thankful post #30 [last one!]

november 30th, charlie is thankful for..

"my wife, America and my family"

we were able to talk on the phone today and i asked what he is thankful for since this is the last thankful post being that tomorrow is december. [holy cow! where did this month go?!]
he is a man of few words when it comes to our blog. :)
but all those are fantastic things to be thankful for if i do say so myself.

and today, i'm thankful that i've officially lost 20 POUNDS! 
i've been achieving this goal for the past 13 weeks, so that makes it about a pound and a half loss a week. go me! [i would post before and after pictures on here, but i just can't get the courage to show the world what i look like in a sports bra and yoga pants. sorry 'bout it!]
only 15 more pounds to go.
psh, i can do that before mid march. piece of cake! err..vegetable?
even though i am doing this weight loss for ME, i can't help but imagine charlie's face when he sees me for the first time. ha priceless. [good thing i hired a photographer for his homecoming, eh?]

thankful post #29

november 29th, i'm thankful for..

my husband!

[ain't he cute?]

i saved this post all the way until today [the 29th] because today is our 11 month wedding anniversary!

these 11 months FLEW by. [wasn't it just yesterday that i was planning our wedding..?!]

and since for a lot most of these months charlie has been gone at work, we both think that we'll be in the "honeymoon" stage for a whiiiiile. 

gotta make up for lost time ;)

[well, hello there..]

words cannot describe how blessed and thankful i am for charlie.

ever since i can remember, i always prayed for a loving, honest, hardworking, handsome, funny husband and i got just that and MORE! i never thought i'd score a man this awesome. 

charlie- i love you, babe! i can't wait for the day you finally get safely home from deployment so we can start back up our life together. thank you for choosing me to be your wife. mwah!

[workin' man]

my in-laws, sue and jeff- thank you thank you thank you for raising charlie to be the man he is today. i owe ya one! i'll pay you back with a few adorable grandkids when the time comes.. :) deal?

thankful post #28

november 28th, i'm thankful for..

my comfy bed.

so soft, so warm, and so cozy with a cushy memory foam pad and four blankets to get lost in.

growing up, i was always to envious of my big sister's ultra comfortable bed and i always said "when i grow up, i want a comfy bed, too!"

and now i do. :) 

so thankful i have a safe, warm place to sleep at night. 

thankful post #27

november 27th, i'm thankful for..

being a member of 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

i'm thankful for all the knowledge i have of our Lord, this life, the afterlife, the scriptures, families, temples, and so much MORE because of the teaching of this religion. 

i don't want to go all "churchy" on you here, so if you have questions, are just plain curious, or want to know more, go here or here.

or, just ask me! :)

thankful post #26

november 26th, i'm thankful for..

daddy/daughter dates.

after i got off work earlier my dad wanted to take me out for a little daddy/daughter date to chipotle! 

yummy food and good company with my dad :) 

i'm so thankful to have a loving, supportive and giving father. 

my siblings and i are so lucky.

i love you, dad!

[since i didn't snap a picture of us at chipotle earlier, this will have to do :)]

thankful post #25

november 25th, i'm thankful for..

"comfy clothes"

[rockin' my comfy clothes on a friday night. perfect.]

there's nothing like coming home from a long day and putting on comfy clothes.

ahhh...

i'm all about wearing sweats and/or gym clothes while around the house. 

even if i'm only home for an hour i'll still change my clothes then change back into my outfit haha [some may think it's lazy, but i promise i'm not!]

i'm all about feeling cozy if i have no where to go. :)

thankful post #24

november 24th, i'm thankful for..

thanksgiving!

growing up, i honestly didn't like thanksgiving too much. it was always SO mind numbingly boring at my evil grandma's house. 

she had NOTHING fun to do over there except for lay on my tummy and spin on her bar stools. [and no, i'm not joking. that was my "fun" at every visit to grandma's house.] 

so, every year i did NOT look forward to thanksgiving. 

"plus, shouldn't you be thankful everyday??" was my thought every thanksgiving.

but now as i'm getting older, i'm finally starting to like it more. [partly due that i never have to spend it at evil grandma's house ever again!]

a few years ago i realized that yes, people are thankful everyday and not just this one day a year, but it's a time for family and friends to get together and eat yummy food. and what's not to love about that?!

i'm excited that charlie and i get to start our own holiday traditions. i have so many ideas spinning in my head and i CAN'T WAIT to start them come next year.

this thanksgiving, i will be a little sad that my other half [who i'm SO grateful for...post on that coming soon] won't be able to be here with me this holiday season. it makes me tear up knowing he's not going to be able to enjoy this day like he would if he wasn't out fighting for our country. 

