Give thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving week! This is my second favorite week of the whole year... I'm so happy it's finally here! I'll be visiting my family for the next week- sooo excited to see all of them, eat turkey & dressing, & score some great deals at 4 am on Black Friday (yes, I'm one of those people)!

Here are a few things that I'm incredibly thankful for: my Heavenly Father, my love, my weird family, my even weirder friends, cold weather, Tetris, the blogs I read daily that give me so much inspiration, sweet tea, red lipstick, & all of the silly little things that I take for granted every single day.

What are you thankful for? Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with the ones you love the most!

Is it really only Monday? It must be at least Thursday, right?

Today I am:

*thankful for hot tea with lemon and honey, Nyquil/Dayquil, Robitussin, Vick's Vapor Rub Patches (have you seen those? brilliant!), warm blankets. It's my third time being sick in a month, and I've got a serious smoker's cough (and I don't smoke).
*thankful for my love. This has been one bad month, and I'm not certain that I would still be sane without his love, support, and kind words.
*thankful that my love doesn't make fun of me for saying funny things in my sleep.
*thankful for soup, sweet tea (always), Wendy's Frosties, Momma's Mexican cornbread.
*thankful for the new Taylor Swift cd. Yes, I'm one of those people.
*thankful for the movie Elf. Sophomore year, I watched it every single day for about a month. While getting ready for school in the morning, after school, late at night, middle of the night...- oh yeah!
*thankful for my family. All of them. Momma, David, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. They are hilarious, supportive, honest, wise, caring, selfless, beautiful, and I love them very much.
*thankful for health insurance and Obamacare (on my parents' insurance until I'm 26? Thank you, sir).
*thankful for answered prayers. Nothing is more important or more amazing than that.

count your blessings.

i've been in a funk. its just been one of those months
when everything seems to be going all wrong.

i didn't get the grades i wanted.
(it's odd that the classes i completely blew off,
i got a's in,
and the ones in which i worked my little tail off,
i got quite the opposite of an a)
i've been unbelievably busy.
i've not worn real clothes in weeks,
and i've never been one to go out in sweats.
i've lived in this apartment for over a month,
and it is still not completely unpacked nor clean.
i've parted ways with one person in particular.
someone who i swore would be in my life forever..
i've been grumpy. sad. worn out. stressed.
i could keep going, but i think you get the point.

i've been having a hard time, and it's been a constant struggle
to be aware of all the wonderful things present all around me.
i've been absurdly blessed, far beyond what i deserve.
and here are just a few things i'm so happy to have in my life:

my crazy, huge, lovely family, especially momma and those beautiful girls called my sisters. my hilarious, loud, supportive friends. this boy named richard; he is perfect. my health. my apartment. a closet full of clothes and shoes and purses. books and movies and records and iphone and ipod. faith. cupcakes! having a strong sense of what i want to do with my future. beautiful memories. forgiveness. nights that are spent with coffee, music, and collage making. trips to alabama to see spice. meaningful phone calls and cards and words. christmas. & really, just my life.


(pssst! i have a new hair color. it was supposed to turn out dark brown, but it is totally BLACK.)

i adore these beautiful little sisters. you can call them candlyfloss and babycakes.

cold/FUN day of riding roller coasters.

sisters at build-a-bear. we visit this place far too often.

i'd just like to say that...

i am thankful for my family. for supporting me in all of my last minute decisions. for giving me financial help when i need it (which is a lot, trust me). for putting up with my weirdness, mood swings, and last minute crazy ideas.

i am thankful for the university of arkansas. the fact that they accepted me and helped me work things out just days before classes started is unbelievable.

i am thankful for missouri state university for all the memories, fun, and my best friend ashley.

i am thankful for knowing exactly what i want to do with my life. it eliminates so much stress, and believe me, i do not need anymore of that.

i am thankful for the beautiful weather. fall's on its way, folks! it's been perfect for riding my new bike.

i am thankful for the interesting people i have met and have grown to love.

i am thankful for my new car. it has cruise control and a working heater, both of which my old car didn't have. hooray!

i am thankful for my hilarious, beautiful, smart, sassy friends. every single one of them. and the unforgettable memories of them that i hold so close to my heart.

i am thankful for the silly things. like sweet tea/hot tea/coffee, my iphone, crunchy peanut butter on honey wheat bagels, tea parties, front yard camping "trips." the list goes on.

i am thankful for the numerous amazing memories that this summer brought. stay tuned for many of them in picture form.

and, i am thankful for this blog. i know i neglect it too often, but i promise i'm working on that!