Thankful: Facebook

I am thankful for Facebook. I realize that some people take it to the extreme and tell us every single detail of their entire lives…some like to rehash drama and battle each other in public…some like to sell the next ‘pyramid scheme’ and try rope us all in (and sometimes that’s just fun to make fun of)....and some people just friend me for no apparent reason at all.

But I am thankful for Facebook because I enjoy keeping up with those people that we don’t get to see regularly. I feel like there are so many old friends, teachers and family members that I really do love to hear about their lives or see pictures of their kiddos as they grow up. I am thankful for the opportunity that Facebook gives me to do that.

Thankful: Airplanes

I am thankful for airplanes. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to travel to as many cool places and experienced as many different vacations as I have. I have been to multiple countries and many states across the US. There’s no way I could have traveled as far or over as much water in the amount of allotted vacation time that I’m given from work. I’ve been blessed financially to be able to afford these trips and I wouldn’t trade any of my experiences for anything. That’s what life is all about…and I have plenty of pics and memories to make me smile forever. I am thankful for the opportunity to travel on airplanes.

The beautiful Dallas sunrise as we flew out for Thanksgiving to Indiana...

And the crazy fog that we flew in to land in Chicago...

I love to fly...and I am thankful for airplanes!!

Thankful: Wedding

I am thankful for my amazing wedding. The whole process from engagement to wedding day was only about 4 months. As we were looking at venues and availability and the suggestion of October came up…I was appalled at the idea. There was NO way I could pull that off. Well ‘I’ did not…but with the help of Mica and Lisa and all the time they spent researching venues, photographers, DJ’s, bakeries, menus, dress shops, etc. They were both like “We got this!” And…we did. With the help of them, my mom, Kathy and Bama we got all the decorations, flowers, plans and everything done in perfect timing. The showers, bachelorette party, craft night, girls days…everything came together perfectly and the entire day was the most stress-free and relaxed I may have ever been. It was picture-perfect and our wedding party was beautiful!! I am thankful for the perfect memory of that entire day.

Thankful: Perfect Timing

I am thankful for Perfect Timing. God has perfect timing. We all know this. But sometimes, it’s not always easy to remember. I have had too many moments of impatience throughout my years and it’s a continuous battle when things don’t work out according to ‘my plan’. But I am thankful that as God always reminds me, it’s not about my plan and what I want when I want it. I will always eventually get what I need…and what I want…although I may not know it at the time. I am thankful for that constant reminder as I see exactly how my life turns out as time moves forward…and fortunately, I couldn’t write this chapter of my life any better!

I am thankful for this perfectly timed chapter....

Thankful: Pedicures with Friends

I am thankful for pedicures with friends. It’s funny to me how I used to despise people touching my feet…well I still do…except for that fabulous 30 min to an hour that I get to enjoy an occasional pedicure. I didn’t realize the greatness of this until about 6 years ago…I never had one until several years after I moved to Dallas and decided to try it once. And I fell in love! I love that time to relax and have my legs rubbed…and fortunate that the actual ‘feet’ part is only a few minutes of the process! Plus, the precious time spent catching up with my girlfriends is bonus! I am thankful for pretty toes!

Thankful: New Car Smell

I am thankful for a new car smell. Brandon and I recently decided to trade in my Tahoe and get something more fuel efficient, cheaper and smaller. Although we didn’t get as low as we planned on any measure…we did get better on the scale of each. Our new black Cadillac SRX is fully loaded and beautiful and I love it…and I love my husband for ‘buying me a new car’! Every time I get into it, I cherish that awesome new car smell that I know will be gone in a matter of time. But I am thankful for it right now.

Thankful: Memories

I am thankful for all of the memories that I have. My life has been completely fulfilled by friends and family and activities and fun...all that make up these fabulous memories. Some of my favorite memories are of my childhood. I was a spoiled child with more blessings and opportunities than I ever knew to appreciate. I appreciate them more than ever now, as I continue to grow. Memories of my Granny and Papa are prevalent in my daily life. There are so many things that I can think of through experiences with both of them that help make me who I am today. I miss them dearly and absolute cherish the memories with both of them. 

I am so thankful for grandparents that I had so much time with...from feeding the baby calves to graduating high school. They were both there with so much love in their hearts for me for as long as I can remember.

Thankful: Friendships

I am thankful for Friendships. Both old and new. As I recently planned and prepared for one of the biggest moments of my life…my wedding…I realized the true value of friendships. I have girls that I’ve been friends with since 1^st grade…some I met in college…and others I’ve only met the past few years in Dallas…but they are all so important to me. As everyone reached out and offered their help, offered advice or were just there as a sounding board when things got stressful…I realized the real meaning of friendship. I am blessed and I can’t imagine life without all of these girls in mine. It was surreal to see all of the people in our lives at the wedding in one room…and all of the years of memories that every single person there brings with them. The friendships that I’ve maintained through the years, each have their own different past and present ‘story’…but all of them are equally important to my future! I am thankful for my friends.