[what gets me though that thought today is that this is the last holiday season we ever have to spend apart!]

i have countless blessings that i'm thankful for today. my heart is so full.

p.s. HAPPY 27th BIRTHDAY to my big brother, clayton! i love you, brother! xoxo

thankful post #23

november 23rd, i'm thankful for..

my contacts & glasses

because without them i would not see well AT. ALL. 

thankful post #22

november 22nd, i'm thankful for..

water.

because without it, we would all smell!

and we would all be thirsty!

and we would never know what the ocean, lakes, and rivers look like!

and we wouldn't have any plants!

and we wouldn't have rain!
and we would all be dead! [too much..?]

and.. well, you get the idea.

my favorite way to enjoy water is either a hot shower before bed or a glass of ice cold water with lemon. 

i just can't decide which is better. :)

thankful post #21

november 21st, i'm thankful for..

our car.

[this is where i would insert a picture of our car, but i just realized i don't have a picture of it! after almost 6 years of having the same car, you'd think i'd have a picture. nope.]

our 2002 white mitsubishi eclipse. 

good 'ol daphne. [yes, i named her daphne when i first got her at 16. i never really call her by name though...]

anyways. our car may be small and now has over 110,000 miles on it but [knock on wood..] she still works like a champ! 

i'm thankful that my dad always taught me to keep good care of her and keep up with oil changes, tire rotations, and other car necessities.

and i'm thankful that both my brother and my dad are pretty darn car savvy so whenever i have a question or problem, they almost always have the answer for me!

a dependable car is such a blessing. 

and we can't wait to purchase our first vehicle together next year! 

bye bye eclipse helloooooo equinox! 

[i'm starting to think this whole "goodbye" to my first car is going to be harder than i think...so many memories!]

thankful post #20

november 20th, i'm thankful for..

friends.

[is it seriously already the 20th? this month is speedy!]

both charlie and i are very blessed to have such great friends in our lives. 

friends we can trust.

friends we can just do nothing with and still have fun.

friends who will always be there.

friends who are hilarious.

friends who truly care about us, and we them.

friends who understand that we don't have to speak all the time, but when we do- it's like we picked up where we left off.

friends really are far and few in between. 

to our friends: you know who you are :) 

thank you for always being there for us. 

i hope all our friends know how much we love them and how much we're thankful for them. 

and that we'll always be there for them, too. 

♥

thankful post #19

november 19th, i'm thankful for..

days without a set schedule.

it's a rare thing lately where i have a day where i can do whatever i want without having to be somewhere at a specific time or get something done by a certain time, etc. 

which is good because it makes for the weeks of this dreaded deployment fly by, but at the same time- i just need a breather every now and then!

and today was that day :) and i'm so thankful for it! 

i was able to get some "me time" in by going to the gym, finishing up some errands that have been put on hold, work on an anniversary slide show that i'll be sending out to charlie in his anniversary care package, and i was also able to talk with my awesome sister-in-law, bethany for a while which is always nice :) [love you bet!]

OH! and i'm oh so thankful that today was flower delivery day! 

i have one heck of a man ♥

happy saturday, everyone!

thankful post #18

november 18th, i'm thankful for..

my health.

every day i am thankful that i can walk without pain, 

i'm thankful that i can breath without effort, 

i'm thankful that i don't have chronic pain anywhere in my body, 

i'm thankful that my bowels work properly, 

i'm thankful that my heart is healthy [except for the few palpitations that occur every day with my mitral valve prolapse..but i'm not complaining, it could be much worse! my cup is half full :)] 

i'm thankful for a functioning brain,

i'm thankful for healthy bones and muscles that allow me to do even the most simple of daily tasks,

i'm thankful that i don't have to take a prescription everyday, 

i'm thankful that i don't have any deadly allergies, 

i'm thankful that i rarely have to go to the doctor. 

i am so blessed with a healthy body and i only pray that myself, charlie and all of our friends and family will be continued to be blessed with good health. 

thankful post #17

november 17th, i'm thankful for..

never having to go hungry.

growing up, whenever i would say "i am STUFFED" after a meal, my mom would always say- without fail, "you're a lucky girl. there are many people in the world that will never know the feeling of being 'stuffed'."

and on the flip side, when i was hungry and say [with exaggeration] "i'm STARVING" she was quick to remind me that i indeed was not starving, and i will never know the feeling of starvation. 

well mom, you were right!

[she's going to LOVE reading that sentence...haha]

i am very thankful that i always have food in my pantry and fridge. i'm thankful that i can just drive to the grocery store and purchase fresh fruits and veggies. and i'm thankful i've always had the proper nutrition while growing up and was never diagnosed with any diseases and illness that come along without vital nutrients.

thankful post #16

november 16th, i'm thankful for..

telephones.

