'Tis the Season

Well, Thanksgiving is over and it seems like everyone is diving headfirst into Christmas! Personally, I like a little buffer time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Ya know, to let the turkey settle, finish off the leftovers, then maybe starve myself for a few days to get my weight back to normal...

I guess it never occurred to me how many people I know put up their Christmas trees and lights the day after Thanksgiving. Who knew?? I don't think I've ever in my life had a Christmas tree in the house before December, much less the day after Thanksgiving. Aaron and I both work on Black Friday every year so we never get our decorations up until well after December 1st. This year I feel like we're behind already! But I refuse to give in to peer pressure - the tree's not going up until we feel like it!

Now to figure out when I'll feel like it... I am going to admit something very shameful, try not to judge me too harshly now - for the past couple years I haven't really been looking forward to Christmas. I know!! What is wrong with me?? Sigh, I'm not a grinch or anything (no termites in my smile!), I just can't get into it. I think one reason for that is I feel like it's SUCH a busy time of year. There's something going on every weekend in December and it's stressful having to shop for everyone on the list. Especially when money is tight, as it tends to be for us at the end of the year. Another reason is that holidays are just hard in general when you're "child-free-not-by-choice." This will be Christmas number 3 for us hoping to be expecting, but not. Sometimes it's hard not to think about all the things we're missing out on by not having children.

So how do I fix my funk? Maybe Aaron and I need to start some traditions of our own. Something that will help me feel like the holiday is special and meaningful to us as a family, not just us as members of our extended family, and not as a reminder of what we 'should' have by now.

Yes, I think this will be a great year to start some traditions. And I'm taking suggestions as to what those traditions could be!

Thankful Day 3

Day three of being thankful already?? Okay then.

Today I'm thankful for doctors.

That's right!

I feel blessed that I really like all of my doctors. I haven't always, I definitely had to visit a lot of offices before I found the good ones, but it was worth it. The doctors I see now (and yes, I do visit some of them quite often!) are genuinely interested in helping me when I need it. And what a hard lesson to learn that not all doctors are that way.

If you're a fan of your doctor, don't forget to send them a card this holiday season and let them know they're appreciated.

Thankful Day 2

Today I'm thankful for... kittens and puppies!!!!

Well, okay not exactly. I'm thankful for PETS! I grew up always having dogs and I loved it. Now Aaron and I have our cat, Atticus, who is such a great addition to our lives. We picked him out together when we were dating, and although Aaron wasn't so sure he'd like living with a cat when we moved in together, he's pretty much head over heels now.

Not to get overly dramatic or anything, but I'm a firm believer that pets are members of the family, not just animals. They enrich our lives in so many ways, and I think they teach us as much as we teach them. I can't imagine our house without Atticus. :)

I might even give him a little piece of turkey on Thursday!

It's Not Just for Turkeys Anymore

My SIL, Brandy (on the right) posted this photo to her blog a while back and I just love it. In case you don't know, it's me, Aaron, his brother Noah, and Noah's wife Brandy. This photo was taken at Aaron & Noah's uncle's wedding back in... 2003? I think? Both couples had been dating for only a few months at this point. You can tell, we all look so naive, right? Haha! (This photo has nothing to do with my post, I just had it already loaded up in a blank blog post, so I thought I'd share.)

Anyway, Thanksgiving is in just a few days. The time of feasting and hopefully remembering and thanking God for all the things He's blessed us with. I for one am guilty of focusing on all the things I DON'T have (or maybe just one thing I don't have) rather than all the wonderful things I do have. Even Thanksgiving day is usually focused much more on the feast than the thanks. So this week I've decided to be consciously grateful. Yes, the whole week. Well, except for that comatose hour right after dinner, I'm giving myself a pass then.

Today, since it's Monday, I think I'll be grateful for my job. As tedious and stressful as it can be, I am lucky to even have a job in this economy. I certainly have enough friends looking for work to appreciate my circumstances. So as I get ready to head home for the day, I'll send up a little prayer thanking the Big Guy that Aaron and I have steady jobs that pay all our bills and keep a roof over our heads.

What are you thankful for?