Give Thanks

This time of year is my favorite. There are a lot of obvious reasons and some huge things we take for granted everyday like the fact we live in America, we are free to dream, live, worship, love and work how we choose. Our health and our warm beds at night. For these things we are truly blessed everyday. But this time of year I am thankful for the slower pace and how everyone is just a little nicer, more grateful and sensitive to the needs of humanity.

Maybe our society focuses on the worldly gifts a little too much but we are at least focusing on others, getting our joy out of giving the most perfect gift to the ones we love. This is what I think about when a lady tries to rip a sweater out of my hand because it's the last one on sale :) she is just being thoughtful. 

Regardless of what brings you joy, remember the "most wonderful time of year" could only be from Him. He is the reason for this tender magical time of year when we all love a little harder. 

Here are some small things that I am thankful for this time of year...

1. How quite a winter night can be when you turn everything off and just listen to the crackle of the fire.

2. Unexpected small gifts from neighbors.

3. Twinkle lights everywhere you go

4. Christmas cards from love ones ( the only time of year I check the mail ;)

5. How strangers start to tell you Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays

6. Days off to enjoy my family and friends

7. Fuzzy socks

8. Memories 

9. The thought if a new year

10. Being so happy I think my heart may burst. 

Have a happy and blessed Thanksgivng!!

XOXO

Thankful Thursday

Some things I am thankful for today.

Sweet friends who give me fun nail polish.

A husband who makes me breakfast.

Flowers that have been living for over 2 weeks.

A beautiful morning where I can dry my hair by rolling the windows down on the way to work :)

I hope you are having a great day...it's almost a 3 day weekend!!

Weekend For My Soul

This weekend was filled with way too many events but we got through it and had a wonderful time! I am not a huge fan of no rest on the weekend I think it's important to recharge from the week. This weekend I realized its also good to recharge with a shot of everyone you love...and the exhaustion is worth it.

Started with. Going away party for my best friends sister who is in return like my sister, she is moving to Seattle and its hard on all of us! So what are we to do?? Drink and dance yup that should make us feel better ;)

So we did and we realized things have definitely changed since we used to go out but one thing hasn't ...how much fun my friends are!!

Then it was time to head to East Texas to celebrate my little sisters birthday so we packed up the dogs and drove through the random summer storms.

Till we arrived here... The entrance to the magical forest seriously how beautiful??

We sang and ate our selves silly. Then had a nice long visit with family it was good for my heart.

It was quite and late before we headed home to moms house.

I slept like a baby and woke up to great coffee and real bacon...

Yup sometimes I want the fat!! And my favorite blueberry muffins ... Thanks mommy!

We lounged around and visited while mom looked at the paper and the dogs begged for bacon.

Then we headed home but not with out a stop to see my favorite rose guy.

Love love!

The rest of the day was full of house cleaning, laundry and these little beauties Super Man found for me to redo.

Can't wait to turn them into something fun. 

It was an eventful, exhausting good for the soul kind of weekend that makes your feel alive. 

Hope you had a wonderful weekend too Happy Monday!

A Fresh Brewed Morning

I can't remember when I started drinking coffee, I remember always loving the smell but I can't remember when I started to like it. I grew up watching my mom drinking it and I would try it and hate it so I am sure it was an acquired taste. But now coffee means so much more to me it's the part of my day when everything is calm and peaceful and I have the opportunity to be still and listen to what God wants me to hear. I also still have the chance to make the day special and do anything I want. I don't always wake up in time to enjoy it like I want during the week (even though I try and my day is always better when I do) I do however look forward to it on Saturday and Sunday. 

Even when I get it out of the Starbucks dispenser at work it still gives me comfort. I read this book once called A Fresh Brewed Life and it explains so much of how I feel. Coffee does wake up my soul or rather how I use the time drinking it.

I keep my coffee"tools" pretty and easy to use because they make me happy.

I scoop the beautiful smiling grinds out with a sweet measuring spoon I got as a gift from a friend. Right now we like Snicker Doodle flavor Superman says it reminds him of my mom's house. 

