Thank you, Thank you very much!

I've been thankful all month and now I'm thankful to be done. :) And I'm excited tomorrow marks day 1 of my month of Christmas socks! Those will not be posted - you will have to use your imagination.

Tonight - I celebrated. And now I have the hiccups.

Today I'm thankful for Tequila and lime and my pillow and the prospect of Saturday.

Until next time....

And the Cat Came Back

Some of you might remember this post about our adventures at work with a set of kittens. Well today we finally met the momma. And it's a story worth reenacting. :)

I'm standing in my boss' office when we hear a commotion coming from the area of my production room. I walk over to see what's going on and notice two ceiling tiles are on the ground. How'd that happen? I glance in to my production room and see movement - the Cat! I panic because that's how I roll and I run back to the office and shut the door screaming "Cats are falling on my head! I can't work under these conditions! It's after me - I just know it! She's seeking revenge for her missing kittens and I'm to blame." The boys hear me scream and come to the rescue (through their fits of laughter). They block all of the doors leaving only the door to the outside open and chase the cat to freedom....while I'm safely locked in my office. I like my eyes - I'd rather them not be scratched out.

Once the cat was out I was able to access the damage she managed in the brief time she spent in my production room. And it was quite a bit! Stuff all over the floor, product knocked off the shelf! Yeesh - she was UPSET!

Today I'm thankful for doors that shut and feet that run. I'm thankful the cat got to freedom and I'm hopeful she stays free. I'm thankful for my coworkers who realize I'm crazy but want to keep my any way. ;)

Until next time....

A Change in the Weather

I LOVE cold weather! I love crunchy leaves and coats and scarves and hot chocolate and fuzzy blankets. And it's finally arrived in Houston - thank the good Lord!

And tonight I'm happy to bundled up with my fuzzy blanket.

Today I'm thankful for cold weather, a working heater and my fuzzy blanket. I'm thankful for our DVR, a yummy dinner and Cyber Monday deals. Online shopping - now THAT'S something I can get behind! ;)

Until next time...

More lessons in Pet Parenting

I get home from my hour with masseuse BFF Lydia and my Beloved asks me to look at something by Atti's ear. He's all wiggly with excitement (the dog, not the husband) so it takes some quick moving to get a good look. And it's a big fat Tick. YUCK!!! This might be damaging my calm.

In order to get the dog to settle we give him a calming pill and Daniel holds a treat so I can pick off the offending creature. With tweezers in hand, I spring in to action! OK, so less spring and more squeal. Regardless, I pick the ugly thing off, throw it on a napkin and Daniel smashes the heck out of it. Take THAT nasty beast! We search him all over and can't find any more.

With Atti being medicated we decided to take him with us to Mom's. I'm telling mom about my braveness and she says we might be ready for parenthood! I then tell her it's how I plan on handling bullies - simply pluck them up and smash the heck out them! Which makes her amend her original comment adding - "well, there might be a few more lessons to learn..."

Anyway, we get back in the car last night and while I'm looking at Atticus I notice there is something near the spot where the tick was. Once home, we get him to calm down and I'm attacking his head with the tweezers again. And it's another tick! Crap. We search his ears for the second time in one day and find two more. I smashed the heck out of those ticks!

This is out of control so we head to Walmart for Tick repellent. I'm walking super fast and Daniel asks me what the rush is. "We're under attack Daniel!! There are ticks all over us!" He no longer worries about what other people think about what I say - he gave up a long a time ago. We find the pet section and he asks me what we should get. "Everything that says tick!! Just put it in the basket!!" as I'm scratching like crazy. This is what we end up with:

The yard has been treated, the dog has been treated two different ways and no longer cares when we come at him with a flashlight. Hopefully we have this under control and the nasty beasts aren't biding their time for a counter attack. So gross.

I'm thankful Walmart stays open late and sells everything under the sun (that might be the nicest thing I've ever said about Walmart). I'm thankful for a sense of humor and a good natured husband. And I'm thankful for a dog that doesn't seem to mind his crazy parents. ;)

Until next time....

Our Young Man

This will be a blubbery blog - you've been warned.

Today my Beloved got to help Travis fill out college applications. College. Applications. He asked me for help on Thanksgiving and I cried most of the way home. Don't tell him I said that. ;)

I'm just so proud of him! He's come such a long way and I'm so relieved. He's responsible and more independent and so thoughtful. I am excited about the opportunities he is getting to have and the life experiences he will carry with him always. And I cannot wait to see where his life takes him!

