30 Thankful Days - Day 3

Day 3 of 30 Thankful Days!  If you have a post to share, link up over at Dawn's Good Life.  It's pretty fun  and good for the heart to read about what others are thankful for.

Since I missed Day 1, I decided I'm going to post about TWO things today, both of which bring me great joy and happiness.  Ready?

Thankful "Thing" #1:

Ginny, the best puppy-friend ever.  Yesterday she was pretty excited to stay home with me all day.  She spent most of the day sleeping curled up on the couch or asking me to play, but was completely enthralled when the men from the HOA came to shovel our walkways.

She's VERY curious.  And very active, very involved, and very, very sweet.  She's the best cuddle puppy ever. We pretty much can't imagine what life would be like without her.  She waits patiently for an invitation onto the couch with you (although, if you take too long, she might grunt a little, kind of like the Angry Birds pigs do).  She love love loves it if you invite her onto the bed, because that's a rare treat.  She wants to play with you whenever you're willing, and she loves it when you put your tennis shoes on, because she thinks it might be time to go for a walk.  She loves to run around with the "big dogs" at Mom and Dad's (two Siberian huskies) and play until they are all exhausted.  She loves to lay in the sunshine, but is getting more interested in the snow (although she won't ever like it as much as the big dogs do).  And she loves to be with us, wherever we are.

Someone asked us if we were going to get rid of her when the peanut comes.  Are you kidding?  That would be like losing a family member.  We're convinced she's going to be a GREAT big sister.  She makes us happy.

Thankful Thing #2:

Okay, if you know me at all, or have been reading my blog for a while, you should be able to guess what thing that only comes around this time of year makes me extremely, ridiculously, excitedly, joyously, just plain happy....

The Gingerbread Latte.  In a Christmas cup, no less.

Here's my actual first one this morning:

I loved the cups last year with the little carolers and people, but this cup sums up the truth quite well.  Any day with a GBL is a snow day.  A little bit of heaven.  As I explain to my students or other people who think I'm nuts, it's really truly like God's little personal gift to me, Beth.  Happiness overtakes me with every sip, every whiff of it's delicious aroma.

Mmm.  Deliciousness.  Happiness. 

I know it might be silly to be thankful for a cup of coffee, but that's me.  I really feel like it's a little gift for me each time I drink one.  No matter the mood, a Gingerbread Latte lifts my spirits, reminds me of what's good, that it's all in His hands, and that He cares about me.

And yes, I might be obsessed.  (You can read about my love for GBLs here and here if you really want to grasp the depth of how I feel.  I can measure how long I've been a blogger in how many years I've posted on GBLs, lol.

A quick story, before I go to class.  (We have a 7 period chaotic day today, insted of our normal 4 period block, due to yesterday's snow day.)  It was years ago that my BFF Caroline, my cousin, introduced me to the Gingbread Latte.  Caroline is exactly five months older than I am, to the day, and we grew up seeing each other at least once a year, but usually more often, as our families are close friends (our moms are sisters).  It was like having a built in best friend my entire life, and it hasn't changed a bit.  We're now both 29, and when we get to see each other, we laugh, we cry, we have fun.  Caroline is expecting her first baby in just over a month, and when she called to tell me she was pregnant, she told me I had five months to join her to keep the tradition going.   Mission accomplished.  Within 3 - 4 months of her baby boy joining the family, I'll bring the peanut home, too. 

Wait, this wasn't the point of the story.

Yesterday she texted to me that she'd just ordered her first GBL of the season (we had a laugh, as the barista called her "mamacita.")  This morning I texted her to tell her that I was drinking my first - and immediately had a response saying she was drinking one too.... so we enjoyed a moment of "having GBLs together," despite the many, many states and time zones between us. 

GBL Love.  You just can't contain it.