give thanks.

Sometimes, it's nice to just sit back and relax. Thanksgiving is a perfect opportunity to do just that. While spending time with family and eating plates full of food it's wonderful to have a day set aside to being thankful for the things we've been given. We're in the mountains this Thanksgiving day, six hours away from home, in the snow filled mountain tops of Colorado. It's cold, there's a bit of snow on the ground and the lights and laughter that fill this mountain are simply marvelous. This morning, after a breakfast of cinnamon rolls we ventured on the gondola that took us to the very top of the mountain where a little town lay. We walked around, took photos, and then came back to the hotel where our grandparents had prepared a lot of wonderful food. Green beans, rolls, turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and of course--pumpkin pie. The afternoon was filled with ice skating and just spending time together as a family. I'm so thankful for what the Lord has given me and what he's doing in my life. 

Giving thanks today for...

-my camera, i carry it almost everywhere  i go.

-tea. herbal goodness in a cup.

-the friends the Lord has given me, they are truly amazing.

-the family i have. there are so many without families, but i have one that is always there for me. 

-hand written letters.

-beautiful sunsets.

-laughter.

-warm fuzzy slippers.

-sweet boys who are waiting for us in china. {just a few more months!}

-curly, messy, wind-blown hair.

-a warm home.

-a roaring fire place.

-a warm bed to climb in at night.

-our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

-music--thoughts put to a tune.

-the life the Lord has given me--I wouldn't trade it for anything. 

magnificent.

I'm sitting outside in the dark, on the balcony where the ski lift comes flying by me. We're in the mountains at a condo for thanksgiving. It's beautiful. The sun just set behind the mountains far in the distance and you can see the moon emerging from it's hiding place. There is snow on the ground and the sound of nature is everywhere you turn. There is an outdoor skating rink not far from here and you can hear the children laughing and playing. I'm huddled in a blanket breathing everything in.

My grandma, grandpa and mother are in the kitchen preparing dinner. My father, brothers, and sister are glued to the television on this cold fall night. It's so magnificent--being in the mountains on the eve of thanksgiving. The air is brisk and chilly the trees are swaying ever so softly in the cold breeze. There are Christmas lights everywhere--on trees and on houses. I can't even begin to describe the scene. You can see, ever so faintly, stars in the sky making shapes in the blackness. Tomorrow is a day of thanksgiving--of being grateful for what the Lord has given us. And right now, I'm thankful for this very moment--to be here right now in the stillness of night as the world falls asleep.

seize the day

I was sitting in my room not very long ago, just thinking. Pondering life, school, friends. Everything has been so busy--between school, church, things with friends, and a lot of adoption related things. I've become so lost in the day-to-day of everyday life, that I forget to take joy in the little things. Sometimes I want, so badly, to have something new and exciting to do or experience. But that made me think--how many times in our lives do we just forget to be thankful for the little things in life? I find it happening a lot on my own life--I tend to focus on the bigger things, especially school without stopping to savor the small sweet moments of life. I need to cherish the special moments like...

-reading books to younger siblings

-having tea with a good friend

-sitting outside watching the sun go down as the sky turns from a blue, to a deep pink to a dark black

-watching the snow flakes of the first snow fall to the ground ever so softly

-sitting in bed at night with a good book

-the smell of fresh pumpkin bread baking

-finding a new song and completely falling in love with it

-a hug from a friend

-laughter filling the house

Life is so beautiful, I truly want to learn to seize the day. To enjoy every moment, even if it's not that exciting or full of adventure, because we never know when something could be taken away. Often I become discouraged with the mundane moments we have in life. However if you stop, take a deep long breath and look around you, there are snippets of beautiful things. This life, though sometimes is void of excitement & activity, it is so full of little hidden joys. I want to seize the day and all the little joys hidden within.