Thanksgiving 2008
What I am Thankful For

Here are a few of the things I am thankful for:

My Nephew and Niece

Hunter

7 year old Hunter is always ready to produce laughs. He is as silly as can be and lives life to the fullest. In the above picture, I was invited to his baseball game earlier this fall. In true Hunter form, after he had his turns at bat (and did quite well I might add), he was swinging from the overhead bars in the dugout or climbing on the fenced wall. (can you say monkey??) As soon as he realized I was near the dugout taking pictures, he ran out, turned his hat backwards, stuck out a hip, and started grooving. Thus, the picture above. This is quite different from my brother's first baseball experience where everything was cut throat and serious from day 1.

Summer

3 year old Summer is all girl and all pink. I love it! The above picture was taken at the baseball field on the same day as Hunter's picture. While I was snapping photos of Hunter getting his groove on, Summer was behind me saying, "Take my picture." As I whipped around, look at what I saw. Where did that pose come from??? It was unsolicited and a sure sign of things to come over the next 15 years.

Both Hunter & Summer bring such joy to my life. We spend time laughing, playing and having a great time together.

Gas Prices

As of 11/24/08, the gas prices have continued to drop. I like to stay on the go so I am liking this downward trend.

Travel Buddies

When I have time off from work, I like to spend it traveling. I am so thankful for my friends Paul & Paula who are adventurous, fun and always ready to plan another trip. Click here to check out Paul's travel blog to see pictures of his recent travels, a list of his upcoming trips, and the very impressive list of countries he has visited. The three of us travel very well together. We are all independent and can easily venture out on our own in a foreign country or stay together for a full day of touring, hiking, shopping & eating. Anything goes.

Patmos, Greece
May 2008

American Airlines.....

.....takes me anywhere in the world I want to go and for that I am extremely thankful.

My Parents

a.k.a. PaPa (Fluff) & Mel

The older I get, the more I can see distinct parts of my dad & mom coming out in me. For Fluff, it's the social, friendly, jovial side. For my mom, it's the more laid back but stern & assertive side. Also being level headed comes from my mom. When we're around my dad's family, loud laughter is prominent so that's where mine comes from (sorry to my office mates at work when I burst out in laughter; i know it's really loud sometimes) From both I get my organization & planning skills. Our household was run like an elementary school classroom with a lot of structure, routine and always with a plan & schedule. We rarely, if ever, varied off course. I'm not that structured or scheduled, but when I need to pull from my past experience, it comes very easily for me.

For all these traits I have acquired, I thank you.

(Do you think I look like either of my parents? If so, which one?)

Does this picture have church directory written all over it??? Why do all church directory pictures tend to look the same? Maybe someday I'll take the time to figure it out.

Fall Colors

Each year when fall arrives, it is quite possibly the happiest I am all year. The colors, the crisp cool air, leaving the back door open, football season, fleece blankets, autumn-scented candles and cooking comfort foods are the things I treasure and look forward to each year.

Employment

Shopping Buddies

I am forever thankful for people who like to get in the car on a Saturday and open the malls at 10 and close them at 9. What a perfect day for me!

Pictured are some of my favorite shopping buddies: Robin, KV, Stacie and Pam at the Houston Ballet's 2008 Nutcracker Market. This year's theme was Rockefeller Plaza; thus, the background scene.

I have been doing some serious shopping with Robin since high school. We tend to venture out to several different stores & cities in 1 day.

I met Stacie in college and we were instantly friends when our love of shopping was discovered. That was even further enhanced the first time I met her mom. To this day, Stacie's mom Pam can still out-shop ALL of us! (those shopping stories are blogworthy for another time - just pictures about 6 ladies piled into a suburban with shopping bags & furniture strapped to the top, back, and so full inside that the people hardly fit for the ride home)

"Shop til you drop, then crawl."

Roxy

Roxy is the love of my life. She is always happy and loves to ride in the car - which makes us very compatible companions. I call her a model dog because she is one. When someone even hints at a flaw, I don't know what they're talking about. For almost 8 years, this little dog has followed every step I have taken. She is always by my side and never lets me out of her sight. Because of her fox and puppy-like face, she gets so much attention everywhere we go. It takes me twice as long to do anything when Roxy is with me because she is s show stopper. She does not like clothes and that is probably a blessing because if she did, she would have more than me.

She also goes by the names of "Little Dog" and "Foxy Roxy".
Thank you Roxy! You're a model dog!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING