November Gratitudes - Day 30 (my faith)

Today I am glad that I believe in a Lord who is so good to me. When things are bad, and when things are good, God is here with me, and I am grateful for that. I remember my life before Jesus and how I hated feeling so isolated in moments of extreme stress and sorrow. I still feel sadness, but I don't feel alone anymore. I have a Lord who loves me, and who I can lean into when I just can't stand on my own. Amazing.

November Gratitudes - Day 29 (animal transports)

Today I am ETERNALLY GRATEFUL that I have the opportunity to participate in animal transporting. I have struggled for quite some time to figure out a way to save homeless animals. Let's face it, at 4 cats in an apartment for 2, I am maxed out. But, animal transporting has allowed me the opportunity to help sweet homeless animals as they make their way to their furr-ever home. I just love it, and I love these sweet animals!

November Gratitudes - Day 28 (private swim lessons)

Today I am grateful for the folks to whom I have the honor and joy of teaching private swim lessons. I am grateful becuase it gives me the chance to earn some extra money, which I can always use, but also because I really enjoy watching my clients learn how to swim. What a joy and pleasure!

November Gratitudes - Day 27 (hot sauce)

Today I am grateful for hot sauce. I just love spicy foods, and I like to "spice up" most foods that I eat. I order my Thai food "Thai spicy," and I go in to the Taco Bell store when I order so that I can raid their hot sauce bucket, thus ensuring that I get enough for my burritos. Louisiana hot sauce is my friend, and I run through bottles of the stuff far faster than any normal person should. I always laugh that I should have been born in Louisiana where everything is spicier, and I mean it! Thank goodness for hot sauce!

November Gratitudes - Day 26 (Comedy TV)

Today I am grateful for really good comedy tv shows. Honestly, they are my favorite shows, and I can watch re-runs over and over. A few of my favorite characters include:

- Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute on The Office
- Courtney Cox as Monica Gellar on Friends
- Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker on Modern Family
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett on Modern Family

November Gratitudes - Day 25 (Hacienda)

Today I am grateful for the chance to enjoy Hacienda whenever I am home. Hacienda has the most amazing salsa (made yummier with ranch dressing stirred in), awesome margaritas, and super fresh guacamole. I certainly love getting to see my parents when I am home, but gosh, I look forward to making at least one visit (or more) to Hacienda every time I am in town. Just a month till Christmas - yummy!

November Gratitudes - Day 24 (Thanksgiving)

Today I am grateful for the chance to spend Thanksgiving with family. Because Stephanie and Roman were spending the holiday with Roman's family, my parents and I decided to accept an invitation to spend the day with my dad's nephew and his wife. Interestingly, because my dad was the baby and a surprise, he is actually very close in age to his nephew and they have remained friends over the years. While my parents have socialized with Pam and Bill over the years, it has been more than a decade since I seen them. It was a great day, full of good food, lots of laughter, and duck hunt video games. I hope that there will be many more family get-togethers.

Photos forthcoming.

November Gratitudes - Day 23 (Feral Cat Family)

Today I am grateful for the sweet feral cat family that live in the parking lot of my apartment complex. Momma cat is a calico and her two boys are solid orange and solid black. At first, they were really stand-offish, but with time, kind words, and regular meals, they now trust me. I was able to capture Momma in June and get her fixed, and my goal is to fix her sons next summer. They are amazing cats and I hope that with time they will become calm enough for me to find them permanent homes.

November Gratitudes - Day 22 (Roman)

Today I am grateful for my brother-in-law.

Honestly, I am pretty darn lucky in the brother-in-law department. Roman is a great partner to my sister, and an all-around great guy. He goes with the flow, which is super important given our nutty extended family, he is always willing to help out, and he overlooks my occasional moments of crazy. Yep, I got very lucky when Stephanie married Roman.

Photo taken at the Kentucky Derby in 2008.

Photo taken New Year's Eve 2008-2009.

Booty bumping on Valentine's Day - 2009.

My 30th birthday - 2010 . We just heard the song lyric "save a horse, ride a cowboy" and we are riding a horse!

