Thankfulness: Days 6-11

Day 6: I am thankful for those who share their bounty.  Deborah's parents sent home extra 'valley lemons' with Brian after their date on Sunday.  It took me a few days to get around to them, but once I figured out that they are actually delicious Meyer Lemons...there was no way they were going to waste.  I made two lemon pound cakes.  Next up, Meyer Lemon Jelly!

Day 7: I am thankful for dear friends that always make time for a little fun in our lives.  This particular trip was to spend the evening visiting and shopping at the Fort Bend Junior League's Sugar Plum Market.  In the past few years we have helped Robin out with a booth; but this year it was just for fun.  No set-up, no tear-down...just food, laughter and a few glasses of wine to help us shop. A perfect Girl's Night with Stacy, Robin, Kelley, Jennifer and I.  We had a great time!

Day 8: I am thankful for inspiration.  I have been wanting a little spot like this in my backyard, but couldn't really express my idea to Jim.  On Friday, we were visiting a dealership to take possession of a couple of company trucks.  While waiting I found these quiet little nooks...just what I had in mind except with a fire pit.

Day 9: I am thankful for the opportunity to make memories with my family.  Jim and I set out Saturday morning for a weekend visit to Atlanta.  Rosa and Steve gifted us with tickets to a Falcons game for our birthdays.  We chose to go this particular weekend so that we could also celebrate the birthday of our favorite Atlanta Falcons Cheerleader, Naiz.  She is truly a beautiful girl, inside and out.  (This picture is from her birthday celebration dinner at Chops.)

Opening ceremony at the Falcons vs Seahawks game.

Rosa, Steve, Jim and I getting ready to fly to Augusta for dinner.
We didn't make it up, but we certainly made some memories!

Rosa and I with our headsets on...ready to fly.

Day 10: I continue to be thankful for the opportunity to make memories.  A Falcons game, an (almost) ride in the private plane, followed by a relaxing evening spent sitting in the Doubletree Lounge with Rosa and Steve for a little conversation. Priceless!

Day 11: I am thankful for the answers to prayers.  As you all know, I love to travel and to experience new places.  What you may not know is that my husband is the total opposite.  He would rather stay home than to be any place else.  (I attribute that to all of the travel he did in our early years of marriage as a sprinkler fitter.)  Any way, even though he doesn't love to travel as I do, he graciously does it because he loves me.  As we set out on this trip to Atlanta, I prayed that the Lord would pave the way before us and that it would be 'painless' for Jim.  Well, did He ever deliver!  Exceedingly, abundantly more than I could have ever asked or imagined.  No traffic...in Houston or Atlanta.  Straight shots through security at both airports.  In Houston we did not even have a wait -- that never happens to me.  Our flight to Atlanta (on a small express jet) was only 1/3 of the way full.  Our flight home was overbooked but still made it off the runway on time.  The Lord provided us with a wonderful driver in Atlanta.  Shoot, even getting in to the Falcons game was relatively crowd-free.  And I captured a great photo of the Atlanta skyline on my phone:

It has been busy...but it has been good!

Thankfulness: Day 5

"Be still, and know that I am God!"

Psalm 46:10a

As I contemplated my busy day yesterday, I thought and thought about what I was most thankful for.  The moment that kept coming to mind was my Morning Quiet Time.  Most mornings, I make a pot of coffee, grab a cup and head off to 'my chair' with devotional, journal and pen.  

This thirty minute (or so) span of time grounds my day like nothing else.  And yet, it is also the first thing to go when I get busy, travel or we have guests come to visit.  I wish that were not so...but I wanted to be honest with you about my tendencies to 'not do the very thing I wish to do'.  

As I find myself surrounded by younger women in their child-raising years these days (namely my daughters and the girls at the office), I was reminded of how 'Morning Quiet Time' used to be just a dream.  A goal I aspired to during my own child-raising years.  

I now find myself in a different season of life and I am thankful that I have been able to achieve that goal on more mornings than not in 2013.  I am thankful for a husband who is a night-owl to my morning-lark...ensuring that 19 out of every 20 mornings I have time to sit long without any distractions.  And I am thankful that the Lord hears the cries of our hearts and that He doesn't forget.  During the toddler years, I remember crying some mornings just wanting time to go the bathroom by myself.  During these grandma years I am going to remember to enjoy the quiet...and the time.  

Thankfulness: Day 4

Okay...I give.  I have come to accept that I will remain a day behind in my Thankfulness Challenge.  This year I am trying to look back on my day and focus on one of the many things that I am thankful for FROM that day.  I often know the "what" right away, but it takes me a bit to find a picture or to form the words of why I am thankful for that person or event.  So for yesterday...

Yesterday I met these two for lunch.

 

I picked up money from the livestock auction from them  (They took Jim's calves to auction for him on Saturday.)  But while we were enjoying our burgers and chicken fried chicken we were daydreaming about our upcoming trip here...

In May of 2014 Jim and I will be flying back to South Africa.  It is his belated 50th birthday present from me.  Bri and Josh have decided to come along for the adventure too!  It will be so much fun to share South Africa with the two of them.

We are planning on spending a couple of days sightseeing in Paris and then traveling on to Polokwane for Safari.  I love to travel.  And I especially enjoy traveling with people that I love.

I am thankful for the opportunity to share a dream trip with not only my husband, but with one of our children and son-in-loves.  I am thankful for having fun and exciting things to look forward to in 2014.  And I am thankful for the excitement that fills the table as we talk of our upcoming trip.