A Year of Gratitude - December 2025 Snapshot

My word for 2024 was GRATITUDE.  To help myself keep the focus on that word all year, I started keeping a gratitude journal on January 1, 2024, and I’ve been writing at least 3-4 things I’m grateful for every single day since then.  I’ve been sharing these monthly snapshots for two full years now, and after two years, I’ve decided that this December recap will be the last one to make room for a new monthly series that I am considering starting in 2026 (emphasis on considering) based on my word for this year that I’ll be sharing soon.

With that said, let’s get to the last monthly gratitude recap!  December was a fantastic month, and by far, my favorite of the whole year.  The Christmas season was peaceful and fun and relaxing and just plain wonderful for our family, and I’m very grateful for that with all the heartache and strife and craziness in the world right now.

In December I was grateful…

 

1. For 18 years married to Brian today!  Happy anniversary!
2. That Maui was born on this day 16 years ago.  We miss her every day, but we’re so thankful for the 15 years we had with her.  Happy heavenly birthday to our tiny girl. 
3. For the new peppermint Christmas quilt that I found at Target… it makes me so happy to see it every single time I walk in our room and see it on the bed!
4. For hazelnut rolled wafers from Target.  Oh my goodness, they are one of my favorite holiday treats!  I look forward to grabbing them every December since they’re seasonal.
5. That Olivia has such a compassionate heart.  Her best friend lost her grandfather this week and the visitation was tonight, and Olivia wanted to spend her Friday night supporting her friend at the funeral home.
6. For a Georgia football win against Alabama!  SEC Champions back-to-back!
7. For my mother-in-law’s cheesy potatoes.  They are one of my most favorite things she makes.  The ultimate comfort food!
8. For one-on-one time with Brian on our shopping day date today.  We finished almost all the Christmas shopping and I’m grateful for that, too!
9. For my rainbow favorite things Christmas tree and my rainbow bottle brush trees in my office.  Both add so much fun and color to my space and it’s just so dang cheerful in here this time of year!
10. For all the days that I can breathe normally.  I’m struggling with my asthma today – very short of breath – and it makes me so grateful for all the days that I don’t have issues!
11. For happy mail!  I got a card and a note from one of my favorite people today and it made me so happy!
12. For the best night at the Teddy Swims concert with Brian and the kids.  We always have so much fun on our adventures together!  And I’m so grateful that the kids are so go-with-the-flow when we travel and do fun stuff!
13. That Olivia overcame her fear of performing alone on stage, that she nailed her guitar recital, and that we got to see her shine on stage today.  Gosh, I’m so proud of her!
14. For time with my Mama Cass.  She is one of my favorite people in the whole world and I know she’s not going to be around forever, so I cherish every moment with her.  She is such a gift.  And she is also a hoot!  Haha.  I just love her so much.
15. For my electric blanket.  It has been so cold, and my body just doesn’t produce enough heat to keep warm, so I’m grateful for outside sources of heat!
16. For walks with my Boo.  I always love having one-on-one time with him.  He is just so smart and creative, and I love hearing all the things bouncing around in his brain.  He is a wealth of knowledge and he is full of random facts and I learn so much from him!
17.  That I didn’t wake up sick today since my throat was feeling a little questionable last night.
18. That I got all the Christmas wrapping done and I’m officially prepared for Christmas with the exception of a couple of smaller tasks… and I’m done a whole week early at that!
19. For 17.5 days off ahead… it’s the start of my favorite two weeks of the entire year!  Bring on all the eating, drinking, sleeping, and being merry!  We love Christmas break!
20. For sunshine and warmth outside today to warm my bones.  What a beautiful day to take a walk!
21. For delicious pizza and cozy vibes!
22. That I have felt really good for several days in a row – hardly any dizziness or unsteadiness recently!
23. For the movie The Family Stone.  It is just perfect in every way.  The cast, the storyline, the honesty and vulnerability of each of the characters.  Gosh, I just love it so much.  And it hit extra hard this year since Diane Keaton passed away in October.  :o(
24. For everyyyything!!!!  Today is my favorite day of the whole year and I am feeling extra festive!!  Lazy movie time in the morning, candy cane cookies for a snack, my electric blanket, hot cinnamon tea, Christmas Mass with the whole family, Momma’s white chicken chili, Manhattans, Christmas tree lights, Home Alone, and precious time around the tree with my whole family… and that my brother and sister-in-law and the kids joined us this year!
25. That God sent His one and only Son for all of us.  For lots of wonderful time with family today.  For the looks on the kids’ faces when they opened their special gifts.  For the tears in Olivia’s eyes when she saw her gift.  Gah, it’s moments like those that make parenting so extra special. 
26. For time today with my father-in-law and the rest of Brian’s family… especially our niece and nephew since they don’t get to join us as often as they used to.
27. For beautiful weather today so we could eat outside for Christmas with my mother-in-law and the rest of Brian’s family. 
28. For ice packs and ibuprofen for my back since I pulled muscles while putting away the Christmas decorations. 
29. For another year with my little brother… happy birthdayyyy!
30. For a clean and tidy house, that I tackled all that I wanted to do over the break without sacrificing family time or relaxation, that the kids had fun sleepovers with their friends, and for a full house!
31. That we all stayed well for all the holidays and for a peaceful end to a very tumultuous year. 

