thankvember: the last day!

Tonight is one of those nights where I spend an hour getting lost on Wikipedia's dog breed pages.  I always end up with the Vizsla's though, reading about their sweet temperament and their "velcro" like tendencies and thinking of my own sweet Sadie.

Guys. I miss her. Reading about how vizsla's get so attached to their owners that they will have a tendency to lean on them, just to make sure they're always touching does this weird thing to me and I start smiling. Sadie does that and I love it.

Anyway, this is the last day of Thankvember and I've already been thankful for my little puppy on this list. so. Today I am thankful for my mother. After what was supposed to be a quick phone call to her to find out how to make sweet potatoes with marshmallows for only one person, I was reminded that in my haste to finish my list last night I completely forgot to include her. So here you are Mom, I am thankful for you.

But in all seriousness, she's pretty great. She has a gift for calling me when I can't talk and I have a tendency to call her only when I have a quick question and yet she still hangs in there. She's kind of a trooper and kind of the best.

thankvember: days 13-29, catching up.

So I promised a friend that I'd continue this whole thankvember thing, and I figured that since there's one day left of November, I should probably do that tonight.

lets start from where I left off, shall we?
(this is where I had to pause and open a new tab to see exactly where I left off because it has been so long I don't even remember.)

day 13: I'm thankful for opportunity. I've had my fair share of opportunity so far in my life, and although I haven't seized all of it, I'm extremely grateful for the times that I have.

day 14: I'm grateful that it hasn't snowed and stayed yet. As much as I enjoy the world covered in white, I do not appreciate having to wear wet appropriate shoes and jackets. Also, I broke my umbrella in Austria, so the longer I can go without my laziness in not buying a new one bitting me in the butt, the better.

day 15: I'm thankful for chapstick, mostly because I need some really bad right now. I'm also thankful for lotion and conditioner and all those other amenities that are the icing on the cake. Not necessary but definitely worth having.

day 16: I am grateful for technology. I got a new phone on this day aaand it basically made me realize just how out of date my current "smart" phone was. Yay for being a new iPhone owner!

day 17: I am grateful for my health, which isn't really saying much coming from the girl who should take three pills every day. I got to visit Ben's Nephew (totally just forgot how to spell nephew... that was intense) at Primary Children's Hospital, where he has spend every day since birth and it just has me thinking how lucky I am, even in my not perfect state of health.

day 18: I am grateful for Ben, for the 18th is his Birthday! So, thank you Ben, for not only being a great example to me, or for being a great friend or boyfriend, but for making me want to be a better person in pretty much every aspect of my life. (aw, tender... i know)

day 19: I am thankful for quality people. We had a dry run for Black Friday at work and nearly everyone I work with is a quality person. And that's really refreshing to be able to say.

day 20: I am thankful for my family. Me, Katrina, and Black Aubs drove home to St.George this day and it was just really good being home and surrounded by people who aren't afraid to invade my personal bubble and laugh until we get yelled at because "it's 1 AM and people are trying to sleep!"

day 21: I am thankful for my dog, Sadie. When I got home I made sure to go outside and give her a quality hello and she was so excited she legit could not hold still. Having someone love you that intensely, that unconditionally is something I think everyone needs in their life.

day 22: HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I am thankful for tradition. I love holidays and the family traditions they bring with them. and food. I'm grateful for the food that tradition brings as well.

day 23: I am thankful for sleep. I worked 11 hours straight, from midnight to 11 AM on Black Friday and let me tell you, I am grateful for normal working hours and a mediocre bed to sleep on at night. (oops, I think I was already grateful for my mediocre bed...)

day 24:  I am thankful for the Houskeeper sisters. I feel like I have and will talk anyone's ear off if they get me started on the topic of just how awesome the girls I live with are. K-train is probably one of the most solid people I know, she's beyond dependable, selfless, and extremely motivated. I frequently wish I had half her drive because I know that would guarantee me success in life. Aubrey is probably the worlds best kept secret. I frequently vocalize just how lucky I am to be one of the twenty people she's willing to talk to because that girl says some of the funniest most honest things I've ever heard. These two have saved me countless times and I seriously owe them so much.

day 25: I am thankful for Rakel. I got to Skype with her for a few hours and it was exactly like these 4 1/2 months hadn't passed, like I was still there in Austria. I'm so grateful for lasting friendships and people who genuinely care about me. I consider myself lucky for having met someone I so thoroughly connect with, so effortlessly on so many levels. (she's the only who inspired/told me to continue this list, so everyone can thank [or blame] Rakel)

day 26: I'm thankful for cherry chocolate kisses. They're seasonal and a little hard to find and oh, so good. I bought a bag aaaand it barely lasted two days.

day 27: I am thankful the semester is almost over. Today was my second to last 7:30 AM class of the semester and hopefully ever. As much as I have enjoyed this semester and I really do feel like I've grown, I can't wait to never have to get up that early for a class again. (even though being constantly sleep deprived every Tuesday has lead to some very interesting and entertaining Tuesday nights.)

day 28: I'm thankful for unexpected school friends. I swear everyone in all my classes are way more friendly than I ever thought art majors would be (which I guess doesn't really say much for me as a person)

day 29: I'm thankful for Facetime! I finally got to try it out when me and Jesse Facetimed so he could show me that he was learning one of my favorite songs ever on the guitar. So. Good.

