I hope you're enjoying the day with loved ones (family, friends, roommates, neighbors) or, at the very least, enjoying a plate of warm food and a dessert.

As we've planned various levels of celebration around here--a handful of changes due to Covid, the weather, and a recent death in the family--I started to think about some of my favorite Thanksgiving memories.

So, today's Top 5 is a list of my Top 5 Favorite Thanksgiving Celebrations (So Far)

Also, this picture--which may be my all-time favorite photo of me and my mom--was taken that day.

Our party grew a bit larger in 2013.

But we still made sure to make the face.

My Grandma died in September of 2014. We still went to serve, though we were all grieving. The woman who'd taken our pictures at the photobooth over the last two years noticed we were missing someone. When she heard about Bum, she came over and hugged each one of us. Of course, we asked her to jump in one photo with us!

Thanksgiving 2016: Through a massively competitive and massively generous competition at our work, my roommate, Caroline, and I had won 100,000 air miles and $1000 cash. We chose to use the miles on roundtrip tickets to Australia. We spent 10 days traveling through Sydney and Cairns--we toured the rainforest, snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef, saw a Shakespeare play at the Sydney Opera House, and celebrated Thanksgiving at the lagoon. Not too shabby.

I feel I should acknowledge that none of these Top Thanksgivings include my husband. Since we were long-distance for the Thanksgiving when we were dating, and ridiculously ill last year, neither of those make the list of the very best holidays. But, there's hope for those to come! I'm sure there will be stories to tell from this year's dinner! I'll keep you posted.

I know, I know, it's not even Thanksgiving yet. But we're decking the halls around here and shopping for Christmas gifts before we miss small business shipping windows.

Part of our Christmas tradition includes surprising one another with an ornament for our tree. The hope is that someday the majority of the ornaments will have memories that are "ours."

As I searched for Josh's ornament this year (and, let's be honest, one for Charlie, too), I found a handful of others that I thought were fun. 

Like the rest of the Netflix-subscribing world, we watched Tiger King during shelter-in-place. And because time was irrelevant during those weeks, we stayed up, bowls of Lucky Charms in hand, and watched the entire show in one night. 

Which, I have to say, is the only reason we made it through. Had it been an entire 22-episode season, I don't know that I would have been able to watch the whole thing. There was such so much brokenness, manipulation, and abuse in each person's story. Who needed to shoulder more emotional weight during a pandemic? I sure didn't. And yet, we watched.

Once we finished, we were on the hunt for more shows with that "can't turn it off" feeling. So, in case you're on the hunt for TV Shows to watch over Christmas break, here are five (other) shows we finished in a single day.

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Waco (Netflix) - Taylor Kitsch plays David Koresh with a great balance of creepy likeability. While I remember hearing a bit about the events on the compound of the Branch Davidians growing up, Josh--a Texan and History-buff--knew much more about it. We paused a few times to look up the accuracy of various elements, but for the most part, we were glued to the tv. The ending is, of course, heartbreaking and heavy (we had to watch a few Seinfeld episodes before bed) but it's really well done.

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In the first year of our marriage, we've worked hard to stay within budget. But the one thing we never skimped on was coffee. 

We'd take advantage of the Buy One Get One offer on Thursdays at our local Starbucks, or splurge on afternoon coffees as an excuse to get out of the house during shelter-in-place, or simply make a third (yes, third) carafe at home just because we could.

Through all of this, we've tried a few brands of coffee, but in late 2019, found a local roaster and had remained faithful. PLUS, with a renewed effort to stick to our budget, I stopped buying all the pretty bags of coffee I'd seen online and in stores. 

Flash forward to the start of Fall 2020. 

We were coming off a long few months of ministry--some really high highs in the midst of Quarantine (and Post-Quarantine) Youth Ministry, and gearing up for a Fall/Winter filled with events, and community groups, and early dark nights.

It felt like time for fresh little pick-me-up.

And, since flights aren't really option these days--nor are they the best choice when working to stick to a budget--coffee it was.

I'd seen these beautifully designed Blk and Bold bags at Target a few months back and they piqued my interest. I was curious to know if the coffee inside was as great as the packaging. 

After reading about the Iowa-based Black-owned company that “pledges 5% of its profits to initiatives aligned to sustaining youth programming, enhancing workforce development, and eradicating youth homelessness”, I really couldn't wait to try a few different roasts. I scrolled through a few reviews, I decided on a bag of La Guadalupe.

As I made our first pour-over, I told Josh, "This smells exactly like a really good Coffee Shop. I can't wait to taste it."

It was every bit as good as I'd hoped. 

It's smooth and flavorful and... is it weird to say the taste is comforting? Maybe it's weird, but that doesn't make it any less accurate.

I've already ordered two more bags: another La Guadalupe, because that's most likely our new go-to, and a bag of the Limu, which is a really delicious dessert-y coffee. (Chocolate and blueberries? Yes please! I'm really hoping they start to offer this one in Decaf.)

We're currently plodding our way through the remains of the final bag of our previous favorite (from the local roaster) because I can't bring myself to throw away perfectly good coffee. But you can bet your booty our coffee cabinet will be filled with Blk and Bold (and an HEB Decaf because I'm still waiting on Blk and Bold Decaf) from here on out.

Have you tried Blk and Bold? 

We're less than 50 days away from Christmas! I've already ordered a handful of gifts and, in the midst of shopping, added a few new items to my Etsy wishlist. 

