High to the Five Friday!!!

Hello Friday!!!  Let's do this ;)

1.  After many detours I made it home!!!!  I was so excited to finally make it west of the Mississippi I took a picture!!!

2.  BSF Launch Party!!!  So I am super duper excited that BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) is launching a young adults (18-35) class.  I have quite a few friends who have raved about BSF for years.  They have encouraged me to join the women's classes, but every time it was brought up I had a commitment that didn't allow for it.  I am soooooooo happy that I can join this class :)

3.  I have some Christmas projects on the horizon; soon I will be posting photos of my Christmas decor...

(Thank you Pinterest & thrift stores!!)

4.  This week I am extra grateful for Chipotle!!!!

I get the burrito bowl w/brown rice, black beans, onions & peppers, steak, mild, medium & hot salsa & guacamole....yummy!

5.  A friend gave me a Sunbeam Heated Plush Electric Throw!!!  I love it!!! It is soooooooo soft :)  If you don't have one, get one!

 (Okay so that isn't me in the picture, but it was too hard to stay cuddled up in the blanket & take my picture!)

High Five Friday from Philly!

Happy day after Thanksgiving day to you & yours :)  Let's get started....

1.  I drove to Philly to see my family!!!  I love them so much!!!

2. I met my nephew Ryder!!!!

Side note: Ryder makes #4, that is right my sister in law Monica, wrangles 4 little ones!!!  I have a hard enough time wrangling myself ;)

3.  I was given the opportunity to be both manicurist & pedicurist to my lovely nieces Hazel & Jade.

4.  I was able to celebrate Thanksgiving with my brothers, sister in law, nieces & nephews!!! (Sadly I didn't take a picture of my Maxfield)

5.  Today I got to "shadow" my older brother Joe at his job.  He works for an awesome catering company & today's wedding was at an incredible venue that I wouldn't have had an opportunity to see any other way. I really enjoyed getting to see my brother in his element :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Habakkuk 3:17-18 (ESV), "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my of my salvation."

I know that Facebook news feeds have been overrun with thankful statuses, and I did manage to make one of my own...notice I said one.  I have been a slacker in that department.  It isn't because I have nothing to be thankful for or because I am too cool school.  October & November have been a tad rough with the absence of my dad.  My 30th birthday was celebrated with an 80's themed birthday party & it was a ton of fun, filled with friends, food, laughter & lots of hairspray ;)  But it was bittersweet because this was my first birthday without a funny card from my dad signed "Love Dad."

As I type this I am in Philly awaiting my younger brother's arrival so that we can celebrate the holiday with our older brother, his wife & their kids.  I'm very thankful to be spending time with all of them & I know the food will rock the house (older bro is a chef!)!  I love them all dearly, I truly do, but he isn't here.

I have sadly returned to some old comforts to try to dull the pain of his absence.  I am grateful that they haven't been detrimental, but they haven't been righteous.  I have turned to things & people instead of the God of my salvation.  The Lord has dealt so mercifully with me this year & without His love, provision & protection, this year would have been unbearable.  I am eternally grateful that His love is bigger than the ocean & that He rains it upon us.  He has provided me with an amazing community of people who love me & want to be there for me.  However I struggle with isolating myself in order to self protect.  I wonder if this is a behavior I will always struggle with.  I hope not...yuck!  I am also very much grateful that I serve a loving & forgiving God!!

So this Thanksgiving holiday I am thankful for my Lord & Savior; my family; my friends; safe travel; and gravy ;)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

HiGh FiVe FrIdAy!!!

Hello Friday!!!  I am linking up as usual with Lauren for High to the Five Friday :)

1.  Saturday some wonderful friends came to my aide!  Joe & Chris built the wall of Jericho in my basement; Joe & Ross finished up & trimmed my sliding glass door (them with a nail gun...scary); Chris & Philip took on the monumental task of my lawn care; Kerri & Bethany laid the ground work of the beginning stages of organizing my life; and the guys used their muscles to move some furniture downstairs!  I don't have the words to say how grateful I am!

2.  My November Birchbox arrived!!!!

3.  I love the book of Ruth & am super excited to get my hands on....

Listen to Liz Curtis Higgs doing her Righteous Ruth Rap....LOL!!!

4.  I got to experience "A Christmas Gathering" at Kearney FBC.  A friend invited me  & I was game :)  It was night of dessert, Christmas season tips & advice, music AND gifts!  It was fun to see how excited the ladies were when it was time for a drawing :)  This sweet lady next to me won the first drawing & she was so excited that she got lost on her way back to her seat.  It was just a super fun night :)

5.  Today, I'm grateful for people that God has placed in my life to speak truth into my life.  I needed a reminder not to focus too much on the short game & keep my eye on the long game.