Thankful (for Fat Kids) on a Thursday

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that my best friends from high school in New Orleans are fondly known as the Fat Kids.  We have been getting together for an annual Christmas party for 13 years now.  (Or maybe it's 14- Casie, I know you read the blog, correct me if I'm wrong).  It usually entails a lot of food, the most wonderful slush drink that Tara makes, a dirty Santa gift exchange and a really good time.

Girls have come and gone from the party, but the seven of us have been there through it all: the trauma that can be an all-girls high school, boyfriends, bad friends, jobs, family mess.  We have stayed together despite moving away to college, getting married, having babies. 

So today, I am thankful for my trip to New Orleans to reconnect with the girls that defined my teenage years, rescued me from depression, supported me through anything, stood in my wedding, celebrated the birth of my daughter and will surely take me to the nursing home in fifty years.

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126.  The Next Generation. We have started the second generation of Fat Kids- Christine's little Laynie, Claire, and Holly's little Savvy- just born this October.  What we will do next year when Christine has a boy, I have no idea.

127. The Ornaments.  We do a dirty Santa gift exchange every year for around $40 with an ornament.  But the ornament has really become the best part.  One year, I got a Lucky Dog stand ornament and my other favorite is two flowers in a flower pot that says Best Buds.  I scored an awesome deal on my gift this year, but the ornament is still the best part. 

128. Good Food.  We bring our A-Game to the party when it comes to food.  Whether it's artichoke balls, crab dip or stuffed mushrooms, the food at these parties is always amazing.  And a tribute to why we started calling ourselves Fat Kids in the first place- we love to eat!

129. Reminiscing.  After a few cocktails, we seem to remember more than we forget.  It's such a good time to sit around the table (or we may brave the fire pit outside if there were more than a few cocktails) and just talk about after-prom parties and ringing the bell at Holy Cross after a Friday night football win.  There's talk about how much has changed, and those things that are still.the.same.  We need to start writing these down before we get old and really do start to forget!

130. My Beautiful Fat Kids.  Here we are at last year's party.  There was an awful flood that night; Claire was only eight weeks old, Holly had water coming into her house from a leak in the roof, I think Preau may have walked to Casie's from a few blocks away.  But despite it all- we were together- and this is what it's all about!

I won't be able to comment much, but you can still linky...

Thankful (for Christmas) on a Thursday

I love this time of year! I just love it!  To me, there is nothing better than hot chocolate with a melted candy cane in the bottom and watching the twinkling Christmas lights over the top of my china hutch.  Add a warm fire and Christmas music, and I am set.

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121. Heat.  While I was pulling the Christmas decorations out of the attic, I apparently hit a switch on the gas heater and blew a transformer.  So that meant no power to the thermostat.  For.three.days.  Until we broke down and called someone to come look at it.  When I got home (and $200 later), the house was toasty warm again and I have never been so thankful for heat!

122. A Forgiving Husband.  That $200 hit him hard, but he forgave me.  That's something to be really thankful for!

123. Christmas Music.  Every year, I wait for the day after Thanksgiving for the radio stations to start playing all-day-long Christmas music.  If you don't like an old-fashioned Jessica Simpson rendition of Santa Baby, you can ride in someone else's car.

124. Wrapping Paper.  I always hit up the after-Christmas 90% off sales to get my wrapping paper for the following year and I can hardly wait to break it out.  Disney Christmas Princesses and Winnie the Pooh with a Santa hat make me giddy like a kid- well, a kid at Christmas I guess.  Here's a shot of last year's favorite paper and a reminder of how little my baby was!

125. Christmas Services at Church.  We have the best Christmas services at Church of the Highlands.  Simply.the.best.  They are all at the Grants Mill campus (which isn't our home campus, but also isn't too far away) and my favorite part is when they turn all of the lights off, start with one candle, and as we sing Silent Night, the room begins to fill with light as candles are lit person to person, row to row.  Once the auditorium of 2,500 is filled, it is the most beautiful sight to behold.


