Thankful Thursday

Life has been pretty great around here, and with Spring finally showing it's face there is much to be thankful in my life, so I thought I'd revive my Thankful Thursdays (at least for this week...)

At this moment I am thankful for...

 

(1) Wedding Planning, and not being overwhelmed..yet. 6 months to go and things are coming together and I'm thankful that everything seems to be falling into place.

 

 (2) Friends that are full of joy and make me want to be more joyful. I am blessed to have many wonderful friends that show the joy of Christ to others on a daily basis. It's the Easter Season, we should all be more joyful.

Alright, so these are my brothers (not technically just friends) but this picture is so joyful. Love it!

(3) The quirky devotions of the Catholic faith. I went to a talk earlier this week entitled "Quirky but Beloved Prayer Practices". It was about the origin of some of the various devotions that are practiced (or used to be practiced) in the Catholic Church. It was fascinating and it was fun to here what others grew up doing in their families or communities. We talked about praying to St. Anthony to find lost things, burying St. Joseph when trying to sell a house, dressing the Infant of Prague and much more. The origins of all these practices, the stories of why certain saints became the patrons of the things they are is so interesting. Love it!

 

(4) Graduations. I have a good friend who just graduated with her nursing degree and my fiance is graduating on Saturday. I love to see people succeed and am so thankful for all those who follow their dreams.

Follow your dreams, even if it involves taking a picture with a giant mouse.

 

(5) Thunderstorms. We've had a lot of rain this week, which is great for the farmers. I love thunderstorms (as long as I'm not driving in them), I love to hear the rain coming down and see the lightning. It's a beautiful reminder of God's power.

 

(6) Letters. My mom writes all of us kids a letter every week. I love hearing about the news from back home, what her and dad are up to, what the neighbor did, etc. I'm so thankful for a mother who puts such a strong emphasis on staying in touch with those you love.

My mom and dad riding a jackalope at Wall Drug in South Dakota.         Blowing bubbles at my sister's wedding reception.

(7) Growing plants. I planted some spinach and salad mix seeds the beginning of the month and I love seeing their little green leaves peaking out of the soil. There was an unwanted squirrel who decided to dig around a bit the other day, but I suppose I should be thankful even for squirrels and that I live in a place that they can jump from tree to tree.

Alright, that's it for me. Enjoy the rest of your Thursday! What are you thankful for today?

Moving + Conference = One Crazy Weekend

A lot has happened since my last post.  First of all, I am settled into my new home, a lovely one bedroom apartment with a great kitchen and plenty of room for all my craft stuff.  I am one happy girl.  The craziness of the move took place on Sunday (yes, I know that Sundays are supposed to be a day of rest, but there really was no getting around it, and I didn't move until the afternoon because I taught my very energetic kindergartners in the morning and then went to Mass for a bit of God energy).  It was such a fabulous move, and I'm actually being serious about that.  It was fast, organized, there was pizza, and most importantly, there was a wonderful group of friends that helped out.  As good as I've gotten with this moving thing though, I really hope I don't have to do it again for a while.  I like the idea of being settled, so let me live in my little fantasy world where I'll stay in the apartment I am no in for, oh, at least two year.

So in addition to my move last weekend, I also had the privilege of attending the Women of Christ Conference in West Bend, Wisconsin on Saturday.  Let me just tell you, it was amazing and very much needed.  The speakers were fabulous and included Immaculee Ilibagiza (and to tell you the truth, she's the reason I went.  Have you read her books Left to Tell or Led by Faith? If not you need to!  She is absolutely amazing.), Fr. Larry Richards (who was extremely straightforward and hilarious) and Helen Alvaré (a professor at George Mason University).  And the mast of ceremonies was none other than Vicki Thorn.  It's always great to be surrounded by strong women of faith.  To be encouraged and strengthened.  I do love being Catholic!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and I hope you enjoyed at least one snow day amidst this blizzard that has touched most of the country.