Giving Thanks

Well, Thanksgiving day has come and gone, but I'm still feeling the warmth and joy of one of my favorite holidays.:) I love that we have a holiday set aside to reflect with thanks on the past year and to gather with family to celebrate God's goodness in our lives. I am not always good about focusing on the positives, but when I take time out to consider the many blessings in my life I am overwhelmed at God's goodness.

This year I am of course particularly grateful for the beautiful baby boy God brought into our family back in April. Maxfield brings incredible joy and love into our lives and being a mom is by far the awesomest thing I have ever done. I am also so thankful for Luke; he is such a loving and caring husband and I love growing up and growing more in love with him each year. God has blessed both of us with good jobs that provide for both our basic needs as well as a few extras-- this is something we have learned not to take for granted. I am also grateful for the opportunities God has given me through my art this year; He provides me with chances to exercise my talent even when I least expect it. And I am extremely thankful for my amazing family and friends. I am truly blessed!

christmas!

I get really excited about the holidays.:) Even though I work in retail, I still love the Christmas season and all that it entails. This year I'm ahead of schedule with my shopping and I even have most things wrapped.:) We put up our tree last Friday and it makes things feel quite festive.:) We got a real tree for the first time since we've been married. Previous years we've had 3 and a half foot fake tree, so the 6+ foot tree in the living room seems pretty awesome.:) Now I need to see about getting Christmas cards out... may end up being more like New Years...:)

Hope everyone is having an enjoyable holiday season!

giving thanks and looking forward

I love Thanksgiving. Not only is it a great holiday for reflecting on God's goodness, but it also ushers in the holiday season (of which I am a fan:). We enjoyed spending Thursday with my family, all of whom were able to be there. It's great to have a day to relax, eat amazing food, play board games late into the night and hang out with your favorite people in the world.:) It's also great to be part of a family that recognizes the importance of giving thanks to our God. While this has been an incredibly challenging and somewhat frustrating year for Luke and me, it was good to step back and to reflect on the many ways that God has provided for us and for His care in our lives. We were also able spend Saturday with Luke's immediate and extended family. We got in some good euchre games and enjoyed the day. I did venture out on black Friday to score a few deals. I didn't go until about 9:30, in order to avoid being trampled to death.:) I missed out on a couple things I wanted to get, but later found one of them online for the same price and the other at a different store. As for everything else I went for, I found all of it and more...:) No surprises there. I have a pretty good leg up on my Christmas shopping now. I love that now it's ok to listen to Christmas music and to start getting excited about the upcoming holiday celebrations. I'm a big fan of the Christmas season.:)