Thankful Thursday Ten

1. The days are longer and I'm waking up to the sound of birds singing.

2. There are only 5 school days left until Spring Break.

3. It's March which means it is time for the Weaver Fam Bracket Challenge - one of my favorite things.

3. My first time presenting went very well.

4. My family and friends prayed me through that presentation.

5. I received the sweetest note from a student last week.

6.  I'm going to be able to spread my last two grad school classes out so my fall should be much easier to manage.

7. We've made some good progress on cleaning out our storage unit.

8.  I was able to spend a little bit of time outside soaking up the sun today.

9.  We are hanging out with some dear friends tomorrow evening.

10. We have a quick trip to Arkansas coming up soon which means family time.

Thankful Thursday

Wow!  That week went by so fast.

And to be honest I'm glad it is over.

 December 25th through February 13th is always such a roller coaster for me.  So many memories, so much happiness, and so much sadness fill those weeks.  

I am filled with relief and thanksgiving when I make it past February 13.  I feel like I can be normal again.  I'm sure Andrew is thankful for that too.  LOL.

The first chapter of my research paper was due Friday.  This semester has actually felt like I am in grad school.  That stinkin' research paper is kinda stressin' me out.  I'm thankful to have that first chapter behind me.  I feel like it has helped me start to figure out what I'm doing.

And I'm presenting for the first time ever at a conference next week.  I'm starting to feel a little better about that.  I am so thankful for all the people who have told me I'm going to do awesome.  That encouragement has been a huge blessing.

So yeah...I feel like everything hit all at once and I'm thankful to be coming out on the other side of this past week.

Speaking of presenting next week...

I have to bring my own projector and all the technology things.  This has me a bit nervous and I'm terrified that I will blank out and forget how to hook something up.

I borrowed a projector from school and Tuesday night Andrew gave me projector lessons.

I am so thankful he knows all about this stuff and is willing to help me.

He has been a huge encouragement when it comes to this presenting thing.

You can translate that as he hasn't let me cancel my plans to present.

Because there has been more than one occasion where I wanted to chicken out.

And on a totally different note...

The thing I'm most thankful for this week is a better than expected surgery outcome for my Daddy.

He had surgery on his left shoulder Monday.  

His shoulder was not as bad as they originally thought.  Surgery was pretty quick and recovery should be less painful than originally anticipated.

He is doing well and for that I praise God.

Be sure to hope over to Miranda's blog and read her post as well. :)

Thankful Thursday - Jayden's Birthday

Would you just look at that logo picture?

Isn't it beautiful!

I can say that because I had nothing to do with it other than saying, "Hey Miranda, will you make us a logo?"  

A few months ago I began sharing a picture each day on my Instagram with something I was thankful for from the day.  I have really enjoyed doing that and can see how it has helped shift my mindset more toward one of gratitude.

But I've recently been thinking about giving my Instagram a makeover, so to speak.  I'm not sure what that means yet, but I haven't really been posting much there until I figure it out. 

I didn't want to give up my thankful post, so I decided to move them over here to the blog with a weekly post.  And of course, I wanted to recruit my dear friend, Miranda, to join the fun.

I am so thankful for her friendship.  It is still crazy to me that she and I met right here in the blog world and have only met twice in real life.  She is such a sweet friend and prayer warrior.  And insanely talent.  My blog has only ever looked cute because of her.

We had every intention of starting this new series last week.

But it just didn't happen.

So we are starting today.

And that feels perfect.

Because today is Jayden's birthday.

Today is a day of celebration.

A day to be thankful.

I have cried every day this week as I've remembered the different moments from two years ago that led to this day.  I've sat at my computer with tears streaming down my face as I read the prayers and words of encouragement from our friends and family during those darkest days.

My tears this week have been cleansing.  They have been tears of thanksgiving and praise.

Those prayers two years ago are no doubt what carried Andrew and me through the darkest days of our lives.

I praise God for our friends and family, for their prayers and tears, for their encouragement.

I don't know that I have ever felt more loved by my husband than I did during the week we lost Jayden.  He found the perfect balance of allowing me to grieve and encouraging me to keep moving forward with life.

