Friendships #30daysofThanksgiving

It's a dreary day here and I'm getting ready to head out of town for a funeral, but despite that, I'm still so thankful today.

Today, I'm most thankful for friends.  I've got some really good ones.  

Oftentimes, I get down about friendships because I'm the sort of person who wants everyone to like me. I've just had to learn that not every friendship is going to be the same and I won't be super close with everyone.  And that's okay!!!

I just love the companionship and encouragement of friendships.

Monday, I had lunch with a friend and it was so fun.  It's been so good for me as I get to know ladies from church better. 

Yesterday, I had lunch with some ladies that I became friends with last year at school.  I love their friendship and those times that we get to have adult conversation!

I get to spend every Thursday afternoon with a great friend of mine as we watch our daughters at gymnastics.

Last night, the ladies from our Sunday school class met at the home of a wonderful lady from our church.  She has been a wonderful mentor to us and gives us Godly wisdom.  I love times when we get together to fellowship and share about our lives.

I'm thankful for those close friends- the ones that know my soul.  They know who they are and I sure hope they know how much I love them!

I'm thankful that my husband is my friend.  I know he probably could do without some of my dialogue, but I'm thankful that he lets me talk about anything and everything with him!

I just feel so blessed with the friends in my life-  The ones that I talk to daily, the ones that I talk to less often but pick up where we left off, the new ones and the old ones.  
I am richly blessed.

My testimony and Last week.... {#30daysofThanksgiving}

My friend Kelly asked me a few months ago if I would share my testimony on her blog.  She had started a series called "Testimony Tuesday."  I immediately knew that I should say yes.  God has been pressing me for a year to write out my story and I didn't know why.  

In the weeks surrounding the time that my testimony was to appear on her blog, I received confirmation after confirmation of my decision.  

I'm so glad when I know for sure that God wants me to do something!

If you would like to read it, just head on over here to her blog.

I'm so very thankful for all of the emails, comments, Facebook posts and words of encouragement in person that I received.  I never want it to be about me.  

I am just so very thankful that my story may have touched people or given them encouragement.

Kelly shared her testimony yesterday during our women's ministry Bible study time.  

It was so good.  I have fallen in love with testimony.  I love to learn more about people and I LOVE to see how God works in and throughout our lives!  

He is so, so GOOD!

God has been so good to me in my life.  There have been so many hard times, but He has always worked good of even the bad times.

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Last week.... I helped in the classrooms like I normally do, listened to a great testimony at church during Bible study time, we had a makeup gymnastics class and regular gymnastics class, AWANA, Tim and I got to have adult conversation while they were in church, I had a baby shower Thursday night for my friend Elizabeth who is having a baby girl next month, and shopped on Friday and had dinner at Flying Fish. 

I started feeling run down on Thursday evening.  On Friday, I seemed better until dinnertime. By the time we got home, I was SO ready for bed.  I woke up Saturday morning knowing that I had a cold :(

We also had company on their way!

I took meds and rested as much as I could.  I somehow powered through and visited, took Jessica to my favorite consignment store and then took some family photos for Keith, Jessica and Parker.

We had a fantastic visit with them!

And, I can officially say that- I love my new camera!!!

Today, I am thankful for cameras.  Nothing thrills my heart more than to know that I can preserve images of our lives to always look back on. 

Giving Thanks #30daysofThanksgiving

I obviously have not been writing something I am thankful for everyday.  And I'm okay with that.  I've been busy living life and not feeling pressure to do anything I don't want to do!

So, on that note, today-

I'm thankful for slower days. This gives me more time. Sometimes I get so busy that I don't know if I'm coming or going. My calendar can get so full and I'm constantly writing myself notes or emailing myself so I don't forget things. 

I've learned that I don't like life like that. I know it's hard to avoid in this season of my life so most times I just hang on and try to do my best. 

I like that my calendar is more open this month. I have more time to be still and quiet and hear what God is saying to me. He has been saying a LOT lately. I go through periods where I feel like He is so far away (probably because I'm so busy) and then times like this where He is showing me something. It's so funny how He works in my life. It's not hard to miss what He is saying because I will see the same theme repeated over and over in so many ways. 

I love having more time to try and be a better wife/mother/friend/sister/daughter. I love the people in my life and I want to show them. When I am busy, that becomes so hard. 

I'm trying to focus on my home lately. We moved in here in February but there are still decorative and organizational things that I'm working on. Plus, I want it to be a haven for us. I hate coming home to a dirty, cluttered home. I get so crazy and overwhelmed. I'm working on strategies to keep it in more order (isn't it such an ongoing battle?!)

I want to enjoy the holidays this year but not feel so busy and over the top. I want to focus with my family on what the holidays mean. 

I want to have time to make goodies for Tim's co-workers. I just don't want to feel rushed. 

I want to be a good steward of our money and not just buy things because they are beautiful and Christmas-y. I don't want to go overboard on my kids. I want to buy them meaningful gifts - not just something that is popular, or a bunch of junk because it was in a $1 bin. 

I know I'll have to lean on God to keep some of these goals. It's so hard during the holidays to not get in the hype!!!! Not that we don't enjoy the holidays with a passion - we do!!!! 
I just don't want to miss the small and meaningful things that are most important!

Image credit 

Giving Thanks {#30daysofThanksgiving + Wordless Thanksgiving}

I'm behind on posting everything that has been going on lately - I'll get to it soon!

I have been so enjoying being a part of Ann Voskamp's #joydare in October on Instagram

 (I'm @mrslsparacino there).

Now that we are entering November and the Thanksgiving season, lots of people will be posting what they are thankful for.

Two of my favorite Arkansas bloggers are doing a daily thankful on their blogs this month.

Heidi at The Busy Nothings is doing #30daysofThanksgiving.

Karen at Ting's Mom is doing a Wordless Thanksgiving.

I may not post every day, but I will do as much as I can!

Today, I will start off the month of thanksgiving by saying how thankful I am for 

Fall in Arkansas.

The trees have been taking my breath away this week.  I literally almost had a wreck yesterday because I was staring at some trees (I am not thankful for that though!)

These are just a couple of the gorgeous trees near my house. I'm hoping to see some spectacular color when we drive down to Fayetteville tomorrow for the Razorback game.

Happy Fall y'all!