A Month of Thanksgiving: Ooops, it's December!

I don't think I have known the meaning of busy until this week. This week and the coming week are busy to the fullest meaning of the word – papers due, projects to complete, lessons given, tutoring, unit planning, meetings, and wrapping everything up for Christmas break. The busyness has also been filled with good things – catching up with friends, going to a concert with a friend, being back with my fifth graders at school, and have good conversations with different people.

But, all that to say, I am sorry for not completing the month of Thanksgiving posts. I had high hopes for doing it everyday this year, but I didn't realize that the Month of Thanksgiving was also Month of Busy!

However, I wanted to wrap up with one last post for the Month of Thanksgiving. And post some pictures of what I am thankful for.

I'm thankful for extended family! It was wonderful to see them over Thanksgiving. 

I'm thankful for Faith and Sonya and their friendship. I eat lunch with them every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and I am so blessed by them. They are encouraging, funny, and thoughtful. I am so thankful that God placed us in the same house this summer and that we are still good friends! 

Last night was the senior social. I am thankful that I am a senior. I am thankful for this wonderful college that God has provided for both me and Damarise to go to. I am thankful for getting to socialize last night. I haven't gotten to hang out with so many friends in a long time and it was wonderful! And I am so thankful for Janessa and Bethany! The four of us have been close friends since freshmen year and we have stayed friends throughout. I love them!

I am thankful for my Elementary Education family! They really have become family to me. I feel comfortable around them. We laugh together, share stories, tell our hopes and fears for student teaching. These are girls who I trust and love and I am so thankful for them in my life! I could not have imagined this semester without any of them. They each add something to the class and I just love them all!

(We were missing four in the picture... but I love the ones who are missing too!!) 

It's December, but that doesn't mean that thankfulness needs to stop. It's been good to reflect on each day and realize all that God has blessed me with. ... Hopefully I'll post again soon, but we'll see how bust life gets. Until then...

A Month of Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day! And what a day – a day full of food, family, and thinking about what I am thankful for. Today I am thankful for the amazing Thanksgiving feast that my cousins, Grandma, and Aunts prepared. I am thankful for Skyping the family. I am thankful for rest, laughter, and a fun time together.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

A Month of Thanksgiving: Days 19, 20, & 21

Again, I'm falling behind, so without further ado – days 19, 20, and 21.

I am thankful for rest. It has been a busy few days, but sometimes being busy with things other than school feels relieving.

I'm thankful for the break and the chance to get away from home. I'm thankful that for the first time in my life, I actually miss home. Usually, I'd miss certain things or people from places I'd lived, but never specifically the place. For some reason, I feel a little homesick for Chattanooga, and I like it. It makes Chattanooga feel more like home than any place ever has before. I miss the people, things, and place, and it makes me so much more thankful for Chattanooga.

I'm thankful for seeing most of Dad's side of the family today! I love family and reunions. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving day and I cannot wait! Food and family! So much to be thankful for! 

A Month of Thanksgiving: Day 18

Today I'm thankful for my Aunt Janice who is wonderful! Also I'm thankful for seeing some of Pasadena tonight – the city where I spent the first two years of my life. Today was a great beginning to Thanksgiving break.

A Month of Thanksgiving: Days 14,15,16, & 17

I was hoping that I'd post every day in November, but alas I forgot just how busy life is. That being said, here's a catch up post for days 14-17 of things I am thankful for.

I'm thankful for my kids in fifth grade. They brighten up my week!
I'm thankful for my cooperating teacher and the parapro in the classroom who high-fived me when I told them I was skipping a day of my classes. They told me I deserved a break. ( :) )
I'm thankful for feedback on my lesson from Dr. Pennington. All of the comments and suggestions were so helpful and needed.
I'm thankful for Bethany and Anna. Working out with them after class is usually full of laughter and good talks.
I'm thankful for Janessa and her testimony of God's never failing faithfulness... and her wisdom!
I'm thankful for submitting my SIP (Senior Integration Paper) and having that done and out of the way!
I'm thankful for good conversations with friends!
I'm thankful for chess and Micah's willingness to play it with me... even when one game took almost 3 hours.
I'm thankful for Davey's Happy Monday texts... every day this week. Haha, it had me laughing!
I'm thankful for Faith, Sonya, and Damarise and the coffee date we had on Friday afternoon. Laughter and great conversation and then dinner at home with them filled with more laughter.
I'm thankful for Thanksgiving break and Grandma's generosity in flying Damarise and me to California to spend it with family.
I'm thankful for extended family and the chance to be here with them.

This week was busy... so busy! But also filled with many things to be thankful for!

A Month of Thanksgiving: Day 13

Today I'm thankful for warmth and coziness.

Warmth from the heat in our house this morning, the piping hot coffee I drank on my way to school, and Ginny's seat warmers that kept me warm on the drive down.