 

Happy Monday, y’all!  I hope you enjoyed reading these posts as much as I enjoyed writing them. 

What is something you’re grateful for today?

A Year of Gratitude - November 2025 Snapshot

My word for 2024 was GRATITUDE.  To help myself keep the focus on that word all year, I started keeping a gratitude journal on January 1, 2024, and I’ve been writing at least 3-4 things I’m grateful for every single day since then.  I shared little snapshots of each month last year to hold myself accountable, and since I ended up enjoying these posts so much, I decided to continue them in 2025.

I’m only pulling one item from my gratitude journal per day to share here (okay, sometimes two or three), and some of the things are really big things like good health and good relationships, some things are humorous, and some things are the little things that most of the time go unnoticed.  Overall, though, the purpose of this whole exercise is to remember that even on the very worst of days, there is ALWAYS something for which to be grateful.

Always.

November was a great month (aside from the first week when I was bedridden from tapering off my vertigo meds), and there was a lot to be grateful for, as there always is. 

In November I was grateful…

 

1. For a lazy day to do nothing but watch college football and decorate for Christmas.  I just love having my Christmas lights back on the mantle.  They always make me so happy!
2. For an extra hour in the day!  I know most people hate this time change in the fall, but I absolutely adore it!  We get an extra hour on Sunday, I’m tired when it’s time to go to bed so I always sleep well, and I wake up feeling refreshed, because the new 6 AM feels like 7 AM.  Oh, and I don’t have to drive to school in the dark anymore.  It’s winning every single way I look at it.  ;o)
3. For multiple naps and for Brian’s and the kids’ understanding as I navigated extreme withdrawal symptoms from tapering off my vertigo medicine after two years.
4. For a quick response from my doctor’s office about everything that’s been going on since I started to taper off my vertigo meds.
5. For Brian for always stepping up to drive the kids, keep us fed, and get all the necessary cleaning done when I’m not feeling well.
6. For beautiful leaves outside my office window and a homecooked meal delivered by my Momma and Daddy.  It’s always a treat to see them midweek since it’s rare!
7. For some relief after my doctor told me to add back in a tiny dose of my vertigo meds to help with the withdrawal symptoms.  It was amazing how quickly that teeny tiny half of a pill worked so quickly to start relieving all my symptoms of unsteadiness, dizziness, eye strain, brain zaps, night sweats, restlessness, etc.
8. For Jen for picking me up for girls’ night since it still wasn’t safe for me to drive.
9. For the movie Serendipity… it’s one of my favorite movies of all time and it gets me in the mood for the Christmas season every single year.  It also brings back such sweet memories of seeing it in the movie theater with my Momma back in 2001 when I was just 19 years old.  I wonder how many times I’ve watched it through the years?  It has to be hundreds.
10. For finally being able to drive after over a week of not being able to.  For being able to go grocery shopping on my own.  For feeling much steadier even though I still have some lingering issues.  For independence.  I hate the feeling of having to rely on others for everyday life things.
11. For all our veterans including all the ones in our family… thank you for your service!  And for a bonus day off with the kids and one less day that I have to drive.  Oh, and for chocolate chip banana muffins from the Walmart bakery.  If y’all haven’t tried them, you should.
12. For getting ahead by four whole blog posts!  I haven’t been that ahead in months… maybe years?
13. For my neck pillow that my upper cervical chiropractor recommended I get to restore the c curve in my neck.  It really does help relax my neck and shoulders and it seems to be working to restore my posture. 
