12.14.2014

the sights, the sounds, the tastes of nyc.

crazy, wild & delicious.

shopping.

brunch.

matching pandora charms.

our favorite driver.

one airport run.

one busy, wonderful weekend.

thanks mom and lauren!!

12.13.2015

the always blinking popcorn bucket from radio city music hall.

we blinked during the show.

we blinked through rockefeller center.

we blinked in saks.

we blinked as we walked to dinner on 5th street.

we blinked all night in the hotel room.

we laughed about the never ending blinking.

when is this going to die?

-

when we flip the off switch apparently !

12.13.2014

hello radio city music hall and the rockettes!

we been planning this event for a long time.

loved the show - 

makes you want to become a rockette for a day or two.

off for some holiday shopping, one stampede and a

delicious dinner.

we successfully figured out how to get a taxi !

check that off my bucket list !

lots of walking, talking & laughing !

12.13.2014

woke to the knock of room service at 8am.

"best cup of coffee in the world"

early city exploring at the M&M store!

really? 

three whole floors filled with M&M's.

who knew?

silly photo booth laughs with lauren!

12.12.2014

well hello NYC!

one big surprise at the JFK airport for mom!

me!

thank goodness lauren packed me a winter coat.

fun ride from airport to times square.

great dinner at 11pm at the marriott marquis.

girl chats till 2am.

can't wait to see ya in the daylight!

12.10.2014

apparently these doves don't know the christmas song -

there are more than two turtle doves hanging on the back fence getting

a holiday tan.

enough time wasted counting doves,

back to amazon.com and some christmas shopping!

(love the 'wish list' on amazon site, santa must also!)

12.2.2014

nothing like a middle school christmas concert to

get ya in the mood for the stressful weeks ahead.

i focused on the music not on the growing to do list tonight.

the countdown begins!

11.29.2014

today i'm thankful for ethans descriptive and detailed video.

and for 5:15 am cell phone calls.

and for college football games on every tv in the house.

and for nate's front door updates.

and for chipolte for lunch & dinner.

and for ordering november photos for project life.

and for auburn vs. alabama in tuscaloosa.

11.28.2014

today i'm thankful for college football on all tvs.

and for college football on yesterday.

and for college football on tomorrow morning, afternoon & evening.

and for amazon black friday deals.

and for starting some online christmas shopping.

and for sleeping in today on this black friday !

11.27.2014

today i'm thankful for God, our families, our health,

our love, our laughs and our appreciation for the everyday

memories!

and for turkeys with bones!

(i bought the wrong boneless turkey - haha!)

and for pioneer womans apple pie with pecan topping & caramel sauce!

gobble, gobble - happy thanksgiving to y'all near & far!

11.26.2014

today i'm thankful for physic experiments with jumping aliens.

and for pre-christmas with steve.

and for crossing live items off the wish list.

and for ordering christmas cards before thanksgiving.

and for steves world famous tacos for dinner.

11.25.2014

today i'm thankful for creative commercials on tv.

and for "never say never" that is totally overused in our home -

especially when referring to college football games.

and for thanksgiving grocery shopping at 9am with all three boys.

and for all the 'extras' they added to the cart.

and for watching 'homeland' tonight on showtime on demand -

what a great season again - finally!

11.24.2014

today i'm thankful for a silent alarm clock.

and for not having to pack lunches.

and for just hanging with my dudes today.

and for free chapter samples on my ipad mini kindle app.

11.23.2014

today i'm thankful for blue skies after rainy a rainy saturday.

and for a new haircut for justin.

and for walks through the domain.

and for shopping at whole foods.

and for those 3 hours i wasted watching the american music awards tonight.

11.22.2014

today i'm thankful for lazy saturdays with nothing on the calendar.

no concerts, no games, no parties.

no school events, no volunteering, no sleepovers.

today i'm thankful for a big empty square on the calendar.

11.21.2014

today i'm thankful for amazon online wish lists

and handwritten priority numbers.

and for last day of school before thanksgiving break.

and dinners that start with "whatever you want."

11.20.2014

today i'm thankful for library books again.

and for the time to enjoy all types of books from historical fiction,

to memoirs to nonfiction.

and for books that remind me how God moves in each of our lives.

and for books that make me want to learn more.

and for books that make me what to grow.

and for books that make me want to read romeo & juliet again.
and for figuring out how to make these photos small and even sized for this post.