I am so thankful God gave him the strength to do that for me when his heart was breaking too.

And I'm thankful God continues to show him how to love me on those hard days when I just miss my baby.

Last year we were able to honor Jayden's birthday by donating to a ministry that hopefully gave women experiencing a miscarriage a tiny bit of comfort.

I am thankful we had that opportunity and that Jayden's life could be a blessing to others.

I have received messages from women who have lost their little one too early thanking me for sharing my story because it has encouraged them.

Those messages are always humbling and I am thankful God has used our pain to bring a bit of beauty to someone's story.

I am thankful for my family and my friends who have reached out this week to let me know they are thinking of us.  I am thankful for my sweet coworkers who just want to love on me even when they are unsure of how to do that.  I'm thankful for their honesty about being unsure.

But most of all I am thankful that I know without a doubt that someday Andrew and I will hold Jayden again and we will celebrate today together.

Friday Favorites

Paying off all our debt was probably the best thing Andrew and I did in 2019.

Which means in 2020 we are trying to make smarter financial decisions.

Basically I'm supposed to stop eating out so often and there shouldn't be near as many amazon boxes at my front door this year.

It's all about wanting to retire one day or something like that.

So since I'm not supposed to be shopping on Amazon, I figure the next best thing was helping you shop on amazon.

I'll just live vicariously through you.

Okay?

Okay.

So here are a few of my favorite Amazon purchases.

You can click on any of the pictures to shop, but know they are affiliate links.

ONE.

So I know you probably aren't thinking about shorts in January, but I seriously love these shorts so much.  It has been YEARS since I have worn shorts.  I was not on board for the whole tiny shorts era.

But let me tell you I am hear for some appropriate length paper bag waisted shorts.

I wore these all summer and now I'm dreaming about warmer days when I can wear them again.

TWO.

I'm really just a fan of the paper bag waist.  I ordered these cropped pants in July and have worn them several times.  I don't have a picture of me in them, but I can assure you they are a favorite in my wardrobe.  I want them in all the colors.

THREE.

Okay.  Let's leave the clothes behind and move on to some travel items.  Y'all know The Weavers love to travel.

I have been using a Thirty-One make up bag forever.  I like it.  It's huge and pretty much holds all my stuff, but it is one big compartment.  I feel like I spend hours digging for that little bitty eye liner pencil at the bottom.

New makeup bag to the rescue.

I ordered this right before Thanksgiving so I have only used it a couple of times, but I am a fan!

The dividers are movable so you can make each compartment the perfect size for you.  It comes in black as well if pink isn't your thing.

FOUR.

A few years ago Andrew found a new phone mount for our cars.  The brand is Spigen.  It just slides onto your vent so it can be used in any vehicle.  This is especially handy when we travel and have a rental car.  Andrew actually keeps one in his travel bag for this purpose.  We use Spigen phone cases as well.  You insert a magnet in the phone case and it sticks to the mount.

I'm sure I explained that wrong, because I always do.  But you get the idea.

FIVE.

This last favorite is a bit random for this post but I still love it.

Flair Pens are my jam.  

But these Stabilo fine point pens are a close second.

If you decide you can't resist any of these things, I want to hear what you buy and how you like it.

Happy Friday Friends!!

A Single Word for 2020

Out with the old and in with the new.

I have always loved the beginning of a new year whether it be a new school year or a new calendar year like today.

I just love a fresh start.

2019 brought a few big accomplishments such as starting grad school and paying off all debts.  It brought a new job and new friends. 

It brought our first RV trip and my first solo trip.

Yet with all of that it somehow feels like it was an uneventful year.

I'm ready to say goodbye to 2019 and jump on into 2020.

Good thing since 2020 is here now.

While I've always loved turning the page to a new year, I've never been big on resolutions.  Some years I make them some years I don't.

This year I have some overarching goals.

And

I have a word for 2020.

I have never had a word for the year.

But this year I kept gravitating to a certain word.

I know you will not be a bit surprised by the fact that my word stems from my journey with infertility.

I believe God can heal me.  I believe He can give me another baby.

Where I struggle is believing He will.

