Thanksgiving 2013

Jason and I had a very busy Thanksgiving week!
Our friends from North Carolina were supposed to come down on Wednesday but bad weather in the forecast forced them to come down a little early. Ramsey arrived on Tuesday afternoon and was able to have dinner with us that night. Brandon and Jenny and the kids didn't arrive until late Tuesday night. On Wednesday we split up- the boys went to do their own thing and the girls did some shopping. We came back together for a lasagna dinner. 

This was our first Thanksgiving in our house, so we hosted Jason's family on Thanksgiving this year. Everyone came over around lunch time. We had all kinds of delicious food! We were all stuffed. Jason set up a hayride in our backyard for the kids which was a lot of fun. After a full day of family and friends, we got comfy and watched a movie. 

Snuggling pups!

On Friday we all did some shopping. We didn't get up really early or anything though. We got to Bass Pro Shops around 8 or 8:30. Then the boys and the girls split up again! The boys went to Harbor Freight and Northern Tool while the girls were at Target and Petsmart. We met back up for a pizza lunch. After lunch the girls headed back home to do cooking for the Kinamon Thanksgiving. Around four we all headed over to my parent's house to have Thanksgiving number two! We had more delicious food and ended up stuffed again. After dinner we all headed back to our house to make this year's family portrait. It took a few tries. We added two dogs and a baby since last year!

Family photo 2013

Saturday morning Brandon and Jenny and the kids headed home. That afternoon Jason, Ramsey, David, and I went to Atlanta for the the Georgia vs. Georgia Tech game. We tailgated with some friends before the game started and some of the band stopped by to play a song.

Ga Tech band

It was interesting to be back at my old stomping grounds and see how much the campus has changed in the last few years! The game was at 3:30, so we were able to see the sunset over Atlanta from our seats.

Sunset sky at half time

It ended up being a close game and going into overtime, but Georgia finally took the win!

Sunday morning we took Ramsey to Passion City Church in Atlanta. Jason's mom went with us too! Then after lunch we celebrated our niece's 14th birthday with cookie cake.

Batman cookie cake

And that was our Thanksgiving week. It was busy but fun. We are thankful to have spent so much time with our family and friends.

Thankful

I took this picture outside Charles's apartment. It is perfect for my 2013 thankful list.

Here are 30 things I am thankful for this year:

1. God and His love and mercy

2. Salvation through Christ

3. Jason

4. Daisy Duke snuggles

5. Scarlett's sweet personality

6. close relationship with my parents and Jason's parents

7. our house

8. having friends and family with us for Thanksgiving

9. my job

10. having every other week off

11. having Thanksgiving and Christmas off this year!

12. comfy pajamas

13. freedom

14. our small group

15. a healthy baby nephew

16. colorful leaves in the fall

17. gorgeous sunrises on my way home from work

18. beach sunsets

19. date nights with Jason

20. good health

21. Jason's arm healing well

22. my phone/computer

23. appliances that make life easier- washer/dryer, dishwasher, fridge, etc.

24. running water

25. electricity

26. dark chocolate

27. new glasses

28. mountain views

29. warm blankets on chilly nights

30. a new family photo of us with our pups

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

This is Life

What we have been up to lately:

Jason has started clearing a road up to his property in the mountains in North Carolina.

He set up camp there with the camper, so last time I was off we took Daisy on a camping trip.

We went four wheeling and checked out a bunch of trails.

Daisy really enjoyed the four wheeler!

Daisy on the 4 wheeler

Mountain View from our campsite

The property overlooks this reservoir.

No camping trip is complete without a fire and s'mores!

We were also able to spend some time with our friends in North Carolina while we were there.

We also went to the UGA vs. Georgia Southern game. 

A friend gave us the tickets, and the seats were excellent!

Jason is excited about the Dawgs headed to the SEC Championship.

Unfortunately, I had to work over Thanksgiving. We celebrated with my family on Wednesday evening before I went to work. Jason was able to have dinner with his family on Thanksgiving night. 

It was certainly different this year, but I am thankful for my job. And I do have Christmas Eve and Christmas off, so I am thankful for that too!

I ventured out on Black Friday this year. I only went to Bass Pro Shop though. 

Jason's presents are the only ones I have bought so far!

I can hardly believe Christmas is less than a month away.

My to-do list definitely includes Christmas shopping and making our Christmas card photo.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Thanksgiving 2012

Well, Thanksgiving is just about here!

