thankful

I have been eager to write of friends, family, and food and laughs and lights and laziness...all things that made my heart swell this long Thanksgiving weekend. Every time my heart feels stable enough to write though it seems another house puts their Christmas lights up or I catch up with a good friend and then my heart is just too full again. So here I am. Brad is sweeping the needles from our perfectly picked tree. Amos is wondering what a tree is and if it will give him food. My house smells like Christmas due to the $3 impersonating candle I bought on special last year along with the mix of the fragrance of the fraser fur....our most favorite of trees!
There is too much on my mind and heart right now though if I were to be really honest and I can't seem to write about all the joy that has been leaping out of me this last week. My heart is really heavy and the only thing I know to do with that is take a bath. So, I am taking a bath. I probably should have spared you this terribly short and annoying post (annoying because it seems all too vague) but I just thought I'd try. I am thankful too for my bath. I love the over sized bath tub of our undersized condo. I love the jets and the Crabtree and Evelyn bubble bath that some how made it's way into my house....maybe you gave it to me last Christmas. If you did - I love it! I love the candles all around my bath tub and I love that Brad warms up my fluffy white robe so it is warm and ready for me when I am done. I am thankful for Brad. Why I sit and let my heart stir over things I can't control but that burden my heart - he does all my wifely chores. He has done the tree by himself (probably better that way) and he is now cleaning the kitchen. What in this world did I ever do to deserve a Brad? That's just it....I never did a thing. I just prayed for a long time and knew that God was writing my story. And that reminds me. He is writing this story, too. The one that won't leave my mind. The one that brings unwanted, heavy tears. He, too, cares and has the pen and knows the ending. I sent my dear friend a card last week that read "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end." On the inside I wrote something like HOW FRUSTRATING (really BIG)! It's so true....we all know that "In time...."in God's time" things will be okay and everything will work out but it is the today, the right now that just gets us. Isn't it true. I will heed my own advise though. This story in my head is not over. It is in the middle and though the middle hurts....the end is yet to come and God can bring glory to any tale He writes. On to my happy bath. I am so thankful for so many things and that I don't write my story.

Oh, and, since I am becoming a walking billboard for church sermons lately....you gotta hear this one too. Gosh, I am just in love with these sermons lately. How are they speaking so specifically to me and Brad? Click below and then go to "Listen and Learn" and listen to the first sermon. 99% of you won't do this but for the few of you that do - you are welcome. Enjoy.

Listen Carefully

And....I found three things to add to my Christmas list. Depending where life has you - you may like these too:

(1) Souper Jenny Cookbook! What???? Oh my gosh, shut the front door! I will camp out for this treat.
(2) Prayers for our little "lemon". I know I haven't spoken much regarding this most exciting blessing. I figure there are six months of baby talk ahead....you just wait!
(3) Just let me dance! This pleasure has been something I've cut out of my routine and budget since I began living with a boy. But I love to dance! There is no stopping it. What a great Thanksgiving morning Brad and I had watching the runners jog down Peachtree for the Atlanta marathon while listening to our Christmas music for the first time this year! And if I can make a show out of Santa Baby you can only imagine what I'd do in a room full of mirrors! I need to dance again. My life misses it.

Oh.....and who's counting...these are like my lustful, unrealistic "want" but a girl can dream right???? Happiness on my feet! (Espresso not black. Do you like them too? Have you seen other tall brown leather boots that I should consider wanting???