And yeah for the linky!

WOW! (aka: Thankful on a Thursday)

So it's already Thursday again and I just realized that I set last week's post to publish on Thanksgiving without ever finishing it!  I even said I was proud of myself for posting it!  I guess I have more faith in my abilities than I had time.  Oh well.  Here is the rest of that post (that I just wrote).

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116. My Car Filled with Gas.  I am horrible about putting gas in may car, and it seems to live on EMPTY, so I am very thankful that every time Luke takes it out somewhere, he fills it up with gas.  (But he does remind me that if I were to ever run out of gas on the side of the road, my first call should be to AAA and not him.  He was joking.  I think.)

117. A Great Shower for Great Friends.  We had a wonderful, fun, and dare I say child-free night two weeks ago (remember how behind I am?) celebrating a wedding shower for our good friends Melissa & Robert.  It was so good to catch up with old friends that only seem to reconvene when someone gets married or knocked up.

118. THANKSGIVING!  We had a fabulous time in Atlanta with dad's side of the family.  Claire was the belle of the ball with the whole family fighting to hold her.  Cooper loved running free and hitting the lake behind my cousin's house.  We have done this family reunion every Thanksgiving since I can remember, but I think it's gets better every time!

119. Good Deals.  We went to the North Georgia outlets on Black Friday and hit up some serious sales.  All in all we saved over $1,700, or about 170% of what we spent.  We were stacking dollar coupons on percentage off coupons.  Even some serious shoppers were really impressed.  I am thankful for the resources and knowledge to save!

120. A New Baby McGlothin.  No, not me!  Don't even think about that.  It's Luke's youngest sister Jessica and her husband Luke that will welcome baby #2 in July (and it's technically baby Wyatt).  This will be the McGlothin's sixth grandchild, and we are all so thrilled!

And hopefully the linky will work this week...

Thankful to be here on a Thursday

Yes, I know it's been a while, but I already told you what my priorities are.  And my family comes before my blog.  So, we are just thankful to be here.

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111. Navy Blue Chocolates.  Luke and I are helping to host a shower for some good friends of ours getting married, and everything is navy blue and silver.  But after the third store, I found navy blue chocolates, and knew I had to have them for the favors.

112. Clean Kitchen. Six hundred navy blue chocolate hearts later, my kitchen looked as if there had been a smurf tragedy.  And since Luke has been so wonderful putting up with my creative side through Jay's wedding, Claire's birthday and this shower, I did some deep cleaning.  And that feels good!

113. Points of Passion.  It is our annual message at church that highlights what our points of passion have been as a church body over the past year.  And it was AMAZING!  There is so much that God is doing in our community, in our country and around the world.  And He deserves all the glory!  (And we even got word that a new auditorium is coming to our Riverchase campus!  No more sitting on the ground because all chairs are full!  That is something to be thankful for!)

114. Forward Facing Car Seat.  It's so much fun to be able to really see my angel now.  We went to a forward facing car seat a few weeks ago, and just love it!

115. Crisp Fall Air.  I love pulling out my red pea coat and bundling Claire from head to toe for a walk.  It means football season is in full swing and Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  It means I am busting at the seams to pull out my Christmas decorations- even the snowman that moons you.  It also means we are closer to our visit with Bella (which starts the day after Christmas).  I am so thankful for this season!

What are you thankful for today? Linky linky!

Thankful on a Thursday

Yeah!  It's Thursday again!  I'm excited because it's one day closer to the weekend but also because it's another chance to give thanks to God for all of His wonderful blessings.





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106. Auntie Kristin & Uncle Christian.  They are coming in town this weekend and are so looking forward to loving on their nieces and nephews.  And we are so thankful for them for too many reasons to list!