Last year I made a thankful list (see it here), and I want to do that again this year.

2012 Things I am Thankful for:

1. God who is loving, merciful, and gracious.
2. Jesus, who sacrificially gave up His own life so that each of us could walk in freedom.
3. My wonderful husband, Jason.
4. Our sweet girl, Daisy Duke.
5. Our family- Jason and I both have awesome parents and siblings!
6. My job.
7. A schedule that allows me to have every other week off.
8. God's provision and many blessings in our life.
9. The years that I had with Nana and Papa and their positive influence.
10. Country Music
11. Heated seats in my car for these chilly mornings.
12. Freedom and each person who has fought and is fighting for our country.
13. shereadstruth.com 
14. The beauty of sunrises and sunsets.
15. The beach
16. Leaves changing in the fall
17. The mountains
18. All of my appliances- washer/dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, oven
19. My phone and computer
20. Good health
21. Our new house that is just about finished.
22. Laughter
23. Desserts
24. Friends
25. Warm, fuzzy blankets
26. Jason's company staying busy  
27. Good books
28. Finishing all of my continuing education!
29.  Our ability to travel and make memories
30. My life resting securely in the hands of God.

Colossians 4: 3 (NLT)
"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart."

Thankful- Part 2

I can hardly believe this year has gone by so quickly. Thanksgiving is past and now we are on to Christmas! Jason and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with our families. Our friends from North Carolina came and stayed with us for a couple of days with their little ones which was a lot of fun! We had Thanksgiving with Jason's family on Thanksgiving, then with my family on Saturday! So much yummy food and so much fun!

It's my goal to name 30 things that I am thankful for this holiday season. Unfortunately, my computer is not working right now. I'm having to borrow Jason's, so I won't get to post any fun pictures this time!

There is so much to be thankful for even though sometimes we can easily forget all we have been blessed with!

16. I am thankful for my health. I'm glad that Jason and I are both in good health.

17. I am thankful for freedom. We have such great freedom in this country! I am thankful to be able to worship Jesus freely and openly. I am thankful to be able to make my own decisions about my life without government input. I am so thankful to all the soldiers who have fought and are still fighting to protect all the freedoms we enjoy!

18. I am thankful for the Neti Pot! I used to have so many problems with my sinuses and being stuffy until a friend introduced me to the Neti Pot. It washes out your sinuses using saline. It is amazing! Jason completely hates it, but I do it at least 3 times a week. It makes such a difference! You don't realize you aren't breathing as well as you could until you do it and you can breathe!  Give it a try :)

19. I am thankful for prayer. I am so glad that God gives us a way to communicate with Him personally! Prayer allows us to give all our anxieties, worries, and struggles to God. It also allows us to receive comfort, peace, and guidance from Him. What an amazing gift! :)

20. I am thankful for the rain this week. Rain is not my favorite, but we desperately need it. The lake and rivers are way down. Rain is a good thing!

21. I am thankful for holidays! Holidays are so fun because they are the perfect excuse to hang out with family and eat some really yummy food! 

22. I am thankful for appliances! What would I do with out the washer and dryer, the oven, or the dishwasher?!? And what about my cell phone and computer? All of these things make life a lot easier!


23. I am thankful for God's word! I am so glad God gave us such an easy way to learn about Him and His heart. He doesn't make it difficult for us. His love for us is spelled out on each page of the Bible.


24. I am thankful for leaves. When they are green, they help produce oxygen for us to breathe. Then they are beautiful as they change colors in the fall. And even when they fall to the ground I love hearing the crunch beneath my feet.


25. I am thankful for peace. I am so glad that God is control, and I am not. There have been so many times in my life when I thought I knew what was best, but the truth is I don't. If I had my way, so many things in my life would be messed up right now! God is the only one who can see the big picture. I am happy to rest in Him, knowing that His plan is always perfect.


26. I am thankful for football. Jason and I had a great time going to the Georgia games and even a Tennessee game this year! It was great time to spend together and with our friends.


27. I am thankful for Jason's smoker and grill. Jason is a great cook when it comes to the meat! He can smoke some awesome ribs and grill some great steaks. We had some for dinner last night. So yummy! :)


28. Today it is cold and rainy and I am thankful for blankets, sweatpants, and the heat! And of course in the summer I am super thankful for the air conditioning! Also to go along with this, I am very thankful for the heated seats in my car! They are probably my favorite thing about it! Perfect on these freezing days.


