Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Days 28, 29 & 30

YES... I missed a couple of days! (I"ve been just a little busy!)

This post is going to be short & sweet, because I have other things on my mind this morning.

On Day 28, I was thankful that... (This is going to sound really stupid to those of you that are not football fanatics, like I am! But, bare with me, please!)... The Atlanta Falcons won their game against the Green Bay Packers!!! If you are one of my regular readers, then you know that I am a HUGE football fan and my favorite team is the Atlanta Falcons.

During football season, you will always find me in front of my TV on Sunday afternoons, watching MY TEAM play. The Falcons are doing extremely well this year, only losing 2 games, so far. They are in 2nd place in the NFL and 1st in the NFC!! That is BIG TIME!!!!

On Day 29, (Yesterday), I was so VERY thankful to my friend, Heather, for coming to visit my mom and being able to stay with her while I had to leave for a couple of hours. I know for a fact, that God sent her to me!!! He knew that I needed her, and there she was!

Today, (Day 30).... I am VERY thankful that the heart catherization that the doctor did on my mom yesterday, showed NO SIGNS OF BLOCKAGE!! Wow!! That was a surprise! I was really expecting them to find something and then we would have more decisions to make and possibly a longer hospital stay. This was GREAT news tho, because she "should" get to go back to the nursing home TODAY! ---- Which was another concern!! But, God came thru again and should be no worries of her losing her room over there!! YAY!!

MANY THANKS to those of you that prayed for her (and me!!!) and wrote such kind and sweet words. That means SO VERY much to me and I definitely count you among my FRIENDS!

Sending ((BIG HUGS)) to all of you!!!!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Day 25

Today, I am thankful that I met the Love of My Life on this day, 29 years ago!

Yes, we met on Thanksgiving Day! The memories are so vivid in my brain that it really does seem like yesterday to me!

If you care to come down Memory Lane with me, then come along for the ride!

The year was 1981. I was 16 years old, about to be 17 in a couple of weeks. I awoke late in the morning on Thanksgiving Day to find that my parents had gone to the grocery store. (They must have left a note. I can't remember how I knew that, but somehow I knew that this is where they were.) It was just going to be the three of us for dinner, as I am an only child and we had no other family in town. For me.... it was a day off from school and an excuse to be lazy!! Haahaa!

I was hanging out in my room, in my PJ's, I believe... when the doorbell rang.

OH..... I forgot to tell you that we lived in an apartment near Atlanta, GA.

I went to the door and peeped out thru the peep hole. Through it, I saw our neighbor friend -- a man that was roughly my dad's age --- and a VERY CUTE guy that looked to be MY AGE with him!! I knew that this man had two sons that were in college. One of which I had met before. I decided that THIS guy must be his other son!! WOW!!!!!! I liked what I saw!!! But..... Oh my gosh!!! I couldn't open the door!!! I hadn't had a shower yet. I had NO make up on! AND.... I was in my PJ's!!! YIKES!! 

As my heart was beating out of my chest, I watched as they walked away from the door. I raced back to my bedroom and peered thru the blinds to get another look at this CUTIE!!! I watched him walk back, across the parking lot to where his dad lived. I then, practically RAN to the shower and decided that I was going to make sure that I met this guy later! After my shower, I put on my favorite purple sweater, my blue jeans and my boots. I fixed my hair, put on my make up .... and devised a plan to meet him!

My parents had come home. My mom was in the kitchen, cooking and my Dad was out in the parking lot working on my car. Ah-ha!!!! THIS would be how I would meet this incredible guy!!!

It was not unusual for me to hang out with my Dad as he worked on our cars. It was something that I enjoyed doing. So.... that is where I was when my future "LOVE" appeared again.

Here is the parking lot where we met! - This picture was taken when David and I were on our 25th Anniversary Trip.
You can read about that HERE.

He was indeed the other son of our neighbor friend. He was in his first year of college at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. This is also where his older brother went. They had driven up to spend Thanksgiving with thier Dad.

His Dad introduced us and I finally got to meet him, face to face!! WOW!!! I was IN LOVE!!! (Little did I know that he was, too!!!)

His name was David. He was rather shy, but I was too. I can't even remember us even talking!!! But, I'm sure that we did.

Our "meeting" didn't last long. I think I made my way back inside... and ran straight to my window to WATCH for him to appear again so that I could just look at him again!!

