Thanksgiving

In honor of one of my favorite holidays because it can't be killed my commercialism and is instead focused on all we have to be grateful for....
Try as they might to devalue this day, "Black Friday" on Thanksgiving night... I will never lose sight and gratitude for all that I am blessed with!!!

I would like to share a little Thanksgiving!!

I am thankful for being a mommy! I was blessed to become a mother 17 and a half years ago. I look back now and I am truly amazed at all we have been through together! Z saved my life in many ways and I have learned so much in watching him grow into an honest, caring, smart young man. I am thankful for the hard times we have been through and the honesty we have shared. I am thankful that he knows life can be hard but we are tough!!! I am thankful (most days) that he is me made over in so many ways!

I am thankful for my parents! I am thankful for being brought up in a Christian home by two God fearing Christians. I am thankful for their tough love. I am thankful that when I chose the wrong path, they prayed... and let me fall on my face and learn the hard way. I am thankful that when I am wrong, they tell me rather than being my "best friend". I am thankful that they raised me to always work hard and always give back and to try to see the good in everything and everyone!

I am thankful for my brothers and two great sister-in-laws. I know I could call any of them at any minute and they would be there :)

I am thankful for being blessed with some of the best friends a girl could ask for!!! My core girls, who have walked beside me through the ups and downs.... Some who have been there for many many years... Some whom have come into my life more recently... I honestly could not ask for better friends!!

I am thankful for my B-rad :). I am thankful that even after making some pretty terrible moves in my life, God still saw fit to bless me with a good Christian man who honestly loves me with all his soul. I am thankful that even after pushing him away, he never stopped loving me. I am thankful that I know what TRUE unselfish whole hearted LOVE looks and feels like!  There is no one I have more fun with or am more myself with.  He is my best friend!! 


I am thankful for my job and all my co-workers! As if I don't say it enough, I truly LOVE my job and all that it entails. It is entertaining some days and trying on others, but every day I'm doing something I love and meeting new people (crazy they may be! Ha). As for my co-workers... ALL of them are such great souls. I truly refer to them all as friends. Just as quickly as people I have known for years, they would be right by my side if I needed one single thing! :). I am very blessed!!  How many people can honestly say they LOVE their job AND ALL the people they work with!?

I am thankful for our babies (*dogs*). Bailey Shea, the ol' faithful brown dog and Zack's very first puppy... She's knocking on 12 years old and just as sweet as ever. And our new baby Dane, Lido Armani. I swore I would never potty train again. He wears me out but he is just precious. Thankful for both babies!

I am thankful for my sweet little cozy warm house!! It's not much, and sharing one bathroom with a teenage boy has its downside for sure.... but it's mine and its warm. What more do I need?! :)

There are a million other things to be thankful for... But I wanted to especially address these and say thanks to everyone I love, for loving me!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Remember, even on the bad days, there is ALWAYS something or someone to be thankful for.

We. Are. Blessed.

Hand me Downs

So I opted out of giving thanks every day on facebook.... not because I'm not thankful.... but because I don't think I could put all my thanks in a line.  Even spread out over a month's worth of days .... my thanks just couldn't fit in a status update!  (So I will share my list/blog of thanks tomorrow!)
I have so much to be thankful for!

But I couldn't pass up sharing this
"thankful for....."

HAND ME DOWNS.

I realized last night - that it's the things that we think shouldn't be handed down that I am most thankful for!  For they make me who I am today.
And will in turn make my baby boy the man he grows to be.....

........ so here we go.........

I am habitually LATE.  I am.  I blame my parents. (mostly my mother! LOL)   It's not that we WANT to be late.  I think we just have no concept of time.  And you would think that now working in a field where people being late is infuriating (and messes with my schedule) would change me...... but NO.
Now granted, when I have to be somewhere that affects someone else's schedule, I do try to make more of an effort to arrive on time.   (ON TIME.... not early!)
But the overall consensus is... I am late just about everywhere I go.
It is not malicious.... I think it's because I get so caught up in the moment that I truly do just lose track of time.
My mother handed it down....

and I realized last night..... - that I have in turn handed it down to my child.

