{Thankful}

This is a great season to make us step back and realize all we have to be thankful for. I thought I'd reflect and jot down things I'm thankful for. Two years ago, Nick and I had a "thankful basket" we'd put something every day we're thankful for. It was neat to go through them together in the end. I also kept them and we looked at them again last year and it's neat to see where we were at and what was on our hearts a year before. 

A beautiful setting sun on my way home this week 

I'm thankful for so much beyond this list, but here's a start:

• God has to top the list each year. I wouldn't be here without Him and He is our ultimate Provider, Healer, Designer, Planner, etc. 

• My hubby. If you've been reading for long, you probably know how much he helps me, supports me, cares for me, and has a selfless love that is incredible. 

• Our puppy, Ranger. He brings so much joy and puts life in perspective. He also challenges us, but I'd say in areas we could use to be challenged.

• Family. Our families mean so much to us and are a huge part of who we are and growing together.

• Joe's healing. The weeks after Joe's accident were scary to say the least. Some of you know he had another surgery this week on his diaphragm. It had been cracked and unseen until recently. It should help Joe's pain and breathing, and hopefully help him heal more fully. His healing has been a hard, long process, but we're so thankful he's here and to see his progress. God is good! 

• Work. I'm so blessed to have a great boss, team, and feel appreciated. I know this is hard to come by and so thankful to grow there. 

• Provision. Even through hard seasons of life, we are continuing to learn how the Lord provides for our needs. Even needs we don't think about - food, shelter, love, etc. He gives us what we need. 

• Friends. We try to be intentional in our friendships (I wish I could be better at this too) and to appreciate them, be there for them, and enjoy the friendships. I've said it before, I wish I could just be a full-time friend, I just love to encourage others and wish I had/made more time to do it.

• The holiday season. It's my favorite time of the year. I love the coziness, the warmth and love shared, the twinkle of Christmas lights, snuggling by the fire place, and giving hearts. This season always seems to go too fast, so I try to soak up every day and enjoy it. 

• My creative heart. I enjoy making things - knitting, crocheting, card making, etc. This time of year is fun to see what I can make for gifts and put my creative soul to use. 

• The social world. As silly as it may sound, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, the blogosphere all help me stay in touch with friends and family. I have to be careful not to spend too much time there, but there is so much love and so many great people I've enjoyed connecting with. People that are similar to me, different from me - I learn new perspectives.

• Food. I'm thankful we are able to accommodate me eating dairy and gluten free. I'm thankful I've found great foods to eat and that Nick is on board with finding healthy alternatives to keep us feeling good. 

• Readers. That's you all! I love hearing from you, sharing with you, and living life together. 

It's so rare these days Ranger takes a nap on us - we soak up these sweet moments

We start obedience school for Ranger tomorrow and we're excited. We try to be the best puppy parents we can be and look forward to learning how we can help him better and work through some of his areas of "improvement";). Here's a funny video of his feisty leg picking a fight with him (crazy pup! He does this often and I finally got it on video).

(Source: Grace & Lace Website)

I loved watching Grace & Lace on Shark Tank last night. It's crazy how successful their business has been - she started it while she was on bed rest with a high risk pregnancy (I followed her blog during that stage of her life - until she got too busy with her Etsy shop and stopped blogging!:)). Watch the video of their story here. They've done over 1 million dollars in sales in the past 12 months! It's wild, but neat to see a business grow from her making things for herself, to doing orders from friends & family, to the business soaring as it was shared through Pinterest, FB, etc. On their Facebook page last night, she shared how thankful they are for the Lord's plan for their business and that they were selected to be on Shark Tank out of 38,000 applicants. Incredible! And inspiring. 

Today's Pinspiration:

(Pinterest Source)

Pumpkin Chili & Grace and Lace

This time of year, I love soups. Last year, it seemed like we did a crockpot soup just about weekly. I love prepping the meal once and getting multiple meals out of it. And I just love soups. I've got a new Pumpkin Chili recipe for you today! 

First, a recap of our week in photos:

I got out my crochet needles and made a few things last weekend. It made my heart so happy! 

A cowl I'm working on. 

These perfect dainty flowers (that I'm guessing are weeds..) are so pretty in the backyard right now. 