107. Christian's New Gig.  He just got on part-time as the Worship Coordinator at his church!  He is an awesome musician and we love that he shares his talents with others as we glorify God.  And this is hopefully going to turn into a full time position, so we are continuing to pray for wisdom and direction in their lives!

108. Halloween.  I know it's basically against everything that we as followers of Christ believe in, but I think these things are what you make of them, not what the world makes of them. I am personally thankful for little people dressed up as pumpkins, caramel apples and an overload of candy- even for adults.

109. Trick-or-Treating.  We are all gathering at my in-laws house for some family trick-or-treating.  I didn't get to grow up around any of my aunts, uncles or cousins.  And I am so thankful that not only does Claire get to be with Jessica and Camille while we are at work, she gets to spend lots of time with most of Luke's siblings and their children as well.  I just love that they are going to grow up together being such close cousins and friends.

110. A Successful Date Night.  We are doing well on our commitment to spend more quality time together as husband and wife.  Last night we went to the movies, and thanks to Stimulus Tuesdays and the Carmike Theater, we made it out of there for less than $10.00 total!  (If you live in Birmingham, are as cheap as I am, and have never been to the dollar movie, you are really missing out.)

Don't forget to link up!
 

Thankful on a Thursday

This week has been one of awakening for me.  Just something in me that clicked that said, "you are not on the right path."  So we've made some changes, and I am so thankful for that.  Really, I think it came from one of the most powerful messages I've heard at Church of the Highlands on Unmasking a Life of Chaos. 

It was all about how the cool response to "how are you doing" these days is... "oh, well we're really busy."  Like being busy is a status symbol of how important we are.  But what we really want, or what the Bible tells us we should want, is a life of intentionality. Living life with an intention.  One of the best quotes from that message was "never let the urgent get in the way of the important."  Wow!  How often have I put something important aside because something less important but more urgent was placed in front of me.

With that said, I have started to say "no."  It's really a new concept for me, I never tell people no.  Not ever.  But when someone approached me about new responsibilities with a volunteer organization, I said no.  I am busy enough with my family and work, and I am now learning to do fewer things, but doing them each better!

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Can you tell how refreshed and renewed I feel?  Well, I am so thankful for that feeling! 

101. Refreshment.  That one word seems to sum how I really feel lately, and man it feels good!

102. A New Purpose.  We are going to focus on living with a purpose.  Like Pastor Chris said, living with intentionality.  We are still narrowing this down, but I am so so thankful for the direction we are headed.

103. Date Night.  One aspect of living with intentionality is to think of ONE thing (not a list of 500 things- but one thing) that will enrich your life or your family's life.  And we have decided on date night.  We believe in this special set aside time, God is going to show up and really strengthen our marriage and our family.

104. Sleeping Late.  If you know me, you know how much I love sleep.  And the past few Sundays I have been able to sleep late, either by Claire sleeping late or Luke getting up with her!  And that brings me to...

105. Sunday NIGHT Church.  It's like two Saturdays when you don't have to get up ready early Sunday morning for church.  You have a lazy day, still grill out for lunch while it's nice outside, and then when Claire gets up from her afternoon nap, we head to church for 6:00pm.  So nice!

Show some link up love!

Thankful on a Thursday: Birthday Edition

So here it is!  My turn to tell you why I am so thankful for birthday parties!  And oh is there so much to be thankful for!




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96. Presents. Of course, the best part of every party is presents, right?  No, it's family and friends?  Well, not for Claire bear.  She loved tearing into the presents and may have consumed a few peices of tissue paper.  She got so much "baby learning" stuff, I'm convinced I'm raising the next Einstein.  But with much better hair!

97. Family and Friends. See I did include them, just not above presents.  We had a great time with my parents, Jay & Grace came in town as did Luke's family.  But Claire has a special place in her heart for Pop!

98. Birthday Banners.  That are not coming down for a while.  We hung it weekend before last and it's still up.  I like to refer to it as "birthday month" but her daddy doesn't agree.