That started getting cheesy at the end there, which is definitely a sign I need to stop before I end up going full blown cheese and saying I love you guys or something.

Thank you, Rakel for forcing me to finish this. This is exactly what I needed tonight.

music and pictures: thankvember day 12

i'm kind of having one of those stressed out to the max days where all i want to do is listen to one song on repeat at full volume while looking at photos of places i've never been and will probably never go.

so in spirit of that, i am thankful for music that allows me to instantly feel so much so intensely, so instantly. and i'm thankful for photographs which allow me to see things and people i would never otherwise get to experience.

here's one of those places:

here's one of those songs:

Thank you notes: Thankvember day 11

alright, thankfulness...

it's funny, i can always think of very day-specific things to be thankful for all day, until i sit down to start writing about them. and then i lose all my thoughts completely. luckily i have a physical reminder of what i'm thankful for today.

backstory: yesterday i came home from work to the cutest thank you card i think i have ever received in the mail, from a good friend from high school. even though i don't get to see her often anymore the fact that she took the time to write such a cute, heartfelt note made me smile for like half an hour straight. i was half tempted to run around showing it to anyone who had the misfortune of crossing my path.

you know, it's amazing to me just how much brighter a simple "thank you" can make your day. just knowing that someone thought about how much they like you and decided you deserved a physical reminder of that is the best. it made me feel all sorts of warm inside, to quote my mother.

so in short, i'm thankful for good, long-lasting, high-school, friendships and the benefits i am still receiving from them today. oh, and i'm thankful for thank you notes.

post thankvember:
in not so thankful news, today was a strange day. i had to go to work twice today, not leaving much room for church. this has left me feeling weird. this has left today feeling like the third saturday in a row, which means i'm no where near ready for school tomorrow. aaaand basically i can already tell this week is going to be difficult for me. i'm in the wrong mindset.

it's weird, what one simple 3 hour activity can do to reset your thinking.

well, i finally finished registering for classes, so i think it's time for bed.

thankvember day 9 &10

oops.
so friday kind of got away from me, and as a result i completely spaced doing this whole grateful thing.

so it's time to play catch up:
on friday i was thankful for my apartment. i've lived in the same complex for the whole time i've been in logan and the reason for that is i really enjoy it. i like my room, the apartment's location, the bus stop right out front, and the type of people who live here. it's not the cheapest option as far as housing goes up here because it's a single room. but i think we can all agree it would be considered cruel and unusual punishment for whomever would be forced to share a room with me, it's best i have my own. and with that in mind that's why this place is the perfect fit for me.

saturday was such a good, full day. i had orientation at work and i came home and did... some productive things which i have now seem to have forgotten. oh! and it snowed. this left me very grateful for heaters, coats, and snow scrapers.

Sunshine and laundry: Thankvember day eight.

Today I’m thankful for good weather. It was reportedly 65 degrees today, which is nearly double of what it's going to be tomorrow. Winter is coming, and I’m terrified. 

I’m also thankful for free laundry. I already hate doing laundry; I can't imagine how much more I’d hate it if I actually had to pay to do it. 

I’m also also grateful for good roommates and friends. Two of my roommates and ben left to greener pastures for the day/weekend and so in their stead I’ve watched like 20 episodes on Hulu. It’s made me realize just how dull my life would be without them.

Also, I have mentioned I have a job? Because I’m still unbelievably grateful for that. 

Today was good. And I’m also grateful for that. 

Well, it's nearly 12:30 and I’m exhausted. Time for bed, children. Goodnight.

JOB! thankvember day seven

guys! it's happened. i finally, finally got a job. it's only seasonal at best buy but it's still a PAYING JOB. plus if i keep being the shining star i am, i have the possibility for being hired on part time.

ah. relief.

in case you missed it that's what i'm thankful for today.

actually today has been a day full of thankful worthy things. i'm thankful that my dad has the opportunity to come up to logan occasionally to visit me (cough, and take me out to dinner.. whaaaaat...).

i'm thankful my roommate has my back when i wait until midnight to gather up supplies for my photography class tomorrow where we'll be making a camera.

i'm thankful for medicine because i'm battling some intense heartburn right now.

i'm just... yeah, it's been a really great day.

leftovers: thankvember day six.

we're still in the single digits of this month, why am i so bad at doing this you guys?!

frustration at my ability to stick to something aside, today i am grateful for leftovers. it's unfortunately more seldom than not that i decide to make actual dinner for myself, so when it does happen you better believe i want to be able to profit from my efforts for days to come.

the other day i made this 8 can taco soup schtuff i'd found on pinterest. it was pretty good and fortunately i had a lot of it. i stuck it in a few sandwich bags and put those in the freezer. now, whenever i'm hungry i can just grab one of those bags and within two minutes microwave heating time i can be eating legit soup. just two minutes. amazing.

now if only i did this more often...