When Z was little, he would always complain about us being late places.  It drove him crazy.  Actually - I think it still does!! (when it's MY fault!)  LOL
But last night - he had to be somewhere at 7.   He was leaving the house at 5 till.
with NOT enough time to arrive ON TIME.
LATE   LATE    LATE!
**You're welcome Z!  :)

And are you ready for this...
here's the next hand me down........

As he walked out the door he says "Crap.... I'm probably gonna run out of gas!"
see that?!!
acknowledgement that the tank is on E!!
Which would in turn mean - I'm late AND I have to stop and get gas.  
In a normal person's world.
BUT - nope.  Not in OUR world.
Instead.... since he is LATE, he just flies on to his destination.
Or at least he tried to.  

I got a phone call shortly after his departure.... with a panicked
"CRAP!!!... this is not good.... I'm gonna run outta gas.  yeah - I did.  I'm pulling over if I can.  CRAP.  I'm outta gas!"
As IF this is a surprising turn of events?
He was late - walking out the door saying - I should have gotten gas
But being late, you try to push the limit.
And ..... well...... sometimes you get burned.
And he did.
Rather than stopping to get gas CAUSING him to be late... he pushed on.  With the logic that stopping to get gas would MAKE him late!!
Instead..... he ran out of gas anyway and ended up having to RUN (literally) to his destination.  Making him even later than if he had just stopped and got the gas to start with.

After his appointment with the gym was complete -  we made a trip that I know all to well........

Gas station.  
Fill the gas can.  
Off to get the vehicle.  
Then back to the gas station to fill 'er up.

As aggravated as I was....... what can I say?!!
Do you know HOW MANY times I have run my vehicle out of gas!??
let's just put it this way -  more than I care to admit
Thank goodness for friends and family!!!
And that's why I live half a mile from my job!!!Ha ha

I had a green cavalier at one time that I SWEAR had a bottomless tank!!
I ran that thing PAST  E so many times!!!
I miss that car ...... mainly when my gas guzzling HOG pushes that E gauge....

But anyway - of ALL the things I'm thankful for - I think "hand me downs" is one I have never acknowledged before.
I'm thankful for all the hand me downs that I got from being raised by two awesome God fearing Christian parents who always kept me grounded and made me learn about life through experience, not through sheltering me and petting me.  I'm thankful that when I was wrong, they TOLD ME I was wrong and they let me fall on my face until I learned WRONG is WRONG.

AND I'm thankful that I can look into the eyes of my son and pass on some of those hand me downs and know that I have handed down some good stuff myself!
I've been blessed with an awesome kid who has also been raised to be a God fearing Christian man and when he strays.
As was passed to me, he will get lots of love and prayer, but a firm hand at the same time to experience life and learn a lesson from every road he takes!

I'm thankful for ALL the hand me downs.
received and the ones I continue to pass on.....

~Motivational Monday~ My New Perspective

In honor of the week of Thanksgiving - I'm thankfully switching gears.

Putting on my new perspective you might say!

It was pointed out to me today that we should not only spend time being thankful for the things that we have been given and that God has blessed us with; but we should also take time to be thankful for the things that have been taken away... the things that God has saved us from.

I know firsthand, that when going through trials and tribulations it is so easy to turn around and blame others, or get MAD at God for not giving us what we want or giving it to us the way WE want it. 
Wow, it is so easy.  
The hurt and pain that we feel inside tends to overtake us and we lose perspective.  (how many times have I written about perspective?!)  We get so focused on the things we want and things that are important in this world.

I'm going through a divorce - it's no secret.
And I've been hurt and angry and confused... and well, 100 other emotions I can think of.

But today - I was reminded, that no matter what people say, no matter HOW people judge, no matter how the story is told and where fault lands, the fact of the matter is... quite frankly - I love you all, but I don't answer to anyone but my God.  And as long as in my heart I know that I'm following His will and I did right by Him, I am at peace.
I fought.  ME.  MYSELF... I fought to hold a marriage together.... when in fact, it was never my fight to fight.
I should have given this ALL to God long ago....
God sees a bigger picture.
And sometimes... he takes away.  And many times, that is beyond our human comprehension.

We are blessed with gifts from God.  And believe it or not, we are blessed when he takes away.
It may not feel like it sometimes, but I believe it to be true.  Because I do believe there is a bigger plan that God has in store.