I thought I'd give you a quick list here in case you're still shopping around for friends and family members. 

1. These movie posters. It's hard to choose just one! I can picture hanging Inglorious Basterds, Sleepless in Seattle, and The Goonies (among others!)

2. Speaking of Sleepless in Seattle... I have big heart eyes for this sweatshirt!

3. And, since we'll be headed to Winter Camp in February, I could definitely use this adorable beanie.

4.  I can't imagine anything better suited for our entryway: this T Rex wall hook! And the Triceratops! I just told a student in our ministry that I would absolutely risk my life to visit Jurassic Park if only just to ride a Triceratops!

5. What an adorable tribute to RBG. This would be a sweet, subtle nod to her legacy. I loved learning about her life through both her movie and biography. 

It was my birthday at the end of October! While it wasn't a big birthday (age-wise), it's been a long year, so my mom and her husband flew in for a quick visit.

As luck would have it, since my sister-in-law (Josh's sister) and I share a birthday (how fun is that?!), she and her husband and daughter (our niece!) decided to drive in from Dallas so we could celebrate together. Originally, Josh's parents, brother, and Grandma were supposed to join us as well. It would have been a big family weekend after months apart. Unfortunately, their trip was canceled due to a snowstorm. 

My mom and Dave arrived Friday afternoon. After a handful of flight changes, it turned out they would only have 26 hours in town. Not wasting a single minute, we kicked off our time together with a steak dinner and followed it up with ice cream from my favorite, Farmhouse Creamery. 

Every Thursday for a little over a year, I spend the day babysitting a (now) 4-year-old. At first, we mostly played with trains and read books about trains, and walked the toy aisle of Target looking at trains. But for the last few months, he's become my errand buddy. We drive around town alternating grown-up responsibilities and fun stops: grocery store, then the library, then Target, then the pet store. And, throughout the day, we talk--well, mostly, he talks--but he has such a fun perspective on things, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you today.

On Vacation Highlights: (growing louder with each sentence.) 

We stayed at a hotel. There was a tv in my mom and dad’s room! You can lay in bed and watch the tv. AND There was a pool... inside! AND THEY HAD STAIRS!

On Sports Fans:

Him: That’s where I play soccer.

Me: Oh really? Josh and I will come watch and we'll cheer. We’ll say, “Yay! Go Bry!” 

Him: Nah. Don’t do that. 

Me: Don’t come watch or don’t cheer?

Him: Don’t cheer. [pause] Well, maybe you can cheer like ghosts. Like “Ooooo! Goooooo Bryyyyyy.”

On Birthday Gifts:

"You can buy that thing and my Granada can buy that. But I'm gonna buy this one myself. I just need to get some rectangle money."

On Real Estate: 

"We’re moving to a house with a pool! I’m gonna use all my money, my mom will give me all her money too and get another job to get more money and we can use that too. We have to get a lot of money 'cuz it costs like $600."

On Death:

Him: [out of the blue] "We’re all gonna die." 

Me: [confused] "What?"

Him: "We’re gonna die and Jesus will bring us back to life."

Me: "Well, you’re not wrong, but that's a pretty dark thing to say in the shampoo aisle."

Around my 21st Birthday, I decided to make a list of 25 things I wanted to do before I turned 25. While I didn't accomplish 100% of the items on the list, it pushed me to try new things and work to make the dreams a reality.

So I made a second list, my 30 by 30. This one was slightly overambitious, so I toned it down a bit before making my 35 by 35. 

And, though it's shifted a bit since I made it (just before my 35 birthday), here's my 40 by 40. Since I just turned 38, I've already checked off a few. 

1. Learn ASL.
2. Make a quilt.
3. Read 150 books. (92/150 so far)
4. Visit 8 never-before-visited states. (1/8)
5. Visit 6 never-before-visited countries. (4/6)
6. DIY something to make our rental feel like home.
7. Get an Abe Lincoln tattoo.
8. Take voice lessons.
9. Read the Bible all the way through.
10. See a counselor.
11. Shake Tom Hanks’ hand.
12. See 35 bands play live. (13/35)
13. Be completely unplugged for one weekend each year.
14. See Niagara Falls.
15. Eat at a DiLallo Burger.
16. Learn to use my sewing machine...or get rid of it.
17. Record an audiobook.
18. Finish the screenwriter’s MasterClass.
19. Be credit card debt-free.
20. Go camping for a weekend.
21. Hike to the Hollywood sign.
22. Host an outdoor movie night.
23. Teach God’s Word to a crowd.
24. Open an Etsy shop.
25. Help MV care for families with children with special needs.
26. Take a road trip with barely any pre-made plans.
27. Watch every movie Sorkin’s written. (7/8)
28. Host a regular home-cooked meal for friends.
29. Be in a successful dating relationship.
30. Get a tattoo in honor of Bum (my maternal Grandmother).
31. Perform a set of covers in a restaurant or bar.
32. Buy my own in-ears.
33. Find a way to care for/build up my community through a local ministry.
34. Blog about the big trips from the last few years: Tokyo, Australia, Midwest, Beijing, Scandinavia.
35. Find a job I love.
36. Cook a lobster dinner for two.
37. Get Global Entry status.
38. Sit in on a case hearing at the Supreme Court.
39. Find a regular, enjoyable exercise routine.
40. Buy a house.