Time to get to bloggin’! I have been away too long! Time flies when you’re having fun, or working hard at two jobs and school ;) Let’s see, in the last post, I was thankful for my awesome friend Emily, so that leaves me off at the 27th. Tuesdays are sometimes hard for me, with Mondays, it is the start of a new week, and Wednesday marks the halfway point, and then Friday is right after that, but Tuesdays, it’s kind of a bummer day…not quite to the middle of week yet.  So last Tuesday I was thankful that I had a quick moving, productive day–I got a lot done and the day went by quickly.  Sometimes that is all it takes to be thankful! :)

Wednesday the 28th I was so very thankful for my two twin cousins!! It was their birthday and they turned 20!! I can not believe that they are not teenagers anymore!! I remember when they were born and visiting them up in Chicago.  These two women are very special in my life–I have been blessed with a very close family, including all of my cousins.  I grew up spending summers with my 3 cousins and my sister, we were all inseparable! There are so many memories with Abigail and Andrea and I am so thankful that we have grown up together and been able to share our families.  They each are so unique and each have wonderful gifts and talents that the Lord has given them.  I have seen them mature and grow in the Lord in such an amazing and beautiful way.  I am so very blessed that these girls are not only my family, but also my friends!! I love you both!

Thursday the 29th, I was thankful for my crock-pot! That thing is one of the coolest inventions ever.  Whoever came up with that deserves a candy bar.  I always forget I have it and then when I do pull it out, I usually end up going overboard and making tons of stuff.  Thursday I made pulled-pork in the crock-pot, and tons of it! I tried a recipe with Root Beer in it…don’t laugh, it was actually really good! I had so much left over, so now my freezer is full of pork! Yum! And I hardly had to do anything! Just threw everything in the pot! Please leave me a comment if you have any good crock-pot recipes, I am always looking for new good ones! :)

Friday the 30th, I was thankful for good deals!! I am not sure why I have never set foot in a Big Lots, but that has now changed! That place is amazing! Such good deals on home stuff, crafty things, and just about anything you could think of–I found an apple corer/peeler/slicer for only $5! And promptly went home to make homemade applesauce!! I love finding good deals and I definitely found some at Big Lots!

On Saturday the 1st, I was thankful for my GPS in my phone…yeah.  I am pretty directionally challenged, and really have trouble in places I am not familiar with.  I went up to Purdue University to watch a play that was being interpreted by my mentor, and I do not know my way around Purdue…at all. So I was very thankful that my awesome phone has a GPS in it and gave me very handy turn-by-turn directions! It was very helpful and I even got to the play on time! (And the play was amazing by the way…I love any live theater and it was even better that I got to see it interpreted!)

Sunday was my family day–so very thankful for any time I get to spend with my family and this Sunday was our annual tradition of going to Beasley’s Apple Festival.  It is a cute little fall festival with good food and even better apples.  They have craft booths and a corn maze, and we all had a good time with each other (I think…you might have to double check with my sister :)  )  I got some amazing apples to make more applesauce with, and ate an amazing apple dumpling! It is a great kick-off to the fall season, and spending that time with my family makes it even better.  I am definitely blessed!

AND…today.  Today I am thankful for peace.  I have had continued peace about a multitude of things happening in my heart and life.  I am so thankful that the Lord has given me this gift and I all I can say is that I am very thankful Him for that.  There have been a lot of changes that have happened recently and some that are coming, and through it all, my Savior has been consistent.  He is the one constant in my life and the peace that I have had been given is amazing.  Everything that has happened recently has all had a purpose and has fit together perfectly.  I hope that I will remember this time of peace how the Lord is at work when my next struggle and challenge comes! I am praying that I continue to trust in His timing, wait for His plan to come to completion, and for continued peace, surrender and contentment!

Today I am thankful for my friend Emily!!! Today is her birthday and hope that she had an awesome and wonderful day celebrating! :D I am so very thankful for Emily, and I am not sure that she will ever know just how thankful I am and how much her friendship means to me! I have actually only known Emily for a few years, but we became close friends fast! We had 2 mutual friends in common, and the 4 of us all quickly became inseparable! We are known as the 4 “goobers” and us goobers have had some awesome and fun times!   Such an amazing group of godly women and I feel as though I have known Emily for way longer than I have. :) She is one of the nicest, most thoughtful, crafty, beautiful, steadfast, amazing woman I know!! Her love for the Lord spills out into all that she does and she is so full of love for her Savior, her husband, her family, and her friends.

