Thankful

I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving.  This time last year I was in NYC watching the balloons being inflated and we were planning our attack for the next morning.  I feel like I just rang in the new year but I'm so thankful that I didn't.  I've had the week off this week which has allowed me time to reflect on thanksgiving and what I am thankful for.  Last year I took time each day during the month of November to blog about something I was thankful for many of which are the same this year....I have so much to be thankful for.  I wanted to take some time to blog about my thankfulness this year.

First and foremost, which I have blogged about before, year after year I feel like, I am thankful for a loving God!  I am thankful for His mercy and grace and thankful that He is always there.  I'm thankful for my relationship with Him.  I'm thankful for those times that I didn't think I would make it through the day this past year but I did because of the Lord's comfort and the strength He gave me.  The Lord has always been so faithful.

Another thing I am thankful for is my family.  When I say family I mean all of them....mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law, niece, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmother.  They all love me for who I am and accept everything about me.  My parents have given me more than I ever could have asked for in life and I am forever grateful for the experiences they have given me and the love they have shown me.  They have put me before themselves and worked so hard to give me a life better than they had growing up and I am blessed by their sacrifices.  My brother and sister in law have given me the cutest little niece :)  Of course I am also thankful for their friendship and memories we have as well as the niece!

How could I not write about how thankful I am that I get to spend my days with sweet children.  Ok, I won't lie, not all days are fine and dandy.  It's a tough job but I am honestly so blessed by the children that the Lord handpicked to be in my class.  No two days are alike in my life and I get to instill in my students a love of learning which I think is pretty cool and I'm pretty sure their parents like that too :)

I'm also thankful for my friends.  I've have several different groups of friends but all of them are very important to me and I love the stories about how God brought each one of them into my life.  Some of them I've known for 10+ years and some I've only known for a short time but they have each helped shape me and helped me become the woman I am today and I love the time I get to spend with all of them even if it's just a short time.  The memories I have of each one of them are pretty special!

Another thing that I am so thankful for is the opportunity to travel.  I have had the chance to see some pretty neat places and I feel fortunate that I have been able to experience the beauty of God's creation.  It is just so perfect and I'm blessed that I have been given the opportunity to explore all that I have been able to explore.

Lastly, I am thankful for my wonderful boyfriend.  I could go on and on about the MANY things I am thankful for about him and maybe one day I will, but for now, just know that I am thankful that the Lord brought him into my life and I appreciate him so much.

I have been greatly blessed and I have so much to be thankful for this year!  

NYC Trip in a Nutshell

The trip was wonderful!  It had been at least 7 years or so since I had been to NYC and it felt so good to go back.  Our flight there was fine, no problems, getting to our hotel was fine, no problems and basically there were no problems throughout the whole trip. 

Day 1:  I already blogged about that for the most part down below.  That night we went to see Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.  The show was great as always and we loved it all.  I was so tired throughout the show that I could barely keep my eyes open so when we got back to the hotel that night, I was ready to bed! 

Day 2:  That was our morning that we got up and went on the NYC Water Taxi.  I really wanted to visit the 9/11 Memorial while I was there and this was the only way that we were able to get tickets to see the memorial.  It rained most of the time we were on the taxi that day.  We did get to stop and take pictures with the statue of liberty in the background which was a nice photo stop.  I'm all about photo stops :)

 Then after we made our rounds on the taxi, we ended up going back to the hotel before heading to the balloon inflation before the big parade.  That was really neat to see.  They started it around 3pm and it was supposed to last until 10pm.  There were quite a few people there and it took us extra time to find the place because I wasn't looking at the map very good but we finally found it.  Oh, I forgot to mention that before we went to the balloon inflation, we scoped out a place to watch the parade.  We did some research ahead of time and decided that we needed to try to get close to the beginning of the parade route and we also needed to be near a public restroom.  We located a Starbucks close to the beginning of the parade so that is where we decided we would go the next morning.  After we located our spot and saw the balloons being inflated, we made our way to time square and checked out the scene and took some Times Square pictures.  Of course it started raining again but oh well.  We made the best of the situation.   