Photo taken at a UK basketball game in December of 2010.

Photo taken on New Year's Eve 2008-2009.

November Gratitudes - Day 21 (short work week)

Today I am grateful that this is a two-day work week. I am exhausted, and am delighted to know that after Tuesday I am free for five days!

November Gratitudes - Day 20 (Stephanie)

So, I probably should have done this one earlier, but I just didn't have the time to sort through photos to find a couple of really good ones to post. It's a bad excuse, but it's the only one I got, and it's the truth.

Today, I am grateful for my sister.

She is my best friend, my confidant, and an all around good person. We have definitely gotten closer as we got older, and would do just about anything for each other. We both excel in different areas, so that balances our relationship out, and we learn a lot from each other. There are tons of photos I could have posted, but here are a few of our most recent photos.

Photo taken on Stephanie and Roman's wedding day, May 8, 2010.

Photo taken outside the Michigan Stadium, The Big House, right before we watched Michigan defeat Illinois, 2010.

Photo taken at the Snoop Dogg and 311 concert in 2009. While we loved Snoop Dogg, we did not understand the craziness associated with 311 - haha!

Photo taken at the Needtobreathe concert in Newport in 2010.

Photo taken at Hall's on the River in 2009.

Photo taken outside Applebees in 2008 as we were getting ready to watch the Preakness.

Photo taken at Keeneland in 2008.

November Gratitudes - Day 19 (new washer/dryer)

Today I am grateful for my new washer and dryer. Earlier this month my apartment complex management decided to switch the way they billed us for our water usage. As a result, those people without washers and dryers would have been disadvantaged. So, the management of my cmplex decided to buy a washer/dryer set for everyone who did not own one. I was the lucky recipient of one of these sets!

P.S. The cats love the dryer too!

Katie prayer requests...

Katie and her parents are flying home today, keep praying for this sweet girl. Keep her safe, calm, and stable as she flies home.

November Gratitudes - Day 18 (power of prayer)

Today I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in a prayer chain to pray a sweet orphan home. Sweet Katie is medically fragile and needs to make it to the U.S. as quickly as possible so that she can receive medical treatment. I am grateful for the chance to join with believers worldwide and pray Katie home. My slot is Saturday morning from 530am to 6am.

Katie Update

Katie checked out of the hospital today. She is stable at the moment, but keep praying for her, she flies home tomorrow!

November Gratitudes - Day 17 (Duvee)

Today I am grateful for my duvee. I know that a duvee can often be confused with a comforter, but it's just not the same. A duvee keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Duvees are perfect for snuggling in on cold mornings and are easy to wash by simply removing the cover. I just love my duvee.

November Gratitudes - Day 16 (Patrick)

Today I am grateful for Patrick. Patrick is a dog who was found in a trash bin in New Jersey earlier this year. He had been tethered to a staircase for weeks and had been allowed to starve to near death (since he was a pit bull). Thank goodness he was discovered by a trash worker and was rescued.

I am thankful because he was rescued, but also because his case opened my eyes to the vast number of abuse cases that occur here in the US every year.

Sure, my life was so much easier and peaceful before, but now I know the truth and get to help fight the nasty truth.

Prayer Request Update!

Katie has checked into the hospital and is being treating for dehydration (amongst other things). She is stable at the moment and should check out in the morning. Keep praying, sweet prayer warriors!

November Gratitudes - Day 15 (chapstick)

Today's gratitude is sort of silly! Today I am grateful for good chapstick. I know, silly, right?

Seriously, though, I love chapstick. I absolutely hate to have dry lips, and my lips are so much happier after I apply chapstick, whether it be in the winter or summer. Some would say I am slightly addicted, especially since I have a huge basket of various kinds of chapsticks, but I just really like to try new types.

Anyway, thank goodness for moist, healthy lips! :-)

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

This will be quick, but please, please, please take a moment to pray for a sweet little girl who finally found her family after 9 years and is facing extreme medical issues. PLEASE PRAY FOR SWEET KATIE!!! You can read her story here: http://theblessingofverity.com.

