Texas Lou

Archive for the ‘Thankful Mondays’ Category

Good morning!  I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!  Mine was amazing!

This Monday morning, I’m thankful for the following:

1. I’m thankful for this amazing country that I live in and the sense of pride and hope that is felt on the 4th of July!  I know we all take our freedoms for granted, so I want to remember to be grateful for the freedoms we have living in the United States and for the many men and women who have, will, and continue to fight for our freedoms.
2. I’m thankful for amazing and fun friends!  I had a wonderful girl’s weekend in DC and Baltimore with two of my best friends, Cris and Sarah.  We watched fireworks, did site-seeing, enjoyed delicious food and good beer, met up with lots of other awesome friends, enjoyed live music including a live band, dueling pianos, and an Irish folk group, and we hung out on the boat of a former congressman!  I know there are always adventures to be had when I’m with these amazing ladies!
3. I’m thankful for my mother-in-law who spend much of her weekend helping my husband catch up on weeding and gardening.  When I returned from my trip, things looked quite different and much better than they had when I left.  They weeded, trimmed hedges, and planted things in the sweltering heat and the pouring rain!
4. I’m thankful for a job.  I’m REALLY not liking my job these days and so tempted to apply for new positions elsewhere, but I want to remember to be grateful for a job that pays decently and has  benefits.  Without it, I wouldn’t be able to take trips like I took this weekend or live in a house like I live in.
5. I’m thankful for my mom, the nurse , and technology.  She was able to diagnose a case of poison ivy (my first) via a text message picture and tell me how to start treating it.

Have a wonderful week friends!

Good morning and welcome to my weekly Thankful Monday blog post.

Here’s what I’m thankful for this week:

1. I’m so happy and thankful that I got to see my good friends Cheryl and Dan and finally meet their new baby, Lillian!  They moved to Tennessee last summer before Lillian was born and I’ve missed them so much.  Lillian is the sweetest, most adorable little baby and being around her made me want to have one of my own.
2. I’m thankful for my amazing and patient husband who spent 1100 miles and 18 hours in the car with me this weekend so we could make the trip to Nashville to see Cheryl, Dan, and Lillian.  What a man!
3. I’m thankful that no matter how much my current job gets to me, I always have the option to look elsewhere.  It’s nice to live in a free country where I can change jobs, careers, and employers if I want to.
4. I’m grateful for the feeling of hope.  It’s what gets people through tough days and I was having a few tough days last week.
5. I’m grateful for new friends and old friends…I’m so lucky to be surrounded by wonderful people.

Have a great week and love to you all!

Welcome to my weekly Thankful Monday post.

Things are a little stressful at work today but I’m going to try to remember to be mindful and grateful for a good life so here’s my top 5 for today:

1. I’m thankful for 7 years together and 1 year of marriage with my wonderful husband.  He is a good man and strives to make me happy.  He also makes me strive to be a better person and treats me right.  We celebrated our 7 years anniversary and 1 year of marriage on Saturday and Sunday respectively and the occasion makes me so grateful for our time together and hopeful for our future together.
2. I’m thankful for lovely weather this weekend.  We were able to spend alot of time outside and get alot done on our house and condo.  I love getting my Vitamin D!
3. I’m thankful for reunions.  My friend Cris was in town this weekend and I hadn’t seen her since February so it was wonderful to spend time with her and my other friends after a long week of work.
4. I’m thankful for another opportunity to run the Charlottesville Women’s 4 Miler .  Every year, the race gets harder and harder to get into.  This year, race registration was full in 5 hours so I’m thankful that my alarm clock woke me up so I could register at 5 AM and I’m glad I got in.  This will be my 6th year in a row to run the race!
5. I’m thankful for technology.  I was able to share pictures of our new house with friends and family all over the country by simply taking pictures with my phone and posting them to Facebook.  We live in a wonderful age where you can still be so close to the ones you love even when they are far away.

Have a wonderful week!

P.S.  I already feel better after writing this post! 😉

Good morning and welcome to Thankful Monday!

