What I'm Thankful For & Weekend Recap

Well, It's that time of year again... Thanksgiving! I find this holiday so interesting and always have been. I remember in grade school learning about thanksgiving - the pilgrims and the native Americans coming together to help and support each other. I had a teacher in the 1st grade that brought costumes for the kids to wear around this time of year. I always wanted to wear it - never got to though. Which, honestly - at almost 30 still kind of makes me sad, but it's a lesson to be learned - If you want something go for it, don't wait for it to come to you. I was shy and never expressed my want to wear it. So, I guess it's my fault. However, I digress.

I love thanksgiving. I love everything that it stands for in the goodness or all of our hearts. I love the warmth and the togetherness. I love that it's a time to reflect on all that you're thankful for in your life. I think it's a great reminder for us all. We shouldn't have to be forced to reflect on what we're thankful for but in a world of more, more, more I think it's great that something forces us to do this because if not I imagine a very depressed and sad world. 

I do my very best daily to make sure I'm thinking about what I'm grateful for but I am only human and a sinful and selfish one at that. From time to time or everyday to everyday I'm constantly in struggle with being grateful for what I've been #blessed with in my life and finding the correct balance of improving your life and future for the better and nailing contentment. I'll be honest, I really really struggle with contentment. I want more - more money, more hours in the day, more clothes, more health, more love, more accessories, more passion, more more more more. Everything more. I often find myself comparing - wanting the things in life others have. The saying "Comparison is the thief of joy" is so beyond true. It really is. I think this is pretty normal though, and I don't think the things that I want are really too crazy - because honestly they aren't. I think it's so easy forget and way to easy to become resentful. This is when thanksgiving is a great thing - it's time to check myself. I might not have all the things I want, but I have more than I deserve.

So, I'm going to list all the things I'm grateful for so that I can reflect and realize that despite my not being exactly where I want to be, but knowing that I'm right where God wants me to be.

Cue some Rolling Stones

**You can't always get what you want

But  if you try sometimes

Well, you might just find

You get what you need **

What I'm SO thankful for:

The Bravada - This car sucks, it's not nice, it get terrible gas mileage, has stupid things wrong with it that are beyond annoying - BUT do you know what? I work 30 minutes away from home and I'm able to get there. Every. Damn. Day. I'm thankful I have it as a source of freedom to go where I please when I please, I'm thankful it helps me get to my job and I'm thankful it was available to me when my car was no longer available.

My Resistance to Caffeine - I know, What?! This just came up in the clinic the past week so I really have been thinking about it. Because Caffeine doesn't really wake me up anymore (I mean it DOES, but it's not like when I first started drinking coffee) and I can drink it to keep me going all day but it doesn't affect my sleep! I've learned that others are not so lucky and I'm thankful that's not the case for me! WOOT WOOT!!! I can keep drinking coffee and getting all the sleep too!

Being Tired - I would say that 75% of the time, the reason why I'm tired is because of "poor" choices the night before. Even though that's usually a poor a decision I would have to say that in the time I was more than likely doing something I enjoyed at the moment. This means that I have things to keep me up that I enjoy and I have the tools to do so. I have electricity, Internet, Netflix. There are other reasons too. They usually include - Alexa kicking me because she snuck into bed. Luke - Snoring and bed hogging. And while neither of those things are really enjoyable - they mean I have people to love.

Alexa - Well, Duh. I love her. All of her makes my soul sing and my heart burst with unspeakable amounts of joy. Despite some of the not so great things I've had to encounter as a parent I would NEVER in a million years trade the grossness, the sleeplessness, the stress or the disagreements for an easier Alexa free life. As far as I'm concerned a life with out her is no life at all.

The clothes next to the laundry basket but not IN it, toilet paper never put on the roll & the dirty dishes laying around the living room - This means that I have a Luke in my life. He drives me insane...like, 98% of the time. But if I'm honest - that's the way we started. He provides much love and support and I couldn't be more thankful for him.

There are sooooo many many more things I'm grateful for but we don't have all day! Let's move on to what we did this weekend - starting Thursday with thanksgiving, Friday was a lounge at

ound, Saturday we decorated the house for Christmas and went to the Winter Wonderland Lights in Marshfield, Sunday we got up and got our Christmas tree & got our family photos done. Check out some of the pictures from our weekend.

 We have decided to wait to share the photos from today's shoot, BUT please check out our sneak peak below. haha

We are so excited for the Holiday's! I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend as well and that your holiday season is full of wonderful family, friends and the small things that make life amazing!

xoxo,

Nikki