Yesterday was a day full of good things!

My officemate and I ate at Red Ginger for lunch and I enjoyed a Bento Box containing Katsu Curry, Miso Soup, Jasmine Rice and Edamame. Then walking to our car, we were handed (literally) free turkeys from the Traverse City State Theater (Michael Moore owns it) which I gave to a family who needs it more than we do. Then Brent and I had the opportunity to watch 2 adorable girls last night! We decorated sugar cookies and traced our hands to make turkeys. It was a very fun day!

And it was after the Wednesday Night Church Service before Thanksgiving in 2008 that Red Deller happened into our driveway and into our hearts! She has made Baby Cat more playful and made our family complete! Check out this post for her big xanga debut!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everybody!! Much love!

 Here is my new darkened color! The red tones are hard to pick up except in the light, but trust me, they are there!

H1N1 may be overhyped by the media, but it was the most sick I've ever been.  Last Saturday morning I felt great, I cleaned the house, Shredded (level 3!) and we went to Traverse City for shopping and lunch. I was in
the middle of church Saturday night when I got freezing cold, I turned to Brent and asked if he was cold thinking that some how the AC must have been on. He was not. And as I got colder (visibly shaking), I got incredibly sore and achy. My hips and legs hurt much worse than after running the half-marathon. The tops of my feet hurt and so did my arms, back and neck. Even my gums and scalp hurt.

Saturday night I was in bed by 8:30 under a mountain of blankets unable to get warm. Even a hot shower didn't help, it hurt to be touched by the water and even though my skin got red from the heat, my core was still freezing. Until I got out, then I was sweating and panting I was so hot. Besides the extreme chills and aches and pains, I had a wicked cough and major congestion.  I'm still battling the cough, congestion and fatigue. I haven't been able to sleep through the night from all the coughing and I've lately developed nausea and light headedness. I worked one day last week (Friday) and then slept 12 hours Friday night and took a 3 hour nap on Saturday. A half hour walk yesterday was all it took before I was back on the couch resting most of the afternoon.

I'm thankful this week is broken up my the Veteran's Day holiday. I can work 2 days and get a little break and then work 2 more days. To say that I haven't been running or working out should be obviously. I think it will be a while before I come back from this illness. At least I'm giving the tear in my knee cartilage plenty of rest!

I've been working on contentment and for me that means recognizing the simple pleasures in my life. So here is a brief list of things that crossed my mind this morning:
- Coffee with skim milk
- Bananas with my cereal
- Fuzzy socks/slippers
- Making Brent laugh
- New mascara

Another simple pleasure added to the list is windows that seal! While I was at HeartQuest Brent had 3 new windows put in the house!! These windows were in desperate need of replacing. Once I had sprayed Windex on the window above the kitchen sink and it actually ran down the window and onto the outside of the lower pane, no seal at all! The other 2 windows didn't latch. So when I was at the Superchick/Barlow Girl concert, Brent had our friend, Benny, come measure them. Benny's dad custom made them (they are very oddly shaped) and then Benny installed them when I was gone. I was so surprised at that thoughtful gift and can report our house already feels more snug!

This might be my last post for a week or two. I leave Monday for 5 ½ days of leadership training through my church. I haven't started packing yet, but was excited to learn from those who have gone before the very casual dress code (per the instructions) can equal yoga/sweatpants and t-shirts. Pretty much whatever each attendee feels most comfortable in she can wear. It is just a group of 36 ladies and the female ministry team tucked away in a beautiful lodge on a lake.  We also have a formal night, which is exciting. I have a red strapless dress (the same one I wore to Sr. prom and as a bridesmaid in a wedding) which still fits (it didn't fit so well in April!) that I plan on jazzing up with a nice ribbon sash.

Work has been busy; the week I get back is the week of meetings (6 meetings in 5 days!) that I'm responsible for. My boss chairs and I prepare the agendas, packets, minutes, etc. So I've been soliciting documents and reports a week early so that everything can be sent out tomorrow

Today will be good though. I've brought some favorite CDs to work and am jamming along to Remedy Drive as I draft an agenda and pull reports together for a meeting.  Tonight I'll be baking Boss's Day treats. Tomorrow night Brent and I are going on a much needed date. Brent received his largest paycheck to date (yay for writing lots of hours!) yesterday and I'll get my biggest paycheck of the year tomorrow (cashing out 22 PTO days), so we are celebrating with a nice dinner in TC and a viewing of "Capitalism: A Love Story". Saturday I'm cleaning house and baking a cake for the 30th anniversary celebration we're having for my parents at night. My Grandparents from Florida are doing their fall tour and taking the family out to dinner to celebrate. Sunday is Community Group. And somewhere in there? Gotta pack!!