14.  For time spent with my brother today since I only get to see him a few times a year.  And for being able to be along for the ride with Olivia on all her fun outings.  I’m so grateful that she still wants me around for her dances and dinners with friends.  And after parties, too.
15. For surprise sideline passes at the Georgia vs. Texas game!  For being able to meet Matthew McConaughey even though he didn’t want to be bothered!  Haha.  (I certainly did NOT have that on my bingo card for 2025!)  For a Georgia win!  And for a gracious husband who stayed with the kids while I went down on the sidelines since we only had access to one pass.
16. For a safe trip home and for being fed well by my mother-in-law and my Momma.
17. That I was able to get out of jury duty.  Thank you, God.  It was a terrible case, and I know I would have been traumatized having to sit through it and hear and see all the details.  This might top the list for the month.  The relief I felt after being released was literally one of the biggest reliefs I’ve ever felt in my life, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
18. To have an unexpected free week after thinking I was going to be stuck in jury duty all week.
19. That we were able to snag tickets to the only Teddy Swims Christmas concert!!!!  We don’t even know if he’ll sing Christmas songs, but it’s a one-time event to raise money for charity and it’s at a tiny venue and we were able to get enough tickets to take the kids, too!!!!  Even though there were literally more than 30,000 people in the queue ahead of us on Ticketmaster when the presale started.  And the venue only holds 3,000.
20. For all our precious Christmas ornaments from years past… especially the newest addition to the tree this year – Maui’s little paw print that we made after she passed away earlier this year.
21. For Taylor Swift’s Folklore Long Pond Studio Sessions album… it is truly a masterpiece.
22. For a nice long stretch of nine days off ahead of us!  And for being able to be super productive yesterday so I can take plenty of time to rest this week.  Also, for time with dear friends at poker night tonight.  And for Pepcid Complete.  Because I had some raging acid reflux for 48 hours and Tums didn’t even touch it.
23. For a day at the movie theater watching Wicked: For Good… we all loved it so much!  I loved it more than the first!  Lots of tears!
24. For two Christmas movies back-to-back with Brian and the kids, for no blog work to be done so I can be truly present this week, and for family time outside decorating for Christmas.
25. For a clean and tidy house, for pajamas all day, and that Jacob and Olivia loved Mrs. Doubtfire as much as I did when I was a kid.
26. For family time with my father-in-law this evening to celebrate Thanksgiving on this Thanksgiving Eve. 
27. For another Thanksgiving with all our loved ones, for a lit Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (Lil Jon on the Toys R Us float was *chef’s kiss* – LOL), and that everyone stayed well since we missed our last big get together at Christmas when Olivia had the flu last year.
28. For a safe trip to Atlanta and back, that Olivia rallied even though she started feeling bad during the Georgia vs. Georgia Tech game, and for a Georgia win!
29. For a to-go plate from Brian since Olivia and I had to miss Thanksgiving with my mother-in-law and step-father-in-law today.  The leftovers were absolutely delicious!  And also, for my new ornament with Maui’s photos that Brian surprised me with… we hung it right next to her paw print ornament.  It’s now one of my favorite ornaments on the whole tree.
30. For Children’s Ibuprofen because it took Olivia’s very high fever right down.  And for one-on-one time with her yesterday and today even though it wasn’t under the best circumstances.

 

Happy Monday, y’all!  What is something you’re grateful for today?

A Year of Gratitude - October 2025 Snapshot

My word for 2024 was GRATITUDE.  To help myself keep the focus on that word all year, I started keeping a gratitude journal on January 1, 2024, and I’ve been writing at least 3-4 things I’m grateful for every single day since then.  I shared little snapshots of each month last year to hold myself accountable, and since I ended up enjoying these posts so much, I decided to continue them in 2025.

