Sunday Song - Great is Thy Faithfulness

Happy Sunday all!  How was your Thanksgiving?  Enjoy today's Sunday Song!

Great is thy Faithfulness -- by Lincoln Brewster

We sang this song at church this morning and it reminded me of this exact time back in 2006 when my heart was broken over a breakup with a boyfriend and how I wasn't sure if I'd be okay. During that time, I listened to this version almost every day on my way home from work, blasted at the loudest my speakers would allow so I could sing along and not hear how off pitch I was. God had a better plan for me those months, so much better than I could have ever imagined. God is so faithful!

This Thanksgiving was a wonderful one with Jason's family in very rural Iowa. We're back now and I enjoyed singing this song loudly at church and reminded me of just how awesome of a God we have to worship to every day. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season.

*Always a special thanks to Teresa for sharing her "Sunday Song" idea with me!

Sunday Song - Whom Shall I Fear

How was your weekend?  We had a great weekend playing catch-up with laundry, cleaning and all sorts of errands.  We even saw a movie (Flight) and took advantage of Olive Garden's 'Dinner Today & Dinner Tomorrow' deal!  Good weekend! Enjoy this weekends "Sunday Song!"

Whom Shall I Fear  -- by Chris Tomlin

Chris Tomlin is going on tour again and is coming to Denver..not only is he coming to Denver but he's coming to Red Rocks!  Red Rocks is, in my opinion, the best venue to see a concert, it's absolutely gorgeous and the acoustics are amazing!  We were able to get tickets in the pre-sale so are guaranteed seats in the first section.  I was so excited the night I got the tickets I couldn't sleep!  So I thought the perfect song for this week is his new song, Whom Shall I Fear.  Hope you had a wonderful weekend!  Love to you all!

Happy Sunday!

*Always a special thanks to Teresa for sharing her "Sunday Song" idea with me!

Thankful for my Health

I am so thankful for my (and my families) health.  I was watching my favorite show, Parenthood, this week and the storyline is focused around one of the main characters (a mom) who is going through treatment for breast cancer.  I appreciate the storyline so much and am thankful that they're digging in deep with a very real and very tough storyline. 

I cry through every episode of that show but these have been especially hard. I relate it to myself and my own mom and can't imagine what it must be like to have to go through cancer or any other disease/sickness. I get sick with a runny nose and I'm cranky and upset. Give me the flu and I think I'm going to die.  I'm so thankful for my good health today.  That even when I complain about my lack of sleep, which I do too often at least I am able to get lots of sleep.  I can get up each day. I can go to work. I can eat whatever food or drink whatever drinks I want.  I am so thankful for today where my health is and for my own families health.  Every day truly is a gift and I thank God that my body is healthy today.

Thankful for our Apartment

Today I am most thankful for our apartment.  As I've shared a few too many times, I have been really sad having to wait on buying a house but our apartment really does rock! Minus me thinking it's one too few rooms so Jason could have an office since he works from home it's really spacious!  We have a nice kitchen with granite, an awesome balcony that overlooks open space.  There's coyotes out back that howl in the night which is super cool.  It's super private with lots of bright light.  It's open and has a fireplace that I love.  There's ample parking plus we have a garage.  It's just wonderful.  It's more than we could ever need. There's so many people who don't have shelter every day and night and we do, we have more than we could ever need here.  I need to constantly remind myself of that and be thankful for what we do have.

Happy Birthday Jason!

Happy birthday to my best friend, Jason!  We celebrated big this weekend by activating our season ski/boarding pass in the mountains.  Jason boards, I ski.  (Technically Jason does both but for the most part enjoys boarding best.)

I love birthdays so wanted to do something special for the guy who doesn't love a lot of attention of much attention to birthday. Plus, I'm not big into cold weather skiing but figured this was a great way to get out there and use our passes and celebrate Jason! We even found a great deal on a local hotel so we were able to make a weekend out of it.

Saturday morning we woke up at 5:00 so we could be packed and on the road by 6:30.  We first stopped in Breckenridge to drop Cooper off at daycare but were on the slopes in Keystone by 9:00.