Day 3:  The next morning started very early.  We got up at 3am and then left by 4am.  Our plan was to take the subway but for some reason it appeared that it was blocked so we got a taxi.  It took hardly anytime to get there because there weren't many people on the roads.  However, we weren't the first ones there.  We did get a front row spot though (and we should have because we were there by 4:30am).  Once we arrived, we set up camp.  We brought chairs with us from REI that we bought.  We found chairs that were comfortable and that would fit in our carryon luggage.  We were going to be sitting in them for quite a while so we insisted on finding comfiness.  They were quite comfortable.  I'm not sure what time the bulk of the people started getting there.  I do remember though that at 6:30 I left to go to the restroom a block away and it took me almost an hour because there were a ton of people in line.  At lease I was waiting in the warmth instead of in the 30 degree weather.  When I got back, I had to fight my way back to my seat.  I was a little annoyed with people that were in my way and didn't seem to be going anywhere.  I tried to explain to them that my seat was like 10 feet away and people weren't letting me through.  I even tried to be a bold new yorker about it but they weren't budging.  We slowly moved and I found my seat and didn't move until the parade was over.  We watched and waited and finally the parade started.  There were some kids next to us that were in the way quite often.  The boy was probably 10 and I had to be strategic about getting him out of the pictures I took.  The little girl was probably 6 or 7 and sweet and quiet and she loved Hello Kitty.  It was really neat being so close to the action.  It ended close to 11am at our spot and then we left to go back to our hotel to unload all of our stuff.  We ate lunch at a burger place not too far from the hotel and then we went back over to time square.  The weather was much nicer on Thanksgiving than the other days we had been there.  I know at some point we went back to our hotel to rest because we were exhausted and wanted to get out to do some black friday shopping at macy's at midnight.  So, we slept for probably 3 hours and then we were up at 11:30pm to get ready to leave.  When we arrived at Macy's it was crazy!!!  There were so many people but the doors were about to open and we were squished in the doorway and scooted up the escalators.  If you've never been to Macy's on 34th in NYC, it's huge!  There are 9 levels and a basement.  I found some great deals and bought a new suitcase because it was such a great deal, a new coat that I love, and then some fun souvenir stuff. 

Day 4:  Black Friday.  We got back to our hotel around 3:30am and then finally got settled and in bed just in time to have 3 or 4 hours of sleep.  We were up at 8am and ready to leave by 9am and headed to the airport in New Jersey.  It was very easy to get to and there was NO ONE there.  The plane left on time.  I tried to sleep but it just wasn't possibly with the loud kid in the row in front of me.  I could hear him with earplugs in my ears.  Ridiculous!  We made it back 30 minutes earlier than scheduled and then back home just in time to unpack and pass out. 

Overall the trip was great!  People ask if I would go again, and I totally would.  I'd love to see the parade again.  I loved the location of the parade and would sit there again or would even try another location.  We had a good time, walked alot, and ate some good food.  Good food and good friends always make a good trip :)



day 29 & 30

I've been slacking a bit lately.  The day I got back from NYC I came down with a cold.  I don't know when the last time I have been sick is so I wasn't really sure how to manage.  I did manage though and now I'm getting back to normal.  I have challenged myself to blog about being thankful and I have been reminded that I have so much to be thankful for. 

So the last 2 things I want to blog about being thankful for are...

1.  My health:  I know I just wrote about being sick but seriously I am usually never sick.  I have lived a decently healthy life and I am thankful for that.  I can keep up with the best of them and for that I am grateful. 