99. Ladybug Lollipops.  These consumed my life for an entire weekend, and Luke thought we would have enough lolipops for the whole neighborhood, but they were a big hit!  Not easy, but totally worth it!

100.  The fact that she won't remember.  Why, you ask, am I thankful that she won't remember her party?  Because, I forgot to let her smash her cake!  I know, terrible mother, I admit it.  But tonight we are putting her ladybug outfit back on and smashing some cake.  Hopefully the pictures are as cute as I picture it in head!

And don't forget to link up with us!  Happy Thursday!

Thankful on a Thursday

Why hello there Thursday?  How are you?  Me, I'm so ready for you to get here and get gone because I need this upcoming weekend.  I need the time to love on my family and spend some time in prayer.  And of course I am ready for party time!  But other than time, we still have a lot to be thankful for.






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91. Few Precious Reflective Moments.  Notice the word "few," but I am squeezing them in every chance I get.  I am so thankful for the quiet time God gives me to just know He is there and He is so so good.

92. My New Camera.  I killed another camera.  Death by water bottle in the purse.  It's the second in our family to go out that way, and I was certain that I would be destined for disposable cameras from here on out.  But Luke came through for me.  He brought home a brand new Nikon because he knew I would be devastated without a camera for Claire's first birthday.  Oh how I love that man.  (Note to self: go buy a camera case.)

93. Our Webcam Visit with Bella.  Since she has so much going after school these days (volleyball, golf, swimming and soccer) we find it hard to get to see Bella on the webcam before Claire goes the bed.  The five hour time difference put it at nearly 10:00pm our time before she gets home from her activities.  But Fall Break is this week and we were able to see Bella and talk over Skype for almost an hour.  We got to see all of the things she has been doing in school and all of her papers with an A+ and a smiley face.  She was also able to see Claire walk for the first time, which was pretty cool too.

94. It's almost PARTY TIME! I am so thankful that this party is almost here.  I can't wait to see my parents, Luke's parents, my brother and Grace and celebrate that we made it through parenthood for a whole year.  And our kid survived!

95. That God's Mercy in New Everyday.  I am so glad that I get to wake up each morning with renewed mercy from Him.  I have been down on myself lately, giving myself a hard time when things are not going just as I would like them to.  But I rejoice that things are going the way He wants them to, and as long as I continue to let Him be the Lord of my life, I will live in His mercy and grace.

Since I have a new camera, expect lots of pictures next week!  And don't forget to link up.  Happy Thursday!

Thankful on a Thursday

It's another week, and another day to reflect on all of the wonderful things the God has blessed us with.  I know I haven't posted since last week's Thankful on a Thursday, but things have been a bit hectic (post on that coming soon).  This seems to have been the only post in the last week that I wanted to post. 

And if you know me, I don't do things that I don't want to do.  Instead, in the very little amount of free time I can muster, I have been wanting to play on the flooe with my baby before she leaves for college.  (Okay, I know time doesn't go that fast, but at this rate I feel as if she'll be wearing a bra next week.)

But I digress (what's new)... So on with it!






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86. Little Walkers. I was so caught up in not being ready for Claire to walk, but I love teh smile on her face that comes after she has made it from daddy in the love seat to mommy on the other side of the living room.

87. Fall. This week was the first day of Fall. If you live in the South, you know it's been HOT, and we are more than happy to open the door and welcome in our old buddy Fall. The cool, crisp air is a nice change from the hot, humid months that filled our Summer.

88. Fall Television. Yes, silly thing to be thankful for, but I'll be the first to admit we are a telelvision household. We have as many televisions as we do rooms in the house. I would put one int eh garage to watch while I do laundry if I could. And I am so excited about more than a few shows. Next week, I will probably be thankful

89. God's Strength. We have been very busy and life has gotten a bit stressful for my liking, and I am so so thankful for the strength of the Lord that carries me through each day.

90. God's Plan. "For know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all you heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13 I think that is more than enough to be thankful for.

