazing family; despite the struggles of the past few months, for Zack and his dad, who are both military men; and for the rest of my family and friends who are serving right now or who have served in the past, and for all veterans and military men and women out there. Thank you for your service.

Also...Happy 11/11/11!!

What are you thankful for today?