UPDATE: She has been admitted to the hospital and is stable for the moment. Keep praying!!

November Gratitudes - Day 14 (second chances in graduate school)

Today I am grateful for second chances. In 2004 I started a M.A. program in History at the University of Kentucky with the intention of continuing on for my Ph.D. The three years of my life spent as a student in that department were among the worst of my life. I started graduate school full of self-confidence, but one semester wiped that away. Not only did my confidence fade, but so too did my love of history. Finally, on a whim that third year I randomly took a class in the department of Educational Policy and Evaluation Studies. It was amazing, just how I had always imagined graduate school would be. Transfering departments cost me 2.5 years of graduate school, but it was completely worth it. I found my passion and confidence again. I found my way back to academia because I felt supported and encouraged in ways I never could have imagined in my "lost" years. Yep, I'm totally grateful for the chance to start over, and for second chances!

November Gratitudes - Day 13 (reading)

Today's gratitude is sort of abstract, but... I am eternally grateful that I was born with a love of reading. I know that an interest in reading can be honed and encouraged, but I firmly believe that you either love to read, or you work at it. I am so grateful to have been born with a love of reading because of all the opportunities it has afforded me. I have visited magic lands, followed along on amazing adventures, and learned more about myself because of my love of reading. So, today I am grateful for my love of the written word!

November Gratitudes - Day 12 (good neighbors)

Today I am grateful for good neighbors. I am infinitely lucky that I have the wonderful neighbors that I do. My neighbor upstairs, Lorie, loves cats as much as I do. We each have more cats than we should, and take time to feed and care for the feral cat family that live in our parking lot. Below me lives Greg. He is a fellow graduate student, so we get to co-miserate on the stresses of coursework and life while trying to break into academia. Across the hall is Brenda, a sweet woman who watches out for me; plus she has an adorable golden retriever named Jake. Next door lives Shayla, a kind single mother, and her two kids. They are honestly the best kids ever! Finally, down the hall lives Barbara, a sweet retired woman and her dog Bella. She fundraises for the March of Dimes, loves her dog, and is always so excited to engage in a conversation. Honestly, I hit the neighbor jackpot, and I am so grateful to live where I do!!

November Gratitudes - Day 11 (military)

Today's gratitude should be obvious... but if it's not, today I am grateful for the American military who keep our borders and our people safe every day. Thank you for your service to this country and for risking your life to secure everyone's freedom. Thank you to your spouses, parents, children, and friends who sacrifice daily while you are away; their service, while different, is appreciated. Thank you, especially, to my brother-in-law Roman and cousin Bryan who have served in the Army and Marines with pride.

November Gratitudes - Day 10 (swimming)

Today I am grateful that my parents recognized how important it was for me to learn to swim and enrolled me at the YMCA when I was young (5 months, actually). Not only am I able to save my own life in the water, but swimming remains one of my most favorite things to do. Because my parents valued the importance of learning how to swim, I was able to get my first job as a lifeguard, I am able to teach swim lessons to little ones and show them the joy of the water, and I am able to find fun and exciting things to do around the water every summer! Yep, today I am grateful that I am part fish and feel completely at peace in the water!

My friend Liz and I at Lake Michigan in August of 2000

Rafting with a church group in Tennessee - July, 2008

Myself and Stephanie at Lake Cumberland - August 2009

Rafting solo at Lake Cumberland - August, 2009

Trying to throw me off the tube - they never succeeded! August, 2009


Jet Skiing on Lake Independence - July 2010


Relaxing on Lake Independence - life is good! July, 2010

November Gratitudes - Day 9 (health)

Today I am grateful for my health. Sure, I am slightly overweight, have allergies, and occasionally get migraines, but overall I am super blessed to be in good health. I know there are a lot of people that can't say that, so I don't take it for granted.

November Gratitudes - Day 8 (Jesus and the cross)

Today I am grateful for Jesus's sacrifice on the cross and for His offer of salvation. I am grateful to have been surrounded with friends who supported me as I gave my life to Christ and was baptized.

