Saturday, November 23, 2013

Week In Review - Ten Things of Thankful 25th Edition



Ten Things of Thankful


Happy 25th TToT-Anniversary!! The watchful reader (I count on you, Jak) will have noticed that I have jumped from number 18 (the 18th TToT I've participated in) straight to 25, because - let's be serious - 19 is not quite as memorable as a big, fat 25!!  Thank you so much to the mother of TToT, the wonderful Lizzi. This link-up has definitely helped me to focus more on all the things in my life I have reason to be thankful for. Therefore, to honor this milestone in TToT-history, 25 things to be incredibly thankful for:

1. The first of my colleages at work being back. Finally, I'm not all by myself on my block again.

2. Lily taking so good care of her little sister. Watched Lily helping Violet get dressed this week, and another morning, both of them had lots of good cuddles in my bed after I had gotten up.

3. The library at my work. So many great books and DVDs, all free without late fees.

4. The cafe at my work. Nothing beats a good chai latte in the afternoon with my colleagues.

5. Getting to organize an afternoon of fun for Violet and her friend, who's going to move soon.

6. Great advice from wonderful ladies when I didn't know better.

7. Salmon for dinner earlier this week. Hubby always know how to surprise me  ;-)

8. Getting the first proofs holiday pictures. They areso beautiful!

9. Spending a couple of hours browsing the home improvements store with the hubby while the girls played at the kiddy-land.

10. Being so in-sync with the hubby when it comes to picking out stuff for the house. It took us about 10 minutes to decide on the paint for the entire house.

11.  Baking with the girls.

12. Being nearly done with my holiday shopping. I hate frantically running through stores the week before the holidays.

13. The house. It's been a hard, frustrating journey so far, but it has taught me so much in terms of patience, letting things go, and how well hubby and I work together.

14. A job that allows us to live comfortably on one income so we can spend a lot of time with the girls.

15. Clean water, access to medical treatment, a roof over our heads, clothes, food.

16. A supportive family I can rely on.

17. Friends, whether they are in Germany, in the U.S., or anywhere else, whether we have a long history together or just met a few months ago, whether we know in person or on the www only. All of them mean the world to me!

18. Books, writing, letters, language.

19. Love, laughter, kindnes.

20. A wonderful dinner tonight. My first Carbonara was a full success.

21. Art.

22. Our daughters' smiles.

23. Living in a country where I can live openly as an Atheist.

24. Another German Thanksgiving celebration next week.


25. And last, but not least: Lizzi for coming up with this link-up and providing the platform to come together every week to reflect on all the things, big and small, to be thankful for.


Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!


28 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks, Jennifer! Towards the end, it became a challenge, but then again, there are so, so many things out there to be thankful for..

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  2. Awwwwh I LOVE this list. Best of all that your Carbonara was a success, that you and your husband are so well attuned to each other, that you're still managing to view the house as a positive learning experience, and that Violet and Lily are so sweet to one another.

    Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. And you're totally welcome for the platform :D

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    1. I was glad the Carbonara turned out well, after the polenta fail the weekend before ;-) I'm really glad that we like the same things, housewise. Our building site manager told us he had couples getting into really bad fights in front of him, over stuff like the color of the house or the design of the window sills. So ridiculous!!

      Hope you have a great week!

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  3. Look at you and your pretty new purple blog!! Very nice!
    So your daughter is having a last playdate with the little girl who is moving away? That's a good thing.
    Yum...I do enjoy salmon, too.
    It's quite impressive that you and your husband have done so well getting along while putting the house together. My husband and I work well, but only because he doesn't care and I pick everything. :)
    I like baking with my kids, too. It is most certainly messier and takes longer, but it's worth it.
    Nice job coming up with 25 things for the big weekend. Thanks for joining in with us!

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    1. Thanks a lot, Christine; I'm somewhat proud of having it done all by myself ;-)

      Well, the playdate kind of didn't happen because we mis-scheduled (the parents wanted to come over Sat. but I didn't see their message until Sat. evening and thought they wanted to come over Sun.). We're going to meet them on Wednesday, but it will be at the winter fair, and probably more people will be there. I'm a little sad they won't get to say good-bye in a more quiet surrounding..

      Hubby and I find it really easy to agree on the same things. No fights over the window sills for us ;-)

      Enjoy baking with your kids!!! And have a great week!!

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  4. Ok, Stephanie, I have to say I'm just a little envious of your #10! I think the universe has conspired to ensure that my Other Half and I disagree on everything that it is possible to disagree on under the sun. LOL ... but it's also lovely to discover that you and I have lots of loves in common - like libraries and salmon and art, books, language and baking :) Loved reading your list. xx

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    1. Well, Lizzy, somehow I think that you would not have serious yelling fights in public about stuff like the type of glass in your front door ;-)

      Hope you have a great week, Lizzy!

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  5. What a lovely list - so many things to love here! Love the new blog look, too. Very sparkly!

    Your #10 is indeed a great thing. The Hub and I are like that when it comes to decision-making for the house (and most things, really). We just kind of know what we like, know what we definitely don't like, and the rest just falls into place. It's a great feeling, isn't it?

