30 Days of Thanks: Day 30

Last day of my 30 days of thanks series.

Today I'm thankful for him:











I know I talk about my husband a lot, but I can't help it. I love the man. Today I'm thankful for Jarrad. I remember when I first met him, 14 years ago! That's right, 14 years ago. Wow, any man that could fall in love with the girl I was then (think bowl cut, braces, baggy jeans, dad's button down denim shirt and a horrendous tie)is an amazing man.

We've been through so much together and we've fought through every bit of it, hand in hand. We've never let anything get us down. He is the one person that knows how to put a smile on my face even on the worse days.

I love this man! Today I'm thankful for Jarrad.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 29

Wow, only two more days left in my 30 days of thanks. I think I'm going to be sad. Posting daily near daily has been a way to get me back in the groove, to get me interested in posting about other topics as well. Maybe I can think of a few other things to keep me going after this. Like, will I ever get that video I've been trying to post for the last three days up and running on YouTube? Apparently it's the correct format now but too long, yea, I'm trying to upload a video that's too long. EEK.

Anyway, so back to my 30 days of thanks. I wanted to save the two things I'm most thankful for, for my last two days of thanks. Today, I am oh so thankful for my family. My parents and siblings shaped who I am.

Dad: My dad was always my coach- softball coach, golf coach, even soccer coach(though my best position on that team was eating orange slices on the side lines). He pushed me to be great, to be the best. Whatever I wanted to do, he made it happen. He taught me: determination, will power, drive and when all else fails PRAY (thanks dad, I've used that last one a lot.

Mom: Take it one day at a time. You know that little piece of advice has stuck with me for years and years. Whenever things are becoming a bit overwhelming, I stop and tell myself to take care of today and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. And your tender heart has definitely been contagious. You may not think so, but I could tell that whenever I was in pain, upset, stressed or sad- you felt those feelings right along with me. I never felt alone. I can see that sometimes you bear the weight of my stresses and problems on your shoulder and there it remains until the problem has resolved. I noticed, I've always noticed.

Brandy: Sis, thank you. You've taught me independence. You taught me to unapologetically be me. It's taken years for me to master that, and I'm still not 100% there yet, but I thank you for that. I'm striving more and more every day to be me, 100%. Also, thank you for all the small stuff: for teaching me proper makeup application, skincare, how to do my hair, and THANK YOU for stopping me from plucking my eyebrows WAY too much- I needed someone to be blunt with me.

Charles: Brother, you are amazing. For years you were just my pesky little brother, but then something changed. Suddenly you were like my older brother, and I love that. I love knowing that you'll protect me at all cost. I love knowing that you worry about me, thank you. Also, thank you for reminding me how to love unconditionally. You've ALWAYS had the biggest heart. Sometimes almost to a fault, but you remind me regularly how important it is to love.

Without you guys, I certainly wouldn't be the person I am today. Thank you for everything!

30 Days of Thanks: Day 26, 27, 28

So Let's do a little catch-up.

On Day 26: I was thankful for a good night's rest. We're talking, head hits the pillow and you don't wake up until the alarm wakes you kind of sleep. This is awesome because I spend most nights tossing and turning but not on night 26.

Day 27: Yesterday I was so thankful for a busy work day because it made the day fly by. All I wanted to do was get the day over because that meant one more day before I was back home...and I finally am. Typing this post from my couch.

Day 28: Today I'm thankful for getting older. Yes, I said it. I like the fact that I look at the most recent pictures of me and I can already see laugh lines forming. I like that I see an older me because I'm pretty happy with the way I turned out. Don't get me wrong,no matter how small or big I am, I always feel like I could be smaller, toner, healthier, its true. And I still struggle with money, something I'm hoping to resolve sooner than later but regardless of that, I'm happy with me, happy with my job, happy with my husband, happy with my dogs, happy with my life. So today I'm thankful for getting older.