It was snowing for much of the morning which meant it was really cold (and wet) but also made for some great conditions early in the day!  It was super crowded as there were only 3 runs open.  By the end of the day it was getting icy and well...we're a little older now so our bones and muscles get a little sore a little earlier than they used to!  We considered it a good day and called it quits around 2:00.

We had dinner (nachos and soup) at Backcountry Brewery and were back at the hotel before the sun was down. Spent some time in the hot tub and I think I was asleep by 8:00!

Sunday morning we woke up, had breakfast and were on the slopes by 8:30.  The lines were significantly shorter and we got about 7 inches of snow since the day before!  The conditions were much better but it was only about 7 degrees.  Did I already mention that me and cold don't mix well?!  I did about 4 runs and Jason did an extra without me.  Pretty sure he could have boarded all day into the night but we had to pick Cooper up by 2:00.

We got Cooper from daycare, picked up a large hot chocolate for the ride home so I could thaw out and got home around 4:30.  Jason and I spent some time in our community hot tub which was pretty peaceful and romantic. I made soup while he unpacked and we finished the night by watching the Bears game, Dexter and Revenge.

Today we're both off (Jason for Veterans Day, me because it's his birthday!) but he has to study for a test.  I'm happy to have today to get caught up from everything I couldn't do this weekend.  We're going out to dinner tonight to Maggiano's where he'll open presents.  YUM Maggiano's!

Such a great weekend, especially for a guy who doesn't like attention or like celebrating his birthday. I'm glad we got to do something he enjoys doing...I look forward to many more trips to the mountains to ski. I am so thankful for an activity we both enjoy and are both at around the same level!  This weekend really strengthened our marriage and gave me more of an appreciation for living in Colorado, which I needed!

Happy birthday Jason!  Hope you feel extra loved this weekend and today - you deserve it! xoxo

The roads on our way out there!  

Amazing how it's a completely different world of weather

 in the mountains compared to where we live!

Jason boarding toward me

Hot husband ;-)

Busy slopes with lots of snow!

Top of the gondola...snow clearing to blue skies

Resting point for a quick pic!

Beautiful views once the snow stopped!

Our reward for the day- we each got one...(they are small...this pic makes them look huge!)

Jason <3

Me :)

Hot Tub felt SOOOO good after two days of skiing!

Thankful for my Job

I am so very thankful for my job!  After losing my job in 2009 I never really realized the impact that would have on me, good and bad.  But now that I am back in the work force I'm realizing how much I really missed working.  Sure I nannied, even full time for almost a year but I missed being around people and being challenged but now I am getting both of those.

I work with an awesome kid who has an great mom who supports him, (well the whole family probably is but I mostly talk with her). I also work with some really amazing people who are in the profession for the love of the kids and love of special needs.  Even on my bad days I still come out of my job knowing I work with a great team and with some pretty awesome students!  So thankful for this new profession and for the opportunity to learn all that I am learning!  

Thankful for Gorgeous Weather

I am so behind on these posts!  I don't have enough time in the day...but that doesn't mean that I don't have a lot to be thankful for.

Today I am most thankful for the gorgeous weather we're having here.  It's been in the lower 70's all week with sun shining every day.  It does get really (really!) cold at night and temps drop dramatically as soon as the sun goes down (which is so early now!) but it's so comfortable outside during the day and into the early evenings.  Today there was not a cloud in the sky and no wind so it felt like it was in the mid to upper 70's.  Gorgeous.

Sunday Song - Forever Reign

One of my fellow bloggers used to always do a "Sunday Song" and I have always loved the idea!  So much that I asked her if I could copy and do the same thing.  Thanks Teresa for saying yes! 

Forever Reign by Kristian Stanfill

Another one of my favorite songs since we've moved here.  Amazing worship song.  I wish I could go to Passion Tour but I'm a little too old. Think it would be a life changing experience.  

Happy Sunday!

Thankful for Jason

Today I am thankful for Jason and marriage.  I wish I had taken the time to write yesterday because it was the 5th year anniversary of us meeting!  It was only one month later that we were we both asking our mutual friend for each others phone numbers. We dated for almost two years before he proposed (me thinking he waited 9 months too long) which you can read about here and our wedding day which was the best day of my life! (You can read about that here).

