Alaska and more

Today I'm grateful for.......

FFUUNNN on Friday with my dad and a bunch of people on the town in L-town.

Meeting Nick, the race car driver. Cute, sweet, respectful, too young, but nice to talk to.

Getting picked up and carried around by a friend of mine like I was weightless. Two other people in my life have playfully picked me up before with no problem, but this isn't something that happens often. Letting go of my fear and just enjoying it. It was so fun to be carried around and picked up effortlessly. Thank you Mr. P.

Spending Saturday night out with Stephanie and her husband, Erika and Ralphie, Link and his wife, and Angie and Andrea, for Stephanie's birthday. A hilarious dinner! Lots of dancing at the cactus. Sendin in the Coast Guard! (inside joke :)

Making friends with a new lady Saturday night, swapping phone numbers with plans to hang out next Friday night.

Taylor getting to spend the night with her friend who lives on a small farm. When I picked her up Sunday she was soo excited to tell me how big the pigs have gotten and that she held a chicken!

Kelsey helping my mom babysit the babies on Saturday night. Being proud to hear how she played with them, kept them occupied, fed them and did an excellent job babysitting.

Soooo many stars the last few nights.

Thoughts of Alaska, northern lights, hot cocoa, good friends, and Dis.

Memories of seeing the northern lights from my patio one winter. Being on the phone with Kevin and describing them to him, giggling with him while watching the undulating green river in the sky. Getting off the phone with Kevin, waking the girls and taking them out into the field to watch the amazing light show being put on by mother nature.

Back porch sunsets.

Watching another beautiful sunset over the fields of corn while waiting to pick up Taylor from practice. The farmers are harvesting now so the machinery and corn was just stunning silhouetted against the red evening sky.

Collecting leaves for paintings with Kelsey by the creek while waiting for Taylor. Enjoying the evening, fresh air, quiet, walking quietly with Kelsey, not needing to speak, just being together.

More text messages from Dis while he's "in the field". So fun to get to communicate with him even though we can't talk right now cuz he's working. No more days off for him until the 29th :(

Looking forward to work tomorrow.

Being sore from dancing and the elliptical. My body letting me know I'm building muscle again.

Getting Gary's "purple lady tray" done. The resin sealer is on and dry, hopefully this one will hold up for him. Looking at it so many times since I've had it, and being proud of one of my first paintings. I'll have to make sure a take a picture of it so I can look at it again later :) I'm weird, I look at them over and over again, sometimes simply admiring them, and sometimes looking for flaws or mistakes so I can better my work.

Being really really tired and looking forward to some excellent sleep tonight.

A message from Sobe reminding me of the Torrent Falls trip, giving me something else to smile about.

Being grateful and having sooooo many things to be grateful for.

The gratitude list making me more aware of my day to day life. Enjoying moments, taking the time to soak them up.
Knowing that my sisters read this from time to time and hoping that some of this will hit home with them and make them more grateful for the little things in their own lives. Not that they aren't grateful already. Sometimes people need to be reminded of the good in their lives, it's easy to overlook the little things that make our lives great when work, money, day to day crap gets in our way.

I think of my sisters often, I'm thrilled to be one of three girls and love my sisters dearly.

Good things are happening for the people I love.

you my little cup o' cocoa, you.