'tis the season to be thankful

• celebrating ruth taylor with all the candy for gingerbread house making!!

• "these are my friends and i'd like for them to have coffee." - lori at athens church
• safe and successful adventure to athens! basketball game and ugly christmas sweaters and unexpected empanadas and yaya's company and a fantastic christmas program and fabulous time with family

• time with melinda, jeanie and dan
• lane's love of a sweet thing with coffee (and the way he pulled it out of his pocket and happily shared it!)

• cinnamon rolls and friendship and kindness that makes me cry 
• cash kids in christmas pjs

• a meal a month!  the gift that keeps on giving all year round :) 
• unicorn socks and a sweet lamb that served as prayer reminders for Pip 

• successful pursuit youth progressive dinner
• yaya's creative snowman gifts!!

• that things really don't have to be on social media for them to have happened and for them to have been wonderful  
• grandaddy's buttermilk pie.  so delicious. 

• such an enjoyable christmas day...peaceful and easy...got to run...steak for lunch...papa's fried chicken for dinner...nap in the sunshine..walk in the driveway...laughter and games - lots of games!  buttermilk pie...wonderful family. 
• the lyrics of o holy night...especially the last verse (none of which were written by moriah carey even though that's what the internet said)

• fresh christmas questions  
• family feud!

• family exercise time in the driveway (well, me and laura lane and aunt amy, at least!) 
• bacon wrapped green bean making by these 2 sweet cousins

• christmas thoughts....i think the world is more as God intends it to be around Christmas (except for the stress/dysfuntion some folks take on) - more light! more music! more gatherings/community!  more generosity and gift giving!  more attention on Jesus (whether consciously or not!).

gifts.gifts.gifts.

• headaches go away
• community group christmas karaoke!
• the collaboration that made the foster care christmas party such a success

• coffee at fountain city with hannah p. - so interesting and easy to be around
• jim and linda's kindness
• 4 teenagers, a toddler and bazillion puff balls 

• note in the mail that was especially meaningful
• table/house full of teenagers playing games and spending time together  - makes an ordinary wednesday rather special
• my sentiments exactly:  

• triple bowling date (and really meaningful conversation via the group text thread)
• nick's bowling abilities (as well as his wisdom, truth, smarts and humility)
• an inspirational night of music and worship (with my favorite person)(that would be nick...not andrew peterson. no offense to andrew peterson... :))

• riding around looking at christmas lights (with a cat)
• tuesday night escape to aldi (we really needed orange juice...so i decided to try to get all of our christmas meals shopping done!) (the capp blast made it even better)
• emma's puff ball version of a starry night (those puff balls are bringing lots of joy!)

• tuesday afternoon...friends and kids and treats and meaningful moments.
• "just being" with a friend on a rainy morning in a quiet house
• sweet stories (getting to know christy miller as an adult :)), meaningful scripture

all the little things...

• "God was making all the little things into a big, miraculous thing!" - ann voskamp in "The Wonder of the Greatest Gift"
• getting the to-do list DONE
• sweet little girls in matching christmas PJs

• goodness of God played twice on the way to CCC (once on 107.7, once on 93.3)
• celebrating 10 years of emma!! (and sweet friends and family who added to the celebrating with gifts and cards and calls and birthday boxes!)
• joyful moments during her "late-over" party with friends

• a fresh baby colt and getting to visit Enoch Ministries
• coffee & christmas cookies
• how wonderful nick is
  
• 40% off coupons from CVS
• the incredible success of the Mission Market
• kids doing yoga in the carport (and sneaky pictures taken through the screen door)

• getting to meet our neighbor tiffany (due in large part to the missions market at CCC...sweet fruit!)
• good news for the doblins!!
• listening to zoe jabber

listening for God echoing through everything, everywhere

• the life, smile and service of Osman Kamara (i'm hoping he's teaching my mama how to dance to African music)
• the unadulterated bliss of a cat napping in the sunshine

• shea's visit.  getting to meet her sweet daughter :)
• amazing helpers who did a great job decorating at CCC 

• all things thanksgiving
• christmas decorating!  especially thankful for how nick took the lead on it.  

• complimentary coke at "the hangar" (reward for a job well done?!) 
• caroline's creative care of zoe

•  me: "i must warn you that i'm in a pretty bad mood."   lauren: "i like it when my friends are in bad moods."  Lauren's encouragement and kindness and willingness to brighten my day turned it all around. 
• .50 corndog day at sonic!!  and friends to have a parking lot picnic with (hutton and eli were way more thrilled than they appear in this photo)

• the deal caroline found on a sweater she likes! 
• sorting through the santa shop goodness

• KJ's epic christmas cards.  it's become a tradition. 
• ever helpful reminders

• seeing the trees in uptown columbus (especially the Teen Advisors, Inc. tree!)
• free carwash!  grand opening of the wave car wash place on veterans