Moving to Colorado has added a new dynamic to our marriage.  I think it's been a lot more fun but we have also had some growing pains the past 7 months.  We really only have each other to depend on but that also means when we have an argument we still only have each other to depend on. We've grown in a way that only moving across the country together can bring.

In the past couple months I have really realized how blessed I am to be with such an amazing guy, even in times when I have thought it'd be easier to be back in my single days when I didn't have to answer to anyone.  Yes, he can be a pain in the butt sometimes (I love you Jason) but I really did luck out when I found him.  Just to list a few of the reasons...He has provided for me since we got married while I finished grad school.  He puts up with my grumpiness when I get home from work.  He's eaten every meal I've cooked and always says it's good.  He takes my car and gets it washed all the time. He puts up with my rules of the closed bathroom door every morning so not to let the heat out while I'm showering.  Many cold mornings I've gone out to my car to find it already started with the heat blasting.  He puts up with my incredibly messy self.  He spends his Sunday afternoons helping me grocery shop since I absolutely despise grocery shopping, and has gone alone many many times.  He changes our sheets almost every single Saturday because I have to have clean sheets but hate actually changing them. The list goes on an on.

Marriage is a lot of work. While I really had no idea what it meant to say "till death do us part," I'm slowly learning it's a lot of compromising and forgiveness and I really couldn't have found a better guy to do this with. Thank you Jason for being such a wonderful and loving husband, I love you so much!

Thankfulness

As I've shared a hundred times already, I'm on Fall Break this week.  I made a big list of things I wanted to to do this week but there were three things I said I'd do every day.  First and foremost was to spend each morning with the Lord in prayer, doing my devotions and working on my Bible study.  The second was to work out - every single day and the third was to bring Cooper to the dog park every day.  While I failed miserable in the gym department not doing anything more physical than lifting my wine glass to my mouth each night, I have managed to take Cooper to the park 3 of 4 days and plan to take him today.  The best part has been that every day I have spent the better part of my morning quiet and in prayer with God.

The very first day God told me I really need to work on being content on where I'm at and I felt such a calming over me once hearing that. I finally felt "okay" with living here in our apartment and decided to needed to finally hang our family pictures and make this home. After hearing that, I felt like a new person ready to conquer that day and begin the week. I also promised Him I'd really work on turning to Him for my everything.  While I've really been trying to turn to him in all areas of my life it really is going to be a work in progress. I mean I have been told that thousands of times and it's like it's a new concept each time I hear it, but I have been and will continue to work on it.  I find it to be so much easier when I'm not working and just doing small things...there's so much less hustle and bustle so a lot easier to remember to turn to Him. As for the "being content" part oh I am failing miserably.  I've shared here about my needing to wait on things right now and waiting on Him but I cannot for the life of me seem to get that down. I cannot stop wanting what I don't have. As a side-note I cannot believe I blogged about that way back in the beginning of August and am probably doing worse now at listening and waiting than I was then!!

I am obsessed with finding a house. We moved here for a house, along with many other opportunities and because we felt God telling us to move here but the idea of moving out of the cramped city with no storage, basement, garage, yard, etc and moving to a house with all of that was more than appealing. Almost every house we have found and liked I hear the whisper of God telling us to wait.  After looking at one more house last night, Jason and I have decided that we are to pay off my student loans before house hunting again.  I am not sure I can do that, especially since I'm not even making a teachers income right now.  I told Jason I'd like to just table the house hunting for a while, get a plan down that we can really pay off my (incredibly dumb) loans and then  see where we're at in either a few months or a year.

But in all honesty, the house is just a small portion of life's wants right now.  I miss home, I want friends, I want community, I want couple-y friends for Jason and I, I want good neighbors, I want a baby, I eventually want a new car, I want a solid strong marriage, I want my friends and family from Chicago to come visit me or call more, I want another cat (Jason will probably never allow that one!:) I want the student I work with at school to be more content at school, I want a yard for Cooper, I want this constant feel of loneliness and weirdness to go away, I want to live closer to the mountains, I want the city-life back, I want to make more money, I want to be a much better wife which means being a lot cleaner, a much better cook, (both those will probably never happen!) I want to be a better friend to those I already have. I want so much right now and feel like I've been miserable at everything I should be lately and at the same time not getting anything I want.

