Thursday, December 28, 2017

#sorrynotsorry - this is a long one.....perfect for the last one of the year {Thankful Thursday #156}

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This week I am Thankful For:
{Numbers go with my One Thousand Gifts Journal - Just Ignore}
* be ready - this is covering Christmas week - its a long one this time around

875 / Ricky drive Ernie down.
Bless Ricky's heart. We had an vet appointment for Ernie's next worming treatment & instead of me driving all the way home, Ricky went home &got Ernie after work & drove down to the vet so I could just meet them.  Saved me a good hour of time.

Big boy at 10.5 lbs ... then... cant wait to see what he is now. We go tomorrow to find out
878 / Know downtown roads.
My first day of potentially being REALLLLLY late to work with a wreck on the expressway - but I was able to get off on a different exit & weasel my way through downtown & got there just 1 minute late when I heard on the radio it was a back up of 25 minutes. Whew!  Glad I know my downtown roads.

879 / Starbucks coworkers
I loved that some coworkers asked me to walk with them in the afternoon for a Starbucks run on a beautiful day.  I loved it, of course, for the Starbucks, but that I am getting to know my coworkers & see how awesome they are.

883 / Retirement parties.
Two people are retiring in our Finance Department at the end of the year & the firm had nicest parties for both ladies.  One of the ladies has been with the firm for 45 year!! That's how long I have been alive. She said her first day of work, she remembered she wore a white & pink polyester dress & white go-go boots. How awesome is that?

885 / Yeti Cup
I've never had a yeti cup - never ever even SEEN a yeti cup - but was so surprised when our manager gave our department all personalized ones. & I was the only one with this color & LOVE IT!!! It's so bright & pretty!




886 / First Staff Meeting
I loved it that our department meets to get updates what's going on & even better? There's praise & pats on the back for what's going RIGHT. I just love that. Communication is key & appreciation is even bigger.  Can you tell I'm loving my new job

887 / All the work celebrations
We've had 2 retirement parties, a Christmas lunch for the whole firm & then we got another Christmas party for our floor.  It was so nice - the managers of all the departments brought in food & drinks for everyone & we just all took the last hour of the day to just relax & talk about the holidays.

888 / Time off work!!!!
Yep... one month in & I already have PTO time off.  I didnt want to use it because I just felt funny, but when my manager heard I was so far behind on shopping, she talked me into taking at least a half day to get some shopping done. Who does that? The best manager ever!!!! It was even nicer because Ricky was off work so I got to meet up with him & we just enjoyed a good day together getting a lot accomplished.



890 / Coffee date with a friend.
My sweet friend commissioned me to do two canvas pieces for her family for Christmas & we had to get them to her before Christmas - obviously... so we were able to meet up on 12/22 to have some coffee (or tea for both of us) & we ended up talking for 3 hours. haha. We honestly could have talked longer but both husbands were calling us reminding us its Christmas & there's a lot on the calendar & schedule.  I just love this lady!  


891 / Joysters.
OK... I was totally overwhelmed & speechless.  I got home from my coffee date & find a package for me from the Joysters.  It was just the most thoughtful thing ... the present alone was wonderful, but the thought that they wanted to do something for me to leading our group? I honestly was in shock & cried & just kept saying to Ricky, "I dont know what to say"... haha... I dont receive presents well. I love to give them - but I'm just not good at accepting.  I sat for the longest time just so thankful for such sweet friends who are sneaky & got together to do this for me.



893 / Live Nativity Scene.
It was so nice to stop by our old church & see this beautiful sight & hear the Christmas story read & get to see some old friends.  What a beautiful tradition they are doing with this nativity every year.



895 / Ricky's Birthday.
Always thankful for my hubby's big day & thankful for another year in his life.

896 / Winner Winner!
Ricky got a lottery ticket on his birthday... & ended up winning $100... it might as well be $10000 because he was so excited. So fun.

897 / Lunch with the baby.
So glad Lindsay came in town for Christmas & we got to spend time with her.  & bless her heart - she snuck to the waitress & paid the bill for our dinner on Christmas Eve to treat us both for our birthdays ... so nice.  Ricky was so mad at her though :) haha


Lindsay was so excited to meet the new Pup-Pup too (as she called him) :) haha
900 / White Christmas!!!
I can't believe we had snow on Christmas Eve & into Christmas morning.  I'm not a fan of snow but it is kind of magical to have it on Christmas!


901 / Family Christmas.
I dont take it for granted to spend another holiday with my family.  It's truly a blessing to not overlook 



902 / Christmas Morning.
I just love Christmas morning - even as an adult. It's not the same jumping up at 4am to look for presents... now, its sleeping in & enjoying a yummy breakfast & sitting by the glow of the tree & just relaxing into the morning.  Reading the story of Jesus birth & really remembering what its about... its just the best.



