Grateful Gab

Today...
I could write about the failed moments.
The disappointment.
The sad.
The difficult.
The ugly.

Instead....
I will write about the victorious moments.
The hope-filled.
The joyous.
The inspiring.
The lovely.


I am grateful for the love of The Savior. That even on my worst day, His love for me outweighs everything.


I am grateful for the the beautiful flowers I saw as I walked into the mall yesterday. They were vibrant and glorious and brightened my day.

I am grateful for coffee. The warm cup in my hands is enough to make me smile before it even reaches my mouth. (...wow I sound like an addict...)

I am grateful for the moments when my spirit wins the battle against flesh. When I stand up to myself and am nice when I could be mean.(Even if they are not as often as I would like)

I am grateful for my family and the love we have for each other. I love the moments we share, the laughter, the tears.

I am grateful for having an hour lunch break to relax and refresh before more work.

            Yesterday for my lunch break I decided to go to the mall. Sometimes you just need to walk around the mall, with all of the Christmas music, and Christmas decorations...and coffee...It was beautiful! And just the ticket to brighten my day.

The beautiful flowers as I walked into the mall.

Santa

The beautiful necklace I wanted to buy Shan...too bad it was really expensive. :( Sorry Shan.

I guess I'll be Brittney today.

This is my new favorite way to wear scarves!

For this look: The sweater is actually a very bright orange. I love pairing one bright color with a black and white outfit. I was wearing a black maxi skirt with this look. For the scarf,  I tied two different scarves together to make it more bulky and interesting. I got so many compliments! No one knew it was two separate pieces!

That's it for today. :)

And so it begins!

Hi Friends!

Well, as Court mentioned in the last blog, I made the move to Dallas this week! What an adventure this week has been too! 6AM Monday morning, my parents and I took off from Phoenix and headed out for the 16 some hours ahead through the beautiful landscape of Southern AZ, New Mexico and of course West Texas ( note my hint of sarcasm there). Here are a few pictures from my adventures!

Smiley pancakes at the Waffle House in Tucson.

These were some of the items that could be purchased at one of the random gas stations we stopped at once in Texas. It was pretty easy to tell we had entered the Longhorn State after this :)

 Funny Shannon story!!
I made a reservation for a storage unit last week for everything I need to store while I am living with my sister here in Dallas. My furniture that I needed to store is equivalent to about a one bedroom apartment. So I get here to Dallas, go through all the paperwork at the storage facility and follow the Storage guy out with my truck load full of stuff only to find that the unit I rented is none other than the picture to the left. FOLKS! This wasn't going to cut it! In my head, I pictured at least double this size so I just started laughing. Apparently, I wasn't paying attention when I picked the size of the storage unit. Oops! Thankfully, there was another unit that was the size I had in my head and all worked out well. I'm pretty sure, I am the only person in the world who would make this mistake though, so I had to share :)

Lastly, here is a picture of the street I live on for the time being. Being a native Arizona girl, I have never ever experienced any type of fall season, so these trees are really new to me! Our God sure is creative!

Leaving Arizona was so hard in the sense that I am so fully blessed there with amazing friends and family. But knowing that this move is something God had for me made leaving that much more sweet. To know that I have life-long friendships in Arizona and yet God still has more for me somewhere else is beyond incredible! He really longs to bless us beyond anything we could ever imagine. I am excited for what is to come and so blessed for what He has already given to me. Much more to come :)

Love,
Shan

Thanksgiving

Someday I hope my home looks something like this for the holidays...

VIA Pinterest

 

Currently it looks like this:

 

That's right folks, packing is in full swing and it is so bittersweet. 

Everyday it gets more and more real...In less than a week, Shan will be in Texas!

I am so so excited for her new adventure...but it will definitely be hard!

The next few days will certainly be a blur.

We have thanksgiving, packing, and moving right around the corner!

Lot's to do!

With that said, I thought I'd get in my Thanksgiving list in a little early, (if not now...it likely won't happen :) )

 

10 Things I am Thankful for:

1.God's grace and love...without I would be nothing.

2.  Family...the older I get the more I realize how special it is to be close to my family. 

I love the relationships I have with my parents and my brothers. They mean so much to me!

3. Friends: They have become my family as well...together we walk through life's high's and lows....

 I am one blessed lady!

4. Seasons of Growth: This year has been a challenge in many ways...

but with challenge, ALWAYS comes growth, and for that I am grateful.

5. Hope: There is light at the end of the tunnel folks! always...

That's just the way God works :) 

6. Coffee: It's seen me through many a rough day!

7.  Sweaters: They just make any day a little cozier and happier!

8. Work: I am grateful to have a job, to have provision for my needs.

9.  Lip Balm: Let's face it...this stuff is Bomb! Who wants crusty lips?? 

Ew! (currently enjoying EOS in melon ;) )

10. My Brothers: I know I already said family...but I am just so thankful that I have two amazing brothers that love and protect me. 

They inspire me, and give me high standards for my someday husband. 

They are amazing!

 

 Feel free to share what you're thankful for! 

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!!