I put it into my friend the "machine" she will also grind the beans which we do occasionally but it is very noisy...hello sweet friend. Then she beeps at me it's a very dainty girly beep, this literally excites me.

And there it is, the steam that comes off the cup even when it's hot outside is like a big hug to say Good Morning Lauren I hope you slept well.

The dogs watch because they know what comes next...

We head outside. Usually I sit here under the fan but when the weather is particularly nice or I want to get more of a breeze I will head out here.

And if I am lucky enough to not be super lazy I have gotten up in time to see the sunrise. I read somewhere once that it is so much better for your body to rise with the sun something about our internal clocks and our stress levels. I know it always makes me feel better. 

Barbie assumes her spot and I get to have quite time with my Father. I breath in and out and I try to clear my head from all the things that can make you crazy in this world. I start by telling him everything I am thankful for. There is something about being outside each morning that makes me feel closer to him and when I miss it I can tell my day doesn't have the same peace. I also oddly enough feel closer to my mom and my Grandma not sure why but I do :).

Then someones walks down our street and the dogs defend our yard and all is right in my small world.

If it gets too warm I move back up under the porch (I hate how hot it gets here in summer) But I am loving my huge new fan it blows my fern around and makes me feel like I am somewhere tropical.

Polo jumps up for a snuggle and then we head inside. Super Man has come to learn that I need this time in the morning especially on the weekends. I love to share it with him as well but sometimes I sit too long for his liking. So I come inside to this...

Which means "I am ready for you to cook me breakfast now." He pretty much cooks me breakfast all week since we have been on the 12 week workout plane. So I am happy to cook for him on the weekends, if he lets me ;). 

I hope there is something in your morning that gives you peace and comfort!

 

Day Full of F-Words

But not the kind you think...Freedom, Friends, Family, Food, Fireworks, Fish, Furry Friends, my day was pretty perfect! I have had some terrible fourth of July holiday's you know where you run around like a nut looking for the perfect spot to see the fireworks only to sit there for hours while everyone around you continues to get more and more intoxicated. Then your "cute white bottoms" that you had to wear are now see through because you are dripping in sweat (well this happens a lot here in Texas). I always have high hopes for this day. There is something magical about almost everyone in the country being off work at the same time, probably firing up some kind of grill and then my favorite part is how everyone seems to get quite and look up to the sky and think about how you used to watch them as kids...I still love the sound I think more than the color of the fireworks.

We started the day by taking the doggies for a patriotic walk while it was still cool

Then we headed over to a friends house to spend the evening...it was a beautiful day for a drive windows down sunroof open!

We toasted

We chased our friends babies around as they chased the dogs

We ate...look at that. It was like a little summer explosion in your mouth like pico and guacamole decided to play together and I liked it!

and ate some more...Buffalo Chicken Dip. It's like chicken wings except you takeaway the bones and add 20lbs of cheese a perfect swap in my book

Then we went outside... this is there back yard

I was in heaven, so pretty not sure how I would ever leave me home if this was my view

I found the perfect place to admire the view and slip into a small Buffalo Chicken Dip induced comma.

and I wasn't the only one

I could tell someone was eyeing me for my spot so I decided to share and go see what the boys were up to...fishin of-course. Well he is actually trying to feed the minnow some grass. This was by fare my favorite picture from the day

They got one, well actually the got about 8. There was a bit of friendly competition going on to keep it interesting.....hey is the minnow in there?

The pretty girls watched.

 Then we all got cleaned up and put the blanky in the yard...partially because it felt good and partially because we needed to lay flat due to too much food, You will get no complaints on this type of arrangement from me I am a huge yard napper. We laid out there and talked until it got dark and you could hear the fireworks going off around us. We reluctantly headed home. 

We stopped on the way just in time to catch a good 15 minutes of the show. Then we drove home and I thought the whole time how proud and thankful I am to live in this country and to be surrounded by my friends and their sweet families. Happy 4th everyone!