30 Reasons to be Thankful

Since I have seen so many people posting their "30 days of Thanksgiving" posts on facebook, I decided that I am going to do the same thing here, but condense it down a bit. I am going to post about 30 things I am thankful for, 5 in each post. Spiratically, and hopefully I will finish by November 30.

1. A home that I love. I am incredibly thankful to have a home that I love with people (and puppies) that I love. Our house is the perfect size, and Bret and Kyle are perfectly happy with my display of design style basically however I choose. There's never a lonely or boring moment with four dogs, a boyfriend, and a roommate. I am always warm, am able to fill it with furtniture that I love, and basically have a 24/7 sleepover with my bff.

2. My parents. My parents are the best. They are supportive, helpful, and considerate. They think about me even when I might not have the time to show them that I am thinking of them. They are continuously going out of their way to help me and to make my life easier, and they are my go-tos for absolutely anything.

3. Grad School. Not everyone has the opportunity to go back to school while working full time. Not everyone has the ability to do this and to focus completely on it. I have been blessed with the time and resources to achieve my goals comfortably, and am surrounded by people who want nothing more than to see and help me succeed.

4. My boyfriend. While it has taken both of us some time to learn the way each other works, I can absolutely say that I have never been more connected to anyone, and have never felt such trust in another person before. Bret is truly my best friend, and I am so lucky to have him. He is the most considerate and helpful, caring and loving, honest and kind person I know.

5. Fur babies. All four of them. I am thankful that after living for two years with just each other, Ella and Guillermo have so successfully come into a house with two other dogs and get along so well. I am thankful that I can now claim the sweetest and most gentle boxer in the world as partly mine, and that we have the ability and resources to rescue a fourth fur baby, Darcy. And that we are able to give her a loving, caring, warm home with a pack to call her own.

6. My brother. After a childhood of not being the closest or nicest to each other, I can truthfully say that he is my best friend (along with all those others). I know I can count on him, and he cant count on me. It's the best thing in the world to have a sibling you can rely on.

<3

Darcy. As in, Mr. (Pants)

The newest member of our huge fur family: Darcy Pants. BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY. (If you don't catch the reference, we were going for Pride & Prejudice.) She is the cutest and the sweetest. We got her last Sunday from a rescue group that comes to PetsMart near us each weekend. She and her litter mates were taken from the pound on the kill list. Her mother, for some reason, was unable to nurse the puppies. When they were found, the pound deemed them "unsaveable" because they were so incredibly malnourished and planned to euthanize all five of them. Then comes in Dream House rescue. They took all 5 puppies.

Two of the litter did not make it, but the three that did were nursed back to health. That's when we come in. She is almost 16 pounds (2 heavier than when we got her a week ago.) and very happy and energetic. The spots you see in some of the pictures are alopecia and are a result of the malnourishment. Other than itching her a little bit, they don't seem to be uncomfortable to her. We are currently treating her with antibiotics and medicated shampoo to hopefully get rid of them as quickly as possible.

The other dogs have taken to her well. It took Guillermo a couple of days to let her into the pack, but a trip to PetsMart with just the two of them solved that problem. They have been playing and cuddling ever since. Even Ella, who is 5.5 pounds, loves to try and test Darcy. Granted, she gets scared and runs away, but they play nonetheless!

Of course, Mak is being an amazing big sister, showing Darcy the ropes and playing with her for hours and hours. She is very gentle with Darcy and loves to wrestle with her. Darcy mimics most of what Mak does and, obviously, that is adorable.

Currently...

my gradma's vintage necklace 

Watching: So many Reds games, Parenthood, and The New Girl. All my favorites on at the same time, after a whole summer of nothing to watch but White Collar (totally addicting, btw.) The only thing I am missing is some Dexter in my life, but since we don't have SHOtime, I am going to have to find another way to fill this void.

Hoping: This weekend comes fast. It's only Monday and this week is packed with things to do.... Bret was sick today so I stayed in and cooked him a giant pot of chicken noodle soup (from scratch!) with rotisserie chicken from The Fresh Market and lots of fresh veggies, organic chicken stock, and whole wheat, whole grain noodles. Obviously, I couldn't eat any of it, but he says it was a 10.... How sweet :) Tomorrow I get my hair cut, Thursday is a work night after a work day, and Friday is our first Owl Time of the school year and the third to last football game of Bret's coaching season. Apparently, it's a pretty big game and I am really excited for it this week. I plan on being super prepared with a blanket and more than my usual three layers, gloves, a scarf and a warm drink. And my iPhone for when I need a break from watching football ;)

Loving: Looking forward to coming home each night and cuddling on the couch. Also loving this cold, fall weather, scarves, sweatshirts, and fire pits (with s'mores!). Also loving our warm bed and super comfy duvet and puppy cuddles.

Bret

Not Loving: The current power struggle between Bret and Guillermo. Since we moved into this [awesome] house, Guillermo has been trying to stake claim over everything.... even Makinzie. Which is obviously not okay. So, Bret has been trying to work with Guillermo..... and Guillermo's response was to pee on Bret's side of the bed. Needless to say, we are now gating off the bedrooms so that he can't continue this ridiculousness.

Looking Forward To: Grad school! It starts in 12 days. I'm getting a Master's degree in Education: Curriculum and Instruction. I am so excited to start. I got overly giddy just setting up my email account, this evening. I know, I am a nerd. Also already looking forward to Christmas break: Disney World with the family, meeting Bret's sister, Christmas, New Years, and our anniversary all in one week!

Excited About: iPhone 5! Brother, his girlfriend, and I all got the new iPhone the past few weeks. I am in love with it. Besides being really frustrated that there are NO accessories available for it, I am really happy with the upgrade. I have head that if you go from the 4S to the 5, it's not a noticeable jump. Since I went from the 4 to the 5, though, I now have Siri and an extra row of icons, and all the other amazingness that came with iOS 6. So, I am super happy with the new phone.

my brother and I

Happy About: School is in full swing. I haven't posted in..... forever..... and we have officially been in school for a month and a half. This year is a millions times better than last year, but I think that is mostly my experience pushing me forward. I would say that the crop of students this year are academically smarter but waaaaaay more childish. I have much more patience this year, though. I'm having a good year so far. :)

Blog Redesign!

Every once in a while I have to change it up around here. This time (again) it's mustaches. I love them. If you're in a reader, come over and check it out!

Tiny House Peeks

Disclaimer: I'm no photographer, and all I have is an iPhone with Instagram on it, but this is where we live, and I love it. :)

1. Neighborhood watchdog. He almost never leaves his post.

2. Scarf deco.

3. Dining room.

4. Guest room art. (via IKEA)

5. Kitchen deco.

6. Living room library.

7. Newest addition - cookie jar centerpiece

8. Kinda dark, but my favorite little place in the house.

Also:

This girl just got married and moved herself to Mississippi with her husband. I miss her so much! 

Happy Friday + have a great long weekend!! <3