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    1. Thanks a lot, Lisa! I love purple, and since Violet is not showered in purple stuff by her grandma again, I have space for purple in my life ;-)

      It's exactly like that for us when we pick things for the house.. He had the say on the window sills, would not have chosen that particular one, but definitely something I can live with..

      Have a great week!!

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  6. I absolutely love your list! You seem to have the perfect life. Not saying that everything that has happened is perfect, but your outlook on things shines through your list! So glad that I found your blog. I hope we will stay connected for sure!

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    1. Thank you so much, Brittnei!! My life may not be perfect, but it's mine, and I'm really thankful for everything. No need to whine about things, as no matter what, I'm always more lucky than most people in this world; keeping that in my mind at all times really helps with staying focused.

      I definitely think that we'll stay in touch, Brittnei!!

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  7. I get # 9 and 10. We are like that here… neither one of us is that far from the other, in terms of taste or adventurousness… having said that, we have a project this weekend that will test the compatibility thing a bit more. We bought one of those 'portable garages/tents-for-cars because Phyllis bought a Mini convertible this summer and can't stand to have it sit out in the drive all winter.
    as to our new garage? Two words: 'some assembly required' ! (btw she is a roger so totally believes that Instruction Manuals cannot lie. lol) we'll see, I'm sure there will be a Post or two coming out of this.
    Glad that you are a part of the TToT

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    1. Ohh, I'm looking forward to these posts, Clark! A portable garage might be something for us, as we won't have a proper garage for a while.. Enjoy the handy work ;-)

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  8. I have to admit I'm pretty jealous about #10. My husband and I are hardly EVER in sync when it comes to our house. House hunting was a nightmare! He's a good guy, though. He doesn't actually care much and is happy for me to make the decisions most of the time.

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    1. I'm sure he's a good guy, Sarah! The good thing was that we have talked for years about what we wanted and needed, and when we found this house, it was almost perfect (except of missing the second full bathroom).

      Thank you so much for stopping by!!

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  9. LOL I was literally laughing, because I shit you not... the first thing I did was check the numbers of your last TToT on the sidebar (I had the last TToT post up - and many others - last week, but never got to read/comment/etc). I'm actually really glad you used 25, because I agree... 19 just doesn't have the same oomph.

    It seems it's been a while. I really like your new layout/header and blog button! It's all really sweet :-)

    I'm glad you and a handful listed 25 things in this weekend's hop :-) Everyone seems to have added their own touch to the 25th Week Anniversary. Not sure how that is different from any other weekend, but it probably involves all the cake and nakedness... Muahahahaha!

    A great list full of Thankfulness for your friends and family. I always love those mentions. Glad your co-workers are back too.

    Kind of curious what a Carbonara is? And how a German Thanksgiving may differ from one in the States?

    I really truly hope that everything with the house is working out and progressing along nicely. I know it's been a journey, to say the least.

    Awesome seeing you post this weekend, and now the only question that remains is... Is next week the 26th entry... or the 19th...

    dun Dun DUN!

    The Cryton Chronicles & Dreams in the Shade of Ink

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    1. I knew you would look, and I remember your hawk eye ;-) Glad it got you chuckle!

      Thanks a lot, I felt the need for a proper re-decorating, and I did it all by myself (after skipping programming class in school).

      Thanksgiving is actually not celebrated here in Germany. We brought the custom with us when we came over and are inviting new people to our table every year to share the tradition with our German friends and family.

      A Carbonara is a type of pasta "sauce". Parmesan cheese mixed with eggs and poured over hot pasta which then cooks the egg. SO yummie!!

      Next week will be 26.. Now there is no going back ;-) Have a great week, Jak!

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  10. Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Susannah! It was not nearly as difficult as I thought ;-)

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  11. SO glad you aren't by yourself at work anymore, that can be boring.

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    1. I wasn't really all by myself, just the only one on my block, and working for 3 was really stressful. Now we're back to full, which is definitely preferrable ;-)

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  12. Love your list! I did 25 things this week, too! And there are many things on my list, too!

    The carbonara sounds yummy! I tried it once but did not like it at all.

    What are you going to celebrate next week? US or German celebration?

    I love your new layout!

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    1. I actually stole the idea from you, Joy ;-) We're going to celebrate U.S. Thanksgiving. SO looking forward having the house full of people and delicious food on the table ;-)

      Thanks, I love the new lay-out, too. I had no idea how easy it can be..

      Have a great day, Joy!

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    2. Oh, you did? :-) Very smart!

      Are you going to celebrate with a turkey and everything else that is usually done on Thanksgiving?

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    3. Only steal from the best ;-)

      Indeed, we'll be having a turkey and all the traditional trimmings (mashed potatoes, geen bean casserole, stuffing, pies); it'll be awesome ;-)

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    4. Cool! I would really love to attend a typically traditional Thanksgiving dinner once! It must be awesome indeed!

      Enjoy you meal! I hope you will post some pictures of it!

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