Turkey Day!

Well it's almost turkey day, and that in itself makes me very, very happy.

As I have said before, fall is my favorite time of year, and Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. As I am writing this, the only thing that stands in my way of heading up 95 is about an hour, which I am waiting on the boyfriend. I am excited to head north, see my precious neice and spend some time with the family.

This is the first time I get to see my brother and his wife since we found out the good news that I will become an aunt again! It's short turn around, as my neice will turn 1 this December, unexpected, but nevertheless my family is thrilled. I love being an aunt and spoiling that child to death and can't wait for June when another will join our mix. Needless to say pap-pap is extremely excited, cause some little girl already stole his heart.

I am loving this break because I truly do have a break. I just finished Chapters 1-3 of my thesis and sent them to my chair for major revisions. I purposefully blocked out this time so I don't have to do school work. As soon as I come back I have a major project due, papers to grade, and data analysis to do. I will be working hard over the next few months writing the thesis, journal articles, and conference proceedings. Got to keep busy: publish or perish!

The last time Jeff came north, it was for Labor Day weekend, a short turnaround. This time it's for a few more days and we have no schedule besides Turkey Day, so I am looking forward to showing him around a bit more.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I realize that I have a lot to be thankful for in my life. I may not have alot in way of material possessions, but I have my health, and my family, and my few but faithful friends, and the most amazing boyfriend ever. I am able to have this amazing education, travel enough to satisfy me for now, and enjoy the simple things in life. I have love, hope, faith, joy, strength, drive and I know it all to my God. He is great and I know I owe it all to Him.
He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. Ephesians 3:20

Every day, and especially during Thanksgiving, I long for a simpler life. Yes, even though I am a lowly graduate student and don't really have that much going on right now besides my schoolwork, I have this vision. Not that I have my life planned out, heavens no. If you want to hear God laugh tell him your plans. Instead I have a vision, a wide porch with two rocking chairs, a pitcher of sweet tea, the sun setting, looking over rolling hills of land, cattle grazing just off in the distance, the tree off the house changing with the seasons. It's absolute perfection. Sigh. Some day, hopefully. I want to have cows, a farm, a steady job, replace Paula Deen, slow the pace of life waaaaay down. I just need to get out of the city. I've done my time living in the big metropolis for school. I am tired of school, for the first time in six years, I am saying I am tired of school and am ready, really ready to take a job. Fingers crossed, as we have some promising looking options :)

Happy Thanksgiving to all and take a moment to reflect on what you are thankful for!