Now: This picture was taken November 17, 2009


Then: This picture was taken at some point during the school year, 2004

YOUTUBE!!! ARRRGGHH

When YouTube decides it'll finally upload my video, I'll get it posted. Currently, I select upload video, choose my video, then nothingness (is that a word?). No error message or anything....RIDICULOUS! I'm sure it's just a glitch but I want to upload my video ASAP.

OK, I'm done venting. Hopefully I'll be back in a few hours.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 25

Today I'm thankful for having a roof over my head. Though I'm reminded at the beginning of every month just how expensive that is, I LOVE my little townhouse on the lake. The location is fabulous, it makes it so that we're not too far from our friends in North Raleigh, our friends on the edge of Garner. We live in Raleigh, 10 minutes from downtown and we also live right around the corner (about 2 minutes) from Cary....how awesome is that? :)

Not only that but I get to share it with the best husband in the world. Despite any financial struggles, I wouldn't trade this little life for anything in the world....Now if we can just find a cute little house to purchase in this same area.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 24

Ha, look at me. I didn't skip a day between last night's post and tonight's post. I'll get back to Oh Charlie Part 2 tomorrow night, but I don't have it in me right now. For now we'll just get back to 30 days of thanks.

Today I'm thankful for BAMA winning the Alabama/Florida game. I thought for sure this game would be so close but wow how we kicked their butt. And the snacks I stuffed my face with in the process
wasn't half bad either.

Hey Gators!!! We-Just-Beat-The Hell outta you! Rammer Jammer, Yellow Hammer, Let's Go Alabama!

Oh Charlie Brown: An Unexpected Farewell Part 1

One year and five weeks ago our Mackey gave birth to a litter of six beautiful beagle puppies, yes, count them: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...3 boys and 3 girls- a very large litter for such a small beagle. I remember the day they were born, October 19th. What a crazy day. Sarge was a proud and concerned papa- laying in front of the bathroom watching over Mackey and Mackey knew just what to do. We stayed right there with her to ensure each puppy survived and one at a time we helped clean off each puppy and introduced them to Mackey. She was a good mommy- we had them in a large crate with the door opened and she never left their side. As a matter of fact, we had to feed her in the crate for the first week because she didn't want to leave and had to force her to go outside to the bathroom.


We gave each puppy a name for identity purposes, but not one that would cause us to be attached because we were not going to keep one. We couldn't possibly afford one right? We already had two, so we were selling all but two, two were designated for our brothers so we had: Little Chuck (my brother's), Little Austin (Jarrad's brothers), Little Glen (Glen & Becky's pup), little girl (now named Roxie), little Macoronie (now Gracie) and Princess Sarge (Charlie). I was currently without a job so I spent all of the first 6 weeks of their life before they could go to their new homes. I'd sit at my computer, job hunting and some how all 6 puppies would end up asleep in my lap.


Soon, trust me fighting it the entire way, we fell in love with Princess Sarge. She looked just like her papa (that's Sarge for those you don't know) and as the number slowly decreased, we fell more and more in love with her. I won't lie, it came down to her and Gracie being left and I used a bit of reverse psychology on her now owners to get them to choose her so that Charlie would remain. Oh how sweet she was and what an instant bond we had with her.

But we were certainly second rate to her. First and foremost in her life was Sarge. She was forever and always Sarge's little side kick and oh how she loved her Sarge. Every morning, she'd wake up and instantly start playing with Sarge. He couldn't make a move without her being right there. But,once she calmed down, she was up in our lap with more kisses than we could handle and all snuggles (for 10 minutes before she was down and running again). Ha- our couches are in an L formation and she'd get a good start from the ground and take off, running across the backs of both couches, never touching the cushions. She ran in the morning, she ran in the afternoon, she ran at night, hell, she even ran in her sleep.


My God, I couldn't get enough of kissing her sweet beagle ears. She loved to be carried around like a child. I'd hold her in one arm and she'd throw a paw around my neck and we'd hang out that way as I cleaned the kitchen or got a load of laundry going. How I loved those moments with her, they were just so sweet........................