After she got married, Emily moved down to Tennessee to be with her husband, so our friendship has taken a new turn, and I have not been able to see her nearly as much as I would want! But I am so thankful that even though we are 5 hours away, we are able to still be friends! I am so thankful for who she is and that I can call her my friend!! :D Happy Birthday Emily!

Me, Emily, and Maggie after Emily talked us into dying our hair! I did NOT want to, but she talked me into it. She is notorious for being able to talk any of us into anything... :) So much fun!!

Wednesday I was thankful for mini pumpkins!! On the way home from work, I stopped at a farmers market and found the cutest little pumpkins! They were only a dollar and I got a bunch to take home and decorate for fall! I put up all my fall decorations this week so now it is officially fall! :) Plus my awesome mom got me a fall candle! I absolutely love Yankee Candle’s fall candles…I wish I had a bubble of Yankee Candle’s “Kitchen Spice” around me all the time…I feel like the world be a better place if we each had a scent bubble :)

My cute mini pumpkins!!

How cute is that fall wreath?! :)

Thursday I was thankful for my night job.  I love working at the carriage company in the evenings.  I get to be around horses, I get to hang out in a warm office, I can wear sweat pants to work if I want :) and I have time to do my homework.  It is such a great job for a college student, and not only do I have one awesome job, but two!! Man, I am so blessed!

Friday I was thankful for my first paycheck from my new job! Wow…was I ever thankful for that! :)

Saturday I was thankful for a group of women that I got to spend the morning with.  I was able to go to a luncheon for a very close friend to celebrate the upcoming birth of her first child and some really awesome and godly women were there.  I can not put into words how thankful I am for the women that were there.  I am so blessed to be a part of their lives and blessed that God has given me such amazing friends with unbelievable passion, love for the Lord, talent, wisdom, strength, and laughter!! I was so glad I got invited to be a part of my friend’s special day and I can not wait to meet her daughter!!

Today I am thankful for the thirst I have felt all week for fellowship, teaching and worship at church.  The Holy Spirit has been moving this week in my heart and I am so thankful for that longing and that desire to be with other believers and to hear the Word of God.  It is so important and I am thankful that church does not feel like an obligation, but rather like a longing.  I WANT to go to church, I WANT to cry out to God in the midst of other believers, I WANT to sing praises to my God, and I WANT to hear what the Lord is teaching me through my pastor.  I am so blessed by my church and the people there.  God is doing big things in and through that church and I am thankful I get to be a part of it! God is good! Amen!! :D

Today I am thankful for the unexpected free parking at the library and unexpectedly seeing my cousin! I had some extra time to kill after my job this morning before I headed to my 2nd job so I decided to go to the downtown library to spend some time. I always enjoy any time spent there, so a good trip was made even better when I found out that the garage parking wasn’t working so I didn’t have to pay for anything! It’s normally only a couple of dollars to park in the garage, but still–it was a nice unexpected surprise! :)  And as I was leaving, I ran into my cousin, whom I haven’t seen in forever! It was great to talk to him for a few minutes and see him! And even on top of that, I got a couple of new good books to dig into! :)

I was apparently in a food mood today :)  The first book is about a family that only ate food they grew themselves or that was grown right in their own town.  It was recommended to me when I said I wanted to learn how to make my own cheese :) I guess they try that in there somewhere–it looks really interesting so I am excited to crack it open.  :)  The second one is full of recipes for when I cook for myself.  I always end up making way too much food and it never tastes as good after being in the refrigerator for a day or two.  So hopefully I can get some ideas for tasty meals just for me. :) If you have any ideas, please leave me a comment!!

Well I am sure not keeping up my attempt to post everyday, but nonetheless I will at least have something to be thankful for everyday! Why? Cause God is awesome. No questions asked. :)

Saturday I was thankful for the new horse I started driving.  Every once and a while at my job, I am put on a horse that I have not driven before.  It is something I enjoy about my job, both that I get to be partnered with a horse for quite some time, but also that each time I drive a different or new horse, I am reminded how each horse is so very unique.  I love that about horses–each one is a little bit different, and each one has a special personality (some are more “special” than others, but that’s a different story).  On Saturday, I got to drive a big Belgian gelding with quite a personality.  I am still getting used to him, but just from what I saw on Saturday, he is a good boy.  I was thankful that he didn’t try and pull anything on me and that we got along.  It makes the night go so much easier, and it’s so much more fun when you drive a horse that you get along with. :)  Horses are just so awesome and I wish that they were a bigger part of my life–but a girl can dream!

