In Which I Am Thankful For A Lot of Things

You might think that a week at home with no real responsibilities might lend itself to some great blogging by yours truly. It is true that I have had a title ready to go like everyday this week (I wish I could remember one now so that my title wasn't so... how you say... straightforward. But, then, you get what you get).

But our wireless internet has been out intermittently (hm-mm, and I've intermittently been playing the Sims and getting "caught up" on the DVR. And caught up with the family and friends, of course. How dare you accuse me of the wrong priorities?!) and even if it was working, by the time I got around to it? Let us just say it was bedtime. It's not like I had all the next day to sleep in. Oh yeah! I did (but 'cept for that one time when I set an alarm and it woke Emily up but I kept right on sleeping. That was unthoughtful of me...).

Entyway. All I'm saying is that the first thing I'm thankful for this season is that our internet has been out intermittently, since because of this Evelyn has mostly sat in the corner observing the life around her as opposed to consuming mine. Which is good, because in this event Dr. Mario was able to swoop in and consume my life. A much nobler undertaking to be sure.

I'm thankful for, dare I say it, Twilight. Sure, it's kept the lady friends of my family out on the back porch with the door shut so I could still function without disturbing them, but I am glad that they've had that retreat. I'm thankful that it's been something to bond us all (even though I have refused to read the books based on the principle that I will not read on break given the oxymoronic tendency of that sentence).

I'm thankful for grandparents visiting. Sometimes visits aren't the most convenient or stress-free or exciting but I was thinking this time around how cool it is to have these figures in my life who love the mess out of their family. So without considering it really, their presence might seem a nuisance or whatever. But if I ever needed anything, they'd be there. For any time I've distanced myself or acted uninterested or overtly blown them off, they still come back and want to know how I'm doing and where I'm headed. So once you consider it, the nuisance isn't really that at all. It's caring. I see a parallel with Jesus there that was unmistakeable this go 'round. Sometimes I get burdened by his presence when he brings the conviction I ask him for or I find his words stale or boring, a nuisance, because it's not how I talk or they aren't how I'm living and I feel like I have to metaphorically clean the house before I can have him in. I blow him off, I tell him I have other plans, I tune out his conversation. But he keeps coming back because that is love. And because Jesus Christ would do anything for me. I'm thankful for that this Thanksgiving. And I'm thankful to grandparents for being that very real parallel in my life.

I'm thankful for Insanity. Not.

I'm thankful for every single one of my dogs. And again, thanks to the flaky internet, there has been ample room for them in my lap. Well, for the little ones, anyway.

I'm thankful for work.

I'm thankful for co-workers.

I'm thankful for southern accents and "thank yous" and "have a great day" and "pleases" and genuine "how are yous" as I get when I'm on the register.

I'm thankful for teachers who still mean the world to me and for the opportunity to serve them. Katie and I got to take a smoothie bar out to Little Rock Christian the other day and I kept joking that it was a modern version of washing their feet like Jesus did the disciples in that we got to serve them on this day. Katie gave me a strange look. I maintain this theory.

I'm thankful for Dad's promotion. But not near as thankful for that as I am thankful for the way he practices medicine in general--genuinely caring for his patients, with patience (except for when they can't get it through their head that it is just a VIRUS!-- sometimes that's frustrating for him...) I am for sure thankful for the opportuntity to celebrate with the entire family (and an entire cow between us all!).

I'm thankful for my Mom's cookin'.

Oh, I'm just thankful for laughter and chill.

I'm thankful for a break. And though there is a certain pit in my stomach reserved only for thoughts of going back and completing assignments and courses (I wish I could just fill said pit with food as I have every other nook and cranny of the organ), I am thankful for school and the opportunity to learn. So as I digest all of this frickin' turkey (mostly just sweet potatoes, let us be real), I do my best to digest with a good attitude the responsibility I have to do these next two weeks well.

I'm thankful for Virginia. I'm thankful for Arkansas.

I'm thankful for Link and Arkie.

I'm thankful for all of the changes that have happened since this time last year to prove many a time my own inadequacy and God's own timing and providence.

I am so thankful for every single one of my friends (those for whom I will serve as a bridesmaid as well as for those who insist we won't be friends come that time. cough Katie Jones cough. I'm also thankful for the gross nasty peach bridesmaid dress I'll be wearing come Sheryl's wedding...)

I am thankful for my camera and the people I get to take pictures of.

I am thankful for board games and families of friends to keep me out until all hours whilst my own family frets over my whereabouts because they care.

I am thankful for a lot of things. Hence, the title.

Sorry for the boring list. I just felt like it should all be stated for the record. And it was a good exercise to combat what Natalie Grant dubbed the "post-Thanksgiving blahs" -- to pump me back up to "real" life come way too early in the morning.