I’m only pulling one item from my gratitude journal per day to share here (okay, sometimes two or three), and some of the things are really big things like good health and good relationships, some things are humorous, and some things are the little things that most of the time go unnoticed.  Overall, though, the purpose of this whole exercise is to remember that even on the very worst of days, there is ALWAYS something for which to be grateful.

Always.

October was busy!  We had so much going on and I was grateful for a full month even though it was exhausting. 

In October I was grateful…

 

1. For my rescue inhaler.  Unfortunately, fall allergies are kicking my butt this year and I had to use my rescue inhaler for the first time in years.  So grateful that it’s always with me to help me breathe easier when I need it!
2. That my Taylor Swift merch shipped and is officially on its way to me!
3. For a new Taylor Swift album… happy TLOAS Day!  And also, for the best massage ever.  My upper back muscles were a mess, so my upper cervical chiropractor highly suggested that I get a massage after my adjustment, and it was incredible.  I feel like a new person!
4. For a whole day well spent with my girl making friendship bracelets, getting dressed up, and seeing The Life of a Showgirl movie with friends at the movie theater.  And for sequins!  Lots and lots of sequins!
5. For another year with my friend, Jen.  Happy birthday!!
6. For a family walk and some RAIN to wash away this pollen.
7. For a chat with our neighbor who is about to start cancer treatment, and that he is doing well and is at peace with everything so far.
8. That my last upper cervical chiropractor appointment has kept my neck and upper back tension away for dayssss.
9. For a safe drive to Universal Studios, for wonderful friends to share our trip with, and for an amazing few days ahead!
10. That the weather held out for us today while we were in the parks.  There was a 90% chance of rain, but we managed to avoid almost all of it.
11. That I was able to ride some of the rides, and I didn’t get too dizzy. 
12. For a safe trip home and the most wonderful time with friends who are like family.  There’s something extra special about raising your babies with your long-time best friend’s babies!
13. That my friend’s procedure went well today.  And for a day in pajamas literally all day… there’s no place like home.
14. For a 30-minute nap to reset.  I’m not normally a nap gal, but some days, you just need to take a nap!
15. For our angel baby in heaven on this Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.  For our Rainbow Baby – Jacob – and that God knew exactly what we needed when we needed it.  His timing is always perfect even if we don’t understand.
16. For my electric blanket!!  And for Brian for offering to take the kids to school for me this morning so I didn’t have to get out in the cold since I had no place to be.
17. For another nap.  Who even am I?
18. For a big Georgia win, for quality time with my girlfriends, and for a small last-minute class reunion, and getting to catch up with old friends who I hadn’t seen in 15 years.
19. For Tylenol because my upper back muscles were killing me again today.
20. For lots of energy, a general sense of peace, and stunning weather today.  And for Brian, for always helping me bring in groceries when I get home from the store.
21. For cool, crisp weather, oversized sweatshirts, and so much to look forward to.
22. For long hugs from Olivia, a one-on-one dinner with Jacob last night, and for my sunroof and this beautiful weather.
23. For stunning fall foliage and for Olivia’s music teacher for turning the air off before we arrived since he knows I’m always freezing.  Lol.
24. For a new Pentatonix Christmas album.
25. For beautiful weather for Haley and Corey’s wedding, for a beautiful wedding, and for lots of quality time spent with extended family.
26. For the coziest rainy day and Momma’s fettuccine alfredo bake.  One of my favorite meals ever! 
27. For the right to vote, for no line at the polling place, and for pumpkin spice lattes.
28. For my new rosary beads that my friend, Jen, brought me from Italy and for her thoughtfulness… they were blessed by Pope Leo!  And for fresh highlights and a fresh cut!  There’s nothing like that fresh hair feeling!
29. For cinnamon muffins… or “cinna-muffin delights” as Jacob calls them.  He loves cinnamon just as much as I do!
30. For a quick response from my doctor since I’m a bit under the weather today and for modern medicine that will get me back in tip-top shape.
31. For Halloween and all it’s fun festivities!  We had the best weather today, and we had the best time with friends and family all day long!  Halloween on a Friday is PEAK.

 

Happy Monday, y’all!  What is something you’re grateful for today?

