thankful for...

photo taken in Tønsberg, Norway

Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends!

This year I am giving thanks for....

A warm home and garden produce

My husband and the ways we’ve grown together over the past couple years

Pottery, painting, sewing, knitting, and creativity

Friends, new and old, near and far

Legacy Ministries

The chance to visit my sister this Fall and see her college world 

Students who remind me why I want to be a teacher

My family and how they love, support, and encourage me

The ability to bike to work

All the birds along the river that make my ride to work more enjoyable (the other day I saw two bald eagles on my way home!)

Opportunities to travel, experience different cultures, and meet new people

God, prayer, and our church family

The inspiring beauty of nature

What are you especially thankful for this year?

our thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving highlights just in time for Christmas! I'm a little behind on the blogging, but I thought it's never too late to share gratitude. 

Last Thanksgiving Josh and I cooked all day to have a Thanksgiving meal with some of our European friends. We had fun preparing the meal and hosting friends, but my favorite part was going around the table to share what we were each thankful for in the past year. Our friend (and Josh’s advisor) Martin said he hadn’t shared his gratitude like that in two years. I found it really special for a diverse mix of people (a Swed, some Germans, a Ugandan, and two Americans) to gather around the table and express our thankfulness. This year I found myself thinking a lot about Norway. When I reflected back on what I'm thankful for in the past year I couldn't stop thinking about the people who became our close friends and for the challenges that brought Joshua and me closer together. Thank you friends and Norway for a good year!

This Thanksgiving we were surrounded by our family in Wichita, Elise (who came from Greenville), and some new friends. It was wonderful and restful, but also quite active; somehow I felt sleep-deprived by the end. I made rolls for the Thanksgiving meal; we all gathered at the Overholt's house. The JRLD household, plus Elise, did a Turkey Trot run. (Let me explain JRLD. It stands for Joshua, Rachel, Lauren and Daniel and it's pronounced "Gerald." It's a whole lot easier to give our house a name than to say Lauren and Daniel's house, where Josh and Rachel live.) On Thanksgiving day we enjoyed delicious food and copious amounts of pie, played games like "Dictionary" and "Off the Wall,"took an afternoon walk, and played with sparklers. Throughout the weekend we spent a lot of time with family, I did a little Christmas shopping (NOT on Black Friday- I refuse), we ate dinner/watched movies with friends, played disc golf, and skyped/phone-talked with our parents. There's a lot to be thankful for this year like a good job, a cozy place to live, great housemates, new friendships, old friendships, family, and God's love. I'm feeling very blessed.

And thanks to you for reading what I write here!