But I'm also a little sad. He's still the little boy with the curly hair and mischievous smile who likes to play with Legos. The boy who would chase down the ice cream man in his socks. The boy who woke up early one day out of the year - Christmas morning. The boy who held my fingers while he learned to walk.

And now he's going to college soon.

Today I'm thankful for the young man my baby brother is turning out to be. I'm thankful for some time with my Momma, an hour with my massage BFF Lydia and tick shampoo (long story!).

Until next time....

A Not-So-Black Friday

I love shopping but I just say NO when it comes to Black Friday. It combines a few things I hate the most - people, early hours, rushed shopping and crowded parking lots. No thank you. I'd rather pay full price. And you will NEVER catch me camping in a tent in the Best Buy parking lot 2 days before Thanksgiving - crazy people. Seriously, were they giving away full college scholarships or spaceships to the first 5 people?! I also couldn't work at Best Buy because I wouldn't let anyone through the door unless they'd showered....recently....with soap. Again - crazy people.

Instead we headed to Huntsville for a visit with my Beloved's family. It was a perfectly lovely day with no lines or people. :)

I'm thankful for a beautiful day, lovely laughs and fluffy clouds. I'm thankful for an adventurous drive and a delicious dinner with my Daniel.

Until next time...

Family

They make me laugh. They make me ragey. They make my eye twitch. But I love them. Mostly.

Today I'm thankful for my family - the ones I see often and the ones I only see once a year. I'm thankful for turkey and pie and sweet tea. I'm thankful for 3 Hour Logs and visits by the fire. I'm thankful Kacy got to join our motley crew and that Momma's house is always inviting. I'm thankful for stretchy pants and that Thanksgiving only comes around once a year. ;)

Until next time....

Baking Made Easy

Some of you might remember this post featuring a confession from a crazy person. Since being married and living on our own, I've tried to contribute to Thanksgiving by bringing something yummy. I'm not great in the kitchen and I get extremely upset when things don't go according to plan or look like it's supposed to. So when it comes to baking, I'm happy to use "ready to roll" dough. Judge all you want! I don't care. It tastes just as yummy and always turns out perfect.Today I'm thankful for yummy, flaky Pillsbury Pie Crusts and the fact that Walmart still had some three days before Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for a yummy smelling house and an easy day at work. I'm thankful for Dobby the House Elf - he brings me joy every time he shows up (until book 7, d*#@ you, JK). I'm thankful I'll get to spend tomorrow with my family and then enjoy a long weekend. I'm thankful for my little space heater - it's a little chilly in my office today!

Until next time.....

Starry Night & Eye Sight

I love the Starry Night series by Van Gogh. I picked my first credit card based on the fact that I could get it with Starry Night on it. Once they took that option away, I cancelled the card. That was a fun conversation with the credit card people.

This weekend on our road trip, we toured the Houmas House Plantation and I found this umbrella - and I HAD to have it. :)

Such beautiful blues and yellows! This is the painting everyone recognizes but my true favorite is Starry Night Over the Rhone. It's magical! It occurs to me that there are people who cannot see such beautiful things - and that makes me sad. And I have to remember to never take my sight for granted.

Today I'm thankful for the ability to see pretty colors and the faces of the people I love. I'm thankful for Van Gogh and a rainy day. I'm thankful I'm getting new windshield wipers for Christmas. :)

Until next time....

5 O'Clock

Today I am thankful that Monday is almost over and that tomorrow is brand new with no mistakes in it - like Anne of Green Gables would say. I'm thankful my Beloved is waiting at home and I can't wait to be there with him. I'm thankful it's almost time to go home and I have HP5 to listen to on my drive (even though I loathe Dolores Umbridge and this is my least favorite book in the series). I'm thankful it's a short week! And I'm hopeful I'll wake up a bit less cranky tomorrow - I blame He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He's making me and my Harry friend very ragey on my drive in. ;)

Until next time.....

Family Fun Time

This weekend our cousin Shannon married her Matt in Louisiana which meant the Martin 3 got to spend several hours together in the backseat again. And no one died! Coming from experience, my siblings are what you would call 'spread outers' and always take up more room. And at 30, I am not above telling mom they're touching me. ;) Mom's new rule for this trip was that we could fight all we want as long as it was done via text.

The wedding was beautiful and we had a lot of fun! And a lot beer. Which means our ride together yesterday was mostly jovial. Today it was mostly hungover. :) Fun times.

I'm thankful for family, laughter and beer. I'm thankful for plantation tours and indoor plumbing - Chamber Pots are NOT OKAY. I'm thankful for PetSmart for taking care of our Atticus. I'm thankful for an opportunity to see family and the joy of coming home.

And I'm thankful I'll get to sleep in my own bed tonight.