We've started leash training with Ranger which is much more difficult than you'd guess. Maybe he's just difficult ;) but it was quite the accomplishment to get him to walk forward in the leash - baited by treats every few steps. This puppy puts us to work! It's a patient process for sure, but teaches us a lot too. Learning moments right here.

A few nights ago while leash training in the back yard, Ranger walked too close to the pool in the bricks and his back leg slipped right into the pool. It happened very fast and Nick pulled him out quickly. His whole body didn't even get in the water, probably the lower 3/4 of his body or so. I had just a few minutes earlier put my hand in the water and splashed it around to show him that wasn't a solid surface, but I guess he knows now! Hopefully:)

We also had the first day I (Nick;)) had to scrape my car. He ran out to scrape it for me, such a sweet man. He shows me such unselfish love everyday. 

 My boys- it's a rare moment when Ranger falls asleep on our lap. We soak it up.

My attempt at getting a selfie with Ranger yesterday:)

I'm excited to share this Pumpkin Chili recipe with you! My co-worker has made this chili the past few years for our chili cook-off and it's always a top winner! I had to try it so she kindly gave me the recipe. Everyone loved it. It's so good and the pumpkin adds a heartiness that just hits the spot. 

• Pumpkin Chili Ingredients:

  2 tablespoons olive oil 

  1/2 cup chopped onion 

  1 cup chopped red or orange bell pepper (seeds/ribs removed) 

  1 clove garlic, finely chopped 

  1 pound ground chicken or beef 

  2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained 

  1 can (15 oz.) Canned Pumpkin (just pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling) 

  1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce 

  1 can (15.25 oz.) kidney, pinto, OR black beans  

  1 can (4 oz.) Diced Green Chiles 

  1 tablespoon chili powder 

  1 teaspoon ground cumin 

  1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

  A few dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg

  
  Directions:
  

  Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add meat; cook until browned.

  Add ALL remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

 It's so easy! I whipped it up in probably an hour including prepping the veggies and the cook time. 

(image source)

I've followed this blogger, Melissa, for a few years now. I started reading her blog just after the loss of her baby girl. We were living in Dallas and she was in Austin. My heart just broke for her, but her faith through it all was so inspiring. She has such a sweet heart for the Lord and I kept up with her blog regularly. A while later, she was pregnant again and on a strict bed rest. She started making things to keep herself busy and started an Etsy site (here). We had some interaction in the blogosphere (I helped her get her blog header centered:)) but she stopped blogging so I always wondered how she was doing. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I saw my friend liked her Grace and Lace page on Facebook. I was in awe! I felt like I was reunited with a friend again. Her family is adorable! She announced this week she took her business on Shark Tank (one of our favorite shows!) and they previewed her episode last night for next week (it airs next Friday night). I love supporting small businesses and am so excited for her and her family. She has a new website: http://www.graceandlace.com and has been so successful with her little shop turned huge success. Check it out and watch her and her hubby on Shark Tank next Friday! 

Today's Pinspiration:

In the spirit of thankfulness. This season, we're counting our blessings. We have so much to be thankful for, in all seasons of life. 

(Pinterest Source)

Perspective & Ranger at 3 Months Old

(source)

A blog I read regularly (In This Wonderful Life) posted a link to a video earlier this week. I decided I'd watch it on my lunch break and had to keep blotting my eyes with tissues to keep the tears from falling. 

I'll back up and give you an understanding of where I was at the day I watched it. I wasn't feeling well as the day went on Tuesday and had a nasty dizzy spell before bed. Wednesday morning was rough. I just didn't feel well, felt weak and had a lot of widespread pain rotating through my body. Some of the pain was even electric feeling which I was not used to. I got to work and was fighting through the pain and weakness. I watched this video and gained a new perspective for my day. My day was fine - I can eat, breathe, laugh, cry, walk and drive. What a story they have and what a great testimony for the Lord's healing hands. 

I ended up figuring out one of my prescriptions didn't get into my pill pack this week (it had been pulled for me to take to the doc to get refilled and I hadn't noticed it was absent). After just about a year of taking it, I didn't take it Monday or Tuesday and was experiencing crazy withdrawals since this is a med you have to slowly ease off (not quick taking abruptly). I've been much better since realizing it and putting it back into my pill pack. 

