:: giving thanks ::

whoo. 
^that was a relieved exhale.

thanksgiving: I am definitely grateful for this break. I got much work done yesterday, so I'm able to relax today and tomorrow (christmas TREEEEEEEE) and I'll polish off some more on saturday.
       after that, one week and one day of school -- 5 days total and then I'm completely done with this semester, hallelujah!
what am I thankful for? NOT in order of importance :)

school. honestly. it's a great opportunity and I do love it, when I don't hate it.

friends. I have gotten so many "thinking of you!" texts and emails and I have felt so much love from the wonderful people around me, I cannot express to each of you how much I am thankful for that.

food. I can smell the turkey at this moment and my stomach is making ugly noises. dude, I'm starving and I am so blessed to live in a country where I have an abundance all the time.

my awesome family. they make me food and show me funny videos and read books with me and laugh and cry with me and give me hugs and love and correction when I do something wrong. thank you, guys! I LOVE YOU!

church. this is a combination of friends and family, essentially -- these are people who love me and put me first and care about me, from the older men and women to the little kids. it's incredible: I know people from every decade and can call them my friends, and they love me. they seek me out to find out how I'm doing; they pray for me; they encourage me; they really care. and I can't believe I get to be a part of this.

design. because good design is a treasure, and I get to look at it and practice it all week long. I am learning SO MUCH and I love it SO MUCH it's really worth all the stress. YAY DESIGN and YAY JAN TSCHICHOLD, my current design hero :D

afternoons off. *bliss*

thanksgiving. I enjoy all it stands for: gratitude, relaxation, good food, the holidays, warmth and love and fuzzies. gotta love it.

a healthy body. dude, I am by no means the skinny minnie I used to be. oh well. I am young and relatively healthy -- I don't have arthritis, I don't have a cold or allergies, my mind is whole, I am comfortable and can still run up stairs two at a time. I am young and healthy and I don't want to take that for granted!

electronic communication. because it can be used for good. I've tried to use it to bless others, and I've definitely been blessed by it :)

music. andrew mcmahon; rogue valley; michael bublé; passenger; mat kearney; george ezra; take that; hey ocean; coldplay; one direction; hadley fraser; walk off the earth; mary black; capercaillie; prince of spain; yann tiersen; all that good stuff depending on how I feel at the moment. ahh, love it.

this semester. yeah, it was rough. but now that I'm pretty much done, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have grown and learned and with everything behind me, I'm glad I went through it.

and to whom am I thankful? to my God, who has supplied all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.