a thankful thursday.

today i'm thankful.

thankful for a husband who loves his girls more than life. & who knows how to use the blow dryer on his daughters' hair. (even while in the recliner. impressive, no?)

thankful for people in my life who push me. encourage me. listen to me.
& tell me the truth. (& for laughing with me & at me as i waddle up my first hill of the year & then cry like a big ol' sissy)

our before pictures. we will be svelte by summer time. be afraid.

thankful for a new bible study. for change. for moving forward. for fresh perspective.

why hello there, bright blue sky.

thankful for a simple day full of sunshine, cookie dough, seashells & lemonade.

thankful for a God who gently pursues me. & pursues me some more. until i finally say, okay, okay, i'm listening. i'm scared, but i'm listening.

i'm such a lucky girl. an undeserving, lucky, lucky girl.

25 days of thanks: the motherload.

so i totally stunk at giving thanks for 25 days straight.
even though i might have given thanks in my head.
just didn't write it down.
so shoot me.

today, i am thankful for life.
for health.

for my tim, who works harder & dreams bigger than any person i know.

for my audrey, who loves life. loves her sister. loves to announce her farts. & makes me laugh harder than most. who tells me randomly everyday how much she loves me. & then asks for more candy.

for my ellie, who can light up any room. who brings joy. hence her middle name. who loves people. & loves to laugh through her nose. who loves to pick out her outfit every morning, while telling me one ponytail, or two. she promises she's gonna marry mason. yup.

for the gift of twin sisters. i never dreamed of having twins. & i was scared to death when i found out God picked me to raise a pair. but, oh man, the gift of sisters is an amazing one. they have each other forever. an insta-friend for life. being able to watch their unbreakable bond is truly an indescribable thing.

for my townhouse. & the fact that we're still standing after 4 years here. still barely paying our ridiculous mortgage. & still loving every minute of our cozy 3 story home sweet home.

for my family & friends. God has blessed me with the best. friends old & new. near & far. a quirky, sometimes dysfunctional family that loves the Lord. grandparents & great grandparents that love a+e to the moon. i am so thankful for my life-line.

for my karis. you deserve your own line this year :) you have kept me on the ground. listened way more than you should have. helped me laugh my way through it all. i heart you & am so blessed by you. & even though i've been replaced by your sewing machine, ruby, i thought this might just win you back? maybe? i told you you'd make a post! awkward huuuug!

for all the trials, joys, & pains that has come with this year. because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. ROMANS 5:3-4

and most of all, i'm thankful for my Jesus. He's given me more mercy & grace than i deserve. He makes life worth it. all of it. every drop.

CHEERS! happy thanksgiving, friends! i am thankful for you. & you. & you. xo.

ice skating adventures + a giveaway winner.

and the winner of the christmas card giveaway is:
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oh, the anticipation! heh.
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#11
[chosen by random.org, but tim x'd out of the page before i could save the picture. you'll just hafta trust me on this one. wink.]
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[phil + bri]
bri, pic out your favorite card & email me with your pics (whenever you're ready, of course) at tankandtink@gmail.com. we'll talk christmas cards, baby! YAY! CONGRATS! and a HUGE thank you to all who entered & help spread the word!

[and now, dundunduuuun, onto the video!
i present to you, my favorite, a+e on mini ice skates! oh, yes.
last year, a lot of wet tooshies. this year, we got walkers. oh, double yes.
& today, on this 22nd-ish day of thankfulness, i'm thankful for that. (cheap, i know.)]

i lost track of what day, but i'm still thankful.

:)

today i'm thankful for
homemade spaghetti simmering on the stove.
tim making it home early enough for dinner.
new t+t business.
a day with my audge podge (she has a cold & had to miss school today. boo. but man, did we have a good time. shh, don't tell ellie.)

waking up to find an ellie passed out in my bed.

silly memories with my crew.

late night in-n-out runs (and a few sprinkle donuts. say what?)

sunsets that stretch for days.

christmas pajama parites.

tim holding me tight last night & calling me his shnook.
(he hasn't called me that in forever)
free gifts in my sephora bag.

and, that the turkey dinner of the year is in my very near future. amen.

hearts.

i heart this baby room. i think it's absolute perfection. i saw the wallpaper once before, fell in loooove, & then forgot about it. thanks to chelsea, i fell in love all over again. swoon. anyone know where you can find the wallpaper in the us?

right now it's a tie between turqs+yellows or pinks+golds for a&e's room makeover. what do you think? i'm torn.

i heart this vintage baby blue typewriter. it's only 55 bucks, too. score! tim? are you listening?

i heart our little city's veteran's day parade. when the marching band came by, i cried. i love when people come together in unity. i love marching bands. i love the old man that stood every time a veteran walked by. & i love the mini horse that was decked out in flags.

i heart my girls. all of a sudden, they seem so old to me. & even though i miss them as babies, i'm so proud to see the girls they're becoming. they're my constant companions, the smile on my face, & today, i'm thankful for them.

what are you hearting these days?

psst! sweet christmas card giveaway still going on a few posts down!

16 days of thanksgiving.

today i am thankful for my sweet nephew, braden leif.

he was my very first baby love.

my first nephew.

my first baby obsession before i had 2 of my own.

he stole my heart with his long eyelashes & big hazel eyes.

he has sweetest braden smile, too.

and i'd like to think that i can still make him laugh harder than anyone else.

i am his favorite aunt and all. wink.

you're a big 6 year old now, b!

that doesn't mean that i still won't let make you sit on my lap
& hug the poop outta you.

[okay, just not in front of your friends.]

happy birthday, dear braden, happy birthday to you.

we love you!

p.s. you still have time to enter my giveaway below!
& a big hi!!!! to all the new visitors :)