Photos with Troy

Thanksgiving is a time of family, food, fun, and lots of photobooth selfies.....ok, so maybe the last one is just me and my family, but today while sitting around the house Troy and I spent some quality time with Photobooth...these are the results.  :)

I love my uncle!!!

Day 28 -- Thanksgiving

Today I am thankful for the incredible people that I have in my life...all those friends and family who have been present in my life and bless me each day by sharing their lives with me and allowing me to learn, laugh, and love them.  There are so many people that fall into this category that there is no way that I could ever ever name all of them.  However, today there are two men in particular that I have been so incredibly impressed with the more I have gotten to know them, so today, I am thankful for my uncles, Forrest and Troy.  We've lived close to each other for nearly a decade, but in the last few months we have started to spend time together and to get to know each other.  They make me laugh and tell me stories about the past that put a smile on my face.  I hate that we haven't started this process sooner, but I am so pleased to have these two incredible men as a part of my life.  When they invited us to spend Thanksgiving with them, none of us were really sure what to expect, but I have to say that I am so glad that we did.  We ate more food than we needed (thanks Troy!) and shared so many laughs. The way that these men treat my son is enough to just bring me to tears.  They are so kind and loving to him (and maybe spoil him a little) and I am so happy to see Orion love them as much as I do.  Forrest is so amazing with my son and watching Orion and Forrest play and wrestle around just makes me happy.

Troy and I are kindred spirits.  We can laugh and share stories and it's like we've been friends for years.  Just a look between us can send me into giggles and he just makes me feel like I'm doing things right.  His approval means the world to me, and I'm so glad that we're getting the chance to get to know each other....and be silly.

It's hard to believe that these men haven't been in my life for longer than they have.  I've grown so incredibly attached to them both, and am so impressed by how loving and welcoming they have been to me and my family.  They share their space and food with us, and have welcomed us into their homes with open arms.  When we're together, it feels the way I think family should feel, and that means the world to me.  So today, I am so thankful for these two men, and so appreciative of everything they have done to make the holiday enjoyable.  Thank you for welcoming us into your home, for feeding us, entertaining us, and showing us so much love and kindness.  There are no words to express just how much those things mean to me.  I love you both very much!!

Day 27 -- Enthusiasm

Today I am thankful for the enthusiasm of my son for the world around him.  His sense of joy and appreciation for the world around him never ceases to make me proud.  Hearing his tiny voice shout out in excitement when he sees something new or exhilarating always puts a smile on my face.  Today, we left the house early to go grocery shopping (exciting stuff, I know) and as we were driving home, we saw about a dozen wild turkeys crossing the road in front of our drive.  We stopped and watched them until they were safely across the street, and then continued to pull into our driveway.  As we approached the house, we saw more and more turkeys in the yard all the way around the house.  I couldn't help but think that Thanksgiving had brought itself to my house, but Orion was SO excited to see them all.  He would sneak around the corner of the house and watch them jumping up on the fence and pecking around.  He would search the small piles of snow we have left until he found turkey tracks and try to figure out where they went.  We probably spent 30 minutes outside in the chilly morning air, giggling and watching the turkeys wander around the yard.  At one point we counted, and there was well over 30 of them...not including the ones that had crossed the street on our way home. Orion was so excited and when they finally decided to leave the yard, Orion waved his arms and yelled "Bye Turkeys!  Thanks for coming!!"  I love that boy so much, and seeing how excited he gets over the little things helps me remember to find my own type of joy in the world.  Today, I'm thankful for his excitement.

Thankfulness -- a week in review

So, I fail at this thankfulness thing, but I am still going to try to finish it out.  I missed a week (I honestly forgot!) since I never post on Facebook this often.  Don't judge!  Anyway, here is my week of catch up.  Hopefully I don't have to do any more catching up between now and the end of the month!

Day 20 -- I'm thankful for desserts!  I have a horrible sweet tooth, so pastries make me very happy.  I also love baking and making new desserts, which can often be an adventure.  Desserts are fantastic and I am thankful to be able to try new ones and eat my favorites.

