We are trying to do this new year right, and because of it I seem to be in a "January slump." I have all these goals I want to accomplish, which therefore leads me to feeling overwhelmed and grumpy.

Needless to say, it doesn't help my New Year's Resolutions. But I'm taking it one day at a time.

Part of the focus for this year was to remind us to be THANKFUL. It's so easy to slip away and see everything everyone else has, or wish on a star, or be grumpy because we are unable to do something. That's not how I want to raise our boys. I want them to grow up knowing how blessed they are, not just because of all they own/have or all they can do, but because God blesses them with GRACE and LOVE.

So we made a thankful jar.


I soaked an old pasta sauce jar in soapy water to get rid of the label/ wash it out. I read Michael some Bible verses and let him pick out which one he wanted to put on the jar.


Then I found this printable which is positively adorable to use for our thankful cards that we fill out every Thursday. Michael loved cutting them out and gluing everything on the jar.

(He also decorated the lid with who knows how many Minions stickers....)

At some point in the day every Thursday, we sit at the table and Michael thinks of something he's thankful for and I help him spell it out. While we've only done this twice now, Michael gets very excited when he realizes it's Thursday.

And he's not the only one that does it. We all do.

Clark and I think of something we're thankful for and fill out a card. My plan is to encourage friends and family that are over on Thursdays to do it, too.

Last year I wanted to do this but didn't think about it until about June and by then we had plenty else going on. So this year I got a kick start. I hope this habit sticks!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I hope you are spending today with people you love and remembering to give thanks for all the amazing blessings in your life!

Today, and ever day, I am so thankful for my entire family. I have been so blessed in my life to have a family that is close-knit and supports each other through thick and thin, even if we don't always agree. My parents and sisters are my best friends, without whom I can't imagine my world being complete.

Many people don't have a family that's close. The communication can be thin, people let personal vendettas get in the way of things... but no matter what, my family pulls through.






Yep. I'm blessed. Don't forget to let those around you know just how thankful you are for them!

I've had a hard time really putting this post together. Possibly because I am overwhelmed by how blessed I am when it comes to my little family.


My husband, Clark, continues to amaze me as he rises to new challenges. These challenges can be anything from a broken toilet to stress with his job. He always puts Michael and me first, and only stops to think of himself after he knows we are taken care of. It is his most admirable trait. He is our provider and caretaker, and I have no idea what we would do without him. I was blessed to find him at the ripe age of 18 and only continue to love him more each day.


We were blessed with Michael in 2011 and life has not been the same since. I don't know if Clark and I truly knew what the word "family" meant as a unit (when it came to us) until Michael came along. Now we are continually learning to put our little family first, everyone else second. Michael fueled that. He is our biggest joy, even on his "bad days", and I can't imagine where we would be or what we would be doing if we didn't have him.


These two together are my entire world. When Clark is home the smallest things are the most memorable to me, and sometimes I admit I like to sit back in the shadows and watch these two play... but not too long before I join in on the fun (as long as Michael lets me-- sometimes he'll tell me it's "Dada time", which I definitely don't want to intrude on). It doesn't matter if my kitchen is overflowing with dirty dishes or the blinds haven't been dusted. What matters is the quality time and love I get to experience with my boys.

What are you thankful for today?

For the past year I have felt pretty spoiled. This is not because of extra purchases I have made or received or anything like that. I have felt extraordinarily blessed because of the church home I've become a part of.

When we first moved to our little mountain town, I had some trouble making friends and finding a niche. The first thing we did was visit a local church, and I adored the music, admired the preaching, and thought it could be a really good fit. But when I started trying to contact teams/ministers about getting involved (small group, worship team, you name it), I didn't hear back from anyone. And that's not an exaggeration. I e-mailed several people, tried calling the offices... nothing. I didn't hear back. And though we had met one other couple who was due with baby #1 just like we were, they were also more than ten years older than us. People we became acquainted with seemed to talk down to us and treat us like children, as though we were one of those families. And I must confess, it made me really angry. Going to church became harder and harder, and we made more and more excuses.

Fast forward a year. Michael did a month of preschool and we made one awesome couple-friend who invited us to another church. With Clark's job changing and him being gone much more, I knew I needed to find something more to do. After all, my one local friend had a full-time job and a little girl Michael's age. She wasn't going to be available 24/7. I needed more.

I went to church with my friend two weeks in a row. The next week she invited me again, but then ended up not going because she didn't feel good. I went anyway, and even ventured to the front of the church after the service to talk to the music director. That evening, I e-mailed about small groups and got a response within 24 hours. I registered for the women's Bible study starting in January. I was overwhelmed with the Holy Spirit moving me, and just knew that this was going to be home.

When I started the women's Bible study, I was extraordinarily nervous. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if there were going to be any women my age. I didn't know if I was going to enjoy going, or end up making excuses to skip out and continue being miserable. I had no idea.


But now, almost a year later, I'm still going. And over the summer when there was a break, the young moms in the group made sure to meet up as many times as possible to keep our friendship, fellowship, and encouragement going.

Only two of the amazing women I have met are pictured, but there are at least three other young moms and a countless number of other women who I have grown to love and cherish. Not only the women from the Bible study, but the praise team members I have served with and everyone else at the church who has welcomed me in countless ways... I always feel so overwhelmed when I think of my church.

Finding a church that is right for you is so important for your relationship with Christ. Without fellowship and other Christians to lean on... well, take it from someone who was there for a long time-- it sucks. I find I worry less and praise more these days, and isn't that how it's supposed to be?

This Thursday, I am thankful for my personal church home and for all churches that truly have open doors, hearts, and arms for new members. What are you thankful for?

Yesterday was a busy day. So much so that Michael slept an extra thirty minutes (woooohoooo), making his current wake-up time 5AM. Hey... it's better than four... right?

Annnnnnyway.

Yesterday we got up (early, of course, because of Michael), got ready, and ran late to get to family pictures with one of my dearest friends here. After getting a fabulous dozen of pictures with a grumpy, tearful two-year-old and two tense parents, Clark had to rush to an interview that was about 2.5 hours away. The reason these two just happened to line up is because his interview was switched from Tuesday to Wednesday somewhat last minute.

Because Clark had to rush, we put Michael's carseat in said friend-photographer's car with the plan of having an impromptu playdate (she has a three year old... see this post for pictures of these two wonderful people), and then go home afterwards. Until we discovered (luckily before she started to drive us home), that I had forgotten to get the house key off the key ring.

Oops.

So, we had a whole day with Porter and his mama. The kiddos surprisingly did really well considering everything. What's more, our lovely friends had us over for dinner to complete the day and completely turn it around.






If you're in the Asheville/Fletcher/Brevard area check out DeVane Photography on Facebook. It's definitely worth it, and she's so reasonably priced!

BTW, Michael's cardigan is from The Wishing Elephant and my absolute favorite. Make sure to check out Carolyn's shop! And my boot cuffs? A custom order from Diana Meredith Designs! She does custom orders all the time, so make sure to check her out.

This Thankful Thursday I am thankful for our wonderful friends who kept us all day to make life easier, who suffered through a morning of grumps to get some amazing family pictures for this year, and who have been constant supporters through prayer and encouragement as we faced tough times and upcoming changes.

What are you thankful for today?