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Our blessed dogs woke me up at 7:30 this morning. Usually we're up by then for early service at church, but this morning, our church combined services for a Christmas service. We also didn't have class, so Brian and I were really looking forward to sleeping late. But alas, the blessed dogs woke me up at 7:30 this morning. 

After letting them outside with temps at 23 degrees, I crawled back in bed. By this time, Brian was awake, but after both dogs decided they needed to climb into bed with us, we made an executive decision that we were NOT going to wake up yet. We still had about 2 good hours worth of sleep. 

So with Brian in the middle of the bed, me on his left and both dogs on his right, we had a Tindell family snuggle. Brian and the dogs tried to fall asleep, but I couldn't. Partly because I'm my father's child. Once I'm awake, I'm awake. But also because I was enjoying myself. For two hours I just laid there petting my dogs and getting my back scratched by my hubby. And I felt completely content. 

Sure, I would have loved to have a baby or two up there with us, but the thought of that nagged me for a milisecond and then I went back to feeling completely content again. It was such a blessed way to start my day, I couldn't help but think of it and thank God for it as all 700 of us worshiped this morning in our church gym.  What a great way to start this awesome week of eating, laughing, sharing and thanking God for his most precious gift of all!!

Oh. Man. Thankful List #7

Today was quite the day. W.H.E.W.
First, I worked my next to the last day in Grand Prairie. Even though I'm really looking forward to working 45 minutes closer to where I live, the day was bittersweet. I wrapped up my time with my kids from one of my campuses this afternoon. A couple of them I've had since I started in the district. It was really sweet because one of them kept adding more pieces to the checkerboard so the game could keep going, while another made me promise his new counselor would be as cool as me. So, for my first thing I'm thankful for this week:

1. My time in Grand Prairie. It hasn't always been great, but the one thing that I've loved is working with the kids, I will miss it. 

After work, I went...gasp...Christmas shopping. Aside from slipping from my wet boot on the wet floor and falling on my left knee, which is now swollen the size of a grapefruit, it was a decent experience. I actually...gasp...finished my Christmas shopping!! Second thing I'm thankful for:

2. Close parking spaces at Borders, the Parks mall, Academy and Target, which totally decreased the amount of time it took for me to shop. I'm also thankful for my mom for instilling in me the need to make lists before I shop, it made shopping much easier. Though, Mindy would be distraught at how my list looks, lots of scratching out, rewriting and changed ideas.

3-5 of the Thankful list

3. My hubby, he's currently removing all of the files off of my GPISD laptop so I can turn it in tomorrow. 4 years worth of files, and I get to type my blog while it is done. 

4. Lewis. So one of the rabbits had bunnies and they are super cute. Last night, Brian took one of them out and put it down so Lewis and Gracie could see it. Gracie, surprisingly didn't try to eat it. I think she was kind of freaked out by it because she just stood back. Lewis, on the other hand, went right up to it and gave it kisses. Then followed it around as it hopped all around the porch. So sweet. 

5. The last week of 2008 is before me. It has by far, not been a banner year, though it's been good for lots of reasons: move to Granbury, start of my private practice, Disney world. All that being said, I'm pretty happy to see it go. Brian and I've already started making plans for 2009. We've decided that in 2009 we're going to get busy again. After spending an entire year taking care of ourselves, we're ready to get out there and start doing again. So far, we're looking into going on a mission trip to Mexico in the spring, going on a trip that my parents gave us before March, and possibly taking a couple of weeks to a month this summer to visit one of our missionaries and do some traveling. We don't want to just be sitting around waiting to get pregnant again. We feel like God was showing us in August that we will get pregnant when He decides it is time. So, until that time, we want to get busy. There's a lot of stuff we want to do, and we are tired of wasting time and not doing it. We could really use your prayers as we try to work through what we feel like God is telling us. 