Day 21 -- EMTs & Firefighters.  I am proud to come from multiple generations of Firefighters and EMTs.  My grandmother was an EMT for many years, my aunt and mother are both EMTs and firefighters, my little sister even joined the department when she was 18.  As someone who has lost their home to a fire, and then many years later my work building, I am so thankful for the amazing men and women who risk their lives and work so hard to serve and protect other people.  I'm thankful for each and every person who has dedicated their lives to such a selfless task.  You are all amazing, and definitely my heroes! I am thankful for you all.

Day 22 -- I am thankful for the mistakes I have made.  I may not be proud of the fact that I have made mistakes, but everyone has.  Mine have allowed me to learn and grow as a person, and to understand both myself and the world around me better.  They have been hard, but I have learned a lot from the mistakes I have made, so I am thankful for them and the lessons I have learned from them.

Day 23 -- Laughter!  I love making people laugh, and anyone who can make me laugh.  Whether it is a long-term inside joke, or a silly text in the middle of the day, I truly appreciate laughter.  It helps build bonds and can make awkward situations a lot more tolerable.  My son's laughter is the greatest sound in the world and even on the worst day it can put a smile on my face.  Words can't explain it, so I simply say that I am thankful for laughter.

Day 24 -- Patience.  I am so thankful for all of the people in my life that have been patient with me or have helped me learn how to be more patient.  To all of the people who understand me falling a week behind in posting my thankfulness, or have listened to me whine or complain when I've had a bad day, I appreciate your patience.  It is a gift that I am still working on myself, but I strive to actually become a more patient person.  I am so grateful for those that have it though.

Day 25 -- Second chances.  As someone who has definitely made mistakes, I am so grateful for the opportunity to get second chances, and give other people the chance to prove themselves as well.  There are certain circumstances that make it a bigger challenge to give second chances, but some people definitely deserve a second chance.  We can never know what the future holds, and everyone makes mistakes.  If we expect people to forgive us, we must be willing to do the same for others.  Today, I am thankful for second chances.

Day 26 -- Inspiration.  As someone who has written and tried to be creative for as long as I can remember, inspiration is something that holds a very special place in my heart.  I have described inspiration as "an amazing lover; embracing and fulfilling, giving into your desires and making your wildest dreams come true. It can also be a cold-hearted bitch; coming back time and again at a whim, showing up when you'd rather she not, and hiding away when you're begging her to come home, showing up unannounced on your porch and demanding your attention in the middle of your birthday party. "  No matter how many times it seems like more work than joy, it's definitely a gift that I truly appreciate.  There are days where the words come easily and the ideas flow freely, but other times it's a struggle.  When inspiration hits though, it's definitely a completely different experience and I am almost always pleased.  Today, I am thankful for my inspiration.

Day 19 -- Technology

Day 19 - Today I am thankful for technology.  Computers, cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, digital cameras.....Not only have these things helped me to find a career that I love, they have also helped me build relationships with people I may not have met otherwise, allow me to keep in contact with people that may have just faded away, share pictures with my family, share jokes with my friends, and overall just remain connected with the world around me.  While it may sometimes be cumbersome to be completely connected all the time...it's also nice to be able to get a text in the middle of my day that makes me smile, or a share a picture to make someone laugh.  It's a wonderful burden overall...and I love technology.

Day 17 -- Laughter

Day 17 -- Today I am thankful for laughter.  Sharing a joke, making someone laugh, or just plain giggling always makes my day so much better.  Being able to make someone laugh is one of the things I love to do the most.  Hearing my son's laugh is the greatest sound in the world, but he definitely makes me laugh just as often as I try to make him.  Today we were playing with Seth, tossing stuffed animals at him while he pretended to ignore us.  Orion told me to throw it at his face so I, of course, threw it at his butt (butthead he he).  Orion looks at me straight faced and said "No mom.  His face is between his mustache."  I laughed so hard I thought I was going to be sick.  It's little moments like that which make my days better.

Day 16 -- My Hands

Day 16 -- Today, I am thankful for my hands. It may sound odd, but they allow me to do so much and I tend to take them for granted regularly. Without them I wouldn't be able to communicate and share my thoughts with people as regularly as I do (I am much more comfortable typing than speaking in most cases). I wouldn't know the feeling of my son's tiny hand in mine as we cross the street. My hands help me do so many things...cooking for my family, turning the pages in my favorite book, tickling Orion, braiding my hair, brushing my teeth. Without my hands these things would be a much greater challenge. Today, I am so grateful for my hands and the many things that they help me to achieve.