2.  My Grandmother:  She is one of the greatest people that I know.  She never meets a stranger and always has a smile on her face.  I vividly remember spending school holidays, summer vacations, and sick days with her.  She would do what we wanted and did everything in her power to make sure we had a great time.  We made forts with her, cooked and baked, played on her computer, and she even put us to work numerous time.  Everyone loves Nanny.  She has always encouraged us and raised 3 wonderful daughters along with my grandfather that I never had the chance to meet.  I'm am eternally grateful for raising the best youngest daughter that she raised (which is also my mom :)) even if my mom did talk her into letting her eat ice-cream cones for breakfast morning after morning.  She means a lot to us all and I don't think we tell her that often enough!

day 28: traveling with my mom

You all know I love to travel.  I've already blogged about traveling and traveling with friends.  I thought now I should blog about how thankful I am to travel with my mom.  There are tons of people around me that tell me how great it is that I get to travel with my mom.  I know I've been blessed with a mom who loves to explore the world and she has passed that on to me.  I love that I get to go on trips with her and I don't have to share her with anyone.  I'm thankful that she wants me to travel with her.  I'm also thankful for those mornings that she doesn't make me get up really early and go gallavanting around town or around the cruise ship.  I know that sometimes I have to get up early to go places, but she lets me take my time getting ready and doesn't rush me.  She lets me see the things I want to see (and I let her see the things she wants to see).  Maybe that's why we make such a great pair.  I know it's a blessing to spend these years with my mom and I do cherish all the moments we get to spend seeing the world!

day 23-27

I missed a few days of my thankfulness posts so I'm making them up today. I know you are also waiting on my trip blog to hear all about NYC. That will have to wait until I don't have to blog on my iPhone. Tomorrow I'll have q normal computer to blog on and pictures to upload so I'll do that tomorrow. Until then I'm thankful for:

day 23: email: it's a great way for me to check on people and keep in touch. Of course I love snail mail but it's not used as much as email.
day 24: pinterest: It brings out the crafty side in me and gives me new ideas of things to cook, make, photograph, etc.
day 25: airplanes: They take me places far from home and allow me to experience parts of the world that I wouldn't have the opportunity to otherwise.
day 26: sunshine and rain equally but not at the same time: I love sunshine but ibalso love the rain when the time is right. They can both make for equally wonderful days but depending on what the plans are for the day.
day 27: football: It keeps me occupied when I'm at home on the weekends. I've probably learned more about football during the last few months than when I had cable.

9/11 Memorial and Balloon Inflation

Today we went on the water taxi to the 9/11 Memorial. It was surreal being there and imagining that day 10 years ago. We tried to catch the next taxi to the next stop but we missed it just barely. That was ok because we hot some of the tasty nuts they sell in NYC. As I was standing there eating my nuts a squirrel came right up to me begging for nuts. I'm not sure I've ever been so close to a squirrel before. I finally gave him a few nuts but not before snapping a few photos. Check fb for those in a week or so. It started raining (again) while we waited. We stayed on the taxi until our final stop with a picture shot in the rain but it was all good.

We rested a little at the hotel after we got back. Then we made our way to central park to watch the balloons being inflated. So neat!!! It rained a little but I didn't melt. We also went to times square and ate at a little pub that I'll write more about later.

In the morning it's up early to get our frontbrow spots for the pardade. Exciting!!!

"Should we stay or should we go???"

We arrived in NYC today around noon. We decided to take a taxi rather than try to figure out public transportation. We wanted to get to our hotel ASAP because we were hungry. Here are a few things we managed to squeeze in today.

1. Check in to our tiny hotel room and settle in.
2. Walk a few miles or maybe more.
3. Ate pizza at Angelo's. I'm not sure if it was the one that people recommended but it's where we ate.
4. Found our way around the subways and didn't get lost.
5. Went to Chinatown and haggled.
6. Had a Canoli in Little Italy.
7. Went in circles around Rockefeller Center.
8. Watched the Rockettes 3D Christmas Spectacular. It was wonderful! Just as I remembered from years ago when they were in Dallas.
9. Did most of this in the rain. Yes, it rained most of the day and my jeans were pretty soaked when we got back to the hotel but we still had a good time.

Hopefully the rain will let up earlier tomorrow so we can enjoy our day at the 9/11 Memorial and the balloons being inflated for the parade.