Sorry for the lack of pictures.  I accidentally put my water battle in my purse before making sure the cap was on tight, and my camera is currently drying out on the bedside table.  But next week I should ahve pictures from Jay and Grace's wedding, so chek back soon!  Even though I am not commenting like I should be I AM READING each and every linked post!  So hit me with it!

Thankful on a Thursday

I feel like I say this every week, but I have sooooo much to be thankful for!  So, why wait any longer?





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81. For Luke's Successful Vein Reconstruction.  I'm just glad he is okay and that things will continue to get better from here.  We know God will heal Luke and we continue to pray for wisdom for the doctors and peace for our family.

82. For an AMAZING childcare situation. With all of the things we have had going on lately, I can't imagine what kind of stress it would put on us to have Claire in daycare.

83. Birthday Party Prep.  Now that the wedding is over, I am pouring my creative energies into Claire's big day.  Ok, I know it's really for me and that she'll never remember all that went into this party, but I just want to have a big time to celebrate the first year of her life and how much she has blessed us.  All I can say is, ladybugs are everywhere!

84. Air Conditioning.  While it is cooling off here (and by that I mean it's less than 100 degrees) it's still hot and very humid.  I am thankful that we put a new window unit in our bedroom this year, making our upstairs much cooler.  We are still saving up to get the air in Luke's car running again.  We are thankful he only has a five minute drive to work in that hot car!

85. My new LIFE small group. While I am always excited for the start of a new small group semester, I totally missed this one.  It started last week after I was suffering from severe wedding exhaustion.  But I found a LIFE group (and that stands for Living In Freedom Everyday).  It's just for women (score 1) that meets Tuesday nights (score 2- that's when Claire is at my in-laws) at our Riverchase campus (score 3- two miles from my house).  I know there is much in store for me this semester as I learn to trust more in Him and grow my relationship with the living God.

I've been horrible at commenting on your always amazing Thankful on a Thursday posts because I typically do that on my lunch hour at work.  I am now back into the Strategic Shopping/ Couponing swing of things, and that is taking up a lot of my lunch hours lately.  I promise to try and do better.

Thankful on a Thursday

So many things to be thankful for and so little time.  Really, so little time.  I feel like we have been moving at 90 to nothing for a month now and there is no slowing down in our near future.  But I guess you have to start somewhere, so here goes...

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76. For a Beautiful Wedding.  It really was beautiful.  Everything from the dress, the tuxes, the ceremony, the cake, everything was just incredible.  I don't think I had ever since my little brother cry, but he did shed a few when he saw Grace coming down the aisle.

 

77. For Amazing Weather.  When you have an outdoor ceremony, the biggest fear is a torrential downpour or hurricane here in the south.  It had also been in the nineties for the past few weeks, but the weather Sunday was perfect.  Lots of prayers were sent up for this, and they were certainly answered.

 

78. For a Well Behaved Baby.  Claire was so good.  Really, really good.  Like I wanted to give her ice cream as a treat, but they typically don't serve ice cream at weddings.  She was quiet through the ceremony, let all my family and friends pass her around the ceremony.  She even gave a few kisses (thanks Mom and Luke for teaching her that- it's super cute).

 

79. Lots of Fun Family Time.  It was hectic before the wedding, trying to get everything together, but once the ceremony was over, we had a blast dancing with all of my family (mostly my dad's side, which is a helluva good time on the dance floor).  Even got to see Leenie and Uncle Mark, Aunt Abby and Uncle Kerry, Alicia and Cary (who are pregnant with little Benjamin or Jack with a super cute baby bump), Auntie Em and Uncle Cliff.  And the craziest thing about that list was none of them are really aunts or uncles, just amazing family friends!

 

80. For the Happy Couple!  I am so thankful that Jay and Grace have found each other, the two people that God put on this Earth for the other.  With that, I'm not sure you could ask for anything more.