Sunday I was thankful for 3D glasses.  3D glasses are cool.  Movies are awesome, but when you put on a pair of those glasses, an awesome movie is transformed into an even awesome-er movie.  Plus, they are very fashionable so you can rock those out when you are out on the town! Real life! In 3D! Haha…irony :)  But I had a very relaxing Sunday, was able to catch up on some stuff and I got to spend some time with my awesome friend going to see Lion King 3D.  That movie was one of the defining movies of my childhood and it was kinda a surreal experience seeing it in the theater and in 3D.  It was such a cool treat to be able to sit in a theater with little kids that had never seen the movie before and hear their giggles and their gasps at all the right times.  Way fun.  Plus I looked extra cool with the 3D glasses…

Today, I am thankful for carmel corn.  Yup. Homemade carmel corn.  With Amish popcorn. And lots of Amish butter…and brown sugar…and condensed milk…and so many good things packed into such a tiny morsel of awesomeness.  I got to spend some time with one of my closest friends today and we made carmel corn together!! I always love spending time with her, but I especially love cooking or baking with her.  She is awesome that way.  But today…today was amazing.  I couldn’t believe how such a simple thing could be soooo good.  And it felt like we ushered in fall, right there in her kitchen.  Eating carmel corn (on an apple slice–which is amazing…try it) while drinking apple cider.  I am pretty sure if you looked up autumn in the dictionary you would have seen our silly smiles while we licked the carmel-y goodness off our fingers :) It was a great time and I was thankful for the time we were able to catch up and just hang out.  And I may or may not be snacking on some of that carmel corn right now…yup. :)

Today I have had time to breathe! I am slowly getting used to my hectic schedule of transitioning into the real world and it definitely keeps me busy! But today has been nice! I have been able to relax a bit today and am enjoying the cool weather!

Today I am thankful for my tree outside my living room window.  I live in an apartment complex so there is not much foliage, except for the occasional tree and bush.  However, on the side my apartment is on, there is actually a pretty big tree, a smaller tree AND a whole alcove made out of bushes! I kind of have a little private backyard right outside my window.  It is great and I love watching the leaves change.  The one smaller tree that is right in front of my window is beautiful.  I am not sure exactly what kind it is but it is a flowering tree and it also has some sort of berry on it as well.  Right now it has a few leaves, but most have them have already fallen off, so it is perfect for bird watching!  One of the first things I bought when I moved into my apartment was a bird feeder to hang on one of the branches of that tree.  It is in a perfect spot so that both I and my cats can watch the birds come eat at the feeder! My cats especially love that tree because my love seat is right up against the window so they have a front row seat to such exciting entertainment! I have to admit I like watching the birds too–they are so cute and I love it when a cardinal or beautiful colored finch makes an appearance as well! With the weather turning cooler, the birds are always there, trying to eat as much as they can! I am so thankful for that little tree and how through every season, it stays strong.  Even through storms and wind and 2 inch thick ice that hung on it last winter, there it is, sitting outside my window, providing food for my little birds and joy for me! This is why I love this 365 project because it makes me realize how thankful I am for the little things in life and when I stop and realize just how much joy I get from those seemingly little things, it makes me want to thank my Savior even more for every day blessings!! :) And if God can take care of those birds and my cute little tree outside my window, man, He must love me a lot to take care of me!!! :)

Wow. What a week.  I am thankful that is almost Friday (in about 5 minutes) and that doesn’t even count as one of my days! :) I have had a great week, and I have so many things to be thankful for this week.  One thing I haven’t had this week is very much time.  As I said a couple posts back, I started a new job this week!! Yay!! So lets start with Monday…

Monday I was thankful for my desk.  I have a desk! A real, adult desk, with a computer, phone, a video-phone (for when Deaf clients call), and…a stapler!! I have never really had an “adult job” before and I definitely felt official when my boss showed me around and showed me where I would be working at my desk. :) It’s the little things in life, but I even have my own extension number! haha! There was even a sign waiting for me that said “Welcome Hannah!” I felt really welcome all this week, and everyone has been great.  I could not have asked for anything better.  I am definitely enjoying it so far, and getting up early isn’t as bad as I thought, just taking some getting used to.

Tuesday I was thankful for healthy snacks.  After the first day of working and being gone all day until about 8 at night, I quickly realized that I would need some snacks/meals to take with me to work and class so that eating 2 fast food meals a day would NOT become habit.  I have been working hard not to eat fast food and had to renig on that on Monday…So Tuesday I went to the store and found some great healthy snacks to munch on throughout my day.  I have had to get creative, but found some veggie dip I like and some hummus to take with me, along with a few other things.  I also have found that if I just eat a little bit all day, whenever I get hungry, I actually end up eating A LOT less, so that is good!