Check out this 22 minute video and be prepared for tears and tissues. This perspective helps me be confident our Lord can handle this, on my plate, and help me appreciate ALL I have rather than seeing the things missing in my life. Wow. 


Scroll down on this page and click the play button for the video "Watch the Documentary Short Film". 

http://www.hopeheals.com

Ranger is 3 Months Old!

In other not-so-serious updates, Ranger turned three months old this week - it's so wild! I can't believe how much this little pup has grown and how fast it's happening. We take our roles being puppy parents seriously and love our Rangerboy. Here's a little glimpse at a few photos over these 3 months.

First Day - he's just a few hours old here. We all fell in love seeing this little guy enter the world. He was so tiny and fragile at just 3.5 ounces (less than a quarter of a pound!). We're all still amazed he made it in those early days being so fragile and us having to supplement his food. 

A Few Days Old - burry, but funny to see how tiny and hairless he was!:

 1 Week Old - it makes me miss our tiny puppyboy:

1 Month Old - still such a sweet sleepy pup:

Another at 1 Month Old:

2 Months Old:

3 Months Old:

We're looking into obedience class for him to set him on the right track. At the vet appt on Thursday (for his puppy shots), he's now 7 pounds! That's half of his dad, Boo, who is at 14 pounds as an adult. He's a wild, sweet, curious puppy. He is scared of people he doesn't know (we learned this at the vet this week;)) and now he has enough puppy shots that we can start leash training, going on walks, and hopefully getting him more interaction with other dogs and humans. 

I've been reading My Wise Mom's blog (Iowa Girl Eats' Sister in Law!) and she posted cold remedies this week I thought I'd pass along! Click here to hop over to her post. She also has kids with food allergies, so I've enjoyed getting to know her blog and things she writes about. 

Today's Pinspiration:

(source - found on Pinterest)

Fall Colors & Halloween Week

Happy November! I can't believe we're already here, but I'm loving this fall weather lately. Highs in the 70s, blue skies, and some fall colors starting to sneak in. 

We've still got pretty flowers on the bushes too. I love these bright flowers in the south. 

 Sweet Ranger and his new favorite toy: kong. We fill it with treats for him to dig out sometimes - he loves it. It's a good way to let him work for it since he likes challenges. 

Our 12 week photo. He looks so sweet and innocent here ;) really, he's a wild child. 

 Nick did this last weekend after a run. You could not get me in that water, but he loved it :) the water temp was 62 degrees. 

You can see how big Ranger is in this photo. He's started jumping off the ottoman and couch - not jumping up on them yet. The first few times, and even now a bit, he gets scared to jump off and paces on the couch, whimpering, until he gets brave enough to make the jump. 

I think this was shortly after his bath - he's so fluffy after his bath. 

Sunrise on my drive to work this week. I love when the beauty of the world makes us pause and soak it up. I need to soak it up more often. 

I'm loving the colors outside. Still so pretty! 

Halloween night, before the trick-or-treaters came. We let Ranger watch all of the kids coming to the door to get him used to people. 

Our vet said 10-14 weeks is when dogs typically develop fears, so to expose him to lots of people and things dogs are typically afraid of (men in hats, people with umbrellas, etc.). He did great! He didn't love the ones wearing masks completely covering their faces, but did great with everyone else! 

Family photo Halloween night. Ranger is 12 weeks here. 

 We love our cuddles - it was so sweet when Ranger cuddled up between us. This pup throws his crazy tantrums, but is so sweet too. Like kids, right? Ha:) 

I took this a few nights ago - I think his face is looking less like a puppy these days. He's grown up so crazy fast, I look back on his tiny 3.5 oz puppy photos and can't believe he's the same guy. 

I have a doctor checkup this week, to see how my new medicine is working, and Ranger has a vet appointment this week to get more shots - I think he wraps up his puppy shots at this one. 

We'll watch our Cyclones and Huskers this afternoon and hope they do better than last week... it's been a rough season so far, but we love our teams. 

Today's Pinspiration:

(Pinterest Source)