• the "i'm going to see a victory" moment before the football game (and how it really had nothing to do with the football game)
• chicken fingers and fries.  so good. 
• "count all His gifts, all His gifts, all His gifts - and listen for God echoing through everything, everywhere." - ann voskamp's "Unwrapping the Greatest Gift" Advent book

A Few Favorite Moments from Thanksgiving

For all 2 of you the noticed, you're right, I didn't post anything last week. :) It always amuses me that the one Thursday of the year that I tend to not want to post/forget to post (as was the case this time! well, I remembered but it was 10:30pm and I was snug in my bed at the cabin...and the internet out there is a bit tricky...so it just didn't happen) is the Thursday when most other Americans are being more thankful than usual...I was just letting them make up for my lack of a thankful thursday list. 

Today there will be 2 posts...a "favorite moments from thanksgiving" post and a thankful thursday post.  Hope you enjoy the double portion. 

These aren't all of my favorite moments from Thanksgiving...just the ones that I happened to have my phone/camera in my hand.  The weather was amazing...the four wheeler riding was wonderful....my family is such a gift to me.

Uncle Lane breaking into Grandaddy's Fort Knox of pie carriers to enjoy a little Thanksgiving Eve Buttermilk Pie

That Pie is worth breaking in to.  So delicious. 

All of the Cash kids loved riding the 4 wheelers...you can't tell from this picture, but Zoe especially loved it!

Laura Lane, Caroline & Zoe.  

Papa Palmer and Uncle Jonathan working magic in the kitchen. 

Thankful for a family that gathers to thank God

Semi Impromptu Family Picture....everybody cooperated so beautifully!

4 of my favorite people on the planet.  What a treasure my siblings and my dad are to me. 

It was a different Thanksgiving without my mom...but not all that sad.  I continue to be so grateful when I think that she is healthy, whole, and well in the presence of Jesus!  Our Thanksgiving feast was incredible...fried turkey, bar-b-que deer, macaroni and cheese, casseroles of all kinds, a whole table of desserts....but I still think it pales in comparison to the feast she is experiencing every.single.day. Oh, the Hope of Heaven! 

Surely there will be more to come.

He never runs out of gifts...

• "For everyone in every way can we choose radical compassion and empathy?" - mike foster
• 166 pages.  way to go, nick!!!
• fun at sky zone

• community group laughter
• the way gina believes in our family...what an encourager.  
• great quote 

• getting to clean out the midtown room closet (and then being given a starbucks gift card...that's like someone giving me a giftcard for eating cookies.  i really like cleaning out closets!) 
• comfy sole hope sweatshirt (and wearing it 3 days in a row)
• lovely gift from lovely cottage guests! (made from a coffee sack!)

• lane's peace and faith
• face time with nick
• that so many americans will be a little more focused on thankfulness than usual this week

when i look there's always more.

walking with sunette...her south african accent (and friendship) is good for my soul 

peaceful quiet evening at home...finished a book and a movie!

apples and cookie butter and thoughts of ann-marie and memories of tom

• electric blanket warmth
• sitting on the porch with amy taylor
• caroline's courage and 80's awesomeness. she's way braver than i ever was.

• the ease of getting eli's braces wire fixed.  serff orthodontics continues to impress.
• "I, the God of Hope, fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Me." - romans 15:13
• kids climbing trees...in panda onesies no less

• when at least some of the errands are quick and easy
• an epic number of capp blasts this week (thanks to molly and gift cards)
• popcorn and fist bumps and sisters

• honest texts and true friendship 
• hearing more of the doblin's story.  
• nick's awesomeness.  i love him so much. 
• Andrea's youtube channel (check out my beautiful friend and some good thoughts on being thankful in the tough moments!)

full. so full.

• little art gallery in the bathroom
• "you cannot tell her story without including her faith journey." - Kasi Lemmons, director of the movie "Harriet", speaking of Harriet Tubman
• boys playing risk (and following in the footsteps of their fathers)

• "How can I make your day better?" simple question that changes things. 
• caroline + velocity classroom sessions this week
• seeing a beloved friend's handwriting on instagram...and knowing she's going to be one of the best CASA workers EVER

• quite possibly the best birthday yet...worship night, breakfast with family, family & friends frisbee and picnic, family in town, thoughtful friends, lots of treats...all planned and organized and made possible by Nick.

• birthday pedicures with my sister and 2 daughters (zoe is just a little too little to appreciate the joy of the pedicure) followed by successful thrift store shopping and take out chinese food

• caroline's selfie game: #onpoint 
• 39 reasons why Emma loves me 

• papa's fried chicken (i'll never stop being thankful for it)
• the simplicity of set up for the E2F+ event 
• sweet afternoon at the Harvest Festival in Talbot County

• having the youth in the backyard for the pursuit fall festival 
• when all the little projects get done
• good quotes that go along with good conversations