So, in hindsight..... I looked back over the past year of my life today...
And I have so many things to be thankful for.

~I am thankful that I had to ability to go back to school this past year and GRADUATE~

~I am thankful that I made a career change at this point in my life and can now say I have a job I LOVE!~

~I am thankful for ALL of my family - I am TRULY blessed!~

~I am thankful for my friends - they have been my ROCK for years and abundantly so as of late~

~I am thankful that my daddy DID get to walk me down the aisle~

~I am thankful for my son and the wonderful young man he is growing up to be~

~I am thankful to say that I have loved and been loved~

~I am thankful for my parents and the way I was raised and the foundation they gave me to stand on~

and oddly enough....

~I am thankful for all the things I wanted in my life, that God saw fit to spare me from.  I am thankful for "unanswered prayers" that were truly answered in a way to protect me and keep me closer to him.~

~I am thankful that this past year has shown me things and taught me things that I might never have understood otherwise.~

~But most of all, I am SO thankful that this past year has brought my walk closer to Him.~

I am thankful that people judge me and talk about me and question why I'm different.  It means I stood for something... and that something is my GOD!

And I am MOST thankful that I ALWAYS know that His arms are around me and protect and comfort me when I need it the most!

Looking Back...... (no Garth.... not YOU)

 

  {{Don't you put that song in my head!!!}


I just looked back at posts from a year ago....
My oh MY how much has changed in one short year and OH the blessings I have in my life!!!

Since I haven't had time to post a Thankgiving "thankful" speech
please allow to somewhat do that now.......

First - go back with me a little.......
One year ago - I fell in love with the man I now call my husband.
Yes that's right....
in less than ONE year....we fell in love and decided we didn't want to go on through life without being a part of each other's forever.
ahhhhhhhhh - weren't things simpler back then?!  LOL


GO BACK and read THIS post from Thanksgiving 2009

In one short - VERY busy..... and did I mention SHORT.... year - I have fallen in love, expanded my family, started ultrasound school (which I am now ALMOST to the half way mark of), quit my job, gone back to waitressing, found some new friends, lost some old ones....   oh the list goes ON and ON and ONNNN!!  But just for one minute, I just want to gloat!
I want to BRAG!!!!
I want to look back at where I was at Thanksgiving last year...... (sooooooo HAPPY) and look how much my life has grown and flourished in just that one short year.

Ain't God GOOD!!!!!!!!

That is all   :)

Motivational Monday :)

Happy Monday everyone!!!
I'm so sorry I have been MIA on my blog - AND on reading and commenting on others.... these past few weeks have been crazy  (Crazy BUSY & Crazy in other ways...{big smile})
I have my last final tonight and I'll be DONE with school (jumping up and down waving hands frantically - ha ha) .......this equals more time to blog! yay!

Anyway - I'm here again to spread some sunshine and hopefully get your week off to a better start  =)
The quote I'm sharing today is great.....

Faith is what you have. 

Hope is what you need. 

Love is what you give.

For some, the holidays can be a very depressing time of year...  some are alone by choice, some have no family close by or no family at all.... & some even while surrounded by family & friends, just forget the true meaning of Christmas period. 

Over the years, the Christmas holiday has become so commercialized.  I'm not judging - I love my family time, but I too fall victim every year to how much money I spend on my child for Christmas.  It's REALLY ridiculous......and once you start with that - how do you stop???

Well - here's my plan.

This year - I truly believe that the UNC/UK tickets were my (to my son) Christmas miracle.  We went to the game this past weekend and I don't know that I have ever seen my child smile so much.  He was in heaven.  (which in turn.....makes my heart melt)  THAT was our Christmas miracle.  So - rather than putting the pressure on myself to buy even more JUST so that he will have gifts on Christmas morning, I think rather than that - this year - we will spend our Christmas morning celebrating Thanksgiving.  I'm not sure exactly how we'll do this - but I will keep you posted.   Now don't get me wrong - he will have a few gifts to open under the tree, and we will still see family and have gifts other places.  I'm just saying, at our house, Christmas morning, I want to take the time to NOT think about all the tangible gifts, but rather reflect on the blessings we have been shown through out BOTH of our lives.