A Year of Gratitude - September 2025 Snapshot

My word for 2024 was GRATITUDE.  To help myself keep the focus on that word all year, I started keeping a gratitude journal on January 1, 2024, and I’ve been writing at least 3-4 things I’m grateful for every single day since then.  I shared little snapshots of each month last year to hold myself accountable, and since I ended up enjoying these posts so much, I decided to continue them in 2025.

I’m only pulling one item from my gratitude journal per day to share here (okay, sometimes two or three), and some of the things are really big things like good health and good relationships, some things are humorous, and some things are the little things that most of the time go unnoticed.  Overall, though, the purpose of this whole exercise is to remember that even on the very worst of days, there is ALWAYS something for which to be grateful.

Always.

September was great!  It kicks off my four favorite months of the year – college football starts, fall starts, pumpkin stuff comes out… what’s not to like?!

In September I was grateful…

 

1. For time with my girl watching The New Heights Podcast with Taylor and Travis… I love that she loves Taylor just as much as I do.  And that we got to pick up Jacob from his Teen Advisors trip… I missed him so much!  It was so wonderful to hear how much fun he had stepping way outside his comfort zone.
2. That Brian always cleans up my tea mugs that I leave all over the house (with the teabags in them).  I always set them down somewhere knowing that I’ll take care of them when I load the dishwasher in the afternoon, but a lot of the time, he manages to get hold of them first, and he puts them away for me.
3. For a surprise hug from Grammy Trish at Khristina’s bookstore and for the most beautiful bookmark with her original artwork on it.  And it’s sunflowers so it’s perfectly festive for this time of year!
4. That I didn’t hit the deer that ran out in front of me this morning… I’m so grateful my reflexes were quick and accurate.  Whew.
5. That Olivia is having such a great first year in middle school… she’s handling everything on her own now (teachers don’t communicate with the parents as much in MS since they’re trying to build confidence and responsibility in the students to prepare them for high school), she’s making straight As, and she’s having a blast doing all the things that middle school has to offer!
6. For my mirror ball pumpkins.  They make me so happy!
7. For a new Sunday evening Mass that we can attend if we’re out of town all weekend.
8. For a new stack of books to look forward to reading.
9. For a glass of wine after a long day.
10. For my heating pad and Ibuprofen and Tylenol to assist with this muscle pain that I’m still having while my neck adjusts to using this new device to restore my C curve.
11. For some time to reflect on all of the events that occurred on this day 24 years ago… and for the memory of how our country came together afterward.  I’m praying that eventually we can get back to that, but this time without a tragedy.
12. For a small shop for reaching out to me to send me some new artwork for my office… and it’s Taylor Swift themed!
13. For doooonuuuuts.
14. For a massive Georgia win last night and an amazing sermon this morning that really spoke to me.
15. That I finally have a timeline for my braces to come off!!!!  Only two more visits!
16. For a yummy dinner and a really great conversation with my girlfriends tonight. 
17. For a huge hug from our old resource officer last night… he happened to be at the same restaurant I ate at with my girlfriends, and it was so good to see him!
18. For being able to sit in with Olivia during her guitar lessons.  What a gift it is to watch our kids grow and learn and see the fruits of their hard work.
19. For a big, strong guy on the Home and School Advisory Board with us this year… he made cleaning the school shed out 1000 times faster because he was able to pick up literally anything and everything no matter how large or heavy and carry it to the dumpsters and toss it right in.  It usually takes me and the other ladies hours to clean it out each year, but this time we were done in an hour.  Thanks, Lee!
20.  For such a fun poker night last night with our friends.  It was a particularly good one last night… we always have such a good time! 
21. For a stretch of week ahead that’s not so busy… time to start crossing tasks off the list while I have the chance!
22. That my skin check was all clear at the dermatologist today!  That’s always a good feeling.
23. That we were able to get Ed Sheeran tickets and we’re taking the kids this time!  They don’t know that we got tickets, and they have no idea that they’ll be going… I can’t wait to surprise them!
24. For sweet texts from friends, phone conversations like the old-school days (why oh why do we not talk on the phone as much as we used to?!  I truly miss it.  I know I say this all the time, too.  Haha.), and for another year with my Momma – happy birthdayyyy!!
25. For a safe drive home in the torrential rain.  We haven’t had any rain in so long, so the roads were all flooded and we hydroplaned slightly in one spot and then had to drive through washed out roads… it was very nerve-wracking.
26. That I was able to get signed Taylor Swift CDs!!!!  I cannot WAIT to get them and to give one to Olivia for Christmas… she is going to FLIP!
27. For a day in Athens tailgating with friends and family, for lots of yummy food, for cool weather, and for the most fun Georgia vs. Alabama game even though we lost.  Those light-up wristbands won the whole night!
28. For lots of productivity in a very short amount of time… I was on my A-game today!
29. For working lungs and emergency inhalers… it really is easy to take the ability to breathe for granted until there are issues.  My asthma flared today and it was scary.  And miserable.
30. For old videos of Maui that pop up in my Timehop and for another year with my littlest brother… happy birthday to yoooouuuu!!