Until next time...

NAPS!!

Infants need them, children fight them and adults LONG for them.
And my two boys look so sweet when they're taking one. :)

I'm thankful for comfy couches, cold weather and fuzzy blankets. I'm thankful for Atti's little sleeping sighs - it means he's content. I'm thankful for falling asleep on the couch with a cuddly puppy. I'm thankful my Momma and the Child are coming over tonight! And I'm HOPEFUL I'll get a nap today but I'm thankful for ice cold Dr. Pepper if I don't.

Until next time....

*Side note! We are going on a road trip with the family this weekend so I'll be thankful again on Sunday. ;)

His Promises

When I was little and would get scared, I would run to my Mom. She would always read Hebrews 13:5-6 to me, pray with me and the fears would cease. It's my favorite verse and my favorite promise and something I needed to be reminded of today.

Hebrews 13:5-6: For God has said "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." So we can say with confidence "The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?"

A few weeks ago, my Mamaw brought me this key chain. She didn't know the significance of the verse to me but funny things just work out that way. ;)
My LEAST favorite verse (probably I shouldn't have one but I'm human) can be found in James 1 ~ 'Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.' Yeah, I don't like that verse at all. :)

Today I'm thankful I believe in a God who loves me and comforts me and provides for me - even when I fail to ask. I'm thankful He loves me more than the stars and the sun He taught to shine. I'm thankful my Beloved and I both have jobs and live in a house and have food on our table. I'm thankful we're insured and loved and supported. And I'm thankful to be resting in His awesome grip and to be confident that this too shall pass. Or at least working on being confident this too shall pass. ;)

Count it all joy.....count it all joy.....

Until next time.....

ALL things INDOOR

I NEVER take this for granted. I love indoor plumbing. I love that I can have hot water whenever I want. I love that I can flush. Gone are the days of using an Outhouse!

I would not have survived before indoor plumbing. We often have 'but what if this' conversations and it always ends the same - NOT HAPPENING. For example, my Beloved will ask "but say we were camping..." "Yeah, I'm not camping." "OK, say we were stuck in the middle of the desert.." "Why are we in the desert?! Deserts are HOT! No thank you." This is the point where my Beloved rolls his eyes and gives up.

We were watching this show where a survivalist and his wife were being dropped in different locations so she could 'learn to survive'. One episode featured them drinking their own urine. I paused the show and told my husband if our survival rested on us drinking each others pee - I choose death. To which he replied "Duly noted." When we talked about the show, Daniel would point out that it would be handy to know how to survive in those situations. I have no intention of being stranded in the middle of a desert or the rain forest and can't even begin to fathom the situation that would drop me there. Crazy people.

I don't really like Outside all together. We were at a party a few weeks ago and someone told a story about a lady who swallowed a bee through a straw in a drink she had while outside. His moral of the story was to always cover your straw when outside. My moral of the story was don't go outside.

Today I'm thankful for inside, air conditioning and hot water heaters. I'm thankful for hot showers and toilets that flush and ovens that cook. I'm thankful for a Beloved who has no desire to camp. I'm thankful for dishwashers and microwaves and cable. I'm thankful for the Internet and smart phones and blogs. ;)

Until next time....

Music While I Work

When I left the Rodeo, I was given an iPod by my friend Jason and his lovely bride, Valerie as a going away gift. I love it! I play Cut The Rope and Stupid Zombies and I share pictures and I stay motivated while I work. I have my iPod and docking station (a Christmas gift from great In-Laws) in my production room. When I'm cleaning product or boxing seminar items - I can listen to anything I want to listen to as loud as I want! I'm so spoiled.

Today I'm thankful for music, iPods, electricity, and being alone in my own little world. I'm thankful for Adele, The Zac Brown Band, Taylor Swift and Mumford and Sons. I'm thankful for lunch with the girls, a new book to read and queso. I'm also thankful for lots and lots of rain!

Until next time...

My Daniel

I'm a very lucky girl when it comes to husbands. He's handy, not obsessed with sports or hunting , has decent taste in music and likes to read. ;) He's polite and even tempered and kind. I still smile when I introduce him as my husband.

My Beloved doesn't have to be at work until much later then I do but he gets up with me while I get ready in the morning. And since I'm usually in a hurry, he makes my lunch for me. :) And he makes my Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches the way I like even though he completely disagrees.
He makes me laugh, he brings me comfort, he helps me clean the house and he loves me. Even though I'm crazy.

I'm thankful for him. Always.

Until next time.....

