The big gratitude catch-up...

Hello and happy Thanksgiving all! I find it very fitting that the day I have the gift of time to catch up on some gratitude posting is also Thanksgiving. I've only started this new blog several posts back and already I've felt behind-ha! Such is life. Time is such a precious commodity and there is truly only so much of it.  I got into a bit of survival mode the past few weeks and now I'm deeply grateful to enjoy some catch-up time on rest and recharging before hitting the ground running again. 

My truth is still this: no matter how packed my day might be from rising to sleeping I know for sure it matters when I take those extra seconds to roll the window down and capture the sun, pause to snap something colorful and joyful, or let myself be present to it all, and that includes the beautiful things too.  Here is my inspiration, joy, and gratitude from the past several weeks. 

I love my students, job, and co-workers. Extra cozy day in the library as 3rd and 4th graders are so close to finishing this chapter book we started back in August. I don't know how we'll manage to say goodbye to this book.

Stunning. I was bone tired this particular morning and I remember being totally captivated by this sky anyway. 

Weird moon shot.

Happy place.

Sometimes I doodle on the iPad. 

A walk through the pasture with my favorite Zevia. 

Tidied my exercise/craft room over the break. I've done a lot of little organizing projects like this, getting some things back under control that I lost a handle on over the past month.

Already we've had so much frost, cold temperatures, and three days of snow this winter.

Winter mantle. 

We flew! 
New York was good to us, once again. But-there is never, ever any place like home. 

My creative spirit craves being filled up and inspired. It's truly what helps me crank out ideas for my students, kids, and home. So a little pause to take in new sights, sounds, and art is truly life giving to me. 

Created by yours truly. 

Probably the best sandwich I've ever had.  Even the croissant flakes were good. How?!

Two of my favorites in one picture. Water and lights.

I wanted everything pictured here. :) 

The girls can bake! Now to tackle croissants this winter. 

Sometimes I art journal. I love it! Collage is my favorite thing ever. 

Started this art journal a whole year ago and only got a few pages in. Let's see what this year may hold!

Candles are an evening ritual around here until the day light stays a bit longer.

Happy color! 

(thank-you Grandma and Papaw for the ornaments)

Grateful for phones we can carry around and quickly snap photos with, 

musicals, 

new food, 

cooking, 

still being able to run over 5 miles straight even after several weeks off, 

stacks of new books, 

warm fires, 

my family, friends, co-workers, and students, 

birthday plans for my gal, 

art inspo,

my plant collection,

organization, 

running my first ever solo book fair (with amazing help from mom volunteers and my outstanding library aide),

being librarian,

The Lost Kitchen show,

my family group chat,

and the gift of being able to fill back up on this time off.