God's love for me is not contingent on whether or not I have a baby.

But man is it easy to believe the lie that God hasn't given me another baby because I haven't earned His love.

So my word for 2020 is LOVE.

I want to be more aware of all the ways God shows His love towards me every single day.  I want to praise Him for loving me for no other reason than He is God.

I want to share His love with those around me.  I want to see others the way He sees them.  I want to love more and judge less.

I want to be so filled with His love that it pours out of me in everything I do.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

2019 Reading List

1. Just Kiss Me by Mandy Lawson
2. Made with Love by Tricia Goyer
3. Even Better Than Eden by Nancy Guthrie
4. The Little Sparrows by Al Lacy
5. All My Tomorrows by Al Lacy
6. Whispers in the Wind by Al Lacy
7. Between Heaven and the Real World: My Story by Steven Curtis Chapman
8. A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman
9. Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
10. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
11. And the Good News Is by Dana Perino
12. Falling Over Sideways by Jordan Sonnenblick
13. Capital Gaines by Chip Gaines
14. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
15. Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
16. Shake Up Learning by Kasey Bell
17. Unfollowing You by Komal Kappor
18.  Rocket Boys by Homer Hickman
19. Rescued by Mandy Lawson
20. Gay Girl Good God by Jackie Perry Hill
21. Book Six by Mandy Lawson
22. Designing Effective Instruction by  Gary R. Morrison
23. When We Were Young by Karen Kingsbury
24. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
25. Shaken by Kariss Lynch
26. Shadowed by Kariss Lynch
27. Surrendered by Kariss Lynch
28. Two Weeks by Karen Kingsbury
29. The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate
30. Sister Dear by Laura McNeill
31. Barefoot Summer by Denise Hunter
32. The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
33. Remember You by Tricia Goyer
34. Reading with Patrick by Michelle Kuo
35. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
36. Come Spring by Tim LaHaye
37. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
38. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
39. Educated by Tara Westover
40. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
41. Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuke Houston
42. Baby on the Run by Hope White
43. Jennifer by Dee Henderson
44. Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac
45. The Girls of August by Anne Rivers Siddons
46. Boo Humbug by Rene Gutteridge
47. Family Trust by Katy Wang
48. The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King
49. A Heart's Betrayal by Colleen Coble
50. The Sand Castle by Rita Mae Brown

Thanksgiving 2019

This past weekend was a long weekend in every way.

The weekend felt more like a couple of weeks off from work.  I didn't realize how much my battery needed to be recharged until mid-recharge.

The long weekend left me feeling rested and ready to return to the real world.

Though it would have been nice if the alarm had gone off a little later than it did.

The weekend was long in that we dealt with a dog surgery for Lincoln.  I picked him up from camp on Friday and he was only home a couple of hours before he went to the vet.  He ended up staying in the emergency clinic and didn't come home until today.

We've missed him.

Tampons for Thanksgiving might not have been his best little doggy idea.

Stick to turkey!  It goes through a little easier.

Over the long weekend Andrew and I were able to have several different conversations.

We talked about our accomplishments this year , our goals for the upcoming year, what we were thankful for this year, and a host of other things.

A huge accomplishment for us this past year was paying off all debt.

For the first time in our married lives we are debt free.

We are so very thankful for God's provision.

Being debt free is huge, but it is not what I'm most thankful for this year.

As I thought about the past year and the different things God has done for Andrew and me, I couldn't help but think back to this time last year.

I wasn't pregnant AGAIN despite my desire for a Thanksgiving announcement.

I wasn't loving my job.

I was completely indulging in some serious self pity.

I couldn't muster an ounce of gratitude.

When it was my turn to share what I was thankful for at Weaver Thanksgiving, I passed.

I couldn't do it.

I felt like anything I said was going to be fake.

My heart was hard.

I wasn't thankful for anything.

This year....

Still not pregnant.

But my heart is able to find much gratitude.

God has opened my eyes to all He has done for me.

I can see Him working in the waiting.

I can see him using my wait and the loss of Jayden to encourage other women.

This year my heart is filled with thanksgiving.

And I'm thankful for that.

So this year...

I'm thankful to be thankful.