Today, I am thankful for the following:

1. I’m thankful for my dad.  In honor of Father’s Day which was yesterday, I just want to say that I’m so thankful for a wonderful father who has always provided for me and showed me unconditional love.  I’m sending a happy belated Father’s Day to all of the great dads out there.
2. I’m thankful for a fun weekend with friends and family.  Friday night, Sarah and Amy joined me for snacks and wine.  Saturday, my mother-in-law joined us for a morning at the Farmer’s Market shopping for veggies and plants.  And, Sunday, my friend Kristen joined us for polo at King Family Vineyards.
3. I’m also grateful for good weather this weekend that allowed us to spend alot of time outdoors.  It was especially nice after all of the bad weather we had last week.
4. I’m thankful for the longer days and more sunlight that we get during this time of year.  I love my sunshine.
5. I’m thankful for all of the lovely plants we bought this weekend…lime, tangerine, ruby red grapefruit, blood orange, patio peach, pomegranate, and many more!

Have a wonderful week!

Hey everyone!  Welcome to Thankful Monday/Tuesday (really it should be called Thankful 24/7)!

I was enjoying an amazing long weekend with family in Texas this weekend so that’s why I’m late posting.

Here’s this week’s list:

1. I’m thankful that we got to celebrate my cousin Jennifer’s marriage to her best friend Eric this weekend in Houston, and I’m also thankful that I got to see so many family and friends that I hadn’t seen in years/months!  It was like a wonderful family reunion!
2. I’m thankful that in addition to seeing much of my dad’s side of the family at the wedding reception, I got to see a ton of my mom’s side of the family too!  How lucky am I that I got to be surrounded by so many of my loved ones on a rare trip home to Houston!  I’m very grateful for the effort everyone made to be together!
3. I’m grateful that we could afford the plane tickets to Texas and also that we ran into minimal bad weather and travel delays along the way, especially since there has been so much bad weather happening lately.
4. I’m thankful for the opportunity to visit an old family favorite restaurant, Gaido’s, for a delicious meal with my family.  My parents used to take us here all the time when I was little and I have lots of wonderful childhood memories of eating here so it was nice to walk down memory lane.
5. I’m thankful that my husband was able to come along on the trip and spend time with my family and I and meet many family members whom he hadn’t yet met.  It’s always extra special to me when I can have him as a travel companion with me.

Have a wonderful day!

Good morning and happy Thankful Monday!

Here’s what I’m thankful for this 3rd day of June, 2013:

1. I’m thankful that God has blessed my friends Chris and Cara with a baby boy.  They are expecting him in July and I got to help celebrate him this weekend at Cara’s baby shower!  It was a blast…we shared great food and cake, made onesies, created scrapbook pages, and watched Cara open lots of wonderful gifts.  I’m wishing her an easy and safe labor and delivery!
2. I’m thankful for my cats.  We found a mouse in our house this weekend, and ever since, Eva and Revolver Ocelot have been busy tracking it down!  Thank goodness for my kitties!
3. I’m thankful for a very helpful mother-in-law and father-in-law who helped us do some work on our condo this weekend and have provided endless advice on our renovations.
4. I’m grateful for all of the men and women out there who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice for this country’s freedom, especially those who have given their lives or become disabled while in service.  Ben and I ran the 4 the Wounded 5K on Saturday morning to support the cause to help our wounded service men and women.  I’m also thankful to my work for providing me with a free entry to the race.
5. Lastly, I’m thankful for the opportunity to see alot of family this coming weekend.

Have a great day!

Good morning!  Yesterday was Memorial Day and my brother was in town visiting for the long weekend, so I didn’t have a chance to log in and write my weekly Thankful Monday post so here it is for Thankful Tuesday:

1. First and foremost, I am so thankful for all of the men and women who have given their lives and those who continue to serve to allow us to live in a wonderful and free country.  Words will never be sufficient to honor them, but I am grateful for the sacrifices of them and their families.
2. Secondly, I am so thankful for a weekend with my little brother, Mikey.  He drove up from South Carolina to spend the weekend with us and see our new house.  We had such a blast hiking and swimming in Sugar Hollow, hanging out on the farm and shooting skeet, trying different beers and wines at local breweries and wineries all over the area, and of course watching Arrested Development!  I’m so grateful to get to spend time with my family and also very thankful that Ben’s family embraces my family and that we all get along.  I love my brother and can’t wait until we get to have another sibling weekend!
3. I’m thankful for the beautiful weather this weekend that allowed us to spend some time in nature and the outdoors.
4. I’m thankful for family, friends, and fun times.  We had a blast at the Market Street Wine Shop Free Wine Tasting, Fridays After Five, Beer Run, Timberwood Grill, the Beer Hound Brewery, Sugar Hollow, the Whiskey Jar, Commonwealth Skybar, Mountfair Vineyards, Jefferson Vineyards, and Stinson Vineyards.  I’m also thankful for the opportunity to live in such an amazing place with so many things to do.
5. Lastly, I’m thankful for the 3 day weekend and a short week!