903 / Sweet gifts.
My hubby knows me - lots of Beauty & the Beast stuff, some perfume that I refuse to pay for myself & a new cross necklace. & not just one necklace - TWO!! I've been so upset since I lost my last one he got me & I've had for 16 years.... so he found one that looked like my last one (the white gold & diamond one) & then found the other diamond with the sapphires in it later & really liked that one too so I have two to interchange or have on back up if I loose one again. (Please Lord, no)




904 / Christmas with dogs.
Just like my family - we appreciate another Christmas with our dogs... old & new.  Bruno loved the attention Ricky gave him for awhile... & Harvey & Ernie got worn out playing with their new toys... & Zoe?  She's always just around like an elf - she likes to stick around the edges of a room but not get involved with any doings.  She's my Golden Girl - for sure.

I ADORE this picture of Ricky & Bruno





905 / Japanese dinner with our girl... one last time.
We usually go to the movies on Christmas Day & was looking forward to seeing Star Wars but we ended up missing the showing with the crowds & was able to meet up with Lindsay for dinner before she flew back home.  It was nice because we've never ate at this Japanese restaurant & we really loved it.  & we were just glad to get in more time with our baby girl.

Teriyaki Tofu with vegetables - YUM!!!

Whew...
Thanks for hanging in there with this one along with me.
What an amazing week.

& I guess this is really the last one of the year... WOW!

But I'll be continuing on in 2018 ... always thankful
... always appreciative of everything God blesses me with every day.

Would love to have you join me every Thursday!

What are you Thankful for this week?


Wednesday, December 27, 2017

My favorite reads of 2018

I totally missed linking up yesterday for the year end book for Show Us Your Books but had to get over to Goodreads to check out my 2018 books....

here's some of the little stats that I saw...

Rebecca Jo
3627659. uy70 cr13,0,70,70
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2017

This is my journey in books for 2017!

TOTALS
I read 11,566 pages across 38 booksImg bookstack 40


The Prince by Kiera Cass
Img ruler 
SHORTEST BOOK
64 pages
The Prince
by 
LONGEST BOOK
496 pages
As Old As Time
by 
As Old As Time by Liz Braswell

AVERAGE LENGTH
304 pages


MOST POPULAR
1,024,992
people also read
Thirteen Reasons Why
by 
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Mix-and-Match Mama Kids in the Kitchen by Shay Shull
Img temp desktop 2x
LEAST POPULAR
13
people also read
Mix-and-Match Mama Kids in the K...
by 

MY AVERAGE RATING FOR 2017
3.8

Between Heaven and the Real World by Steven Curtis Chapman
HIGHEST RATED ON GOODREADS
Between Heaven and the Real World: My Story
by 

4.56 average
Img badge


So I didnt make my goal..& I really slacked off the last few months. With the job change & life being upside down with that - & add in puppy watch duty - I just have lost my reading mojo

But looking back, I do see some of my favorite books of the year.


My total favorite - A Man Called Ove - LOVED this book!

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

& of course, my Steven Curtis Chapman biography mentioned above.  It was wonderful!!!

I also was so proud of my friend for writing her book Meet Me Under the Stars.

Meet Me Under the Stars by K.D. Proctor

Also excited for a few new Beauty & the Beast books - As old As Time is really one of my favorite books I've read in a Beauty and the Beast story line.

As Old As Time by Liz Braswell

So glad I finally got all The Selection series book & have loved the entire thing.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

& of course, loved that my pastor Kyle Idleman had two books on my list.

Grace Is Greater by Kyle Idleman

& loved that 2 series books ended this year with The End of Oz & with Always & Forever Lara Jean


The End of Oz by Danielle  PaigeAlways and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han


& I also finally got in my first books by Erin Hilderbrand & Taylor Jenkins Reid & not disappointed by either.

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins ReidThe Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand


.. & also loved finally getting to meet my spirit animal - Dumplin'

Dumplin' by Julie   Murphy

So while I didnt reach my goal, I think I had more good than bad this year -

& I'm getting settled into work where I can read at lunch again so I'm expecting a good reading 2018!!

What was your favorite book of 2017?
Life According to Steph

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Not the Christmas post.... UGHHHHH

Y'all....

I just can't....

I spent 40 minutes doing a post...with pictures & details & the longest post...

I mean, its Christmas...



