Happy Thanksgiving!!

I just (tried to) make a pretzel jello dessert and as it is setting in the fridge, I am keeping my fingers crossed that I didn't completely screw it up. I'm a little pissed about it... I followed the recipe that I got online, a recipe that had 4 stars and great reviews, and I'm pretty sure that it looks all wrong! I think the jello went straight to the bottom of the pan and now the pretzel crust is turning to mush (Super! Who doesn't LOVE soggy pretzels!? Oh, yeah, most people...).

And so, I'm slightly hesitant to bring it over to my parents' house as our contribution to the Thanksgiving feast that will commence in about 4 hours. Maybe I'll try to cut out a square and taste it before we leave... Yeah, that's how I'll decide.

So that's how my great Thanksgiving morning began going downhill. But then it hit me... who cares? It's pretzel jello. If it sucks, we wont bring it over. Or maybe we will and no one will eat their serving. Yes, wasting the $8 to buy the ingredients I didn't have in the kitchen could be a little frustrating, but overall, it's no big deal. At least I had the $8 to spare, right?


Sometimes I get so caught up in all the crappy things that happen that I forget about all the awesome things that I have to be thankful for (Scratch that... it's probably way more than sometimes). And so, I have decided that I'm going to really try to be grateful for what I've got, instead of annoyed at what I don't.

I'm thankful for my wonderful husband.

I'm thankful for my sister, and her sweet baby girl.

I'm thankful for my awesome friends.

I'm thankful for my family. 

I'm thankful for my job(s).

I'm thankful for my husband's job!

I'm thankful for our home, even on days when it feels nothing less than tiny and inconvenient.

I'm thankful that I've got food in the fridge and clothes in my closet (and, lets be honest, clothes on the chair in my bedroom.. sorry J!).

I'm thankful for every gift God has blessed me with. And I'm thankful that He is always there, with his arms open, full of love and grace, because only He knows how much I need it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"I smell snow."

There's something magical about the first snow of the season... the first few snows for that matter. I've always loved watching those big, puffy snowflakes floating in the sky. Like I'm living in a snow globe or something.

Living in Michigan at this time of year is both a blessing and a curse. It's still technically fall, and Thanksgiving is not for another few days, but the temperatures have been low and we've had at least two (very small) snowfalls thus far. Mother Nature can't seem to make up her mind, and so I can't decide whether I should trade in my light fall jacket for my winter coat.

But it's all good. I don't mind. :)

There are very few things that I actually dislike about this time of year. I could do without scraping off my car windows, the icy roads, and the slush that continues to ruin my comfy suede boots. And the Christmas music... It's a little early for that, especially since the majority of the Christmas songs they play on the radio are pretty much a million different variations of the same songs. Or have really cheesy and awkward lyrics about Santa. Anyway... I do love the classics, though, like Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra.


I love the smell of crisp, winter air.
I love drinking hot chocolate and hot cider after a day spent out in the cold.
I love getting to spend the day snuggled up in bed at home on a snow day.
I love the hustle and bustle at the shopping malls.
I love watching The Nutcracker ballet and my favorite holiday movies.
I love all the generosity and hope that this time of year brings.
I love all the extra time you get to spend with family and friends, even if it means driving to four different houses for holiday parties all in one day.
I love watching the snow fall, creating a world of sparkly white.
And I love the crunching sound that happens when you set foot on freshly fallen snow.

We haven't had enough to actually stick to the ground just yet, but it's coming soon... I can feel it.

I can't wait. :)

Winter Poem

by Nikki Giovanni

 once a snowflake fell
on my brow and i loved
it so much and i kissed
it and it was happy and called its cousins
and brothers and a web
of snow engulfed me then
i reached to love them all
and i squeezed them and they became
a spring rain and i stood perfectly
still and was a flower