Thankful - Day #20

Today we are thankful for warm socks.

Chris is thankful for warm socks to protect him when it is flippin' cold at 4:30 am and he takes the dogs for a walk.

Melissa is thankful for warm socks (and long underwear) for cold nights when it gets below 73 degrees inside our apartment.

Thankful - Day #19

Today we are thankful for Hulu Plus and Roku.

You may be asking: Didn't we cover this on technology thankfulness day? Well sort of... but we love the Roku and Hulu Plus in a different much lazier way. We love cuddling together on the couch as a family and catching up on "our shows." So today we are thankful for the devices and subscriptions that let us laugh as a family at the end of a long day.

Thankful - Day #18

Today we are thankful for bicycles.

Chris rides his bike to and from work most days. We are thankful for the money that this saves us. One car household = less gas, less insurance, and NO CAR PAYMENTS. We are thankful for the extra exercise to keep Chris young and spry. We are thankful that we can be good stewards of the resources that we've been given and make a small contribution to environmental health. We are thankful that it is fun to ride your bike around, much more fun than it was to sit in traffic each and every day.

Thankful - Day #17

"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."

— Frederick Douglass

Today we are thankful for books. We are thankful for the freedom that comes with being able to read. We are thankful for the New York Times in the morning. We are thankful for Book Club each month... a chance to talk about life and literature (and to eat yummy treats!) We are thankful for the fantasy of Harry Potter and the reality of Surely, You're Joking Mr. Feynman. We are thankful for bookshelves and Kindle apps full of books... and a life full of possibilities.

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

— Groucho Marx

Thankful - Day #16

Today we are thankful to be able to afford the simple luxuries of drive-thru fancy coffee beverages and "Friday pizza in pajamas night."

We love holiday drinks.

The boys love drive-thru adventures.

Thankful - Day #15

Today, and every single day, we are thankful for our parents who have loved us unconditionally and been our biggest cheerleaders and support systems for our entire lives.

With our parents on our wedding day.
Photo by Lauren Natalie Photography

We are thankful for parents who model loving relationships for us.

Chris' parents = married for 42 years.

Melissa's parents = married for 36 years.
Photo by Lauren Natalie Photography

We are thankful for parents who model living life to the fullest and with whom we genuinely love to spend time.

At Disneyland with Chris' parents.

Out for pre-symphony drinks with Melissa's parents.

Today on her birthday, we are particularly thankful for Chris' mom and her spunky personality.

Happy birthday, Mom!
Photo by Lauren Natalie Photography

Thankful - Day #14

Today we are thankful for music.

Chris is thankful for the music that gets him through the work day.

Melissa is thankful for the music that makes her sing scream in the car.

We are both thankful for music to dance to together in the kitchen.

This is the song that played while we danced our first dance as a married couple. :-)