Me telling my story of redemption at baptism.

About to be dunked!

Washed by the water!

Karen, me, Melanie, and Hannah - these girls were in my Bible study group at the time.

Mom, me, Stephanie, Christy, and Roman - my cheerleaders!

November Gratitudes - Day 7 (University of Michigan)

Today I am grateful that I am a Wolverine. When it came time to decide on a college, I had narrowed my options to 5 schools: Butler University, Hillsdale College, Valparaiso University, Eastern Michigan University, and the University of Michigan. Most people are surprised to hear that I initially decided on Valparaiso, but changed my mind at the last minute to the University of Michigan. I had decided on Valpo for a couple of reasons: their pre-law/law program, the fact that I could have joined the swim team, and that it was a mid-sized college; plus, there was that whole pesky question of how I would pay for UM when Valpo had given me some really great scholarships. When my UM financial offer came in, though, and after I had made a campus visit to Ann Arbor, I knew that UM was for me. Honestly, it's one of the best decisions I ever could have made. I made great friends, discovered my passions, studied abroad, worked with a research scholar, and attended UM football games. ;-) (we know how important football is to me!) Ultimately, I discovered who I was in Ann Arbor. I started college a shy, quiet girl from a small city and emerged full of confidence and with an education - both in and out of the classroom - that I can't imagine myself having found anywhere else. Yep, I am super grateful to be a Wolverine!

This is my college buddy Wilhelmina and I at UM game several years after we graduated, it was so much fun being back in the student section!

November Gratitudes - Day 6 (Christmas tree)

Today I am grateful that it's November, which means I can finally put up my Christmas tree. I know, I know, I really shouldn't do that till after Thanksgiving, but I just can't resist. I love Christmas, and I love my Christmas tree.

I was lucky enough to foster a momma cat, Molly, as she gave birth to two babies, Allie and Oliver. This is Allie right around 6 weeks... she loved to climb the Christmas tree, what a character!

The first year Katie lived with me she knocked the Christmas tree over 3 times. I love this photo because she had just knocked over the tree and looks like she is trying to pass it off as someone else. Max's stare gives it away, though.

This is the Christmas tree at my parent's house. My mom has somewhere around 30 boxes of ornaments, so she swaps them out from year to year, but the tree always looks like home. Do you think this is where I got my love of Christmas?!?

This is one of my favorite ornaments of my mom's. It reminds me of snow and of the magical feeling of Christmas. I can't really explain why.

It's safe to say that my Christmas tree is going up next weekend, and I can't wait.

November Gratitudes - Day 5 (my car)

Today I am grateful for reliable transportation. I am fortunate enough to have purchased a new car last year, and although it wasn't cheap, I am grateful to know that my car will make it where I need to go. I love Big Sexy (yes, I name my cars).

November Gratitudes - Day 4 (fireplace)

Today I am grateful for good fires in the fireplace over the winter. Before I lived in a place with a fireplace, I never could have imagined the joy I would find in a home with one... but now, I can't imagine living without it. I love cozy evenings with a roaring fire, snuggly cats, and steaming cups of tea. I LOVE my fireplace and am already looking forward to this winter!

November Gratitudes - Day 3 (my job)

Today I am grateful that I have a job that is steady and consistent. A job where I have great benefits. A job that I can count on not going away. Sure, I complain about my job at times, and I sometimes think that the people I work with aren't the nicest... but, at the end of the day, I am lucky, and I know that.

November Gratitudes - Day 2 (my parents)

Today I give thanks for my parents. They always support me, no matter how crazy my ideas might be, and I know that they will always have my back. I would not be the woman I am today without their love.

November Gratitudes - Day 1 (Oksana's family)

November is recognized as national gratitude month. As part of this celebration of gratitude, I intend to give thanks every day this month. I sincerely look forward to giving thanks for the life the Lord has provided to me.

Today's praise: thank you, Jesus, for saving my sweet Oksana, and providing a family for her. I look forward to watching her journey home, and am eternally grateful that she has a family coming for her!