& I dont know what happened. The opposite of a Christms miracle?  Because I hit a button on my computer - not even sure WHAT button - & it erased the entire thing. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I just cant do it all over again.  It's late - I'm exhausted & I've got to go back to work & that's always depressing anyways.

& plus, half of it is going to be on my Thankful Thursdsay post anyways.

DANG IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just know, Christmas was wonderful... the hubs birthday was fantastic.... & we still have 2 more Christmas celebrations & one birthday to go....

& I'll just leave you with the latest picture of our growing boy with his big brother....


& in case I dont say it again... DANG IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(It was a really good post too)

Come back on Thankful Thursday to see more pics & details & to hear how my Christmas weekend went....

Friday, December 22, 2017

Merry Christmas!



See the source image


It's going to be a busy Friday & an even busier weekend
So I just wanted to stop & wish everyone a wonderful & blessed Christmas!

Praying that you enjoy family time, cherish those around you, keep open hearts & open eyes to capture every memory made.

& I am just thankful for the reminder that its not about any present under the tree, but the PRESENCE of the ones around it

& mostly, thankful for the birth of our Savior who came to rescue us all.

Merry Christmas!
Our Savior is Born!!!

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Sweatpants, cartoons & no peeing!!! {Thankful Thursday #155}

Image result for thankful thursday knit by god's hand

This week I am Thankful For:
{numbers go with my One -Thousand Gifts Journal / just ignore}


856 / Sweat Pants at Dollar Store
No joke y'all... I need sweat pants - BAD! Its cold & I pull out all my sweat pants from last year. & actually they are from YEARSSSSS before - they've lasted quite awhile. But the waist band of all of them except one pair have dry rotted! WHAT? So they totally all stretched out & wont even stay up now.  So I had to run in the Dollar Store in our town (our only store)& grabbed a pair of Hanes sweat pants for $6... let me tell you - they are wonderful. Thick & warm. I'm heading down to get more!

858 / Birthday Bagels!!!!!
So they apparently really recognize people's birthdays at my new job.  They had bagels from Panera for all the December babies (ME!!!) & let me pick out my favorite bagel (Always Cinnamon Crunch) & they had little birthday celebration.  My birthday isn't till the 30th but I've seen that when it is your birthday, your office area gets decorated up & cards are signed.... can I say, this is shocking to me.  I worked at my last job for 25 years & I literally had 2 people the ENTIRE TIME I worked there even say Happy Birthday to me.  Never got a cake. Never any kind of acknowledgement. I have literally been the ONLY ONE in the office working on my birthday because everyone else took off for the holidays.  A bagel felt like the biggest birthday celebration I've ever had.... & its not even my birthday yet!! :)




860 / Niece home
My poor niece has diabetes & this past week, it got really bad for her. She just wasn't feeling good & there were issues & poor thing ended up in the ER & admitted to the hospital for a day.  Always scary.... but they fixed her right up & she was home soon enough & back to her own house & even better, back to her old self.


861 / New Family member.
We're all about making 4 legged creatures our family members lately. First, my brother got 2 new puppies... then we got Ernie... & now my dad got Baby.  The new little miniature horse. So stinkin' cute!!!

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862 / No accidents.
Ernie is doing so well with his potty training (knocking on wood BIG TIME) & doing really good in his kennel during the day not having accidents.  I'm shocked when I see all the puppy pads totally dry ... & he rushes out & potties as soon as he gets outside. He just loves hearing "GOOD BOY"... he will run & jump every time you say that.

Image may contain: dog and outdoor


867 / Work Christmas Lunch
SO NICE!!! Last Friday, our work had a lunch for the office & it was so lovely. YUMMY food (had vegetarian options) & fun stuff like ugly sweater contests & cookie contests & caricature drawings & photo booths.  It was so funny because the girl that sort of took me under her wing there, she was like, Let's get a pic in the photo booth & then grabbed the CFO, whom she works more closely with than I do, & told him he was getting in the pic. Here's this guy in a suit &briefcase who was like, OK, sure.  It was so fun to get to know him in a different level than I would most likely not get the chance to do otherwise.



869 / Money Winner!!!
Laughed so hard when we won for the 6th year at Ricky's work Christmas party & our table walked away with cash in our pockets!!!

872 / Made it to Christmas
I felt so bad on Sunday, I wasn't even sure I was going to make it to my SIL's... I thought I was headed to an ER.  But thank goodness for taking 5 Advil's (seriously) ... it got me there & survived the day.

873 / Vincent family.
So thankful for my wonderful Vincent gang. They are the best!!!! Every single one of them.  I am so blessed to have such incredible people as my in laws.

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My SIL with my niece & nephew... & the love our family has for one another ;) 

What are you thankful for this week?



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