Thankful Number 10

I am thankful for, what used to be, my immediate family. I had the opportunity this weekend to spend some time with my "old" immediates. We were a family of four. One mom, one dad, one son, one daughter. That was us. The Hitchcock family. It seems, now, like it was a story in a book that I once read, so long ago. It is strange to spend a meal with them around a table, as we did every evening. Dad still takes forever. John and I still rush through, and the conversation is still silly and joking. Looking back, though at the time I hated it, our dinners together were so important. I only hope that I can torture my children in the same loving way, as we sit down, a family of five, at our our very own dinner table.

Thankful Number 9

I am thankful for best friends and high mountains. Do you have a very best friend? It seems like such an elementary thing to ask, but the truth is, I do. Cabrena is my best friend. We grew up across the street from each other and played Barbie dolls and "revived dead grasshoppers," we helped each other through hard times in our youth and even shared clothes and Grapenuts in college. We are the best of friends. This is a priceless thing that we have and if you have it with someone too, I encourage you to let them know. I did...teary eyed and all, I did. And you know, if anything happens, she'll know how much she means to me, and that is most important. Happy 30th my dearest, nearest friend.

It is fitting, that on her 30th birthday we climbed Camelback mountain together. Climbing a mountain, no matter it's height, holds so many good analogies and metaphors for life. Cabrena, her sister Veronica, and I spent 3 hours on Saturday on that mountain. It was a beautiful fall day in Phoenix and we were ready for an adventure. The first part of the climb was easy. It got our blood moving and our hearts pumping. We stopped a couple times to look at the view, take some pics and rest. Things started getting a bit harder. Some places were hand over foot climbs, right on the edge of the mountain. Some places were tight squeezes. Each of us had a few slips and falls. Nearing the top, we almost decided to turn back and be done with our little adventure, but we were so close and we made the choice to finish it. The last bit was surprisingly simple and when we did reach the top, it was so worth the climb. A lot like life, isn't it.

Thankful Number 8

I am thankful for ingenious invention. Some of you may know that I am in love with my Dyson vacuum cleaner and I thank that handsome man with the accent on the commercials every time I use my cyclone-y suction-y piece of equipment. How excited was I to fly into Sky Harbor, use the restroom, and find this little piece of heaven?! Ingenious. You simply wash up, then place your hands facing fingertips down and slowly pull them upward. The dryer sucks all the water from your hands. It is so smart and I love it. Keep it up, inventors of the world, keep it up.

Thankful Number 8, 9, 10

Thankful Number 8, 9, & 10 will be added on Tuesday, November 11th as I will be out of town and will not being taking my good friend Mac with me. I am so THANKFUL to be going to Arizona to visit friends and family, eat at all my old favorite places, hike in the beautiful desert mountains and even get a short vacation from motherhood and housewife-dom. Ciao!

Thankful Number 7

I am thankful for a creative mind. I had to put together three centerpieces for a dinner party that is happening tomorrow night. I had a general idea about what I wanted. It is an autumn themed gala and the gathering room is huge, so I knew I needed height. I also knew that I could use these really cool pokey seed-pod things that fall from our giant maple tree in the front yard.

Thankfully, Michael's is having 70% off most of their fall decor and flowers (if you can call them that, they are more like sticks and straw). Thankfully, I had my dear friend, Susan to help me and be my second set of hands and eyes (she is *amazing* and doesn't know it). I had the vases in my stash and we arranged the stick/straw in those, filled the tops with acorn mix from Michael's, used 12 x 12 scrapbook paper, pokey seed-pods, gourds, bird nest floral decoration and of course, it doesn't hurt to have some fall-colored chocolate scattered about. I love to do most things creative, from centerpieces to sewing...from handmade cards to knit hats. I am so thankful for the little string of creativity that Heavenly Father has strung around my brain. Let it always remain unfrazzled!