 

Sorry for the lack of pictures.  I did snag a few off of facebook, but haven't had time to load onto photobucket yet.  Hope you are having an AMAZING week!

 

Thankful on a Thursday

It's a little later in the day than when I usually finish my Thursday post, but better late than never, huh?  There is truly so much to be thankful for, that I don't know where to begin.  Don't forget the code for your sidebar is on the left and the one for your post is below!  It makes me smile when I see these all over the interwebz.  I love all of you giving God the praise and glory He deserves for life's blessings!






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66. Claire's Ultrasound Results.  We are so thankful for a good report from both the urologist and nephrologist.  It also helps to put things in perspective when you are a hospital made especially for sick children, that there are so many kids with horrible, life-changing diseases and conditions.  So as much as we hate this for Claire, overall, she is a healthy baby!

67. Mohawks at Bathtime. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, right?  I am just thankful that we are enjoying bathtime with Claire and not treating it as a chore, but more so as the delight it really is.

68. First Birthday Party Planning. I wish I could show you pictures of the wonderful fun I am having planning this first birthday! I am thankful that I'm not as stressed as I thought I would be, but instead really enjoying how this is bringing out my creative side. The cutting, gluing, painting, ribboning (yes, I just made up that word) and everything that goes along with it are making me smile- as long as I don't think about the fact that my baby is turning ONE!

69. Two Weeks Until Jay & Grace's Wedding.  I am getting so excited about gaining a sister-in-law as wonderful as Grace.  She and Jay are so perfect together, and I am thankful that they have found such a wonderful love in each other.

70. The AMAZING God I love and serve.  I haven't spent as much time in prayer as I would like to these past few days, and I can feel the enemy attacking.  But I love that I can go to the Lord in prayer and it's as if our conversation had never ended.

I have a meeting at church tonight, but I will do my best to read all of your Thankful on a Thursday posts tomorrow.  I truly enjoy each and every one!

Thankful on a Thursday for Fat Kids

This week is all about my Fat Kids.  They are my group of friends from high school that are still friends ten years later.  We still get together for every wedding and every bab and every.single.Christmas.  We don't miss.  Not even one.  It's the guarunteed single night of the year that I can catch up with some of the women that still mean the most to me.

Yes, there are other things to be be thankful for, but I have these great pictures that Christine took at Holly's shower, and I can't help but share them in the process of telling you how much I love the Fat Kids.





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61. My Girls.  We have been through a lot together, as if the stressful high school years weren't enough, and we've stayed close.  These girls stood beside when I got married, when I was big and pregnant with Claire, and I can't wait to see what else the future has in store for us.

62. Claire's Girls.  I am so glad that Christine, Holly and I are all blessed with girls so that they can continue our great friendship.  And Christine was an invaluable resource to me since Laynie is about eight months older than Claire.  She's talked me through teething, first foods, car seats and a lot more.

63. Good Times.  This is Holly's beautiful diaper cake, and the one they made for me was just as awesome.  And not only was it pretty, I went quite some time before having to buy any diapers!

64. Even Mom joins in on the fun.  She's always so hospitable and loves for the girls to come over.  Only thing is, she can't hang with us and heads to bed long before the last glass of wine has been poured.  We love you mom!  I am so thankful to have grown up with these girls and their moms as well.

65.  Good Friendships.  I am so glad to have these girls in my life, and I actually can't imagine my life without them.

And I was really late in commenting last week, but I promise to try and do better.  So link up here and I can't wait to read your always beautiful and inspiring Thankful on a Thursday posts.

The Return of Thankful on a Thursday

So it took a while for us to regain our footing, but we're back.  I have so many pictures and stories to share, I don't even know where to begin.  And we have oh so much to be thankful for, so we'll start with Matt & Kendall's wedding....