Later, after my parents and I had our dinner, the doorbell rang again. This time it was David's soon-to-be, step-mother. She was very sweet and said.... "I wanted David to come up and invite you down for dessert, but he is too shy to come up! So, here I am!"  I was a bit shy to, too... but, I went with her anyway. She wasn't going to let me say "no". But, that's ok. I'm glad, now, that she didn't!

I went down there and he and I talked a little, but it was still awkward. Finally, his dad came over to him and gave him some money and said... "Why don't ya'll go to the store and get some more soda." That was the icebreaker that we needed!! We needed a way to be alone so that we could talk and get to know each other a little bit better.

We drove to the nearest convenience store and got the soda, but we also took our time and talked. He asked me if I would show him around Atlanta the next night. I said, SURE!! So, that was it. Our FIRST DATE was set!!! **Smile**

When we got back to the apartments, I ended up going home because I had plans to go to "out" that evening. (I later found out that David missed me terribly!!! Awwww..... how sweet!) I also regret that decision! Oh well.

I decided for our date the next night, I would take him to downtown Atlanta and show him the big Christmas Tree on top of the Macy's department store. This tree was famous and supposedly, could be seen for miles.

His Dad let him borrow his REALLY nice Pontiac Trans Am, which was fun! We set off on our quest to find the Christmas Tree. Did I mention that I had no idea exactly where it was?? Hahaa! I knew how to get downtown because my friends and I would go down there often for concerts, to go ice-skating, and to ride the "glass elevator" that was on the outside of Peachtree Plaza hotel. ~ Fun!



Here's David sitting in his Dad's Trans Am on Daytona Beach.


First, I took him to the mall that had the ice-skating ring. This is where he first held my hand!! It was when we were crossing the busy street. He took my hand, and didn't let go for the rest of the night! **Smile**

We then drove around downtown Atlanta looking for the giant Christmas Tree, but never found it! So, I decided to take him to my other hang out place, closer to where I lived -- Stone Mountain Park. BUT... when I tried to guide him back to the highway... we got LOST and ended up in a not-so-nice area of Atlanta. Ooops! All I could think of is.... "This guy must think I am pretty stupid. He'll never want to see me again!"

We finally made our way back to the highway and back to my side of town. We went to Stone Mountain Park, which was open until Midnight. **Smile**  I took him to all of my favorite places at the park and after getting back in the car at one place, it happened.... OUR FIRST KISS!!! If I wasn't attracted to him before.... I was NOW!!

Stone Mountain.
We were married on this lawn in April of 1985.

Sadly, he had to go back to school and I wasn't sure when I would see him again. Maybe Christmas?? Maybe New Years?? We'd have to wait and see.

We exchanged phone numbers and addresses, which led to a notebook of letters that I now have and CHERISH!

This was the first photo taken of us after we met.
I think it was New Years Day, 1982.

Now, here we are 29 years later..... VERY HAPPILY MARRIED!!! **Smile**

We have a LOT to be thankful for!!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Day 24

Today, I am thankful that I was able to have the morning to myself so that I could clean my house & start cooking for Thanksgiving!

I vacuumed the living room, my bedroom, the rug under my kitchen table, and part of my office. (I couldn't do all of it because it is my "stashing" place and I have too much on the floor at the moment! Ooops!) I even vacuumed my living room curtains! I didn't vacuum the couch, tho. It's still on my "to do" list, listed below.

I took care of the dust bunnies in the living room and on my hutch in the kitchen.

I baked the biscuits & the cornbread for David's dressing that he is making tomorrow.

The dishwasher is washing the dirty dishes as I type.

I did get a little distracted from my cleaning when I went into my closet earlier! I started thinking about what I was going to wear tomorrow, on Thanksgiving Day. You see... we were graciously invited to have Thanksgiving Dinner with some dear friends of ours, at their house. (That will most likely be my post for Friday! **Smile**)

I knew the shirt that I wanted to wear. It is one of my favorites and very "Fall-ish"! I just didn't know whether I wanted to wear my Levi blue jeans or my Levi ,cream-colored, corduroy jeans. I ended up trying on my "skinny jeans" with my favorite shirt and REALLY liked the two together! I then tried on my tall brown, faux-suede, boots with the jeans & shirt. TA-DAH!!! I think I found a winner!

What do you think???