A Sunday at Home

This was the first Sunday in a while that we got to be home and today my Beloved and I spent the day taking care of our house. We cleaned and vacuumed and dusted until everything sparkled. Now, soon after the floors were spotless the dog entered the room and that all changed. The joys of living with a beast! :)

We had to run an errand this evening and I snapped this picture. It was such a pretty sky! I couldn't resist.

Today I'm thankful for Sundays at home, our DVR, Harry Potter 7.2 and the inventor of the vacuum. I'm thankful for a pretty sky, my Daniel and our home - dog hair and all. :)

Until next time...

Momma's Pumpkin Bread

We got to spend some time at Momma's this weekend and today she made Pumpkin Bread. Yum!

Today I'm thankful for love and weddings and warm pumpkin bread. I'm thankful for the way my Momma's house smells and that she loves us enough to let us leave with 4 loaves. ;)

Until next time...

Freedom

Today I'm thankful I am free. I'm thankful I can say what I want, vote for who I want, go where I want to go. I'm thankful and humbled by those who made it possible. I'm thankful to the men and women who fought to make sure I was free and those who fight today to make sure we are safe. I'm thankful for the families of those who fight - they sacrifice a lot for the name of Freedom. I'm thankful to be an American and a Texan.

So thank you, Veterans and your families for making sure I am free.

Until next time....

Lessons in Patience

I'm begrudgingly thankful for this.

Patience is not a virtue I was born with. It's something I'm working on though! And let me tell you - this week has been a challenge!

I've had several hotels try to charge us for more than we agreed. Foolish, foolish hotels! And yesterday I had this particularly fun run in with a shipping company. Here's some back story - our big magical printer stopped printing on Monday (which is another story that ended with a bottle of wine) so I had to hustle in order to get a shipment out. I overnighted a box for first AM delivery - guaranteed to be there by 8am and costing an arm and a leg. My boss calls me the next day at 10am saying it hasn't arrived. No problem! I'll check the tracking. The tracking says it's been picked up. That's it. So I call and proceed to have this conversation:

Me: I need to check the status of our package.
Them: It's been picked up and set to be delivered at 8am.
Me: That was two hours ago.
Them: Oh
Me: So where is it?
Them: I'm seeing it's been picked up.
Me: I know that - where is it now?
Them: I don't know.
Me: So you can't tell me where in the world our package is? You can't find out which brown truck between here and New York is currently carrying said package?
Them: No.

Me: Fine. We need the charge refunded.

Them: We can't refund the charge until the package arrives.
Me: And when is it going to arrive?
Them: It was scheduled to arrive today at 8am.

Yep. By this time the Timby-Rage-O-Meter had peaked and I gave up.

Turns out they totally smashed the package and it was sent back to me. Poor Package!

I'm thankful for patience and a sense of humor.

Until next time....

RAIN!

Houston got a lot of much needed rain yesterday! It was such a joy to see rain pouring off the roof! :) I came home to a very wet dog but it's all right. We needed it.

I'm thankful for rain, cooler weather, scarves and the 'halfway through the week' mark.

Until next time...

Monday Nights

Mondays seem to be a problem. :) A few weeks ago, I tried this recipe which calls for a cup of white wine. So I bought a bottle of white, cooked and realized I didn't have a cork stop. Oopsie. I didn't want to be wasteful so I drank the rest. This introduced me to my new favorite wine:

Wine makes me giggly and loud - just FYI. Anyways! Monday nights also mean Text Time with the Young One. My brave friend Kelley lives in New York. I met Kelley when I worked for that other place and we just get along. :) We exchange book obsessions, we like the same shows and we make 4 quarter bets. We both enjoy the TV show Castle on Monday nights so we spend the hour texting each other. Sometimes thanks to my new friend, Signature White - I don't always remember the texts the next day. :) Ah well!

Today I'm thankful for texts, wine, the Young One, Nathan Fillion and Tuesdays. I'm also thankful for Ibuprofen and that Friday is a day closer. :)

Until next time.....

Clouds

My God makes some pretty clouds! Some people might say it's science but I believe in magic and Santa and God. So God it is. And His imagination continuously astounds me. I'm a selfish being and every time I see a pretty sunset or a rainbow or fluffy clouds, I think "He did that for me!" :)

Today I'm thankful for a colorful sky, the chance of rain and a God who loves to see me smile.

Until next time....

A Huntsville Sunday

This morning we headed up to Huntsville to see Daniel's Granny. I like being in the car with my Beloved. We talk, we laugh, we sing. It's a lot of fun! My Beloved likes to listen to NPR and this morning we got to listen to 'Wait, Wait - Don't tell Me' which we both enjoy. Daniel got to help build a fence while I talked to Goats. :) Here are some highlights from today~

I'm thankful for decent radio programming and the people who support it....