To be continued.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 22 & 23

So apparently I like posting on multiple days in one post...so sue me!

Let's get to it because I have a another post I want to do tonight so this will be short and sweet.

Day 22: On day 22, I was thankful for being so busy at work that I managed to lose a day. I woke up Thursday thinking it was Wednesday so what a surprise to discover it was Thursday. Work has been CRAZY busy and stressing over meeting deadlines can cause a bit of anxiety, but wow did this week FLY by.

Day 23: Today I'm thankful for amazing connections. How many people maintain friendships with former bosses? That's what I thought but the truth is I worked with some amazing people at my last agency and I love the fact that not only do I keep up wit them but that they truly care about what's happening in my life and are always happy to lend a hand, an ear or even a dog toy to help cheer up my sad puppies.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 14,15,16,17,18,19,20 & 21

EEEK! Guess I missed a few days of thanks. Between being sick, mourning, and traveling, this poor blog took a back burner. But we'll talk about that later. For now, let's get back on track with my 30 Days of Thanks:

Day 14: On Day 14 I was thankful for doing Crafts with Kids. Jen brought lots of fun stuff from Holly Hobbie and we made fluffy pens from ribbon and feathers, decorative pencils and dazzling bangles. I think I had just as much fun, if not more, helping the children create their masterpieces as well as creating my own

Day 15: On Day 15 I was thankful for the time I was able to spend with my two Nieces: MaKenna and Dakota. Those sweet baby girls know how to melt my heart and I love every little kiss, every little hug, every little giggle and every little toothy grin I received. I loved having them fall asleep in my arms as they nuzzled up to me, I loved singing songs with MaKenna as we skipped around the pond. I LOVED and was thankful for 3 full days of time with my nieces.

Day 16: On Day 16 I was thankful for Thanksgiving. Though we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving until the following day, I realized just how much I had to be thankful for on Thanksgiving (my parents, my siblings, my in-laws, my friends, my pups, a roof over my head, a car to drive, and awesome job- the list goes on)

Day 17: On Day 17 I was thankful for my extended family. Though we only see each other 2-3 times a year, I love that we always pick right back up where we left off each and every time. I love catching up, I love listening to the children, I love watching sports, I love my extended family.

Day 18: On this day I was thankful for Alabama football- ROLL TIDE!! I love being able to cheer for a winning team. These things come and go, but this year it's made for a happy hubby.....plus I love finding multiple was to coordinate Crimson, Black, grey and black & white Hounds tooth into my wardrobe....they're some of my favorite colors

Day 19: On this day I was thankful for Sinus Relief medicine and down time. Sinuses burning, all I wanted to do was lay around and nap...so I did

Day 20: On this day I was thankful for Jen and Kris. Having family close by is pretty awesome and getting to ride with them on the long drive from Bama was much more pleasurable then riding alone- even if we were a little cramped. They make me laugh, I enjoy their company, and it's nice to bond with them, especially since they're the only family we have living in NC with us.

Day 21: On this day, I was thankful for my own bed and getting snuggle next to the hubs. I love going to Bama to see family, but there's nothing like coming home and getting in your own bed.

PHEW!! I believe that catches me up. Now forgive me, I must dash away and I do not have time to proof read. I know, "Bad English Major, Bad!"

30 Days of Thanks: Day 13

Yea yea, I skipped two days. Between lots of travel and a major lack of sleep, feel privileged that it was only two days that I missed. So instead of trying to catch-up, I'm just going to start back up where I left off, with day 13. So today, I'm thankful for a new discovery and that's BWO. What's B.W.O you might ask. B.W.O is Blogging Without Obligation. I discovered B.W.O through photography blogger, Julie King and she gives the following explanation for why she created B.W.O:

* Because you shouldn’t have to look at your blog like it is a treadmill.

* Because its okay to just say what you have to say. If that makes for a long post, fine. Short post, fine. Frequent post, fine. Infrequent post, fine.