More updates later!

day 22: traveling with friends

I'm so thankful to have friends that want to and like (at least I think)travel with me. I've been fortunate enough to take a few trips with some very good friends, those that I would consider my best friends. I love the way that we can always pick a fun place and plan some things that we want to make sure to do but then other things we just decide to do when we get there. I love that they bring out the foodie in me and don't judge me for the food I consume while I'm on vacation. There are no calories on vacation right? It's always something I look forward to! Traveling with my mom is coming at a later date :)

day 21: free Christmas cards

I'm thankful that for the 2nd year in a row I am going to get free photo Christmas cards.  This year they are from Tiny Prints.  I got my code today through email so when I get back from NYC I am going to narrow down my photo selections and Christmas cards and decide who to send cards to.  Send me your address if you want a card!

day 20: friends

I'm extremely thankful for my friends that I have from work. They know what I put up with a deal with on a daily basis. They sympathize with me when I have a tough day. They encourage me when I get discouraged. I'm thankful for them and glad I have such supportive friends who would do anything for me (legal of course).

day 19: breaks from school

I'm so thankful that I get time off from work to relax and recharge myself. It's nice to be able to be able to take care of myself and do things I would like to do.

day 18: laughing children

I love the sound of laughing children in my classroom. I'm thankful for the times I can laugh with them and the times when I can make them laugh and smile if they are in a sad mood. They make my day. When a child smiles their eyes light up. I love when we play a game and they get an answer right and score a point. They think that is the greatest thing ever. I'm thankful when a child walks out of my classroom and says, "I had the best day ever!" I have much to be thankful for but this is something I get to experience and appreciate many times during the week :) It makes my days enjoyable!

Tiny Prints Christmas Cards

This will be my 2nd year to make and send out Christmas cards.  Last year someone had a promotion where you could blog about their cards and then get 50 free ones.  Sadly, they aren't doing that same promotion again this year.  However I happened upon a blog that reported that Tiny Prints is doing a similar promotion this year.  I haven't bought much from Tiny Prints but I am excited about what they have to offer.  Their line of Christmas cards is wonderful and they have some really creative cards.  You can find them here at their website.  I already have all my pictures picked out to put on my card.  I am planning to take a few more in NYC this Thanksgiving to add to my collection of optional pictures.  I know I don't have a cute little family or a sweet little puppy to show everyone but I have done a lot in the past year and I think it's a great reason to send out Christmas cards so I'm sending them out. 

I love cards that have a lot of space for pictures....I can never pick just one.  These are some of my favorites because they have space for more than one picture on them.  I also love the folded cards because I love writing a little bit about things that have happened throughout the year.

Once I have gathered all of my fun pictures, I will decide on the card I want to choose.  You really should check out their cards.  After you blog about their cards on your blog, you go fill out this form.  You can thank me later! :)

Another thing I plan to try this year with all of my Christmas cards is something I saw on Pinterest.  People have posted the idea or putting all of their Photo Christmas cards that they get in the mail on a metal ring and putting that on their coffee table each year as a holiday photo book.  I never know what to do with my Christmas cards at the end of the season and some of them are just too nice to throw out so I'm trying it out this year. 

If you are lucky, you will get a Christmas card in the mail :)

day 17: sky ranch

Oh how I love that place! It started with me wanting to work at a summer camp with kids in college. The summer after my freshman year I chose to take summer classes so they would be easier. Science wasn't(and still isn't) my thing so community college was the right thing and much easier than science at OBU. Moving on, all that first summer I researched summer camps. Somehow I learned about Sky. I also learned about pine cove. It might have been the fact that they both were at obu recruiting. Regardless, I applied at both and from what I remembered I interviewed at both. I was ecstatic when I got the job at Sky. I was so excited! I knew a few other people that got a job there too so it wasn't just me. Of course when I first got there I was super quiet but quickly warmed up. It's amazing how fast you become yourself when you spend 24 hrs a day with people in the sane room and very little alone time. I was blessed with an amazing group of counselors that I was so fortunate to work with that first year. We had so much fun with out cabin full of 8 year olds. My most favorite part of sky besides meeting some great friends was getting to lead sweet children to Christ. I'll never forget one little girl who had a puzzled look on her face. She didn't understand while people were so mean to Jesus on the cross. She asked, "will you help me ask Jesus into my heart." I still get goosebumps thinking about that sweet moment and many other that are similar to that. I not only worked there that summer but the next summer as well and the the summer after my first year of teaching. I am thankful for what sky did in my life and how it taught me to be selfless. I'm also thankful that they trusted me enough to teach children about the love of God. I won't lie, there were many tough moments but in all honesty it was completely worth all the late nights, sweating, sunburns, lice checks, weekend duty, camper homesickness, and lifeguard certification (uggh). I am forever grateful for it all!

