Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  It is not about big parties or gifts but rather a day to gather with loved ones, share a meal, and give thanks for the blessings in our lives.  We are called to pray in all circumstances with thanksgiving.  While I try to do this I know I often leave out the last part.  This year Scott and I took time to verbally acknowledge the things we are thankful for...and the list was long.  God has been so faithful, especially in the past year.  We have peace knowing that God is with us always. 

First and foremost I am grateful for salvation..."For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John3:16) It is comforting to know this imperfect world we currently call home is not all there is...there is something better to look forward to.

I am grateful that God has given me a husband that shares my beliefs and desires a Christ-centered life.  He encourages me to look beyond our circumstances and focus on God.  He loves me for who I am in a way that mirrors Christ's love.  He is my biggest support and cheers me on whether I am running a race, cooking a meal, or just playing with Dora. 

I am grateful for family.  While cooking Thanksgiving dinner I was reminded of all of the meals I enjoyed growing up.  My grandmother and my mom slaved away for a week to prepare the perfect meal; staying up late and rising before the sun to make casseroles, bake pies and cook a gigantic turkey.  I did not always understand or appreciate their efforts but I now realize that it was driven by love.  The delicious meal, big enough to feed 2 armies was an outpouring of love to our family.

I am grateful for the new family I have joined.  I appreciate the way my in-laws have embraced me as one of family.  I feel loved and included at all times. 

I am grateful for the friends, near and far, that God has brought into my life.  Each one is different and holds a special place in my heart.  I am grateful for the memories and knowing that if I need to talk, laugh, cry, or pray they are only a phone call away.  I have learned so much from the amazing women in my life and I look forward to years of friendship ahead.

I am richly blessed.  I have a comfortable home, plenty of food, a car that runs , electricity, running water, air conditioning, a closet full of clothes, and the list goes on and on.  It took traveling to Africa and living in Dominica to understand what life looks like without some of those things and to realize what a blessing it is to have them. 

To my friends and family...thank you for loving me.  Thank you for allowing me to be myself and for helping to shape the person I am today.  Thank you for encouraging me, for laughing with me, for holding me accountable, and for just simply being there.
 

Celebrations, Running, and a Fire

I realize I have been neglecting this blog lately...or really since we moved back to the U.S.  Free time is in limited supply most days and somehow blogging is always at the bottom of the To Do List.  You may be wondering what we have been up to, so I have decided to fill you in...and I promise not to wait so long to post again.

August

In August we celebrated our first year of marriage.  Year 1 was full of life changes including quitting a job, moving twice (once to a third world country), adding Dora to the family, starting a new job, and lots of exams for Scott.  While it may not have been the easiest year of my life it was definitely very blessed.  Every day I am more grateful to call Scott my husband.  He is loving, caring, tender and funny.  We have a lot of fun together and I love walking through life with him.

September

On September 13 I  turned the big 30.  Scott had lots of birthday surprises planned for me...including homemade chocolate chip pancakes,  a plane ticket to Dallas for a weekend with my friends, a surprise party at Fuddruckers with our friends, lots of sweet notes, and he even baked a cheesecake from scratch.  So far being 30 is not so bad.

Also in September I started training for the Miami ING half marathon in January.  I am running with a training group on Saturday mornings and I am really enjoying it...despite having to wake up at 5:15 am on Saturday.  Today we ran 7 miles and I met my goal of running 20 miles a week.  I have been very encouraged throughout the process and enjoy being able to push myself a little further each week.  Also it keeps me busy most nights and gives Scott the opportunity to study without distractions.

October

The first weekend in October I flew first class to Dallas (thanks to my hubby) and spent 3 wonderful days with friends.  It was such a blessing to be able to sit and chat with people I haven't seen in a year.  A big thank you to each person that took time out of their weekend to hang out with me.  I feel truly blessed to have friends that are always there for me even though we are far apart.

A few weeks later I ran my second 5k of the year, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure along with 24,000 Miami-ans.  Scott and Dora came out to cheer me on and we even took pictures.  I finished in about 29 minutes which is almost 2 minutes faster than I ran the 5k in March.  

This was before the race.

And that's me on the left crossing the finish line.

And this is Dora posing for the camera.

Halloween was filled with excitement.  We began celebrating a couple of weeks early by taking a family trip to the local pumpkin patch (or maybe pumpkin lot is a better term).  With Dora's help we picked out the perfect pumpkin and carved it while watching ELF...because it is never too early to get in the Christmas spirit.  Halloween weekend we had dinner and went bowling with some of our Ross friends.  We had a lot of fun and stayed out far past our bedtime.  Then on Halloween night I decided to prepare a special meal.  I found some ribeye steaks on sale and thought I would pan-sear them to go along with steamed green beans and roasted sweet potato wedges.  I heated the pan, poured some canola oil in the bottom, and then turned around to grab the steaks.  When I glanced back at the stove I saw a pan filled with flames.  I stayed surprisingly calm.  I tried calling for Scott but he was upstairs and could not hear anything.  My first thought was to put the flaming pan in the sink and douse it with water...but then I remembered water would only make it worse.  So I put the pan back on the stove and decided to try flour to smother the flame...no dice.  Then I remembered hearing somewhere that baking soda would put out a grease fire...yep, it does.  Worked like a charm.  Thankfully there was no damage to the kitchen, no one was harmed and I did not ruin the steaks.  Scott cleaned up my mess and cooked the steaks perfectly.  

Our Jack O'Lantern

There are some highlights from the past few months.  The first few months in Miami were rough but thankfully we are beginning to feel more at home here.  When my trip to Dallas ended I was ready to go home.  I had not considered Miami to be "home" until that point.  I think I finally understand the old saying "Home is Where the Heart is."  Home is wherever Scott is...because that is where I feel safe, and loved, and complete.  I know our address may change often in the next few years but I find comfort in knowing that as long as we are together it will be home.

Stay tuned for our upcoming adventures.