* Because its okay to not always be enthralled with the sound of your own typing.

* Because sometimes less is more.

* Because only blogging when you feel truly inspired keeps up the integrity of your blog.

* Because they are probably not going to inscribe your stat, link and comment numbers on your tombstone.

* Because for most of us blogging is just a hobby. A way to express yourself and connect with others. You should not have to apologize for lapses in posts. Just take a step back and enjoy life, not everything you do has to be “bloggable”.

* Because if you blog without obligation you will naturally keep your blog around longer, because it won’t be a chore. Plus, just think you will be doing your part to eradicate post pollution. One post at a time. . .

30 Days of Thanks: Day 12

Tonight I'm thankful for the fact that when our Jeep says ZERO miles until empty, it really means you have about 25-30 to go, THANK YOU! We took a very long road trip last night but I'll save all of the miniscule details. The short of the story is this. We hit I-65 last night, these means one hour until we've made it to our parent's house. At this point, my husband simply asks: "How are we on fuel? Can we make it or do we need to stop?" I look down, 1/4 tank..."Sure, we're good to go" I replied.

Well, 5 miles from the Georgiana exit (35 miles from Andalusia) BING...the gas light comes on. "Cousin Kris" switches the digital board to read how many miles till empty. 11 miles, 7 miles, 5 miles, ZERO miles...PHEW! There's the Georgiana exit, we can get diesel here. Pull into the gas station and guess what, no diesel. Three cops sitting there. "Excuse me, we need diesel fuel, where is the closest open gas station?" Well, you can go 15 miles back that way (back the way we came) or 20 miles that way (well past the exit). So, what choice do we have? We set back on the interstate, backtracking what ended up being 20 miles to the an exit with a diesel station, we praying the entire way that we won't run out of fuel. Luckily, no one chose to yell at me, though I'd want to yell at me if I were in their situation. So we set out, scooting at just 60 miles/hour and me biting my nails and praying "God, PLEASE don't let us run out of diesel, please." Thank God, WE MADE IT! PHEW!

So, tonight, I'm thankful for the fact that ZERO miles to empty doesn't really mean ZERO miles to empty for the fabulous Jeep Liberty.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 11

Today I am thankful for Migraine medicine that actually works. We had to go back to some old school stuff since what they're using these days do nothing for me, but FINALLY, something that works. I started with a Migraine today. Fought it until lunch so I could get some food on my stomach, then popped that pill and BAM! Migrain gone. Granted, the way I'm feeling.....I probably shouldn't drive but so much worse than the nauseating pain I was experiencing with that migrain.

Thank you Prodrin!

30 Days of Thanks: Day 10

Man, today I'm having a hard time with what I'm thankful for. Don't get me wrong, I have a LOT more that I'm thankful for but it's hard to say it or type it and mean it today. No, I didn't have a bad day, no, nothing happened. I've just had some things on my mind lately that has had me frustrated and every time I think about them, I get pissy. And now I'm here, waiting on the hubs to get home and I'm thinking again, something I've been avoiding. ***sigh***

BUT, as I sit here and think about how I get out of a funk like this, there are two things that come to mind. First and foremost my husband. He ALWAYS knows how to put a smile on my face. But he's not the only one that knows how to put a smile on my face which brings me to what I'm thankful for tonight. Tonight, I'm thankful for my closest friends. I've gone through A LOT over the last year, times when I thought, it couldn't get worse and guess what, it did. But my friends picked me up again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again and.............I'm sorry, this could take a while, you may want to take a pee break now.......Ok, maybe you get the point.

This last year has really shown me who cares, who worries, who loves me and you can't be a good friend of mine without love...it's a must. Wow, not only did I realize just how freakin AWESOME my friends are, I gained a couple of extra friends along with way. WHAT THE HELL would I do without my friends? I would be sitting in a corner feeling sorry for myself, thanks guys for not letting me give up and for not letting me be a bumbling idiot. I Love you guys!!