Have a good one!

Good morning and welcome to my Thankful Monday post for the week!

Today, I am thankful for the following:

1. I’m thankful for strong and able bodies that allowed Ben and I to get a great deal of work done on both our house and condo this weekend.  We are that much closer to be unpacked in the house and having the condo ready to rent.
2. I’m thankful to live in a smaller city like Charlottesville where it’s easy to run into friends and acquaintances   Last week I went to lunch with an old friend and ran into several good people I used to work with at VGT.  It was so nice to catch up with them and just see their smiles!
3. I’m thankful for my husband.  He brought me tulips, one of my favorite flowers, last week unexpectedly to say thank you for all of the hard work I have done to get us moved.  It’s so nice to know he appreciates me and even better to see him show his appreciation!
4. I’m thankful that University of Virginia students are done for the summer.  There are so many parts of Charlottesville that are very enjoyable once students have gone home and places and events are less crowded as well!
5. I’m thankful that we may be getting our first house guest,  my brother, this coming weekend, and I’m also thankful for a long weekend!  I think I might sleep in!

Happy week!

Good morning and happy Thankful Monday!  I’m super tired today and think I may be getting burnt out on moving and housework, so practicing some gratefulness this morning is just what the doctor ordered.

Today, I am thankful for the following:

1. I’m thankful for all of the good mothers of the world.  Yesterday was Mother’s Day and I really thought hard about how important my mothers are to me.  My mom and my mother-in-law do so much for me that I don’t think I could ever truly express what they mean to me with words.  My friends who are moms have taught me so much and set a great example for how I want to be as a mother.  I’m thankful that the human race has these wonderful, caring, and kind women who take the weight and responsibility of the world into their own hands.
2. I’m thankful for the beautiful irises my mother-in-law gave us this weekend.  We planted yellow ones, white ones, purple ones, pink ones, and lavender ones and they are making our yard so much more bright and colorful!  I’m sure my Virginia mom gave us hundreds of dollars worth of plants for free!
3. I’m thankful for my job, a good performance review last week, and the opportunity to attend a training class in the fall.  I may not always like or enjoy my daily responsibilities, but I am thankful to have a job that allows me to pay the bills and also provides me with learning opportunities along the way.
4. I’m grateful for our nephew Brandon who has helped us with moving on numerous occasions.  And of course I’m thankful for all of our friends and family who have helped us with the move.
5. I’m thankful for a beautiful sunny day that we had yesterday that allowed us to soak up some Vitamin D and enjoy nature.

Have a great week!

Happy Monday!  It’s May!  Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo and Orthodox Easter!  There are always so many things to celebrate if you just look around you!

Today, I am thankful for the following:

1. I’m thankful for getting to spend some quality time with extended family this weekend.  Friday night, Ben and I had dinner at one of our favorite places, Beer Run, with Ian (brother-in-law), Sarah (sister-in-law), and Phyllis (mother-in-law) and then went to see the Nathanael Greene Elementary School production of the Jungle Book where my niece, Elise, played Bagheera!  We also got to visit with Shane (brother-in-law), Lori (sister-in-law), Abby (niece), and Lori’s family.  Saturday night, Ian and Sarah treated us to kebabs on the grill with friends and then Sunday we had a delicious lunch cooked by Phyllis in the company of Abby, Elisa, Lori, and Lori’s parents.  What a weekend filled with wonderful people!
2. I’m thankful to be making real progress on our new house and our condo.  The condo is almost empty and ready for painting, new carpet, and some updating while the house is getting slowly unpacked day-by-day!
3. I’m thankful that we got our new amazing LG washer and dryer on Saturday!  I am loving them so far!  You can fit twice as much in them as you could our old ones and they have so many amazing settings, including Steam and Sanitary Steam!  Plus they make really fun noises and play music when they start up and finish a load!
4. I’m thankful that we are hopefully getting cable and internet today!  It’s kind of a silly thing to be thankful for (there are many more important things in life) but I am a TV and internet junkie!
5. Lastly, I’m thankful again for our new house!  I love it a little more each day and can’t believe I finally have a home of my own!  I can’t wait to raise babies, host parties, and make lots of memories in it!