day 16: music

I love music! I'm not necessarily good with names of singers but music makes me happy. I love singing in the car when no one is around. I was singing a song today in class and one little girl in my class said "you sing pretty." According to her everything I do, say, or wear is pretty, haha! I also love piano music. It's probably my favorite thing to listen to during the day and after school. It's so peaceful and I love it. So I'm adding music to my list of things I'm thankful for.

day 15: my brother

I know I already posted about being thankful for the rest of my family but I thought I'd dedicate this entire post to my thankfulness for my brother. We've grown up together getting along, fighting, making secret plans to catch Santa, business plans, plans to visit cool places and even spent a year together in college. Growing up people(teachers) were always surprised that we were related. We were very different. He's always been the outgoing one. Of course he gets his good looks from and and his smartness too :) One of my favorite memories of my brother is when we traveled through parts of Europe together with a friend of mine. We had a lot of fun and I will always remember that trip. I'll also always remember our Tiger Tunes experience at OBU. It was neat spending a year at college together. I always ask him for financial advise because he's part of the business world and knows way more about the business type stuff than I do. Anyways, I'm thankful that we can still be friends even though we are both adults and lead our own lives and don't see each other as much as we used to. He's an important part of my life and I hope he has a pretty great birthday!!!

day 14: traveling

I'm certainly thankful for traveling and getting to experience different parts of the world. I love visiting new places and finding my favorites and going back again. I love that I am disciplined enough to save up to go on fun trips each year. I've definitely got a few favorite places and a ton of places on my "I wanna visit these places one day...sooner rather than later" list. I love the excitement of researching and packing and counting down. Planning and not planning equally excite me. I love to have things to look forward to on trips. At the same time I love the "do what I want when I want to" mentality. I love traveling with different types of people whether it's my mom, my travel buddy, or old college friends they all make me happy. Traveling is part of who I am and it's a blessing I am very thankful for.

day 13: photography

My camera is part of me and photography is one my most favorite hobbies besides traveling. I love seeing something and capturing the perfect image. It makes me happy. I love photographing sweet children and exciting events. I love when people see my photos and think they are great. I'm hoping to get some great photos in New York at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I love the way I can capture priceless vacation moments with my camera that become souvenirs that I keep forever. Photography is part of life's great adventure!

day 12: food

Yes I'm going to go ahead and say I'm thankful for food. I'm not just thankful for food in general. I'm thankful for my favorites....those being donuts, chick fil a, cookies, cake, brownies, strawberries, and basically anything delicious. Because I'm a foodie at heart I have a great appreciation for food of all kinds whether it is fast food, regular food prepared at home, fancy food from a fancy restaurant, baked yumminess, or cruise ship food.....I love it all. I'm thankful that I have the money to buy the food that I like and enjoy rather than settling for the very inexpensive ramen noodles. I'm thankful also that I'm adventurous enough to try a wide variety of interesting edible creations when I encounter them throughout my day to day adventures.

day 11: my golden girls

I'm so thankful for these girls.  Elise, Kara, Ruth, Kaylan, and Whitney are some of my dearest friends from college.  They are the closest thing to sisters as I've ever had.  None of us live in the same city but they are still just as dear as they were when we lived down the hall from each other orlived an apartment complex over.  They mean a lot to me.  I've had the chance to travel to Europe with two of them and we had the best time.  When we get together, it's just like old times, except now we are grown up and have jobs and live adult lives.  I love these girls and wish we lived closer.  However, because of the distance, our time together is just that much sweeter.  I miss them dearly but I know that God will continue to keep our friendship strong even though we don't see each other as often as we would like.  Girls, I love you all dearly and I miss you all like crazy!  I pray for you all the time and I always look forward to the time we get to spend together.