Painting: Thankvember day five.

I spent the good majority of today with a paintbrush in hand either standing in front of an easel at school, or hunched over one sitting on my front room floor, working on a painting that i'm actually excited for. This concentrated mess of painting has left me feeling extremely grateful for the opportunity I have learn a skill I've wanted to try my hand at for years now. I may not be very good, or even good at all, but I'm learning and that's all that matters.

Sorry for the late update. Day six sound be coming to you shortly.

beds: thankvember day four

so for some reason i put off writing today until the last minute, which has found me struggling to keep my eyes open. so today i will be brief.

i am thankful for my bed. while in austria i had a cheap, run of the mill ikea bed which comprised of a series of wooden slats bowed in a box... if that makes sense. the slat with the job of supporting my back continuously fell onto my wooden floor. i found this, not only annoying because of the missing support, but extremely terrifying as wood falling onto wood tends to be a little loud and also tends to happen late at night while i'm in said bed. not only was my bed subpar, but i had rough cotton sheets that weren't fitted so they constantly bunched. oh, and i shared my room with another human being, but that's the story for another day.

basically, it's that experience that leaves me today being excited to sleep on my squeaky twin sized bed, springs and all.

here are the only pictures i can find on my laptop of my bed in austria... all of these courtesy of rakel.

Thankvember: day three.

today was a very low key, i'm-not-even-going-to-put-real-pants-on, sort of day. this has lead me to be grateful for the fact that i have things worth being busy over on normal days. i'm so glad that i'm in school and that i have extracurricular activities that i enjoy attending and participating in. i'm also looking forward to the day that i'm finally able to land a job (for real cache valley. it's getting ridiculous.). there are certain basic things that humans need to do in order to feel fulfilled and i'm just glad that when it comes down to it, i have those things in my life. i could probably work on adding a few more things to my rather relaxed pace life, however for today i'll be happy for what i have.

The Birthday Girl (Thankvember day 2)

As I laid in bed last night I fully remembered that I'd made a promise to myself and... you I guess, to write each day this month. However, I was unable to. So that's what i'm doing now, making up for it because I still have something very important to be thankful for on November 2nd.

You see, November 2nd, 2001 is the day my little sister, Brook-aleen Chicka Wilson was born. So in honor of miss Chicka's birthday, here are a few tidbits about her:

-When my mom was pregnant I distinctly remember us deciding that we were going to name the baby Elizabeth Brooke Wilson. So when I called her after getting home from school that day and she told me the baby was named Brooke Elizabeth Wilson I was pretttty peeved. For some reason my 12 year old brain thought I had the right to tell two adults what they were allowed to name their offspring. Yeah, doesn't really make sense to me either.

-Brooke can't be sitting on the couch with someone without basically sitting on them. She is a very lovey, touchy, all over you kind of girl. And it's cute... for the most part.

-Brooke is the prefect model, which is why I have a billion pictures of her. Not only is she pretty but she takes direction very well. Not to mention she loves all the attention.

-I'm so lucky to get to call her my little sister.

Oh my little Brooklyn, I love you so. Happy birthday, little one. 

(keep an eye out for day 3 later tonight. promise)

Thankvember: Day 1.

For some reason I've felt compelled over these past few days leading up to November to start some sort of self improvement thing. I've had quite a bit of free time on my hands this semester and that's lead to a lot of personal introspection.

While I was searching for the perfect 30 day challenge I came across the idea of Thankvember. Despite the awful name, I've decided this might be exactly what I need. Lately I've been feeling like my boots are a little heavy with stress and worry and nothing combats that quite as fast as counting your blessings. Even though it's nearly 4AM on what is technically November 2nd I think I'm still going to do this. So, without further adieu:

Today/Tonight, I'm really grateful that I even have the desire to perfect myself. I am glad that I recognize my faults, or at least some of them, and search for ways to fix them. There may be a lot of things I'm not sure about in this life, but one thing I do know is I have the power to make my life better by improving my habits and abilities. And so that is what I plan on doing.

Alright, so even though I hate the name, I hope I'll be able to stick with this whole Thankvember thing. And if things go well tomorrow I'll have a major thing to be thankful for tomorrow. Cross your fingers for me!

In light of this New Year's-esque project I have a song I've been really fond of lately. I'd heard this song last year but then kinda forgot about it until last week when I went to a house show to see Greg Holden play (swoon!) and Ian Axel's band was the closing act. So. Good.



Tchüss!