 

Happy Monday, y’all!  What is something you’re grateful for today?

A Year of Gratitude - August 2025 Snapshot

My word for 2024 was GRATITUDE.  To help myself keep the focus on that word all year, I started keeping a gratitude journal on January 1, 2024, and I’ve been writing at least 3-4 things I’m grateful for every single day since then.  I shared little snapshots of each month last year to hold myself accountable, and since I ended up enjoying these posts so much, I decided to continue them in 2025.

I’m only pulling one item from my gratitude journal per day to share here (okay, sometimes two or three), and some of the things are really big things like good health and good relationships, some things are humorous, and some things are the little things that most of the time go unnoticed.  Overall, though, the purpose of this whole exercise is to remember that even on the very worst of days, there is ALWAYS something for which to be grateful.

Always.

August was mostly good.  While I was sad to send the kids back to school, it has been nice to be back in a routine again… although, I have to say, I do not miss the early wakeup call.  ;o)  August brought about many wonderful things for the kids and our family in general, and although some of my neck tension/dizziness has started to creep up again (likely because of the neck pillow the doctor has me using to realign my c-curve) it hasn’t been nearly as terrible as it used to be, so I’m grateful for that as well. 

 

In August I was grateful…

 

1. For not being dizzy for soooo long now… this is the longest stretch I’ve been without being dizzy since it all started in July 2023.
2. For this wonderful, relaxing, fun summer that we had… it’s bittersweet that it ends Monday.
3. For two homecooked meals today… we love our Sunday lunches and dinners with our families!
4. That both kids had a great first day of school.  And for our drive home – it’s always one of my favorite parts of the day… I just love hearing everything about their day, and they were both RAVING about how wonderful everything was today. 
5. That Jacob loves both of his math classes so much.  He decided to double up on math this year (and he was already in advanced math prior to this year), so he’s taking 10th and 11th grade math this year as a 9th grader.  He was a little nervous about his decision at first, but after just two days, he has declared those to be his favorite classes (especially the 11th grade math class) and he’s happy with his decision to double up!
6. For feeling ahead, organized, tidy, and not like a chicken with my head cut off… yet anyway.  Haha.
7. That the eye doctor was able to get us in for an emergency appointment since Jacob’s skin around his eye was so irritated.  I am super grateful that it’s nothing serious, too.
8. For another year around the sun with my Daddy!  Happy birthday to him!
9. For some décor refreshes around the house… by shopping my own home!  I rearranged a few things today and I’m loving the changes!
10. For 90s and early 2000s romcoms… I watched How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days again today (for the gazillionth time) and it is just so good.  Why don’t they make movies like this anymore?!  Also, for my bulletin board in my office… it holds so many treasures, and I love looking at it all day while I work.  It makes me so happy!  And for being able to resume Bible studies again after having to be super careful about my neck position for weeks.  And finally, for my first run in ages… and that my neck muscles didn’t tense up like they used to do when I ran!
11. For another year with my father-in-law… happy birthday to him!!
12. For a Taylor Swift new album announcement!!!!  EEEEK.
13. For my collection of Rainbow Loom bracelets that Olivia has made for me over the years… I love wearing one each day and having that little reminder of her around my wrist.
14. For SUCH a fantastic night last night at the Teddy Swims concert.  My goodness, he is so talented!  And for my parents for keeping the kids and getting them to school this morning… I got to sleep in after being up until 1 AM.  PRAISE.
15. For social media friends who will snag the Deluxe CD version of a Taylor Swift album for you when they know you keep trying and failing to get one.
16. That Jacob and Olivia are home with me all day today.  I have missed them so much since they went back to school!
17. For the laziest weekend… re-entry into the new school year is always so exhausting!
18. For Brian, who mows the lawn in the blazing heat after he’s worked all day.
19. For all of the Taylor Swift Easter eggs about her new album… it is so much fun to be a Swiftie, y’all!