[it's almost sad how dependent we are with our cell phones these day, huh?]

my cell phone/aka: our marriage lifeline since august! 

besides the occasional letter, phone calls are the only other form of communication for us being 7,500 miles apart. most other military couples get the luxury of emails and even skype [lucky ducks!] but not us. which is fine, i'm happy with just hearing his voice every other week or so.

another amazing thing my phone does for me every day...
receive pictures of this little cutie pie..

thank you mr. alexander bell for being brilliant and inventing the telephone. you are awesome! 

i owe ya one.

thankful post #15

november 15th, i'm thankful for..

indoor plumbing and running water.

man oh man i'm one happy lady that i've never had to have an outhouse as a bathroom for my own home. 

side story: i always remember the story of my grandma when she was a little girl..she grew up on a farm in michigan and their home didn't have indoor plumbing and one day she went to do her "business" and FELL into the hole! hahaha poor grandma. 

i mean really, how convenient is it to just have your toilet handy throughout the day? especially in the middle of the night! i'd hate to walk outside half asleep about to pee my pants. nothankyou.

and running water- how i love you!

brushing my teeth, washing dishes, washing my clothes, taking an awesome hot shower before bed, washing my face, washing my hands..the list goes on! 

life is SO much easier with running water! so thankful.

thankful post #14

november 14th, i'm thankful for..

cleaning products!

not only do the smell good but what in the world would we do without them?!

[seriously...how did people "way back when" clean things? with just water?]

a few of my favorites..

windex multi-surface antibacterial

lysol toilet bowl cleaner with bleach

lysol disinfecting wipes

swiffer dusters

i love these swiffer dusters because i hate traditional dusting. got that from my mama :)

basically...anything with that kills 99.9% of germs i'm a fan of.

oh, and last but not least i'm thankful that i DON'T use a sponge. 

i hate those nasty GERM infested things! blech!

say no to sponges.

thankful post #13

november 13th, i'm thankful for..

sundays.

i LOVE sundays. it's the one day of the week where i can just sit and do *nothing* [except church, of course :) which i'm also extremely grateful for...more on that on a different day!] 

i can finally breath knowing that i don't NEED to be anywhere or NEED to get a certain errand done! and i can just SLEEP for the heck of it because i have time!

 [whaaa?...i have free time?!] 

lazy sundays are where it's AT, people. embrace it.

i wish more people understood what sundays are meant for. it's a day of rest. and we all gotta admit...everyone needs a day where they can just focus on them and their family and not be stressed during the 15 hours we're awake.

so today after i got home from church, i spruced up our little home, ate a snack and after i post this, i'm taking a NAP :) don't mind if i do! 

i'm thankful for sundays. aren't you?!

thankful post #12

november 12th, i'm thankful for..

music.

there isn't a day that goes by that we don't hear music. 

whether it's on the tv show, movie, commercial, in your car, at the store, at church, at the gym, on the radio or your cell phone. 

music is everywhere! 

could you imagine a world without music? booooring!

music connects with people. i love it when i hear a song and it feels like it was meant for me or the situation i'm going through. 

i almost always have music going on in the background when i'm cleaning, getting ready, cooking, eating, and when i'm driving. [most likely country music at that.]

what can i say? we're music people :)

thankful post #11

november 11th, i'm thankful for..

ALL the branches of the military.

[happy veteran's day!]

i'm almost at a loss for words at how thankful i am for the military of our country. 

growing up hearing war stories from my grandpa always had me at the edge of my seat.

so, naturally, i've always had a love and appreciation for all those who put their lives on the line for the love and safety for our country. 

however, i never in a million years thought i'd be a military wife. 

but i wouldn't trade this experience charlie and i are going through together for the world. 

yes, it's hard.

yes, it's scary.

but i know charlie is doing what he loves. 

and it's my job to give him as much love and support from the home front.

i am beyond proud to call charlie my husband. he is an amazing marine that puts so much hard work into his job. 

he LOVES his country & he is truly PROUD to be an AMERICAN.

and so am i. :)

thank you to every single veteran out there. for those that served in the past, and present, the P.O.W's and of course the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice. 

we are who we are today because of you. 

thank you.

thankful post #10

november 10th, i'm thankful for..