Faith we have.  Faith that in following God, we are exactly where we are supposed to be.  And I have never felt so sure about that as I do right now.

Hope we need.  In the greater good of all people... hope that together, we can make life better every day, for ourselves and for everyone we encounter.

Love we give.  Giving is better than receiving any day!  Don't fill your heart with bitterness and regret and hate, but instead love the life you have been given and make every day better than the one before.  Love your family, love your friends and LOVE your enemies  =)

Have faith that God will give you hope in all the love there is around you  =)

Celebrate Christmas this year with love and thanksgiving - and start TODAY!

So.... there's this boy... {WARNING: The following post series MAY induce vomiting!}

so....... there's this boy......
yeah - me - I said that!
THAT is how I started the conversation with my mom  :)

I love my mom - I know how tired she must be of all the losers that come into my life.  And every loser begins with "so.... I met this boy...."   My poor dad, he doesn't even pay attention anymore... nor does he bother caring to get to know anyone.  Not because he's heartless...Not because he doesn't care...I'm sure my dad has at some point thought to himself that I will NEVER find anyone.  NOT that there aren't dates, but more that no one is ever good enough.  Not just by his standards but mostly by MY standards!
I have waited 33 years (so far) for this man - I won't settle!  So I push away and don't let people in.  I don't trust...blah blah blah....I HAVE WALLS.

Now - are you ready for this????   THIS is where it gets good!  (go ahead....stick your finger down your throat...I know I know....)
THIS has been the bestest Thanksgiving ever!  =)
So................ there's this boy  {Part One}

I won't begin with ALL the details about how freaking GREAT he is (not yet....but I will.... just you wait... cause he IS GREAT!)
Anyway - we actually went to high school together.  So I knew him.... ran into him recently.  Chatted on facebook etc, he started reading my blog (Hi Adam! {wink}) and here is where the story gets good.  A few weekends ago I agreed to meet him and his daughter for bowling  (she is 7 and the sweetest, cutest little thing you've ever seen).  So I went....with no real intentions of anything other than hanging out.  (remember, I don't let people in...)  In fact, I had plans later that night to meet up with a friend to see a movie  (Blind Side - remember that blog)  Anyway... we bowled and he invited me to dinner with them (he had also invited another couple along for bowling and dinner)  I declined the invitation... I already had plans. {insert big HUGE walls around me HERE}   BUT before we could get out the door, I had changed my mind  :)  So - I meet them and we all have dinner together.  (watching him with his little girl....well.... I can't even describe it.  I'm a big daddy's girl - there is just something special about father-daughter relationships and man do they have a great relationship....)  Dinner was good....and we parted ways.  I met my friend at the movies and told her about my night.  Something changed by the end of that night.  couldn't put my finger on it...but something.
Nothing was different with my attitude though.... still behind the walls and looking for nothing more than friendship.

Now.....after that night we proceeded to chat via text or facebook or phone of whatever every day.  No biggie, didn't think much of it....but insert Thanksgiving holiday now.  Right?!?!  (are you gagging yet?  no?  you will be!)  The Wednesday before Thanksgiving I met him out at a local restaraunt.  Lots of friends with him when I got there.... but soon they were all gone and it was just us.  There was a band playing.  It was loud.  So to be able to hear each other, we were sitting in chairs side by side, but facing each other and would occassionally have to lean forward to talk into the other's ear.  WELL.........HERE WE GO!  That's it.  Done.  Over for me......  At some point during this night... a brick fell off my wall.  And all of a sudden......I REEEEALLY wanted to kiss this boy  ;-)  {how the heck did THAT happen?}  We hung out the rest of the night........talking, laughing, even went to Waffle House afterwards.  We didn't finally part ways until about 4AM.  Keep in mind, this is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  I have family plans the next day and he - well HE had very important plans the next day to provide Thanksgiving dinner for those that had no where else to go.  As I began driving home that night I could not stop smiling.  just sayin......could NOT stop smiling!!!! 
But still - a little guarded, and having NO idea where this had come from or why OR if it was real.  All I knew at that point, on that night is this:  this one was different.  Bricks were falling all around me and I couldn't stop it.  HELLO - get back up there... that's my protection!
BUT I COULD NOT STOP SMILING.  and I'm pretty sure when I wasn't looking - I was knocking those bricks down  ;-)

The story just gets better and better....I promise....stay tuned for Thanksgiving   =)

Post It Note Tuesday!!! coming off the BEST Thanksgiving evah!!!