20. For my acrylic shelves in my office that Brian hung earlier this year… I finally got them styled just right, and I love every single thing about them.
21. For a long conversation with our resource officer and being able to get to know him + hearing all of the wonderful things he’s had to say about our school.
22. That Jacob’s sickness was brief, and that he only had to miss one day of school… and that none of the rest of us ever got sick!
23. For a fun time at our school’s football game last night.  For being able to sleep in this morning.  For time spent with my girl making waffles for breakfast.
24. That Jacob has joined such a wonderful group that promotes deep connection, supportive relationships, and character development through the lens of God.  It is such a great group, and he is grateful that he decided to join.
25. That people feel that they can confide in me.  For whatever reason, people have always confided in me with things that are very private (and sometimes things that I am probably not supposed to know – haha).  But I am honored that people trust me so much that they feel like they can reach out to me when they need me.
26. For a Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce engagement!!!!  This seriously made my day, my week, and my month!  And that I was able to email the news to Olivia and be the one to tell her before she heard about it from someone else.
27. For those working hard every day to protect our kids while they’re at school.  For those who are willing to stand up for common sense gun laws.  And that we have not been touched by the tragedy of a school shooting.  And I pray that we never do. 
28. For 22 years of being with Brian… today was our date-iversary!  And for good food, yummy drinks, and great conversation with my girls at dinner.
29. That my neck adjustment held for so long.  It was slightly out of adjustment today for the first time in forever, so my doctor was able to spread out my visits by a month going forward!
30. That Jacob arrived at his destination safely for his retreat.  For fall decorating with my girl.  For college football on my TV.  For cinnamon and pumpkin spice in my diffuser.  For all the fall things.  And for a long weekend – AMEN.
31. For Brian, for picking up pumpkin donuts for the two of us even though both kids were gone.

 

Happy Monday, y’all!  What is something you’re grateful for today?

A Year of Gratitude - July 2025 Snapshot

My word for 2024 was GRATITUDE.  To help myself keep the focus on that word all year, I started keeping a gratitude journal on January 1, 2024, and I’ve been writing at least 3-4 things I’m grateful for every single day since then.  I shared little snapshots of each month last year to hold myself accountable, and since I ended up enjoying these posts so much, I decided to continue them in 2025.

I’m only pulling one item from my gratitude journal per day to share here (okay, sometimes two or three), and some of the things are really big things like good health and good relationships, some things are humorous, and some things are the little things that most of the time go unnoticed.  Overall, though, the purpose of this whole exercise is to remember that even on the very worst of days, there is ALWAYS something for which to be grateful.

Always.

July was such a great month – it was equal parts fun, relaxation, and productivity, and I think it’s safe to say that it was probably my favorite month of 2025 yet… most likely also because my vertigo, dizziness, unsteadiness, and all of the other nasty symptoms I have been facing for so long have finally started to disappear.  It’s amazing how much lighter and happier I feel when I’m not bogged down with chronic pain, headaches, sensitivity to light, vertigo, etc.  I can now sit at the computer and crank out an entire blog post from start to finish so much faster because my brain fog is slowly lifting, and I no longer have pain in my neck when sitting for long periods of time.  It’s AMAZING. 

In addition to all of the above, I also managed to dig way down deep on the to-do list this summer and check things off that I never thought would see the light of day.  That made me feel ultra productive, but somehow, not burned out in the least, and I feel like we started the month of August (and the new school year) feeling prepared and calm.  While I’m sad to see summer go, I really do feel ready for the busy season that lies ahead, and I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to navigate it with grace and, maybe, just maybe, be able to savor it for once instead of watching it rush by while we’re drowning in a bunch of tasks that need to be done.