Please overlook the mess on the floor. Miranda didn't bother to clean her room before she left for Arizona and she is the only one that has a full-length mirror. (Sorry, Miranda!) 

This is a better look at the shirt (bouse), whatever you call it! I never know!

This earring and necklace set looks really pretty with it!

And here's one of my boots!

Okay... I've played around long enough. Gotta' get back to my list of chores still to be done ---

- Clean the kitchen floor.
- Do the "white" laundry.
- Clean the bathrooms.
- Vacuum the couch.
- Take care of the dust bunnies living in my bedroom.
- Tidy up my office.
- Think about cooking dinner.

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Eve!!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Day 23

Today, I am thankful that I am no longer a teenager, living with my mom. I know this is a weird thing to be thankful for, but after the conversation that I had with my mom today, it is something that has been strong on my mind, ever since.

Many of you know that my dad died when I was a young, eighteen years old. I thank God that David was in my life at the time, because my mom and I did not have a close relationship. The only place that I wanted to be was with him, so I didn't spend much time at home. This didn't help my relationship with my mom, of course.

David and I were married when I was 20. The two years in-between our marriage and my father's death, were a rough couple of years, to say the least. I look back now and realize that my mom really needed me to be there for her. But, at the time (and being so young)... I was only interested in "me" and what was going on in "my life".

Today.... I was talking to my mom about my daughter, Miranda, who is 19 years old (the age I was during those "rough" years that I had!). I was telling her that Miranda made it safely to Arizona, when my mom decided to bring up the subject of ME when I was that age!! And believe me, this is NOT a good subject for her and I to talk about (BAD memories!!), so I stopped her before she went any further and told her so. Believe it or not.... she then tried to talk to me about one of my old boyfriends that I dated BEFORE David!! She actually said...."I wonder what ever happened to him?" YIKES!!!! I cut her off on that subject, too!!!

When I went to go visit my mom at the nursing home today, I had no idea that I would be taken down a not-so-fun memory lane! I am thankful that my mom still has such a wonderful memory after having her stroke 5 years ago, but today..... she chose memories that I had no desire to remember.

Here's a couple of pictures of me at age 18 and David at age 20.

Sorry for the depressing post. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a more joyful one!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Day 22

Today, I am thankful that I am starting to get excited about Christmas!!

Every year For the past few years, I have stressed so much over Christmas, that I have dreaded it's coming!

Last year, was a little bit better, since I wasn't working at the time, (Sadly, I had lost my job in September) and had more time to prepare. Unfortunately, the stress was still somewhat there because we did not having a lot of money to spend on gifts, holiday food, etc. But, it all worked out and we had a wonderful Christmas!

This year..... I can feel God's peace about it all and don't feel so stressed. I don't feel worried about... "How are we going to afford gifts for the girls??"... "What gifts am I going to get my mom & David's mom??"... "What am I going to get for my co-workers???"  Normally, I am panicked about these kinds of things and it ruins the holiday for me.

I used to get caught up in all of the commercialism of the holiday. This year... I am more focused on the REAL reason for Christmas --- Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.

I want to listen to beautiful Christian holiday music.
I want to take part in all of the Christmas events at my church.
I want to make a birthday cake for Jesus like I did when my girls were little.
I want to do lots of things as a "family".

I love shopping during the month of December - believe it or not! - and seeing all of the beautiful holiday decorations! This year... I plan to take it all in and ENJOY it! I think I may even take my camera with me so that I can capture what I see, in photos.

Here are a few photos to share with you from our Chirstmas, that I love.

--- By the way... I have no idea WHY these words are highlighted and I can't figure out how to "unhighlight" them! -- Sorry!

I love Santa ornaments.

And Snowmen!

Here's one that my mom painted for me prior to her stroke in 2005.

Here's our table on Christmas day - 2008

This was last year (2009). It's funny... I'd forgotten that I had bought those Christmas placemats!! YAY!! They will go great with my tablescape plan for this year!!

(I forgot to take this picture BEFORE the food was on it! Oops!)

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Days 20 & 21

I apologize for missing a day. Yesterday got away from me before I had the chance to sit down and write!

Yesterday, I was thankful that I have a warm bed to crawl into at night. There are so many people all over this world that do not have this luxury that so many of us take for granted.

Night before last, I awoke during the night with a terrible migraine of a headache! I am quite sure that it was the temperature change outside (the drop in barometric pressure, to be exact!). I tend to only get these kinds of headaches when this happens.

