Cherish It

Do you ever just take time to be thankful?

Or just spend time thinking about the things you’re grateful for, those things that you have and don’t deserve?

I know you’re probably thinking – where is this coming from?

Honestly, I’m not exactly sure, but I was reminded in a few ways yesterday that I am blessed beyond what I ever imagined.

No, we are not millionaires (or close to it!); we don’t have crazy cars, a huge house, a second bathroom…but I have so much to be thankful for.

I am healthy, despite what my family history seems to say.

I have, quite possibly, the most amazing family (on both sides) and was reminded of just how much I love them and need them in my life. I would not be who I am without them, period.

I have a job in this crazy economy.

I’m wearing my favorite “I Love Lucy” dress (with pockets!!!) today and feel fabulous.

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Please excuse the classy bathroom picture  :)  I’m trying to stretch out my summer dress wearing days while the weather is still nice.

 

Maybe this is all coming because Nick and I are facing some changes in the next few months.

You see, Nick is defending his dissertation a week from Friday – that’s right…he’ll be Dr. Nick soon :)

And the next few months and years are kind of up in the air for us right now. Work…more school…who knows. It is extremely exciting, and a bit scary.

I am so, so proud of him, though, and I know he is ready to be done and move on to the next phase in our lives. We’re just not exactly sure what that is yet. And that is okay.

I guess I’ve just been focusing on what we have and trying not to worry about the unknown right now.

It’s so easy to focus on the negative things in life and get bogged down…but we all have so many good things happening every day! I don’t want to think about the things I don’t have or wish I had … I want to be happy and content with what I have been given and cherish those things and not take anything for granted.

What about you?

What is making you happy today?

What are you thankful for?

31 comments

  1. Beautiful post.

    What makes me happy? 1) Watching my daughter grow. It sounds cliche but it is so very true. 2) Growing in my faith. I have been pushed beyond my comfort zone and I am coming out a better person.

    What am I thankful for? My loving, generous husband. I don’t deserve him. I wish I could be as patient as he is. I have so much to learn from him. I am thankful that we have this beautiful little girl together. He is *the* best father.

  2. That was a really great post to read on a day I probably needed it the most! :) Definitely needed that positivity!

    LOVE your dress!

  3. Adorable dress!
    I just went through something very similar. My husband was graduating with his Masters, and we had no idea where we could be. It could have been NJ, Texas, Florida or anywhere. We ended up in northwestern PA, and this is not the ideal situation for me. I don’t have a job, and it’s kind of lonely. But I learned that as long as you lean on your support system, it will all be OK. Everything happens for a reason, and I think I must be on this path for some purpose. Embrace the unknown, and it will be fine. Scary? Yes. But an adventure, and a time to find out who you are. Cheesy, I know, but true.

  4. Beautiful!!! <3
    i love your outfit :)

    i am thankful for my family. the love and memories we all share :)

  5. hey girl! just catching up so i have a few things to say. first, i love that dress! it is totally cute, does it have pockets? pockets make everything better. second, LOVED your pork loin dinner, it looked delicious.. but hated the ants on a log b/c i despise raisins.. i will take my logs antless please! and your bfast cookie looked decadent with that ricotta, my favorite thing to add to a bfast cookie is coconut so it is macaroony! xoxo

  6. That is such a cute dress. And (future) congratulations to Dr. Nick!

    The cooler weather is making me happy today, and I’m so thankful for my husband :)

  7. i’m always thankful for dresses!
    and i’m thankful the bank accepted out offer on the house!

  8. What a nice post, Bran, I needed this today. I am thankful to have good friends to support me through hard times.

    Super cute dress!

  9. I love your dress!

  10. Cute dress love! Glad you are having a good day! I feel like we are on the same wavelength lately. I just posted that my headband makes me happy today. It’s all feathery and cute.

  11. Lovely post, and exactly what I needed to read today!!! I am thankful for a lot of things that I often forget, and am going to go make a list for myself right now :-)

    LOVE your dress — you look adorable!

  12. Love your dress! My hubby and I have been through that alot lately too, graduating college, not knowing what to do, 3 jobs later, moving states! So much to think about, so I will pray for you and Nick as you go through similar processes and know it will work out. The stress in between just sucks:)
    Have a great rest of the day!

  13. This is a wonderful post.. There is so much going on in the world right now to bring people down and it can sometimes seem like nothing goes right but it is so great to see people are realizing that in times like these, you have to turn to what makes you happiest!

    Family & friends are what keep me sane and happy during these times, just like you. And I absolutely agree that having a job, ANY job, is one of the most important things to be thankful for! I have my health & a roof over my head & people who care and that is exactly what everyone else should cherish most.

