Always Something...

...to be thankful for.  Don't you agree?

In my neck of the woods, the heat has been unbearable.  I'm usually fond of warm weather and am miserable when cold, but this week has been brutal.  And I had no opportunities to dive into a pool.  But as I was driving home from grocery shopping (fun stuff, right?) I had my window down and the music playing.  It was a perfect night for a drive.  The sun had set, and a cool breeze was stroking my face.  Such a simple pleasure.  Nights like that I wish I could just keep driving.  But more household chores were beckoning.  Bummer.

Hope everyone is staying cool!

Celebrating My Husband

Welcome to another Celebrate the Small Things post.  Today I am celebrating my husband and his willingness to serve.  He left last weekend with approximately thirty others from our church and went to Joplin, MO to assist in the rebuilding efforts that have continued since an EF5 tornado struck two years ago.  I miss him and can't wait for him to come home, but I am so thankful that he answered God's call to assist in this mission.

I am also thankful for Helping His Hands, a ministry created to assist in disaster torn areas.  This organization is who our church partnered with to make the mission trip possible.  They provided the sleeping quarters, showers, and all the meals.  I am thankful there are people who care enough to do this work.

My husband will be home today, and I'm looking forward to hearing all about this journey God sent him on.

What are you celebrating today?

Celebrating Fridays

Happy Friday! Today I am celebrating exactly that ~ happy Fridays.  Fridays are when I return to my regular shift at work.  This means I get to see friends who I don't see when working overtime.  This is a huge plus! I also get paid on Fridays, which means I get to see the fruits of all my overtime work.  Woo hoo for that! Today I am also thankful for caffeine, particularly coffee.  I was talking to a friend about what it would take to give up coffee.  Let me tell you, I couldn't do it.  Maybe, just maybe, if my life depended on it.  Otherwise, forget it.  I'm totally addicted and don't mind saying so.

I'm also thankful for the women at my church.  We've begun a women's ministry, and I look forward to being a part of this.  Christian women getting to know each other, to encourage each other, to reach out to others...can't beat that.

No writing celebrations to share.  I've currently been working six nights a week, and with all my household chores that need completing my writing has fallen behind schedule.  I need to correct that.

So all my blogging buddies, what are you thankful for today? Feel free to share below!

Blessings Are No Small Things

So today is another round of Celebrate the Small Things.  And as I was deciding what I was celebrating this week, I was thinking of the blessings that came my way over the past few days.  That being the case, I'm not celebrating small things; I'm celebrating big things.  Because blessings are no small matter.  Some wonderful, unexpected news.  A generous gift from a friend.  The ability to do what's necessary, even when we don't want to do it.  Sometimes life is hard, and I get discouraged.  This week, however, I am reminded that life is never as bad as it seems.

So what are you celebrating?

Thankful Friday

Every time I think of celebrations, I hear the lyrics to a popular song: "Cel-e-brate good times, come on!" It's such a cheerful song.  In honor of that festive spirit, today I am celebrating the following:

1. Good friends.  This week I got to spend some time with a friend I've known since sixth grade.  19 years of friendship! Quite frankly, good friends are hard to find, so this is something worth celebrating.

2. Church family.  My husband and I have developed many awesome relationships through our church, and this cannot be underestimated.

As you can see, there are no writing achievements listed.  I've become quite busy again, but that's okay.  I'll get back to it soon.

So what are you celebrating? Let me know!

Come on, you know you want to...celebrate!

Happy Celebrate Friday! Last week I was celebrating my birthday, and those celebrations went into this week too.  My dad was in town this past weekend, and my mom and two aunts came to town also and stayed at my house until this past Wednesday.  It was sad to see them go. :(

So what am I celebrating today? Today I am celebrating...the small things.  That's the point isn't it? When life gets hard, sometimes it's necessary to remember it isn't as bad as it seems.  I have a roof over my head, my car gets me where I need to go, I have a good job, and I'm not alone.  Those are all worth celebrating.  Plus spring is almost here.  I'm already daydreaming about the flowers I'll be planting, the vegetable garden that will be growing, and the new chicks we'll be buying to add to our chicken coop.