When I get these headaches in the night, my bed feels like it's made of stone and my pillow feels like a rock! -- I picture it something like this....

Photo found HERE.

I woke up and was cursing the fact that I couldn't sleep and had this horrible headache!!

Then.... after taking some meds, getting a cold compress for my head and laying back down.... I realized how blessed I am to even HAVE a bed!! Much less one that is soft and warm.

This is not my bed, but one that David and I were blessed to sleep in when we visited New Orleans last year. This bed was SOOOOOOOO comfortable!!! Even tho mine is not this luxurious, I am thankful for it, just the same.

Today, I am thankful that Miranda (dtr. #2) and her boyfriend made it safely to Arizona on their flight last night. They are spending the Thanksgiving holiday week with his mother and her family. I am excited for her to be able to go out there again, (she went after Christmas, last year, for a week!) but at the same time... I will miss her very much!! This will be the first time our little family of four will be separated for a family holiday.

When she first mentioned to me that this what they wanted to do, I was a little bit upset. But, I also knew that, as they got older, the day would come that we would not all be together for a holiday. I am okay with it now. Not as sad. I will still miss her (I already do!), but I am okay. I can't say that I won't let a few tears loose on Thanksgiving Day, tho!!

This photo was taken by them when they wre at the airport last year, waiting on their flight to Arizona.

Here they are at the Grand Canyon!! I was so glad that she got to see it.

These photos were taken on Thanksgiving Day, 2008. We were camping with friends, which was something that we did for three years! It was fun, but we tired of it and missed being at home for the holiday.

David, Ashley and I are excited to be doing something different this Thanksgiving, though! We have been invited by some close friends to have Thanksgiving with them and their family!! It should be a lot of fun! I will be sure to take pictures and blog about the day. So be on the lookout for that post!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Day 19

Today, I am thankful for the love that David has for our family. He is always there to take care of our every need.

It breaks my heart when I see parents who do not respect or show love to their children.

There is a special 20 year old in our life, whose father is this way. This young man is so very sweet and is a "good kid" (So many, aren't!), but his father simply doesn't see it. It breaks my heart. David is more of a father to this young man, than his own father is!

I wanted to write and VENT about my feelings concerning this so-called "father", but I have decided not to. There's no point.

I am just so thankful that my girls have a father that loves them and would go to the ends of the earth to make sure they had what they needed.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Day 18

Today, I am thankful to be able to work out at the gym again!

I used to go to the gym 3 times a week, but when I lost my job a little over a year ago, it was something that I had to give up because of the cost. It was $34 a month, which may not sound like a lot... but, to someone without a salary.... it IS a lot!

I kept up with my exercising at home for a while. After Christmas, we bought a Wii game system and also the "Wii Fit" program for it.

I started a new job in January, and there for a while, I had a really good routine down and was working out frequently with the Wii. I also rode my bike a couple times a week for several miles. I was doing good until Summer arrived and I lost my routine and... with the heat.... I also lost my motivation!

This Fall, I have tried and tried to get my routine back, but have failed for whatever reason.

Recently, I noticed a billboard for a different gym in town that promised a "month-to-month", no contract membership for $19.95. I have kept that in my brain for several weeks now and finally decided to go "inquire" about it, yesterday.

Of course, they tried to sell me the $30.00 a month / 2 yr contract membership.... but, I stuck to my guns and walked out with the membership that I came for! **Smile**

No. I don't get to go to the "classes" or visit their "other" gyms.. but, that's not what I'm interested in anyway. I just want a place that... #1 - I can afford! ... and #2 - I can go in, do my workout, and leave.

Yes. I did debate whether or not I could really afford the $19.95 a month, but I figured that I could cut back on my spending some (because we ALL know how quickly $20 gets spent!! Right??), then I shouldn't have any problem affording it.

I also started panicking this past weekend about the holidays coming up and how much food I will be surrounded with!!! YIKES!! I already know of TWO parties that I will be attending! They're fun, but.... where there's a party... there's also FOOD!!

So, I am hoping that going to the gym as often as I can during these "food-filled-holidays", then it will help! It's got to!! It sure can't hurt!!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Day 17

Today, I can't help but be thankful for my first BLOG AWARD that I recieved today!