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56. Mani/Pedis with my Bella Bug.  We had so much fun, and she picked out some beautiful colors!  The blue for her toes and silver for her nails.  She picked gold for my toes and a peachy-pink for my nails.  Not exactly my taste, but she was so happy that I went along with her selections for the "party," which sounded more funt o her than "wedding."

57. A Good Family Picture.  We really don't get these often enough.  But here we are- all dressed up and all together.

58. Matching Barrettes.  Bella's new dress had a flower with a rhinestone flower

59. Lots of Dancing.  As you can tell, we all had a great time.  McGlothins may have two left feet, but at least we have fun doing it.

60. Sweet Sisters. I wish I had more pictures of the sisters together because they are so darn cute!

I know all of these pictures are from the same night, but I'm trying to space out my Bella pics to last me a while longer.  Maybe not five months longer, but at least a little longer.  She is flying with her mother today back to Hawaii so please pray for safe travels.

And don't forget to link up with us!  Happy Thursday!

Thankful on a Thursday

Oh how I love Thursdays!  I love sharing what we are so thankful for over here at the McGlothin Family Nest.  I love reading all of your linked posts.  I love the emails and comments from people that say "thanks for reminding us what's really important" or "this really puts things into perspective for me."

Don't forget the code for your sidebar badge is right there on teh left, and the code for the post badge is below.





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51. Poofy Baby Dresses. I love that this dress my mom got for Claire is so poofy that I could barely buckle her carseat. And I'm thankful that Claire is such a good sport and lets me dress her up so much!

 

52. Wednesday Night Church. I love Wednesday night services, even if we did miss a pretty big one.   It's always a struggle to get there on time... pick up the girls, grab something to eat, load up the car, drive 25 minutes to the main campus, check-in at the nursery, check-in at Highlands Kids, drag self into auditorium. But when I finally make it, I am so glad that I did. It's always a message I needed to hear. I am so thankful for Wednesday night services.

53. Amazing Opportunities.  My business trips take me to destinations near and far, and have also allowed me some amazing opportunities, for which I am so grateful.  I know I haven't blogged about them very much because I'm still unsure where to draw the line between my personal blog and my professional career.  I recently traveled through Rugby, North Dakota, which is the geographical center of North America.

54. Incredible Views.  I took these pictures at the International Peace Tower.  The top photo was taken with foot in North Dakota and one foot in Canada.  It was so cool.

55. That He is Always With Me.  God has really been messing with me lately, teaching me along the way.  It is so comforting that He has a purpose for my life, and He knows what I need at all times.  God knows the wants and desires of our heartx before prayer leaves our lips, and I am so thankful for that!

Don't forget to link up with us and share your Thankful on a Thursday posts!

Thankful on a Thursday: Vacation Edition

Oh, how I love vacations.  I love how they can re-energize you, bring the family back together, and create life long memories with those that you love.  Here is why I am thankful for vacations!

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46. Family. Family. Family.  I can't imagine a better way to reconnect with those you love than on vacation.  After all of the packing craziness and menu planning has subsided, it's all about spending time with family.  And we were lucky enough to have our first vacation with both Luke's and my family.

This is the best we could do with all of these people.  My family was a bit smaller...

47. Piggy Back Rides.  It just seems to be some kind of family tradition with us.  There is always some piggy back riding going on.

48. More New Babies.  Yes, there is another McGlothin coming in February!  Actually, this is a Weathersby, but a McGlothin cousin nonetheless.  Josh and Bethany are expecting their second child early next year.  Looks like we'll need an even bigger cabin!

49. Uncle John.  Since he spends his Summers with the Navigators, we rarely get to see him, but he did wrestle a few hours away from work to join us in Elkmont.  He has such a way with kids (maybe because he's never really grown up) and they just adore him.

50. All-American Homemade Deliciousness.  Honey and Bela sort of have this tradition of making flag cakes for Fourth of July.  And why should a trek through the mountains be any different?  Pop went store to store (which are not on every corner in remote parts of the Smokies) to find raspberries, and when there weren't quite enough, we compromised with strawberries.