Thankful Thursday #6

I know, it's Saturday. But I am at my parents' house in North Carolina, so there's a time difference, right?
This has been such an awesome week so far. This is the first time my sister and her husband and Brian and I have all been to visit at the same time. It has been so fun all of us living under the same roof. Mom's already getting a little sad because Manda's leaving tomorrow and we're leaving Tuesday. They've been looking forward to this for months and I know that however much it has been a blessing to me to be here, it has meant that much more to them.
So without further ado, here's my thankful list for this week:
1. The 60 degree temperature it was here after we got off the plane. When we boarded in DFW, it was 28 degrees outside. So far, except for some rain Thursday, it has been B-E-A-UTIFUL!!
2. My parents' cat Corky, Brian calls him a Zepplin, he's really fat, has a super tiny head and really long, skinny legs. But he's our Zepplin. He acts like a dog and when we all lived with Mom and Dad he terrorized Lewis. Lewis is still scared of the word Corky, to this day, even though he hasn't seen him in 3 years. Corky crawls into your lap, gets hair all over you, but loves to be pet and played with.
3. Watching my mom bake and cook. She has a certain way of doing things and she loves to teach us how to do stuff. And I'm on my 4th piece of rum cake since yesterday, so I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be loosing any weight this week.
4. My dad. He surprised me with a great thing yesterday. He recently acquired Skype and took us up to church. He then called UKRAINE and got ahold of one of my dear friends, Alonya. So, I was able to video chat with her and her sweet husband, she got to meet my husband and family. It was such a blessing. Daddy also put one of my posts from my blog into his bulletin article and tells everyone to read my blog. Although it is a little embarrassing, it is one of those things that gives me the confidence to write, express myself, and do anything because I know I have one of my biggest fans cheering me on.
5. Being with my family. Last night we watched some old home movies, played games, ate, and laughed, laughed, laughed. It has been the best time getting to hang out just the six of us and I've loved every second. I love my family and I'm so blessed that we were all able to be here together.

Thursday Thankfuls #5

I can't believe it's already Thursday!! This week has been a whirlwind of crazy for the Tindells. I'm sitting here drowning in Camp COPE stuff, I've got 2 week old laundry in the washer & dryer, Seinfeld is on, the dogs keep licking me and pawing the laptop, dishwasher with leftover dishes needs to be run, I still haven't packed and I just want to go to sleep! If I wasn't leaving for North Carolina two days after I get back from Kansas, I would not feel as stressed out. I'm literally going to be gone almost 2 weeks! YIPES! But I couldn't let a Thursday go by without a thankful list! I'm on week 5 and its getting to be a little bit of a habit now, it really does work to take your mind off of anything rough in your life when you are busy being thankful and full of praise! I've been thinking about my list all day...

1. Brian bringing Taco Bueno home for dinner tonight so I don't have to create food out of nothing, because that is literally what I have left in my house.

2. Thursday Bible Study girls: Cami, Heather, Sara, Jami, Ginger, Alisha, Marsha, Penny, Susan...we had a great holiday brunch today and I totally love hanging out with you ladies. You've been such a great blessing for me feeling apart of things here in Granbury and I can't wait for our meetings to start back up again!

3. My washer & dryer. After putting off laundry for the last two weeks, I had to crawl over piles between our room and bathroom. But our awesome washer & dryer make it possible to get all of it done tonight! I can't even imagine what it would be like to not have one.

4. My work situation. Opportunities are being dropped into my lap and I know it is God's hand working in my life.

5. Christmas music on the radio. Not only is 94.9 (the Christian station) playing Christmas music, but so is 103.7 (a "worldly" station) playing songs celebrating Jesus's birth. So great!

It's Christmas Time!!

Sick, sick, sick. That's what the last 8 days have been in the Tindell household. But have we let it get us down? No siree!! Friday Brian was awesome enough to help me drag down all of the Christmas decorations and by Saturday night, all of our Christmas decorations were up! Last year we didn't get to decorate since our house was on the market, so this year I'm loving it!
I'll probably get more after Christmas is over (when they're 80% off), so I can get crazy next year!
I'm actually not going to be in town too much this holiday season to enjoy the decorations, which is another reason why I didn't go all out. This weekend I'm traveling to Ft. Riley, Kansas for Camp Cope, a camp that teaches coping skills to children of deployed and/or injured military. It is such a blessing to work with this organization, I'll post more on it another time.
Then next week, Brian, Manda, Paul and I are all traveling to North Carolina to see my parents! I am so excited since this will be the first time all six of us will be out there together. It's going to be great! Then a few days after we get back is Christmas!!
This is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the music, even though its the same song, just redone by different artists over and over and over again. I love the cold air outside, the fire in the fireplace, all the cookies, cakes, peppermint mochas. I love shopping for everyone and I love spending time with my loved ones.
Most of all, it is so awesome that worldwide, people are remembering the birth of Jesus Christ. It is amazing that even though this holiday is extremely commercialized, and everyone is worried about the perfect gift, traveling and parties, we all still stop for one whole day to rejoice over the birth of the Savior of the World. I hope that you are able to take time this holiday season, amongst all the hustle and bustle, traffic and grouchy shoppers, to remember what's really important and that you get to enjoy and love on those closest to you!