See, life's not so bad after all. :)

Your turn.  What are you celebrating? And don't forget you can still join the party.  Add yourself to the blog hop or read what others are celebrating.  Enjoy!

A Birthday Celebration

The timing worked out great for today's Celebrate the Small Things post.  Today is my birthday! Yay me! I'm not one of those women who gets caught up on age or who wishes to stay 29 forever.  Nope.  Last year I turned thirty and was thrilled.  Today I am thirty-one, and that doesn't bother me at all.

The truth is sometimes I still act like a teenager.  Not in that drama-seeking kind of way but in that goofy kind of way.  I like to be silly sometimes.  And if people find me to be immature, that's their problem, not mine.  Being silly keeps me feeling young, and that's more important than being concerned with my actual age. 

So what am I doing to celebrate? Working.  I know, not exactly exciting.  However, tomorrow I will be spending the day with family, and we will be going out to dinner.  My dad and I share the same birthday (he likes to say I was his birthday present) and we always celebrate together.  Joinging us will be my husband, my mom, several aunts and uncles and cousins.  It'll be a good time.

So what are you celebrating today? Share below!

Friday Celebrations

Oh Friday, how I love thee.  Participating in the Celebrate Small Thing Blog Hop really gives me a better perspective.  Maybe you can relate to the simple truth that sometimes it's easy to focus on negativity or forget how much we have to be thankful for.  I get caught in that trap more often than I should.

Anyway, before I turn today's post into a rant, let me share what I am celebrating today:

1. Revisions are going well.  I wish I was done, but I believe I will get there.
2. One of my best friends and I have gotten back into a walking routine.  Exercise is always a plus!
3. I am settling into a new routine.  Adjusting to my new job took some time (doesn't it always?), but I am feeling much better.  I work weekends, catch up on household chores on Monday, and write the rest of the week.  It's a good schedule.

So what are you celebrating today?

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

It's a Friday celebration! I hope everyone has had a wonderful week.  Today I am celebrating more revisions to SHARDS OF GLASS.  I've made some pretty big changes, and I'm totally flying by the seat of my pants, which is fine since I don't usually do a lot of planning.  I'm also celebrating the fact that I've accomplished any writing at all considering I've been sick.  I finally caught that nasty little bug that's been going around, though I don't think I've had it as bad as some. 

So what have you accomplished this week? Share below! And check out what everyone else has done this week. :)

A Friday Celebration ~ Blog Hop

Wow! Friday again already! This week, I'd like to celebrate my new blog layout.  I've been meaning to change it for a while, but I haven't had the time to do it until this week.  I wanted something a bit more professional looking.  I'm still not done, though.  Just like SHARDS OF GLASS, my blog is a work in progress.  But that's okay.  I also completed the revision of a couple scenes in SHARDS, and I feel good about them.

So what did you accomplish this week? Feel free to share below.  And check out my fellow blog hoppers to see what they're celebrating.  Thanks!

Celebrate the Small Things ~ Blog Hop

Well, folks, it's Friday.  That means it's time to celebrate the small things.  This is a blog hop that I'm excited to take part in.  The goal is to celebrate achievements and to spread the cheer among other participants.  Signing up is still possible.  Click on the above link for details.

So what would I like to celebrate today? The rewriting of a scene, a kissing scene to be exact.  In SHARDS OF GLASS, my MCs Emily and Nicky share a kiss that was, well, more tell than show.  For a first kiss, it was rather dull.  But with a bit of tweaking, it left me breathless just writing it.  *sighs*  I love writing those types of scenes, the ones that make me feel whatever my MC feels. 

So that's my achievement.  If you've signed up for the blog hop, I look forward to coming your way to celebrate with you.  If you haven't signed up but want to share something you've achieved this week, feel free to do so below in the comments section.

*high-five*