    LOVE what you wrote today :)

  14. OH and P.S. that dress is super cute!!!!!

  15. SUCH a cute dress! I’m wearing a dress with pockets today, too. Cute AND functional. :-)

  16. Hello there lovely! That dress is super duper cute. Love it. I am having a similar, “ooh I wore something cute” day – this giant brassy silver necklace that just makes me feel a bit like a rock star!
    I am also so thankful for having a job right now – for my boy having a job finally and for our new place. Things are good and it’s nice to be able to recognize that every once in a while so thanks!

  17. I am happy because I am leaving tomorrow on a trip with a girlfriend to find antiques in the Midwest.

    I am thankful for a great husband, 3 good boys, and a job that I make good money and absolutely LOVE! (selling antiques) I wake up in the morning knowing I will spend the day doing something to contribute to the family income, and have a blast doing it.

    I love your posts too….they inspire me to try different foods and eat healthier.

    What will Nick be a Dr. of?

  18. that is the cutest dang dress ever! i need to know where you bought that – ADORABLE! i love those days – once in awhile i have those, and it’s just like everything in the world is how it is supposed to be.

    i am thankful that i have a job, and despite my finances, feel like an extremely rich lady :)

  19. You look so cute today! Love the blue sweater. And I admire your thankful and positive attitude given your looming uncertainty!

  20. Brandi – you are adorable! I get the same feeling sometimes. I just get so overwhelmed that instead of getting down in the dumps, I remember that I have so much to be grateful for and so much good in my life. It really helps to lift my spirits.

    I’m grateful for my loving and supportive husband. And my little snack of dried figs and goat cheese was sheer heaven – it made me so happy to eat them.

  21. Love this post! And your dress! Things that are making me happy these days: being there for my roommate as she’s going through her first heartbreak, starting up a new relationship even though it’s a hard one, having food to cook delicious meals with every day and having an able body that can work out every day. We really do have so much to cherish!

  22. Oh girl, you look to dang cute in that dress!

    GL sorting thru the future decision stuff with Nick. And GL to him in defending his dissertation!

  23. girl, you are amazing. I would normally be stressed beyond belief, but you are totally making the uncertain something positive. No matter what happens you and your hubby will experience it together.
    I am thankful for my boyfriend too because I am not always the best I can be, but I totally want to be the best for him and us and our future. I am happy today because I am almost done with the hard part of the day/night and can enjoy and relax this evening!! PS so thankful for my family and friends too, had a real life scenario of heartache this weekend with a friend losing his mother and I just have to really love and live every day of my life and embrace my friends and family

  24. Great refreshing post! I think we all need this reminder sometimes! Love the dress!!

  25. I love this post! Thank you! Yes, being thankful for what we have is so important.

    I am thankful for my family and my amazing friends who truly rallied around me a few weeks ago when I needed them like never before. I am thankful that I get to spend so much time with the toddler throughout the day and that I can arrange my teaching schedule so that I’m home on most days when the teenager comes home from school and needs someone to talk to. I am thankful that hubby and I got to go on several date nights in the past few weeks…. The list goes on, but I’ll stop here…

    Again, thanks for a great post that made me focus on what’s important! :)

  26. hummingbirds made me happy today! all 50+ of them!

    and i love the dress….super cute!

  27. Your dress is fantastic :)

    I’m thankful for the opportunity to go to college!

  28. Ok, first, I LOVE the turquoise sweater with the dress!!! Great choice!!

    Second, from what little bit of face you can see from behind the camera, you look alot like mom :)

    Third, I was reading some others comment to your post, and I have a suggestion for Janetha for the ants on a log, instead of raisins, use chocolate chips :) I know it may not exactly be the healthiest thing but in small amounts it’s ok :)

    Fourth, I’m thankful for alot of things and could really write a paper on it…haha..I won’t, but I’m sure I could. I’m extremely thankful for my family, and by family I don’t just mean blood relatives. I mean everyone that is a part of my family in one way or another. I’m thankful that I have job, do I like it everyday, no, but I have one and I try to make the best of it everyday. I could go on and on and on, but I think I’ll stop at those…haha…Can’t wait to see you this weekend!!!

  29. That dress is uber adorable! The weather here is gorgeous and that always puts me in a good mood!

    Things to be thankful for are so many…the Hus, my house, my job, my amazing friends and family. The list is long!

    It is def easy to sweat the small stuff, so if I take a minute to remember my list of good things, I’m over it pretty quickly. I love your positive attitude, keep it up! Good things will come!

  30. I am thankful for my ministry and friends. My friends keep me sane with my ministry gets crazy. And I can’t imagine that they actually pay me to do my job. I did it before seminary for free while teaching. Now I can do it full time and I love it.

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