Thankful: Megan

I am thankful for my beautiful niece, Megan. She has been the light of my life since the day she was born. We have a bond that is unbelievably strong and I can’t imagine life without her. She is my little mini-me…sometimes that’s good, sometimes not so much! She’s strong willed and feisty but always so happy. She has the most sincere and loving heart. She is absolutely precious to me and I hope that are relationship continues to hold strong!

I am also thankful for how much she loves Brandon. I've always been worried about her being okay with me getting married...with good reason since she wouldn't allow anyone to bring it up. She's always had me to herself and doesn't appreciate having to 'share' me with anyone...so getting married was NOT an option for 'us'. But oh how things have changed. Pretty sure most days, I have been replaced! She loves Uncle Brandon and that makes me so happy!

Thankful: In-Laws

I am thankful for my in-laws. The newest members to my heart, yet some of the most important people that I’ll ever add to my life. I feel blessed to have met a man that grew up with such loving parents that taught him how to succeed in life, respect others and lead as a God-fearing man. I am thankful for the new sister that I never had growing up! I had my moments of selfish, bratty, bossy big sister (no need to confirm with brad!)…so it’s probably a good thing that I now have a sister later in life where I can love and respect…and not be ‘too’ bossy with her! ;) I am thankful for a brother-n-law that has such a good relationship with my husband! Brandon loves his family so much and now I know why! I am thankful for all of them!

Thankful: Mom

I am thankful for my Mother. I’ve written many blogs about my momma and our amazing relationship. She is the woman I strive to be like. Her giving, patient, loving, forgiving manner are all qualities that I aspire to have. I pray that one day, I’ll have a daughter and my hope is to achieve the incredible role model status that my mother has always been to me. She is beautiful inside and out and everyone that meets her, immediately notices her extraordinary soul. I am thankful for the best friend and biggest ally  I can imagine…I am thankful for my momma!

Thankful: Dad

I am thankful for my Daddy. Even though we are so much alike…and tend to butt heads occasionally…he has been an amazing role model for so many things. Some of my favorites are:

-We work hard. He taught me what hard work is all about. We don’t call in sick to school or work. We earn our keep!


-We keep our word. If we say we are going to do something, we do it. No questions asked.

-We save money. I learned early on that credit card debt is not okay and not to spend more than you can pay immediately. Always max out your savings/401k.

-We are tough. I grew up with the boys and I learned how to hold my own against those boys.

-We are on time. I am rarely late. I annoyingly expect everyone else to be on time as well. It’s a habit that was drilled into me my entire life. “if you aren’t at least 5 minutes early , then you are late.”

My daddy is one of my biggest fans. He always has been. He loves his little girl. He set amazingly high standards for me as a person and I strived to always meet them. He unknowingly set those high standards for the man I wanted to marry as well. I knew that I’d never be happy in life without a man that could work hard, be tough, put me in my place when I needed it, could be counted on and yes…is on time. God brought me the perfect match in all of those qualities…and more than I could have imagined. I am thankful that my Father taught me what to look for…and most importantly wait for.

Thankful: Savior

I am thankful for my Savior. I am thankful for my Christian upbringing, for my obedience to Him throughout my life and my faith. My life is blessed beyond imagination. I have more to be thankful for than I can possibly blog about. I am overwhelmed most days with all that I have been given and not sure how I deserve it. Every night I pray that I can sift through the craziness of life and always see that no matter what happens, what curve balls life throws my way…that I look to Him first and know that He has always and will always take care of me. I will be given nothing more than I can handle. And I pray that I never take anything I'm given for granted. I am thankful that I accepted Christ as my Savior…for without that, I would have nothing.

Thankful: Husband

I am thankful for my Husband. He is a gift from above. I am so excited to spend my first holiday season with him...as a wife. It still blows my mind to think how amazing this past year has been, to see how much our relationship has blossomed and how much I love him. When I hear people address me as, "Mrs. Woods", it almost makes me laugh...I still can't believe it! I can't believe I've met the man that is way better than any 'dream' I've ever had. He's been a blessing in my life from day one. He knows how to 'handle' me...when things get a little 'stressful' he knows how to calm me. We laugh together EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. I wake up happy, I go to bed happy and I dream happy. We've only known each other a little over a year but I feel like we've been together much longer. I fall in love with him more and more every day. I've become 'that girl' that wants to spend as much time with him as possible...I can't wait to get home to see him, I can't wait to hear about his day, I can't wait to plan our next date night or what we want to do in life together. He's handsome, respectful, loving and he goes out of his way to make me happy. The last 5 months have blown my mind and it feels so surreal to be where we are now. I am thankful for Brandon, my husband.

Thankfulness

As November started and so many people began the daily countdown of what they are thankful for on Facebook, I started making my list. I realize that I was supposed to be posting these daily...that hasn't happened. But, better late than never...and let's be honest, I have way more to be thankful for than 22 days worth of blogs. It's an overwhelming task to come up with just a few things to write about...so with that said, this list is definitely not all-inclusive or in any particular order...just a way to get back into blogging and give a little shout out to a few specific things!

Kinda funny...