The United States Marine Corps.

today is the 236th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. [happy birthday to my marine!]

i am so thankful for the marine corps despite all the faults it may have [family and close friends, you've heard the stories...haha]

i'm thankful that my husband serves this country proudly as a Marine, and how the Corps shaped him into the man he is today. 

happy birthday devil dogs! oorah!

thankful post #9

november 9th, i'm thankful for..

sleep.

especially since i've been so busy lately, sleep is just extra good :)

not much better than a good night's sleep to help make your next day that much better. 

ooh! or one of those fabulous marathon naps. on a lazy sunday! love those, too.

and on that note...goodnight!

now if only the other side of our bed had my husband in it. :( 

*four more months, samantha*

thankful post #8

november 8th, i'm thankful for...

bagbalm.

as silly as this seems, i'm seriously so thankful for bagbalm! 

this stuff is the best.

i grew up using it and i know i'll use bagbalm forever! [gotta keep the tradition goin' :)]

i mainly use it for dry, chapped or cracked lips. works like a charm. 

i also use it on dry cuticles overnight and anywhere i have dry skin. LOVE IT.

it's originally meant for cow udders...kinda gross. 

but let's pretend it's not just so you're not afraid to try it.

oh! and bagbalm literally doesn't go bad. i've had the same tin for years. and i've only used about 25%. 

i'll probably have the same tin till i die.

bagbalm for life.

thankful post #7

november 7th, we're thankful for...

our family.

this is an obvious one, of course, but it had to be said! 

we are so thankful to have such a loving, giving, supportive and caring family. it's a rare thing now-a-days to have families like our families. 

i'm thankful that both charlie and i grew up in a household that wasn't separated due to divorce. 

i'm thankful that our parents loved us unconditionally growing up and taught us so much, which both will make us the best parents we can be one day.

i'm thankful we both never went a day in our lives going hungry because our mamas love [and still love] to feed us :)

i'm thankful that we had hardworking dads.

i'm thankful we have awesome siblings that we can't imagine our life without.

i'm thankful that we have THE BEST nieces and nephews EVER! uncle charlie and auntie sam love you rowen, kenzie, daniel, josh, natalie, thomy, jeffery, elsie, and our soon-to-be-born gabriel and "baby mitchell"! [don't know if baby mitchell is a boy or girl yet :)] 

[not our entire family could make it to our wedding, so for all that aren't in this picture, we didn't forget about you in this post! ♥]

families are the best thing. 

♥

thankful post #6

november 6th, i'm thankful for:

my talents.

i don't have many talents [in my opinion] but for the few that i am blessed with, i'm very grateful for.

for example, i'm thankful for my talent with cosmetology. i love making people feel better about their hair and themselves. and i mean, who doesn't love to get their hair done?! all my clients are always happy to see me! :)

...but i'm going to stop there because i don't like to talk about myself and seem like i'm tootin' my horn or anything ;)

thankful post #5

november 5th, i'm thankful for:

food in my fridge, clothes on my back, a roof overhead , a place to sleep, money in the bank, my health, my safety, a full belly, and the knowledge to know how to read. 

this really does say it all...

*i'm aware that this post has more than one "thankful for" so don't be surprised if later this month, i'm thankful for something in this post again :)

thankful post #4

november 4th, i am thankful for:

rain.

there's nothin' like it. i am always in such a good mood when it rains. 

i love what good it does to the earth.

i love the smell.

i love the crisp air.

i love how it cleans and makes everything so fresh.

i just love rain.

good thing we're movin' to oregon next year, eh? :)

thankful post #3

november 3rd, i am thankful for:

prayer.

i have always loved prayer. but i have a renewed love for it lately. praying to our Heavenly Father is just...comforting. and knowing He is listening and seeing that He is answering my prayers is amazing. there is strength in prayer.

thankful post #2

november 2nd, i am thankful for:

a functioning body.

it may sound silly at first, but think about it: how lucky is a person that can see, hear, talk, walk, run, lift, sleep, eat, go to the bathroom, heal itself, remember information, breathe, think, read, cry, smile.. the list goes on and on...

whenever i'm dragging my body to go to the gym when i really don't feel like it, i always remind myself: 

"there are people in this world that would give ANYTHING to be able to simply walk, and i'm sitting here complaining that i need to work out when i'm fully capable of doing so?" 

i am so blessed and SO thankful for the healthy body i have. even though it's not perfect, it works. and that is all anyone could ask for.

thankful post #1

i will be trying my best to post one thing a day that i'm thankful for in the month of november.
even though i find [many] things to thank our Heavenly Father for everyday, november is just a gentle reminder of the little things to be thankful for :)

november 1st, i am thankful for:

letters from charlie.

[you like my grainy picture taken with my photobooth webcam? i was too lazy to get my camera. ha]

any and all communication we get to have [which unfortunately is very limited] means the WORLD to us. people everyday take advantage of the fact that they can simply sit down with their loved one and have a conversation about their day. people everyday take advantage of the fact that their loved one is in their presence. i am thankful that charlie and i get to learn this early on in our marriage how valuable simple communication is with each other. even a little thing like letters bring us closer together. and i'm so thankful for that.