30 Days of Thanks: Day 9

Enjoy!

30 Days of Thanks: Day 8

Today I'm thankful for SLEEP. Yes, that's right. With Jarrad and I having opposite schedules, I find myself staying up WAY too late, way too often, to spend time with him.

Yesterday, I got home and surprise, he ditched class and we could actually spend time together. You would think we'd go do something fun together but no...too many days with too little sleep. I feel asleep on the couch by 7:45, woke up at 10:30 and went to bed and didn't wake again until the alarm went off.

Sucks I didn't take advantage of last night, but it was WELL WORTH IT. Today I'm thankful for sleep.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 7

Today I'm thankful for Craigslist.com. I walked into Big Lots tonight, just to get a metal frame for the guest bed. Just a few years ago they were between $10 & $20 depending on when you caught them at big lots. Guess how much they are now: $67 WHAT??!!! Yea right, tonight I'll be searching Craigslist.com because I know I can find a REAL bed frame for $20 there that I'm certain will be much nicer than the metal frame I was getting ready to settle for.

On CraigsList I've bought a $40 solid maple coffee table, sold my washer and dryer in less than 5 minutes for the exact price I paid for them, found my last three houses that, by the way, have been great for well under what I would have paid for less than what I paid in rent, and landed a few side jobs for a little extra cash.

Tonight I'm thankful for Craigslist.com

30 Days of Thanks: Day 6

Wow! Feels good to be back on a roll with my blogging. It's much easier to do this when you have a deadline. Now to day 6...


Today I'm thankful for my job. If you get paid to play online games, interact on Twitter, interact on Facebook, make friends with bloggers, brainstorm and execute exciting contest and fun campaigns raise your hand......oh oh oh, me me me!!!!!

Of course there are a lot more details to my job and a LOT of strategy that goes into each and every campaign. Too much to write and of course I can't give away our secrets but know that I work with so many creative individuals, so many people that are willing to dig down deep and work their butts off to create something amazing and deliver amazing results for each and every client. I've never seen such perfect dynamics within an organization. So today I'm absolutely thankful for my job

30 Days of Thanks: Day 5

To switch it up a bit, I thought I'd make a video for day 5 of my 30 days of thanks. Forgive the quality, it's the first video I've ever created and uploaded to YouTube so I didn't exactly put a lot of time and effort into it. So, enjoy the mix up and feel free to let me know that you don't want to see my face again. If not, I'll stick to text and images.

ENJOY!!

30 Days of Thanks: Day 4

Today I'm thankful for the lesson my dad instilled in me throughout my adolescent years, and that's determination and heart. I won't hide it, I was daddy's little girl (daddy's little tomboy) and anything he did, I wanted to do- except hunting, that never panned out so well. Anyway, I digress.

Throughout those years, my dad supported me in whatever endeavor I pursued. Always my coach, he sometimes did it with cool calm understanding and sometimes with tough love, but he pushed me so that I could realize no goal was unattainable. In July, father's day came around and I started thinking about what my dad had done for me and at the same time, made the decision to begin training for a marathon. At that time, I told my dad that I was running the race for him, utilizing the lessons he taught me. This became even more real when just a few months later, my dad had a heart attack. My healthy, active, father had a heart attack. I know, it baffled the doctors as much as it baffled me. And I panicked at the thought of losing him, losing his wisdom. But, it was then that I knew I HAD to finish the race, no matter what, for my dad. So I set and accomplished three goals for this marathon using what my dad taught me:

1) At no point was I to walk during the marathon, always running/jogging, but NEVER walking- CHECK
2)FINISH the marathon- CHECK
3) Finish in under 5 hours- finished in 4:46- CHECK AND CHECK

There were times that I had to just put my head down and pray, or give myself a motivational speech. I kept telling myself, one mile at a time, one mile at a time. And as painful as it was (the knees were KILLING and the cramps wouldn't stop), I did it. THANKS DAD!