...and hard working men...

...and the first Magic Dog I ever met. Sky might be getting old but he'll always be magic to me.

I'm thankful for a beautiful day, my Beloved belting out "All My Rowdy Friends are Coming Over Tonight" and a Kroger discount on gas.

Until next time....

A Wylde Hayre

Tonight my Beloved and I got to have dinner with our friends, Amanda and Caleb and we got to meet their little one! Archer Wylde Hayre is 6 months old and totally enchanting. :) Here's a picture of him and Daniel:

I'm thankful for friends, food, monkeys and little baby feet! I'm thankful they got to visit with mom - the more of our friends that have babies, the less pressure there is on us! So keep it up! ;)

Until next time.....

My On-Call Stylist

This is Lori, she has been styling my Momma for as long as I can remember. And she's been working on my hair for a long time too! I don't have difficult hair. I don't have exciting hair. I've never dyed it - I joke about doing it but she knows me enough to know it won't happen. And she no longer cringes when I just put it back up in a knot as soon as she's done. :) She's always willing to trim my bangs when I text with my "LORI!! I CAN'T SEEE!!!!" text. I never make an appointment and yet she always finds the time.

Lori works in Magnolia now which is a bit of a drive from La Porte. But it doesn't matter. It's a day to visit and laugh and catch up with a friend. I get to have lunch with Mom, let Lori fix my hair (she can tell when I've been messing with them) and it's always worth it.

So today I'm thankful for Lori and Mary and Hairkeepers 2. And lunch and laughs with Momma while I worked from home. ;) And pretty toes. And an absolutely LOVELY Friday.

Until next time....

Take a look, it's in a Book....

This is one I take for granted. Books and the ability to read them.

I'm currently reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak; it's about a little girl growing up in Germany during the start of World War 2. She steals books and longs to read them. She rescues one from a burning and it broke my heart to realize they burned thousands of books simply because they were scared of what they said. How sad! I'm only halfway through the book but I highly recommend it! I'll post an update once I'm done - it's narrated by Death after all, there's bound to be sadness.

So today, I'm thankful I can read. There are those that can't.

I'm thankful I can read what I want to read! There are those that don't have that choice.

I'm thankful I LOVE to read. There are those that don't.

I'm thankful for authors with passion who had a story to tell. And book-friends who suggest good books. And pages. And lunch time book clubs! And the worlds I get to escape to.

I also thank my Dad, LeVar Burton and countless teachers for encouraging my love of reading. And my Mom for never fussing when she caught me reading by flashligh after bed time. :)

Until next time....

Sloppy Puppy Kisses

I'm so thankful for our Atticus. He brings us joy. He makes us laugh. He loves us. And I love his sweet kisses. (They make Daniel go "bleh!" but secretly he loves them too.)We found Atti at our local shelter (which is a fun story involving tears, snow and Sega Palms). At our Taco Bell there is a little donation box for the La Porte Animal Shelter. Last time we were in, I slipped a dollar in the box. My Beloved made some comment and I told him that someone somewhere slipped a dollar in a box that helped feed our Atti while he was there! To which he replied - 'now you're going to make me emotional'. (He probably doesn't appreciate me sharing that. :) ) So last night due to a series of unfortunate events, I didn't get home until late and I was so crabby, I didn't cook. Daniel stopped at Taco Bell on the way home and while he was waiting I get a text saying he gave a dollar to the dogs. :) I love that man.

Today I'm thankful for Atticus and the La Porte Animal Shelter for caring for him. I'm also thankful for who ever let him go - because I'm pretty sure he was meant to be ours. I'm thankful for donation boxes, tacos and a man that loves his wife. And his dog. :)

Until next time...

My Cup Runneth Over

I had so much fun with Dana's Photo Challenge that I thought I'd give myself one. And in the spirit of the season, I thought I'd spotlight the things I'm thankful for. So here is my attempt to blog a picture daily for the month of November! Some will be silly. Some will be serious. Some will be things I take for granted. But ALL will be things I cherish.

Here's the first picture!
It took me 2 hours to get to work this morning. 2 HOURS. I work in Houston, not Austin. Traffic makes me ragey but thanks to my lovely Aunt Kristl and her bootlegged copies of the Harry Potter Audio Books - I don't mind it so much any more. Today I was thankful to envision Mad Eye Moody bouncing the Ferret Malfoy up and down the hall while I was stuck behind a mass of vehicles. :) So thank you, Kristl for the CD's and thank you, JK Rowling for the stories. You both help ease my road rage. :)

Until next time....