Five on Friday

It's Friday...and Black Friday at that!! I hope you enjoyed a great Thanksgiving with those you love! I'm linking with these lovely ladies: Darci, A.Liz Adventures, Hello!Happiness, Carolina Charm &Lauren Elizabeth. Here's my top 5 this week...

{one} We had such a nice Thanksgiving yesterday at my parent's house. We enjoyed way too much delicious food, carried on our "Christmas Vacation after the meal" tradition and even had a visit from Cousin Eddie! Honestly, how hilarious and awesome is my hubby!! 

{two} I recently purchased a phone cover from To Gild The Lily and love it!! I have several other favorites that I'll have to eventually get. :) Do you see any you love?

{three} Snuggles!! We have had some great family time at home this past week and we are soaking in these moments!! Those three, my hubby & kiddos, have my heart! 

 

 

 

 

{four} I'm not so sure why it took me so long to get a pair, but I have finally discovered the loveliness of fleece jammies . I am obsessed and wouldn't mind finding another pair under the tree this Christmas.

 

{five} I'm super excited to be partnering with a couple of my favorite ladies, Mia and Katie, to do a Christmas giveaway beginning Monday! You'll have to check back Monday for your chance to win some awesome gifts!

 

 

 



I hope you had a great Thanksgiving with those you love! Did you get out and do any Black Friday shopping today?

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Thankful in everything

Over the past month, I've talked some {here, here, and here } about the things I'm thankful for in my life. And if I'm being honest, there are so many things to be thankful for in my life, some I don't even recognize, that I could never write a complete list. But, I do know it's incredibly important to go through life with a grateful heart. That is something I've been mulling over and over in my mind...how to be grateful in everything.

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Neighbor and I recently started going through the book One Thousand Gifts. We are not that far into it, yet, but my mind has been racing with how to be grateful when life doesn't go as we planned. When pain, unspeakable and unexplainable pain, enters our lives. How can we find gratitude in those situations?

It's easy to be grateful when the birds are singing, the sun is shining and life is "perfect". But it's another thing altogether when financial stress is upon us, we are battling our kids, there is tension in our marriage, terrible health news is upon us, or even death. How can we be thankful even in those situations?

The answer...thankfulness and gratitude is learned. We can't find ourselves in those situations and all of the sudden decide that we're going to be grateful. It's just not going to happen. We have to start in our everyday life, in the mundane tasks, and express gratitude.

We need to be thankful for that cup of coffee we enjoyed this morning. For the sun shining through the windows or the gray clouds promising rain. For the warm blankets we can cuddle up in at night or the cool sprinkler our kids can run through in the hot sun.

Only after we learn to be thankful in the little moments of our day will we be able to express gratitude in everything, even during the most difficult moments of our lives. It's a discipline we have to teach ourselves and our children.

My desire and challenge to myself is to slow down enough each and every day to see the blessings before me, in all things, even when they're difficult to see and thank God for every gift He has given me.

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