This morning I was all ready to tell God just how sad I am and how I don't understand why nothing seems to be going right but God with his awesome sense of humor ever so subtly told me he didn't really want another morning of my complaints. Instead He reminded me that He would like to be praised and wanted me to share in a moment (or hour) of thankfulness.  It was really really clear to me in my devotions today that I should instead be rejoicing in all I DO have instead of whining in what I can't seem to get right now. He's actually been telling me this ever since I've moved here and I've told you all as much, but here it is again 7 months and 1 day (to be exact) into this journey to Colorado and I'm being told again...I have so much to be thankful for. So so so so much!! Yes, I think this is a hard time right now, and I'm not getting much of what I think I need and want today but I need to rejoice!  Be thankful! I have always said, "Be joyful in hope!"  I have so much hope in me and even way beyond hope, I have so many awesome and great things in my life...hundreds and thousands!

So what better time of the year but November, the month of thankfulness to be prompted to be thankful?!  I am going to dedicate this month (like so many other bloggers and Facebookers) to writing each day what I am most thankful for.

It's pretty obvious what I am most thankful for today... 

I am most thankful for our Lord and Savior who can give me a kick in the butt when I really need it. I don't need to wallow in my sadness but instead am reminded that He is always with me.  When I'm sad, when I'm happy, when there are hard times (I mean the really hard times...not these "woe is me" moments like I wrote about above).  God is so good and so much bigger than anything we'll ever face here on Earth.  I am constantly reminded that our time here is so short compared to an Eternity with Him.  I hope I do live my life in a way that makes Him proud. I know I mess up a lot and am so thankful for His grace.  He loves me more than I'll ever be able to understand and oh how thankful I am for that!  Thank you Lord for reminding me of all I have to be thankful for right now.  I am so excited to spend some time each day with you all and sharing what it is I'm grateful for. Join me in this journey that so many are already doing this month...never mind that I am a day late! Share what you are thankful for by adding a comment.

Thanks to each of you who read along with me, I hope this is an amazing month of reflection for you as well. Love to each of you!

Thursday Meanderings

I'm on day 4 of my 5 day fall break.  As I keep saying, I am really enjoying sleeping in. Jason has had to wake me up at 7:30 every day so I don't keep sleeping in and am unable to get back into my routine next week. I am loving staying up late!

Meanderings on...

My Halloween candy...I shared here that I was super excited for trick-or-treaters and wasn't sure what to buy.  A few friends shared ideas so I took most of their advice. I bought two bags of candy, got the sign from the condo association to let the trick-or-treaters know we were giving out candy and then I waited.  I waited and waited and guess what? We got two trick-or-treaters!  TWO.  Middle school aged boys in masks.  Yeah, awesome.  Major disappointment to say the least.  I guess there's always next year!

Halloween parties...We were invited to a Halloween party from our Young Married group. I was hesitant to go because I hate dressing up for Halloween. I have stressed about it every single year.  I am not creative and never want to spend any money on a costume.   But we RSVP'd yes and I didn't want to cancel.  We went and had co much fun. There was only 4 couples there and only one dressed up.  Oh so nice to not be the only ones!  As always I am super thankful for any new friends we meet!

Memories...It was one year ago today that we got an offer on our condo back in Chicago. It was such an exciting day for us ! Oh, how much has happened the past year!

The Movies...One of my favorite things to do is go to the movies.  It's probably one of Jason's least favorite things to do so we don't go very often. But since I am off all week I convinced him to go to the movies on Tuesday.  We saw The Perks of Being a Wallflower and I loved it. Jason liked  it too. I love "real movies."  Plus I got to have a large popcorn...my favorite!!

Knitting...I went to a meet-up group yesterday in an effort to meet some new people and relearn how to knit!  The meeting of new friends was an absolute bust but I did sorta learn how to knit again.  I don't remember it being as hard as it was but it's fun!  I hope to get enough of a hang of it to do some scarves and baby blankets but I've been trying for the past 7 years or so!  We'll see!

The CMA's...They're on tonight! I am so excited...they'll be recording so I can watch and fast forward the commercials and boring acts.  Tune in!

Gordmans...Today I discovered Gordmans and am in LOVE.  Amazing store, I cannot wait to have a house to buy for, this place had everything!!

Happy Thursday all!  hope it's been a great week thus far!