11.19.2014

today i'm thankful for detailed post-it notes complete with drawing.

and for finding the last package at party city.

and for a physics class that involves pop-up toys.

and for a son who doesn't procrastinate like his mom.

and for insisting on picking up the new christmas tree today

despite husbands concerns that i might be too heavy -

"i am woman hear me roar" with a stubborn streak still after all these years.

and for a husband who does say a word as i sit with the heating pad

on my back all evening.

11.18.2014

today i'm thankful for a husband who sends me photos.

and for memories of snow days, hot cocoa & winter boots.

and for each God created snowflake.

and for safety to all those caught in this back home.

and for a new battery installed in the minivan.

and for not getting stuck somewhere.

and for a God that sometimes has to tap us on the shoulder twice.

and for the firestone guy telling me i needed a new battery weeks ago.

11.17.2014

today i'm thankful for rereading books on my nightstand.

and for highlighting meaningful words on the pages.

and for taking time to count the wonderful daily gifts we are given.

and for a minivan filled with groceries that didn't start.

and for a prayer that it would.

and for an answered prayer in walmart parking lot.

and for a honda mailer in the mailbox tonight.

and for an appointment for a battery check tomorrow morning.

11.16.2014

today i'm thankful for watching our niece and nephew enjoy the fun of ice skating.

and for helmets to keep them safe.

and for winter jackets to keep them warm.

and for snowmen built outside their window.

and for more pictures that make their way to us.

and for group messages sent.

and for all the memories that ice skating reminds us of.

11.15.2014

today i'm thankful for 5:15am phone calls.

and for being cancelled, not on call.

and for chipotle opening this week up the street.

and for steak tacos for lunch.

and for college games on the tv & a fire in the fireplace.

11.14.2014

today i'm thankful for all our nieces & nephews around the world.

and for the sound of my iphone delivering a picture or two.

and for knowing how to save the image.

and for this great thing called facetime to hear the laughs from far away.

11.13.2014

today i'm thankful for first season fires in the fireplace.

and HEB stocking wood bundles early this year.

and a boy that goes to the bus stop in shorts and a t-shirt

 even though its only 29 degrees outside.

and the bills game on thursday night football.

11.12.2014

today i'm thankful for three boys who prep their lunches

the night before school.

and for some who make healthy choices.

and for some that don't.

and for some that remember to put their freeze pack in the freezer.

11.11.2014

today i'm thankful for veterns day.

and for those who have selfishly served our country yesterday and today.

and for the magic of the internet to share it with us.

11.10.2014

today i'm thankful for redbox movies.

and catching up on recent chick, real life and youth movies.

and watching "begin again".

and watching "philomenia".

and watching "the fault in our stars".

and for colin knowing the perfect gift for our zang family kris kringle this year-

"we should get them a cooler"

{inset uncle mikes basement cleaning cooler story that brought laughing tears to my eyes and for colins razor sharp memory}

11.9.2014

today i'm thankful for our annual list.

and three boys who faithfully fill in the blanks.

and for traditions that fill the pages of project life.

and for a computer that continually saves this file for this day.

11.8.2014

today i'm thankful for amazon.

and for its search engines.

and for its gift wrapping.

and for its shipping directly to birthday boys in the future.

11.7.2014

today i'm thankful for a well used library card.

and always having a book while waiting to pick up someone.

and a library that has ebooks to fill up my kindle app.

11.6.2014

today i'm thankful for a safe world travel trip ending.

and for book reviews that someone thought i might enjoy.

and for assorted subs on the couch in pajamas.

11.5.2014

today i'm thankful for the iphone that allows calls from

foreign lands to sound like they are in the next room.

and for playing words with friends in different time zones.

and the buzz of my phone at 3am telling me its my turn.

11.4.2014

today i'm thankful for our DVR.

and for it recording modern family on wednesday nights.

and for recording 30 for 30 on espn on tuesday nights.

and for it allowing us to watch our family shows

when we have family night.

11.3.2014

today i'm thankful for the hopewell hornets 7th grade

football teams both winning the divisional championships!

and for two teenage boys that drove over to the game 

after a long day at school.

and for a season on the bleachers that never needed

jackets or umbrellas.

and for confirmation emails from franklins in my inbox.

11.2.2014

today i'm thankful for iphone alarm clocks that buzz at 11:45pm

& franklins BBQ preorders for december being accepted at midnight!

11.1.2014

today i'm thankful for a job that i can wear nike sneakers &

greys anatomy scrubs.

that i can make a difference in soomeones hospital experience.

that i can get out early somedays & catch the end of some great college games.

that i still love being a nurse even after a stressful, busy day.