Wednesday I was thankful for my mentor.  Along with starting a new job this week, I also started my internship.  (Talk about becoming an adult! Intern and new job all at once! :)  ) Since this is my last year in my interpreting program, we are starting our year of interning.  This semester we are mentoring with a professional interpreter and observing them at work to see what exactly it is like in the life of an interpreter.  Next semester will be our practicum where we actually have to interpret within our internship…talk about nerve wracking! …kinda like what I imagine a doctor performing their first surgery might feel like!…only no blood involved…I hope.  :) But anyways, we are each paired up with a mentor in an area of interpreting that we think we might enjoy or maybe go into when we graduate.  I really wanted to observe a post-secondary interpreter, so I was a little disappointed when I found out I would be with an interpreter at the Deaf school…I was hoping for more of a college setting.  However, my expectations have been superseded once again.  The woman I am interning with is amazing.  She is an awesome interpreter and really wants me to get the most out of this as possible.  I love watching her work and her respect for me and this internship is fantastic.  Also, I have been able to observe some crazy and very interesting assignments…so this semester will be a great learning experience! Can’t wait!!

And finally, today I am thankful for fun work clothes.  I had to get some new work clothes for my new job, since just about everything I own I can wear to a barn or to a bonfire… (I like to be comfy…) I found some really cute stuff and I actually like getting dressed up for work (however, I am sure that will wear off soon enough) but for now I am thankful for cute outfits and clothes to wear to work!

A shout out goes out to my awesome friend Emily at tHe thOuGht SpOt for keeping me accountable about posting! :D Definitely keep me accountable, now that my schedule is crazy! Glad to know someone is actually reading!! :D Alright, I am off to get some sleep before getting up early tomorrow morning! I WILL be back tomorrow! :D

Today I am thankful for my country.  Today, as anyone who lives in America knows, is the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  Wow.  I can’t believe it has been 10 years since that horrific day and how our country has changed in the 10 years since.  I was in 8th grade, so it has deeply impacted my life.  I also was old enough to remember pre-9/11 and post-9/11.  It has definitely been the defining event of my life thus far.  And man, what a tragedy it was.  I am so thankful for the heros on that day, how the whole country united, and how we did not back down.  We are so blessed here in the U.S. and so many times we take that for granted.  It is easy to get stuck in our own little world and not look at it from a different perspective, but wow, we sure are fortunate and blessed here in our country.  As I remember the look on my history teacher’s face that day as we watched the news together as a class, I am so proud to call myself an American, and thankful for those that are still fighting for our continued freedom as a result of that tragedy.

Today I am thankful for two things!! It is another wedding weekend for me and that means one very busy girl! Taking a break to have a minute to myself and to blog a bit. :) Sorry again about yesterday, this is really much harder than I thought! By the time I crawl into bed, the day is already gone! But anyways, yesterday I was thankful for sleep. I tossed and turned a lot last night, my brain was racing with all sorts of thoughts, mostly about how I will have a big life change coming Monday and the routine I have gotten used to will change drastically.  I am not a big fan of change of really any sort, so this week will be a challenge.  I have also felt that some other changes are coming my way, although I am not sure what they are.  So as I couldn’t sleep last night, (which always seems to happen when I have to get up early the next day…) I just did some praying.  It is amazing how my anxious heart calms when I pour my worries out to Him.  His peace is such a gift.  And as I cried out to the Lord for myself, and on behalf of my friends as I lifted them up, the Lord allowed my mind to settle and for me to sleep.  I am very thankful for that!!

Today I am thankful for my friend Tracy.  She is getting married today and I am so happy for her.  She is a “one-of-a-kind” woman and she means so much to me.  I have known her for 3 years, but just started getting close with her this year.  I am amazed how well we hit it off and am very thankful for her giving spirit, generosity, kind heart, how much she loves her family, how she makes me laugh, and her courage and strength.  She has been through so much and I can’t begin to tell you what an awesome example and strong woman she is.  (I know she has a tough girl reputation to uphold so I won’t go on with the sappiness ;)  ) But I am so glad that she and her fiancee are finally tying the knot and that I am able to celebrate her big day with her.  I am definitely thankful for the future Mrs. Tracy Anderson!! :)

Today I am thankful for life. Today I am thankful for each breath I take. Today I am just thankful that I am me, I can live, and just be.

I saw this today and want it to be my prayer: