Giving Thanks

We’re heading into the holiday season fast and furious.  Seriously…

• Hubs and I are doing last minute training for our 5K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day.  I actually ran 3 miles this past Wednesday, which was the farthest I’ve ever gone.  

• On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we have family rolling into town to help celebrate my uncle’s 60^th birthday. In anticipation of our guest’s arrival, I am ferociously cleaning the house.  It will be nice to have every room filled with family.  I’m rolling out the nice towels, people.

• And who can forget that I am getting ever closer to my December 9^th graduation?  Certainly not the person writing this blog. 

• In addition to all this, Hubs and I are scrambling to finish some last minute house projects. I don’t think I’ve mentioned this yet, but we finally got around to painting our porch.  It is now a cheerful dark blue that really sets off the red of the front door.  I promise to post those photos as soon as I can take a picture of it in the daylight (by the time I get home from work, it’s already black outside).

In the midst of all this chaos, it would be easy to forget the concept behind Thanksgiving- simply giving thanks. As a reminder to slow down and recognize how God has blessed my life (and our family), I have implemented a new family tradition to celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s super simple. Hubs and I wrote down a bunch of the things that we are thankful for on construction paper squares and then, we strung them along on a ribbon for all to see. 

 So, what are we thankful for? 

My husband (he’s so handsome)

 Grace and Judson (Judson just celebrated his 5^th birthday on Wednesday--He got an awesome birthday ice cube)

 Green Mountain coffee

Pumpkin pie

Warm pajamas

Bubble baths (this is mine)

Jane Austen (this one too)

Our parents (for their love, commitment to God & one another, and for always answering the phone when we call)

My Nook Color (currently reading The Hunger Games—Holy cow people)

Our home (still in process, but looking better every day)

Our education (and my looming matriculation)

Our jobs

Friends

Laughter and lighthearted moments

 Hub’s dance moves (be still my heart)

Our garden

God’s goodness, mercy & grace

So many things!!!!!

Divided by Half

This is a big announcement, no wait... it's huge!  As of this morning I've lost a total of 90 pounds since January 6th, 2011.  

This year has been truly monumental for me.  Next month I will be celebrating the completion of my master's degree.  In addition, I've reduced my size by half. Seriously. What's more, I'm hoping to have reached my weight loss goal of 100 pounds by the end of December.  I am well on my way. 

Continuing with the concept behind my 80 pounds lost announcement, I want to share some amusing/shocking/crazy weight loss comparisons. Hold on to your hat.


Here are some things that weigh 90 pounds:

1 healthy Holstein calf 
1 female Labrador retriever weighs in at 90 pounds 
A Singer treadle sewing machine weighs approximately 90 lbs
4.5 average car tires
360 quarter pounder hamburgers
90 pounds of feathers (get it?)
69 regulation sized basketballs weigh approximately 90 pounds
and lastly... 45 free range, organically fed chickens

Full Disclosure

I just want to put this out there, even though I might be ridiculed for it...

I'm already listening to Christmas music!  Are you groaning? It's just that I love Christmas music and if I wait until the day after Thanksgiving to get my Let it Snow on, then that is only one month.  Now that I started listening the day after Halloween, I get two whole months.

In no way does this mean I don't respect Thanksgiving.  I love Thanksgiving.  My house is all decked out with pumpkins, gourds, indian corn, and cute little turkeys.  I even made a paper sign reading, "Give Thanks" and hung it in the doorway between the living room and the dining room.

I just want to listen to Away in a Manger okay?  In all fairness to others, I do leave my music pretty quiet.  I understand that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for holiday tunes in the beginning of November, or maybe not at all (and for those of you who fall in the latter group- Bah Humbug).