• God has to top the list each year. I wouldn't be here without Him and He is our ultimate Provider, Healer, Designer, Planner, etc. 

• My hubby. If you've been reading for long, you probably know how much he helps me, supports me, cares for me, and has a selfless love that is incredible. 

• Our puppy, Ranger. He brings so much joy and puts life in perspective. He also challenges us, but I'd say in areas we could use to be challenged.

• Family. Our families mean so much to us and are a huge part of who we are and growing together.

• Joe's healing. The weeks after Joe's accident were scary to say the least. Some of you know he had another surgery this week on his diaphragm. It had been cracked and unseen until recently. It should help Joe's pain and breathing, and hopefully help him heal more fully. His healing has been a hard, long process, but we're so thankful he's here and to see his progress. God is good! 

• Work. I'm so blessed to have a great boss, team, and feel appreciated. I know this is hard to come by and so thankful to grow there. 

• Provision. Even through hard seasons of life, we are continuing to learn how the Lord provides for our needs. Even needs we don't think about - food, shelter, love, etc. He gives us what we need. 

• Friends. We try to be intentional in our friendships (I wish I could be better at this too) and to appreciate them, be there for them, and enjoy the friendships. I've said it before, I wish I could just be a full-time friend, I just love to encourage others and wish I had/made more time to do it.

• The holiday season. It's my favorite time of the year. I love the coziness, the warmth and love shared, the twinkle of Christmas lights, snuggling by the fire place, and giving hearts. This season always seems to go too fast, so I try to soak up every day and enjoy it. 

• My creative heart. I enjoy making things - knitting, crocheting, card making, etc. This time of year is fun to see what I can make for gifts and put my creative soul to use. 

• The social world. As silly as it may sound, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, the blogosphere all help me stay in touch with friends and family. I have to be careful not to spend too much time there, but there is so much love and so many great people I've enjoyed connecting with. People that are similar to me, different from me - I learn new perspectives.

• Food. I'm thankful we are able to accommodate me eating dairy and gluten free. I'm thankful I've found great foods to eat and that Nick is on board with finding healthy alternatives to keep us feeling good. 

• Readers. That's you all! I love hearing from you, sharing with you, and living life together. 

It's so rare these days Ranger takes a nap on us - we soak up these sweet moments

(Source: Grace & Lace Website)

(Pinterest Source)

Today, I counted how many weeks until I see Nick again and it's five. Just five weeks, that's not too bad, right? When we were engaged (and the months prior), he lived in Texas while I was in Iowa and we managed that for a year just seeing each other every other month or so. This setup brings me back to those days but it's a different feeling since we're married now. It's just a temporary situation, but I miss my other half and will be counting down the days until we're together again. 

The good thing is that I'm able to spend this time with my mom and dad. If you're following our craziness, they moved here in August and are sad we're now moving back up north. This is good time I can enjoy movie nights and explore the area with them. We plan to go to the Texas State Fair this weekend which is always fun. They've also become Rangers fans with me which is fun since they're in the World Series starting tonight!

Here's us supporting the Rangers on the opening day of the season this year:

My pain still has up and down days. Sometimes in one day, I'll have good hours and bad hours, it's always ebbing and flowing really. The pain also radiates from one area to another. Just yesterday and today, my sciatic nerve has been hurting and it has never hurt before, so that was strange. I also had an awful headache. I'm thinking once I get to Minnesota, I'll see if a doctor can help with my constant headaches - nothing I do or take (other than ibuprofen) helps with them. My medicine still gives me some side effects at times like dizziness, fogginess, and high blood pressure. I took it this morning (using my mom's wrist blood pressure machine) and it was 147/97! That's crazy high for me and it has NEVER been high at all until I started taking these medications. I might have to call my doctor on that one...

As the seasons change and it feels like time slows down a bit as the colder weather rolls in, I'm feeling very thankful. Thankful for my husband and this opportunity he can finally pursue, my job and great co-workers, my family and friends, and the simple things in life. I've learned that I get stressed very easily so I often have to consciously take a step back, take some deep breaths, and realize what I have to be thankful for. This season (fall through Christmas) is my absolute favorite time of the year - it's so joyful and cozy - that it's a good time of year to slow down and take it all in. 

I just found a quote on Pinterest earlier to that effect...

Cheers to the rest of your week! And of course, Go Rangers!