Thanksday #9 & 10

(aka “A Slacker Finally Posts”)

I missed last Thursday’s post. Do I have good excuses? Yes - getting ready for Christmas, wrapping the most gifts I’ve ever laid hands on, packing to leave before the snow fell. But that’s what they are...excuses. I could have made time to be thankful (for goodness’ sake!), but I just didn’t. 

I beg forgiveness. From all three of you who actually noticed and missed it.

But I’m back, and I’m thankful. Carrying on!

1. 1.Christmas. Someone told me they saw a sign in a yard that said, “Christmas is a Birthday.” I love this. Because it is a birthday. And I’m most thankful for the birth of Jesus Christ, my Savior. He pursues me, He saves me, He heals me and He restores me. What in the world would I be without Him?? I shudder to consider where I’d be, who I’d be and what my life would look like. He’s brought beauty from ashes, good from bad, love from apathy. I’m amazed at His faithfulness to continue to love me. Regardless of it all. In spite of it all. (Sigh) How do you form the right words to express the gratitude? I’m incapable.

2. 2.Surprises. We (and Santa) got Jaana some very special surprises this Christmas. She has been such an amazing child during this last year: she’s moved four times with a the most flexible attitude and sweet spirit; she’s loved on a baby brother without jealousy, who showed up demanding to be the center of attention; she’s most recently endured sharing a room with him, all the while maintaining that spirit of flexibility. So we just couldn’t not spoil her rotten this Christmas. And we encouraged Santa to do the same. She couldn’t believe her eyes and seeing her face filled with shock and joy was worth every single penny.

3. 3.Goals. I have talked a big game about signing up for a half marathon in 2011, and I finally put my money where my mouth is. Literally! I’m officially registered for the Georgia Half Marathon in March. Paid and all. And now there are a few others who might do it with me, and I don’t know if I’m more excited to run my first race or come up with a cute team name and matching shirts. And I just discovered there’s another half marathon in Maui during the exact week we’ll be there for my brother’s wedding, so I’m going to sign up for that too (after I see how the March one goes...maybe I’ll do the full instead of the half!). Let me rub that in for you: MAUI.

4. 4.Fireplaces. We knew North Carolina was going to hit pretty hard with snow on Christmas day, so we decided to drive to Atlanta after church on Christmas Eve. This meant we did Christmas Eve dinner on the road. We enjoyed our meal of Angus burgers and french fries by the beautiful ambiance of a fireplace at McDonald’s. It was as magical as it sounds. And then some!

5. 5.Snow. Since we woke up in Georgia on Christmas morning, we got to settle in and watch the first white Christmas in Georgia in over 120 years. Yes, that’s right. 120 YEARS. It was Norman Rockwell-ish to open gifts, then bundle up and watch the kids have a snowball fight on Christmas morning.

6. 6.Baseball Hats. One of my gifts from my dad was a Washington State University baseball hat, and I have been tickled pink about it for days. I’m super stoked to represent the Cougs once again. And yes, I like, totally said “super stoked.”

7. 7.Words. In the past couple of weeks, Paxton has really started forming words more. He calls me “Mom-Mom,” repeats when his Cookie Monster says, “Cha-Cha-Cha” and says “Papa” all quiet and breathy. I am in heaven.

8. 8.Charming Charlie. Have you heard about this place?? My sister-in-law has been telling me for months that this will be my new favorite store, and I finally went. It’s my mecca. It’s an accessories store -- all the jewelry, purses, shoes, scarves, hats you could ever want. The place is enormous. I walked in and couldn’t believe how huge it was! There are two things that make this place perfect for me: everything is sectioned off by color. Looking for turquoise earrings? There’s a turquoise section. Want a necklace to go with that shirt that has just a hint of red? Go to the red section. The other thing is that it’s all super affordable. Necklaces for $14. Purses for $40. Used up my gift card from her in less than 15 minutes. Must. Find. One. Closer.

9. 9.Sneaker Wallets. I’ve been wanting a Garmin Forerunner Watch that tracks pace, distance, calories and time while running. However. That watch is $250. So I went to Dick’s Sporting Goods to find out what other alternatives were available. Nike has a sport band that tracks all of that, and then it plugs into the USB port on your computer and automatically loads your workout data and you can track it online. This was only $60. But you are supposed to have the Nike+ shoes so the sensor can fit in (which I don’t have). So at Dick’s, one of the workers told me his friend put the sensor in a shoe wallet and that it’s still pretty accurate. So for a grand total of $65, I have the gear that does everything I need it to do. It might not be 100% accurate, but I’m not to a point I need that yet. If I end up running the full marathon in Maui, I might consider asking for the Garmin next Christmas. Until then, the Nike band works great, and I’m thankful to the Dick’s guy for not trying to up-sell me. (And for the Visa gift card that paid for it.)

10. 10.Elmo Slippers. Seriously. Have you ever?? A. Dor. A. Ble.

And I’m thankful to you three faithful readers for still loving me even though I slacked off last week.

Smooches!