Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart

                      HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I have so much to be thankful for that I'm really in awe at where my life is right now. I am surrounded by amazing people that love and support me. I have friends and family that impact the world and the people around them and push me to strive to be a better, more patient, giving, and understanding person.  I have the love of an amazing man who I couldn't be more in love with. I have a healthy, happy, fun relationship that the only thing I would change is being able to see him every single day. I'm thankful that my sister and I are still close, and although our visits are sporadic I am so happy that I was blessed with her as my sister friend. I'm thankful that for the past two years I've had my parents so close by (ok so the first year they were really close…same house close). I'm thankful that I have such great relationships with both of them and that their marriage is still blooming 28 years later (happy anniversary) and they are a superb role model for what I one day eventually would like to have. I'm thankful for new friends as well as old friends. For the old friends that are still in my life and continue to help me grow while reminding me of where I come from and who I am at the core-thank you. I love you guys. And for the new friends that have come into my life and who I don't know what I would do without now-I love you too and I'm excited for every memory we will make together. But most importantly I'm thankful for God and all of his blessings; the disasters that he turns into miracles in disguise. I have been blessed this year and sometimes I didn't even know it. I have been blessed with what I hope will be my dream job (I start on the 6^th of December), the means to purchase a new car, and the chance to spend my favorite holiday with Dave. For all these things and so much more I give thanks with an overwhelmingly grateful heart.

Talks

I had dinner with my dad the other night. We haven't had some quality one on one time in a while so it was nice to just go out with him and catch up and talk. Although, I am at that age where people question whether he's my sugar daddy so I make sure I address him loudly as Dad. Not daddy because that could be taken in the wrong way..believe me. When my dad and I get together it's always good conversation, wine, and laughter. He's a funny guy and I really enjoy him as a person (although it took me what seems like a lifetime to get to this point with him.)

When we get together we talk about  a lot of things but one thing we talked about last night was service. When I was younger and even during college, and a little after, I thought (sadly) that all I wanted to do was work in some skyscraper, wear cute business clothes, and make a lot of money. But now my thoughts have changed drastically. For me at least, if I'm not doing something that is helping, or giving back I feel that I'm wasting my time. I have the need to be a part of something larger than myself. I want to do something important, or at least feel that I'm participating in making someones lives better. I don't want to make money for a corporation or sell people things they don't need.

There are different types of service. What usually comes to mind for me when I think of service, is the military. Blame my upbringing, but when I think service I picture men and women in uniform. Yet there are other ways to serve. My sister serves God and her community by working with youth at Va Beach and being an example of a solid Christian, and teaching them about the Word. My mom has served by all her countless volunteering, her leadership roles in the Church, and by taking care of her family. Megan serves others by helping them with their rehabilitation. She makes it so they can function with their daily activities, even what we would think as simple as getting dressed in the morning. She impacts people's lives on a daily basis.

I find my current job rewarding because I know at the end of each day I'm helping a family during their grieving period of losing someone gain some type of closure.

Maybe my goals are too high, and my dreams too lofty but I think that if you're spending 8+ hours a day doing something it should be something you're excited to get out of bed for. It should be something that makes a difference and impacts someone or something for the greater good.

Man I sound like a hippie.

What are your thoughts on service?

Feelings

Lately my sister and I have been a lot closer than the past couple of years. Maybe it's due to our proximity and the wonderful thing that is Gchat and video chat. I was going through some of my things in my apartment the other day and I found this large pack of old school pictures my sister gave me for some occasion. And I wanted to share them because some are adorable and some are well....just see for yourself.

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1. Easter in Ft. Hood

2. I think Christmas time at Ft. Hood. Look at my precious face. Hahah so expressive...even then. Grumpy pants much? I guess I've always given away what I felt with my looks.

3.Christmas...do you like the geese on my sweater? Katie was the cutest little kid...just look. My friend Natalie in high school for he senior year baby photo used a toddler picture of my sister because she was just too cute.

4. A random collage my sister made of me full of memories and uplifting words.

5. Katie, Saudie, and I in Ft. Hood.--look Spaz at one time you did like animals. lol Yeah sweet bowl cut.

As I was saying my sister and I have always gotten a long but sometimes I have this overwhelming since of admiration and love for her. She's amazing and I'm proud of all she does. This is a random post but she sent out an email yesterday to her prayer request group and told a story about how she used to copy me when we were little and I would make a snack of Vanilla wafers and American cheese. Gross, but back in the day those little sandwiches were ahhhmazzzing. I love the random phone calls I get about her being reminded of our Algebra teacher (yes Katie we were in the same class and I had to pass your A's back and hope you didn't see my C's) would say water and forty in a British accent but nothing else. I love the history we have. And you're the only one that I'll ever have true growing up stories with. I loved being an Army brat and growing up in different countries, and moving but I did miss out on the stability and the life long friends. Not to say I haven't forged lifelong friends (ummm you all know about Megan right?) but they were made later, and though we have wonderful, meaningful, and funny memories together the only from diapers to the grave friend I have is my sister Katie.

Just want to say how amazing you are, how much I love you, and I'm so glad you live by the beach! See you tomorrow my little Spaz Muffin. And to all of my life-long friends I love you guys too. Briggsy I would be writing a post about you too but I can't because I have a speech to give in a year.

Tame as a lion

I'm pretty timid when it comes to defending myself. I tend to let things slide. BUT when it comes to my family or people that I love I can turn into this ferocious lion. I will rip your windpipe out.

I like to tell the story of this one time my Mom hosted a coffee. She had set up the house, cleaned the place, baked, cooked, and slaved away making food for this Army spouses coffee. This particular Generals wife came over, didn't say anything nice to my mother about how the house looked, or the effort she put into it. She didn't eat a thing, but she also didn't make an excuse like, "oh I'm just so full I ate right before I came, or I'm not feeling too well I don't have an appetite but thank you it all looks delicious." As a 9th grader those are the kind of things I know to say if I had not wanted to eat anything. Be polite and courteous. I don't understand where this woman lost her manners at 40-something years old.

After the coffee my sister and I came down from our confinement upstairs to help clean up and of course to eat some of the left over desserts. We asked our Mom how it went and she said fairly well except this one particular woman and made her feel bad. (I've always had a close relationship with my mom so it wasn't out of the ordinary that she share these types of things with me.) She then explained how rude she was and how she felt she'd gone through all this effort and was snubbed.

I  was a scrawny freshmen in  high school, barely breaking 100 pounds, but I marched out of that house ready to confront this woman. Mom had to run down the street to catch me, (the lady lived just down the block...I only had a few more houses to go). Now I don't know what I really would have done had I been allowed to knock on her door, but I can tell you I was muttering, "I'm going to bitch-slap that lady." See the thing is you don't mess with my family. Mess with me (not really because my sister will get you) but don't mess with my family and the other people I love that aren't related. This woman is now and forever will be known as, "BSL (bitch slap lady)." She's still around now a days and she's gotten older but so have I and I could totally take her on.