I pretty much thanked my friend "Thisisme" in my previous post, which you can read -- HERE. But, I will thank her again.....

THANK YOU!!   THANK YOU!!   THANK YOU!!

How fun and what a surprise it was to wake up to this morning!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Day 16

Today, I am thankful all the small things that make my "every day life" easier and a bit more fun!

Of course, there are many to choose from so I'm just going to write about the first things that pop into my mind!

Let's see... I am thankful for my automatic coffee pot that helps me to make my yummy coffee each morning! It's not one of those big, fancy ones, but it does the job just the same.

I am thankful for my laptop computer, even though I am using a "makesift" one right now because the screen died on my other one! This one works, but the screen has to be "propped up". The henges are broken and if it is not propped up, it will fall! Therefore... I do not shut it OR move it! It has to stay right where it is. But... I am still grateful that I have one.

I am thankful for my cell phone. I love being able to be reached wherever I am and to be able to call from wherever I am. My phone is not one of those fancy ones that does all of those fancy things -- although, technically... it "could", I just don't have it set up for all of that. I do find it amazing that cell phones are like little mini computers, now! WOW!! I do "text" on mine and I do take pictures with it, but beyond that... it is just used as a phone. I will admit that there are times when having the internet on my phone would be very helpful!

I am thankful for my microwave oven. They are wonderful for heating things up and even for cooking! I am sure, as I was growing up, my mom would have loved to have had one of these! She loved to cook and to bake. I use mine every day. It's amazing how they have become such a valued appliance in our kitchens!

Well, I could continue this list, but I think I might save some for another day. Perhaps tomorrow. We'll see.

What are some things that you use everyday that make your life more simple and fun??

Thirty Days of Thankfulness - Days 12-15

Today, as I catch up on the days that I missed, I am thankful for many things. First, I am thankful to have a such a wonderful State Park and campground so close to my house. We drive only about 45 minutes to get there and it feels like we are a hundred miles away from home! The state park that I am speaking of is Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park. We go camping there, every chance that we get.

For some reason.... blogger is not cooperating and will not place my paragraphs where I would like them to be! So, please forgive me for the above paragraph being out of whack!

Here's a photo of our campsite. Our camper is the one with the University of Georgia flag on it. This weekend was the "big game" between UGA and Auburn. It has become a tradition for us to camp with a group of friends for this game.

Second... I am thankful for the beauty that God provides for us in the Fall leaves. This year, they seem to be especially bold and bright in color! I was afraid that they might not be, because of the dry summer that we had. But, they really are breathtaking!!

Third.... I am thankful for friends that like to play board games! I am a HUGE board game fan and I am a happy girl when I find friends that want to play, too! I brought several games for this camping trip, but this one was the only one that got played. It's called "Aggrevation". It just so happens to be a game that I grew up playing while on camping trips with my family! What great memores!

Fourth.... I am thankful for dogs that come back when you call them! We took our dogs on a hike and David decided to let them off of their leashes so that they could run. I am terrified of losing my dogs, but thankfully... they came back each time that we called them! In fact they seemed to make it a game to see who could get back to us the fastest!

Fifth.... I am thankful that we were able to watch the UGA game on TV while we were camping! We could only get just a few channels and the channel that we needed, was one of them!! Whew!! (See the TV, just below the UGA flag?) It was a small one, but that was ok!

Here are some more photos from our camping trip this past weekend.

My boys -- Jackson & Chester. **Smile**

We almost stepped on this guy as we were hiking!

Hiking

I love this picture of Jackson! This was one of those times when the "boys" had run ahead, and we were calling them back. -- Just call him "Bat Dog"!

David plays "Washer Toss" with some friends.

Miranda and her childhood best friend -- Elizabeth. She was happy to be able to spend a little bit of time together with her. They go to different colleges and don't get to see each other often, any more.

(You can see that we were playing "Aggrevation" again! **Smile**)

My girls. Miranda is an Auburn fan and Ashley is a Georgia fan.

Nope, we have't quite figured that one out yet!

Now, it's the GIRLS turn to play "Washer Toss". (My team won!)

My beautiful, Ashley.

My handsome, David.

Sadly, the DAWGS (UGA Bulldogs) lost to the undefeated, Auburn.

Hoping for better luck next year.

We had a great weekend, just the same!

*** I think I added one extra day of thankfulness into this post! Oops!! That's ok.