Coziness from snuggling under a blanket and Skyping with Mom and Dad, studying at Starbucks while drinking a hot chocolate Christmas drink, eating Janessa's amazing soup, and coming home to listen to Sufjan's new Christmas album while snuggling under a blanket to do homework.

I'm thankful!

A Month of Thanksgiving: Day 12

Today I am thankful for Mondays.

I love Mondays – I really do. I love that we are given Saturday to work and rest. Then we have Sunday to be spiritually nourished and rest more, so that by the time Monday rolls around we are rested and ready to go. I just love it! I look forward to Mondays.

Today was a rainy, windy, and cold Monday, but it was grand. I saw many friends, had phenomenal classes, worked out with friends, and now am snuggled up in a blanket at home writing papers. Today was a great Monday and I am thankful!

A Month of Thanksgiving: Days 9,10, & 11

(sorry for the delay... I wasn't around my laptop this weekend. So here is a catch up from the days I missed).

Day 9:

I was thankful for friends. The Emis' from Arkansas came out of there way to visit Damarise and me. They took us out to dinner and it was wonderful to catch up with them and see some familiar faces from our first home!

Day 10:

I was thankful for weekends and God's perfect timing. I had a fever and headache for most of the day, but was so thankful that it hit me on the weekend! Definitely would not want to have missed school! I got a lot of work done while resting too which was a blessing.

Day 11:

I was thankful for church, small group after church, dinner with friends, and coffee date with Janessa. I could not have asked for a better way to spend my Sunday. 

A Month of Thanksgiving: Day 8

Today I'm thankful that I can drive.

Thursdays I tutor off the mountain and today was a gorgeous day for that drive. The sun was shining, lighting up the trees making them look as if they were bursting into colourful flame. Music was playing and the heat was warming my numb toes. It was perfect.

I'm thankful that I can drive. I'm thankful for the friends who taught me how to drive. I'm thankful for God's beautiful scenery that He has placed everywhere. And I'm thankful for Thursday afternoon drives down the mountain. 

A Month of Thanksgiving: Day 7

Today I am thankful for my classmates.

I'll be honest, when I began this semester it was rough to be in the same classroom with the same 15 classmates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for eight hours straight. I missed having different classes in different classrooms with different classmates. I missed having males in my class (yes, my class is all girls). I grew a bit discontent.

But, as the months wore on, I began to love every aspect of it. I loved having 15 classmates to confide in. We all knew the stress that was happening in our lives. We felt comfortable around each other. We could laugh, joke, and cry with each other and it was alright.

Today I was reminded of how much I love these girls. After class today I went to the gym with two of them to work out and we talked the entire time about life and about how thankful we are for everyone in our class. They have become family and I love sitting in class with them three days a week and hearing what is happening in their lives. God has blessed me to be in class with these girls and I am so thankful!

A Month of Thanksgiving: Day 6

Oh boy! Today was quite an exciting day and a day chocked full of thanksgiving.

It began by waking up to the rain pattering down on the roof. Waking up to rain is soothing. But despite the soothing rain, my stomach was in a mess of knots. Today was my day to teach a lesson in my fifth grade classroom and be observed by my professor. My professor is so nice, my cooperating teacher is very sweet, and my students are very respectful – but even with this knowledge I was a nervous wreck.

I got to school and watched as the clock ticked closer and closer to 9:00am. Before I knew it, Dr. Pennington was in my classroom and I was up front. Things got underway and, all in all, I think it went well. I still have so much to learn! But it was not as nerve racking as I thought it would be. I was very relieved and encouraged after talking with Dr. Pennington. She gave me good advice and great insight.

Today I am thankful that I have the privilege to be in the school where I am and to be able to teach a lesson and get wonderful feedback.

When I got back home I went out and voted! Because I was too young to vote in the last presidential election, this is my first time voting. I am a registered Georgia voter now, so I went to the nearest poll and placed my vote. I felt grown-up and responsible. I expected there to be gobs of people lined up waiting to vote. Instead it was a near empty shack that was dead silent. I placed my vote and semi-expected a crowd to come out and cheer me on. Instead, I was handed a sticker and wished a happy day. Regardless of the lack of enthusiasm within the voting arena, it was still an exciting time.

Today I'm thankful for the freedom that we have in our country. I know a lot of countries don't have the freedom to vote. I'm thankful that we can have a voice in our country. And I'm thankful that God is sovereign and that no matter who becomes our next president, God is still in control. 

A Month of Thanksgiving: Day 5

Today I am thankful that we can praise God.

It hit me in chapel today as we were singing and praising God, how wonderful it is to do that with fellow students. As we broke into small groups to pray about missions we began to talk about the ways God has provided in our lives. Hearing testimonies of how God is working in someone's life is a tremendous encouragement. Hearing the ways God uses His body of believers to provide and encourage others is incredible! Today I am thankful for my friends that God has blessed me with and that we can sit and chat about all that God is doing in our lives. He truly is amazing, and I am so thankful that we can praise Him!