Stockings Brian's mom made for us. I'll be adding more to the mantle. We didn't have a fireplace in our last house, so I'm new to mantle decorating. Any tips?!

The Tree and the puppies, they can hardly contain their holiday cheer.

Thursday Thankfuls #4-Thanksgiving Style!!

So how cool is it that on my Thursday Thankful list, it also gets to be Thanksgiving! The day that people all over the country gather around tables and celebrate all of the blessings they have received!

Today, Brian's family gathered around my table, which was a special treat for me! I decided that since I'm hosting, I would cook the meal, Long Family style, just like my grandmother. Then Brian decided he wanted to roast a goose (random, I know, he's been talking about it for two years, he had to do it today!). So, all except goose, we had a San Antonio Thanksgiving! Everything turned out perfect, and we all ate too much! And to top it all off, the COWBOYS WON!! It is a good day! I hope that each and every one of you had a blessed holiday today, complete with good food, family and football! And so, without further ado, my Thanksgiving Day Thankful list.

1. Being sick. Brian and I both got really sick this weekend and have been feeling AWFUL all week. But the good part was that we got sick together! So we literally spent 5 straight days laying around and being together.

2. Kleenex. We ran out and had to use toliet paper and paper towels. Ouch. Enough Said.

3. Infertility. Seriously, you ask? And don't get me wrong. I would much rather be getting my little one ready for bed right now rather than typing about it. But my infertility has changed my life in so many ways. It has brought me into new relationships that I would not have had before. It has brought Brian and me closer together than we have ever been. It has taught me patience like nothing else could have. Waiting for my time of the month, waiting to test to ovulate, waiting to ovulate, waiting for my time of the month...for 24 straight months. And it has not been easy. But through this time of waiting and growing, God has brought me close. It has been in those moments of fear, desperation, extreme sadness and pain that I have cried out to God and he has met me there, calling out to me, "Further still, sweet one".

4. My Nanny. I love my Nanny for so many different reasons, she's loving, she's funny, she's always worried and wondering how everyone is doing (which is a lot of worrying since there's over 40 people in her immediate family). Nanny's also old school. She uses her dishwasher to STORE dishes, not wash them. She only washes things by hand. Which, after cooking for over 40 people, can add up to a lot of dishes. But she's always taught me about living simply and though doing things the hard way sometimes is a little slower, it gives you time to spend with each other (side by side, washing and drying, taking turns grinding ingredients by hand). I love watching her cook. She always gets really excited when she gets to cook for all of us and she's really good at it too. And it is from years of watching her cook and learning at her side, along with learning from my mom and all my aunts, I was able to cook most of the meal today from memory, something I thought I was incapable of doing.

5. My Jesus. When I think about what I was doing last year at this time, I realize I had no idea what was in store for me up ahead. The one thing that has not changed at all has been Christ. I am so thankful he lived and died on this Earth, and I'm so thankful for the special relationship we share that just gets better every day.

Thursday Thankfuls #3

Here's my list for today:

1. Buttercream and Pumpkin Pie candles from Yankee Candle Company
2. A fire in our fireplace
3. My sweet husband snoring on the couch. He took off tomorrow so we could move into my NEW OFFICE!!
4. Heather and Cami for my awesome new bag with Agape Family Center embroidered on the front.
5. A visit from a couple of elders at our church here in Granbury. We were able to learn about some exciting ways to get involved and are so happy to finally feel like we are becoming apart of our new church family.

A side note, please pray for our friends Joe and Rachel. We have struggled virtually side by side with our infertility for the past two years. They have attempted invitro fertilization twice. One ended in miscarriage around the time we lost our sweet baby. The second one, though they were celebrating a pregnancy for two weeks, has also ended in miscarriage. Please lift them up as waves of desperation and hopelessness are crashing upon them.