And again, don't forget to link up with us!  Happy Thursday!

Thankful on a Thursday

These past few weeks have been crazy.  I mean, really crazy.  So I am going to sit down with a Diet Coke (but if you prefer a cup of coffee or sweet tea, you are welcome to stay as well) and tap out why I am so thankful for this craziness called life.




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41. New Babies.  One of my besties is expecting!  I am so excited for Heather and Steve and their new bundle of joy coming in January!  New life is one of God's greatest blessings.
42. Sweet Kisses.  I know Father's Day was an eternity ago in bloggy years, but in Gini time, it was just yesterday and therefore completely appropriate to post pictures.

44. Matching Dresses.  Another picture from Father's Day of the girls who love to celebrate their Dad.  Matching dresses eight sizes apart are hard to come by, but Bella really likes to match Claire so I am always on the lookout.  Thanks to mom for these sweet matching dresses from Belize!

44. Brother Bob Hodges.  Pastor Chris's father has gone home to be with Jesus after a long battle with cancer.  He was a mighty servant of the Lord.  He loved Church of the Highlands with everything he had.  He would have radiation in the morning, and at his desk in the church office by lunchtime.  A celebration of his life will take place at Highlands this afternoon.  While we will miss him dearly, I am so thankful that he is finally at peace.

45. Vacation is finally here.  I really need this vacation.  And I had so much planned to do, but now I am thinking we'll just let the kids roam the woods while we take some R&R.  I am thankful for the opportunity to reconnect with Luke, my parents, and my girls.

And don't forget to link up with us!  I am certainly going to be making the rounds in full force this week since I have been so MIA lately.  I can't wait to read your comments and see your beautiful thankful posts!

Still Thankful, Just Absent

Sorry I won't be having Thankful on a Thursday this week.  I'm off in North Dakota on business with not much time to blog.  Please forgive me!  I promise to do my best and read all of your linked posts, but it may be a while before I can comment.  But know that you are all so special to me!

Next week I'll be back with Thankful on a Thursday from the road as our family travels to the Smoky Mountains for the Fourth of July.  (And you know good family vacations means good family pictures!  :::squees in delight:::)

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And here's where you can link up!  Love you all!

Thankful on a Thursday

It's Thursday again?  Where did last week go?  Yeah Father Time, we need to have a talk!

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36.  Bella's Salvation.  This is one of the greatest things that has ever happened in my life.  Knowing that Bella only goes to church eight weeks out of the year (aka: when she is with us), and that God is still powerful enough to fill her heart during that short time.  I am so thankful for her salvation!

37. For Little's Reading Bibles.  Bella picked out the NIV Adventure Bible.  It makes my heart happy to see Bella just throw herself into her Bible.  And when she gets to something she doesn't understand (which is a lot of words in the Old Testament) she is not afraid to ask.  And she told me earlier this week, "Momma Gigi, it makes God really happy when I read my Bible."  Yes, my angel it does!

38. For Grandbarry.  This week was his sixtieth brithday, and we really just want to celebrate him.  He is such a Godly man, a great father and grandfather, and I am thankful for the influence he had on Luke growing up and that he is in the lives of my girls.

He is known for his corny jokes and jumping on the trampoline with his grandkids.  Here he is with Camille (my neice) and Bella and the picture framed they made for his birthday!

39.  New e-friends. This blogging community thing is crazy! Really. I have met so many wonderful women on the same journey of faith, motherhood and life that I am on, and they are incredible. I am so thankful that they allow little ole' me to guest post on their blog and link up with me.  And I am even more thankful for the support they have given me (even over the interwebz) during this difficult time for my family.

40. Peace.  I am thankful that I am finally at peace with Grammie's death.  Romans 5:1 says "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Don't forget to link up with us beacuse I truly love reading your Thankful on a Thursday posts.  It may be next week before I can comment, but I promise I will.