In July I was grateful…

 

1. For the good parts of social media, one being that it keeps us all connected to loved ones who we can’t see as much as we’d like.
2. That I was able to walk for over three miles with very few side effects from my dizziness… it’s the first time I’ve walked that distance since my vertigo started two years ago!
3. For Olivia randomly telling me today, “I just want to spend time with my mom.”  I love that my sweet girl still loves to spend time with me.
4. For a perfectly low-key 4th of July with friends, for Jeannine’s friendship, and that our kids are all so close.  And also for those who stand up for all of the injustice going on in the world and in our country right now.
5. For a productive day getting stuff cleaned out.
6. For two homecooked meals – one by my mother-in-law and one by my Momma.  They feed us so well on Sundays and we always love our Sunday family time.
7. For a day that felt endless (in a good way).  Somehow, today felt super long, and it felt like we had so much time to get so many things done.  It was an equal mix of productivity, relaxation, and fun times with family and friends.
8. For a rainbow!!!!  I never ever get tired of seeing them.  They truly always seem to appear when I’m hoping to see one the most.
9. For a lazy day at home all day in pajamas.
10. For no dizziness or pain or side effects AT ALL today.  And for having a full heart after helping out at our church’s outreach center.
11. For good times with friends today for both Jacob and Olivia… and for cozy thunderstorms.
12. For an excellent homily at Mass tonight about loving our neighbor… it is so important right now with the way things are in our country during this tumultuous time.
13. For my reading nook in my office.  I love everything about it… the chair, the mirror ball throw pillow, the cozy lamp and twinkle lights, the stack of books, our family picture in our favorite place, and a live plant that is thriving.
14. That my adjustments are holding!  And my atlas is officially level!  It’s not perfect yet, as it still has to be adjusted laterally, but this is such excellent news!
15. For dinner with my girls… they fill my cup every time I get together with them.  And for a 4-mile jog and a quiet evening to myself while Brian took the kids to see a movie.
16. That the snake in the middle of the road didn’t strike at me when I almost stepped on it.  Ugggghhhh.
17. That my dizziness and unsteadiness didn’t fire up too badly at the Back to School Ice Cream social… socializing/having long conversations has always been a trigger for my dizziness, vertigo, and unsteadiness because it makes my neck stiff, and it wasn’t nearly as bad tonight.  Normally after a situation like that, I have to go lay down when I get home and I’m zapped for the rest of the day, but this time, I had mostly recovered in the 15 minutes it took me to get home.
18. That I didn’t have any dizziness or unsteadiness after this adjustment.  And for two patient kids who have been going to most of my appointments with me without a single complaint.
19. For finally getting that closet under the stairs cleaned out… it has been on my list for years and it’s one of the areas that I haven’t touched during my annual house cleanouts for the past couple of years.
20. For Publix, for bailing us out with a birthday cake after Walmart failed us.
21. For feeling totally normal all day today from start to finish. 
22. For a giant birthday eve hug from my Boo.  He’ll wake up a year older tomorrow.
23. For 14 years with Jacob.  That God made me a Momma.  For our rainbow baby in heaven.
24. For more time spent at our church’s outreach center and that our kiddos were so willing to help out there this summer. 
25. For poker night with our usual group.  We’re coming up on three whole years of doing these monthly poker nights and I hope we continue to prioritize them.
26. That Jacob has such good friends. 
27. For Brian, for patiently hanging Olivia’s twinkle lights even though it was a bit tedious… we also ran into a couple of issues while doing it.
28. That Jacob had a blast at high school orientation today.  It’s such a big step, and I’m so happy that he didn’t have any anxiety over all of it.
29. For a date with Brian tonight along with some yummy food and drinks.
30. For several dizzy/pain free days in a row… the longest stretch I’ve had in years.  And also, for these tennis skirts that I wear so much.  They are the comfiest things, but they are SO cute, and they make me feel put together even when I’m actually just bumming around.
31. That Olivia is so happy right now.  She has told me numerous times in the past week that she’s just happy in general in life, and there’s really nothing more in the world that I want for my kids more than I want that.

Happy Monday, y’all!  What is something you’re grateful for today?