Welcome back to Post-It Note Tuesday

Feel free to comment - or link up and post your own Post-it Notes!
You can make your own Post It Notes << HERE >> yes - that's right.....just click and go be creative!
Also - run over and check out Supah Mommy's post its and you can link up there too!

Today - all my post its will be yellow in honor of the sunshine radiating from my.... ummm... my finger tips - yeah - my finger tips  ;-)

 I have to say - BEST Holiday evah!!!  Most blessings and happiest I have been  =)    All it takes is just a little faith....bring on life!

 

Yes - THIS is the boy's Christmas present - I'll tell the story later.... yes I know I just keep teasing you!

I am living proof that dreams do come true and miracles happen EVERY day!  =)

Don't try me  ;-)

"TIWT" Happy Thanksgiving - let family time begin =)

As always - from the beautiful and talented Sass comes the "Things I want Thursday" post.  HOWEVER with it being Thanksgiving and all - today we are rolling with "Things I'm THANKFUL for Thursday"  YAY!

Here is just a small peek at all the things I have to be thankful for today!

1.  getting to sleep in today!  (hee hee)

2.  having a roof over my head, food on the table, and a vehicle to get me where I need to go!  And a job to be able to pay for all that!  (well....almost - ha ha)

3.  my son - who 14 years ago changed my life FOREVER!  I never knew you could love like this.

4.  my family - who I turned my back on years ago...and they welcomed me back - even after all the wrong turns and mistakes I had made - with open arms.  My very spunky, weird, insane, HUGE heart of a family could never be duplicated or replaced  =)  I'm so thankful for that!!

5.  the fact that today I will be giving my son and early Christmas present.  It's the BEST Christmas present ever and he might fall over when he realizes what it is!!!!  PROMISE!  (there WILL be a blog about that later!)

6.  my faith and Christian upbringing - I don't know how people make it through life without having a God to turn to.  There are days that I couldn't get up out of bed and walk without him by my side.

7.  my friends - I am SO thankful for ALL the friends that I have been blessed with in my life.  I can't even begin to name them all but EACH of them brings me a unique and special kind of joy that I could not live without!  I am especially thankful for those friends of mine who challenge me almost daily to be a better person!  =)

8.  my blog and all the friends I have made on this journey.  I never ever thought I would be able to say this - but I'm thankful to each and every one of you who read me and allow me to vent and cry and scream and say totally retarded things....  and you read and get to know me and send love my way!  and even prayers when asked for.  I'm thankful that I have a place to come and speak and just be me...  and you all accept me as I am.  Thank you to the bloggy world and all my bloggy buds.

I seriously could go on and on and on with this list all day long (but I have to go cook and get ready for family time!!)....  I am thankful for the life that I call mine.  I am crazy with it some days, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!
{{Hugs and Kisses}}
Tami G

Post-it Tuesday! BRING ON THE HOLIDAYZ!!! =)

Welcome back to Post-It Note Tuesday

I soooo love this new little game with posties.... I'll try to be in better spirits this week!  Feel free to comment - or link up and post your own Post-it Notes!
You can make your own Post It Notes << HERE >> yes - that's right.....just click and go be creative!
Also - run over and check out Supah Mommy's post its and you can link up there too!

LET the FUN begin!!!!

I was up waaaaaaaaaay too late catching up on my blogging - WAYYYY too late!

I'll take an IV bag of coffee please!  =)

my new favorite quote from Preacher T:  "knowlege not shared is wisdom wasted in vain"

WISHING everyone the BEST Thanksgiving EVAH!!!!!!!!  Take the time to be thankful for all that you have!!  {REALLY do that - don't just "say" your thankful...}  Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday - all the family time without the pressure of the gift giving and money spending and commercialism!

ENJOY your life!  Be thankful for the ones in your life & cherish every moment!

LOTS of {{{HUGS}}} to everyone!

mwahhhhhh

Tami G