29. I am thankful for running water! I take this for granted every day! It is so hard for me to fathom that people in other areas of the world don't have drinking water or bathrooms. I am so blessed to have both of those things to use whenever I want to!


30. I am thankful for air to breathe and lungs that are able to take it in and use it. This is something else I take for granted! I am thankful for the way God made our bodies- lungs to  breathe the air He provides and a heart that beats to bring the oxygen all over!


I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! 
What are you thankful for?


"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Thankful

I have noticed a lot of my Facebook friends are posting something they are thankful for each day. I think this is a wonderful idea! I know so often I get caught up in the one or two things that don't seem to be going my way that I forget how many things I have been blessed with. There is so much to be thankful for! I want to list 15 things I am thankful for on this post, then I will post 15 more next week around Thanksgiving!

1. I am thankful for my gracious God who gave His precious and perfect son, Jesus, to conquer death so that I can have a relationship with Him. God has shown me so much love, mercy, and grace that I do not deserve. I am so very grateful!


2. I am thankful for my sweet husband, Jason. Jason loves Jesus and people! He is continually challenging me to step out of my comfort zone and think outside the box. I am truly blessed that God brought us together, and I am super excited about our first holiday season as a married couple!! :)

3. I am very thankful to finally be done with school! Six years of college was a little bit long for me, but I am grateful to live in a place with the opportunity for education.  Now I am Kristen Ellis, Pharm.D. 

4. I am so thankful for my wonderful brother, Charles! Charles is the best brother ever. I am so grateful that God placed us in the same family. I have never understood those who do not get along with their siblings. Charles is one of my closest friends! He has always been a person I can go to for sound advice. 

5. I am thankful for my amazing parents. When I was growing up, I often did not appreciate my parents or their rules. But now that I am a grown up and more mature, I am so glad that they raised me the way that they did! They have taught me so much. I am thankful to them for teaching me about the love of Jesus and instilling in me good values and work ethic. I am so glad to have their unconditional love and support. They are an example of true love for the Lord, for each other, and for their children. 

6. I am so incredibly thankful for all the years I had growing up with my sweet grandparents, Nana and Papa. They are so special to me and made such a difference in my life! They also taught me so much about loving the Lord and loving on people. Their 62 year marriage is an incredible example of true love and commitment! 

7. I am thankful for my dog, Daisy Duke. She is a sweet girl. I love that she is always happy to see me and greets me with a wagging tail and kisses. I love that she takes walks with me around the neighborhood. I love that she is a snuggler! And she is the most beautiful dog ever, of course :)

8. I am thankful to have a job. God has blessed me with a wonderful work opportunity. Jason and I are so grateful for His provision for us! I am looking forward to starting my new job on Monday!


9.  I am thankful to have a roof over my head! I am so glad that we have a little basement apartment to call our own. And we are thankful for all of the hand-me-down furniture that fills it up!


10. I am thankful for our wonderful church. Jason and I have finally found a place where we can worship and serve the Lord alongside our fellow Christians! We have really enjoyed meeting so many new friends through Sunday school and our small group. We are working with the youth and enjoying them as well! I am especially thankful for the pastor and his wife who have been so sweet to Jason and I!


11. I am thankful for all of the wonderful friends God has blessed me with. Whether I have known them for a long time or just a short while, God has placed some amazing people in my life that I am blessed to call friends! Special shout our here to my sweet friend, Kristen Eleveld!!


12. I am thankful for desserts! I have such a sweet tooth! I pretty much cannot eat a meal without having something sweet at the end of it! :)


13. I am thankful for the beach. I LOVE the beach. The feel of the sand between my toes, the sound of the waves, the breeze, seafood,  the sun on my face, and everything else about it. The beach just seems peaceful to me. It's calming. And it really cries out to me all of God's glory. I look out and all I see is water and waves.

14. I am thankful for my car. In August, I rear ended a giant Tahoe. My little Infiniti of course got most of the damage. For a few days I was concerned that it would be totaled, but it wasn't! It is fixed and good as new! I'm thankful to not have had to figure out what to do about a new car too!


15. I am thankful for my in-laws. Jason's family has been so sweet and welcoming to me! I love having a big family. I have always wanted a sister, and now I have two sister-in-laws. We are also blessed with nieces and nephews and even a great nephew! 

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)