A Month of Thanksgiving: Day 4

Today I am thankful for daylights saving time. Sleeping in an extra hour was so very needed and so very appreciated.

I am also thankful for church. I love our church. Every Sunday, Pastor Cal delivers such a powerful message from the Word and I always leave feeling encouraged, convicted, and so in awe of who God is! Today was also communion and it was wonderful. We also had a fellowship dinner after church. I love meeting new people and the church has made us feel right at home.

I am thankful for Skype and the technology that let's us talk to the family in Zambia! It was great Skyping with them and catching up on their lives.

Lastly, today I buried my tomato plants. They were beyond dead (and very sad looking). So I put them to rest, but not before collecting at least a dozen beautiful tomatoes that are currently ripening. I am SO thankful for this plant! I'm thankful for Micah for getting it for me! And for his Grandma's knowledge on how to take care of it. It has definitely been my favourite plant that I've had. And God used it to teach me quite a bit about His power over creation. I'm thankful for it and for the tomatoes it produced! 

A Month of Thanksgiving: Day 2

Today I am thankful for today.

Morning class was great. I love my classmates. We hung out by the coffeemaker today talking about Christmas, our schools, and Broadway. Dr. Pennington brought us chocolate from her leftover halloween candy stash. Chapel was phenomenal on the book of Ruth. Lunch with Sonya and Faith was wonderful as always. Science in the afternoon was good. Lots of laughter as we were giddy over it being our last day of science class. The weather was warm. I ran and it felt amazing. Ate dinner with Damarise (and got food in the fridge!). And... today is Friday!

Today, I am thankful for all that God has blessed me with. 

A Month of Thanksgiving: Day 1

It is November! November is probably one of my favourite months. It is full of festivities as school is wrapping up and Thanksgiving and Christmas loom close ahead. I also like November because it is a month of Thanksgiving. Every day should be a day of thanksgiving, but having Thanksgiving in the month of November is a good month to spend each day reflecting on something I am thankful for.

And so, this month I will post every day about something I am thankful for.

Today, I am thankful for the school where I am doing my teaching practicum. I love my cooperating teacher and my fifth graders. Every time I wake up at 5:43am to go to the school I am so excited to get there. I love it and am so thankful that God has me there surrounded by wonderful teachers and students. 

Health (Thankful: Day 30)

Today is the last day of November! Craziness! Finals, Christmas festivities, my birthday, traveling, and wrapping up the semester are all about to ensue. Can't believe it, but so ready for it!

Today I am especially thankful for health. I never realize how grateful I am for good health (or how much I take it for granted) until I get sick. Today was one of those days. I had an awful migraine all night through about 4 this afternoon. I had to skip class and work because I couldn't focus on anything and just felt crummy. But it made me thankful that the majority of days I am blessed with good health. This semester I have hardly gotten sick at all and have only had one other bad headache. I'm thankful that God has blessed me with health, with the ability to go to classes and to concentrate. It's funny how you don't realize how thankful you are for something until it is taken from you. I'm thankful that my head is back to normal!

Today (Thankful: Day 29)

Today I'm thankful for... today.

I woke up at 7:33am to snow falling out the window. Ah, nothing like waking up to a beautiful snowy morning. I loved it! I was hoping that Damarise and I would get to see a snowfall before going to Africa for Christmas, and God sent an unusually early snow storm to the south. I'm grateful!

Classes weren't canceled because the snow wasn't sticking to the road. So, after a good breakfast with Micah and Davey, I was off to work. Work went well. Leslie had Christmas music playing and the room was nice and cozy with the snow still falling outside.

I then had class, which was... class. Nothing too spectacular. Another hour of work. And then lunch with the Woodrow family. It's so great to have them visiting and catch up on their lives.

After lunch was my afternoon of work (noon-5pm). But I love working Tuesday afternoons because all of us work study students are in the office, which is always fun, and we have our weekly meeting and prayer time. I love it! Always funny stories shared, prayer requests, and just things we need to know. It's my favourite work time of the week.

Now I'm off to dinner with Damarise, Kristin, and Alicia (our weekly little Tuesday dinner group). And then Damarise and I are decorating our room for Christmas tonight.

I'm thankful for today!

Edit: Later tonight with the decorated Christmas tree :) 

Favourite Things (Thankful: Day 28)

Today I am thankful for:

• Christmas music being played all day at work.
• A test and a paper back with grades that I am happy with.
• Dewey paper is being handed in tomorrow!
• Getting to hang out and eat dinner down the mountain with all the Woodrow family!!
• Having the first snow of the season falling right now! 

It's been a good day!

Safety! (Thankful: Day 27)

I am so thankful for safety on the road today! 15 hours and a rainstorm later, we are safely back at school!

Catch-Up (Thankful: Day 26)

Today I'm thankful to Skype with Victoria and catch up on her life. I'm also thankful for more time spent with the Chupp family. It's been great!