The holiday season is in full swing. Woo!
Personally, I love this time of the year. The Christmas music; the lights; the hot cocoa and wonderful food; the time off work and school to spend with family. ❤
I’m just going to jump right on in. Thanksgiving was yesterday, and I was thinking of all the things I’m thankful for in my life. That’s the whole point of Thanksgiving, right? So, I started reflecting on moments and people and things and it got me all sentimental.
You see, I’m grateful for so much, but I’m going to start with these two things first (I’ve been dying to share this experience with y’all)
Live music and Aubrey Sneed.
Live music is good for the soul.
It was a usual late October Tuesday evening. I decided to skip class to catch up on homework (oh, the irony is not missed). I was working on my pile of Shakespeare discussion posts when my phone lit up. Of course I took the distraction ASAP. It was a text message from Aubrey telling me to listen to a band called Hippo Campus RIGHT NOW. She sent me two of their songs in the process: The Halocline & South. Both are really amazing songs. Anyways, we both kinda fell in love with the band, and she just happened to be at George’s Majestic Lounge that night and saw Hippo Campus was going to be there in a few weeks.
Of course we decided to go.
Skip ahead to the day of the show–October 30th. We were in Fayetteville battling evening traffic to get me my Sonic cheese sticks (Aubrey seriously loves me). We got lost in the maze of streets that are the U of A campus, stood in a long ass line in the freezing cold to get into the venue, but it was all worth it. We got to dance the night away. And then eat at Waffle House afterwards.
I love live music. I love watching people, who know what they’re doing, play guitars and jump around on stage. I love how their talent leaves me in complete awe and affects my entire body and soul. Not to mention I got to experience all of this with one of my best friends ❤
If you get a chance to see live music, don’t dwell on the decision. Just go. Trust me. It will be worth it
Next week we go see The Band CAMINO. You can bet there will be a blog about that one.
So yeah, I’m super thankful for my girl, Aubrey, and the love we both share for live music.
{Here’s a link to Hippo Campus, South • check it out}
Another thing I’m thankful for food. Most importantly, mash potatoes. Y’all. I can eat a potato in any form: mashed, fried, hashed, you name it. Yesterday, I ate waaaayyyy to much food. I also spent the day running around with my entire family to do our fall/Christmas pictures.
There was shouting
“Get dressed in this outfit!”
“No, this one! You don’t listen!”
There was crying
Ema couldn’t ride with RayRay (AKA me). Leo wanted to play in the leaves instead of standing still to take a picture.
And lots of laughter.
Running around in circles in the parking lot to keep the kids happy. Leo laughing so hard he tripped and fell. (Don’t worry! He bounced back up and kept running). Dad fake smiling. Me and Sis calling him out on it. Mom pinching his gut to make him laugh. Brandon throwing Leo in the air. Leo’s sweet giggling.
Seriously, family pictures are always so much fun. No sarcasm intended. I’m being serious here.
Afterwards, we came home. Shed off our fancy clothes for PJ’s. Mom jumped in the kitchen and started the potatoes and veggies. Dad put the dressing in the oven. I helped when it was needed, but for the most part I stood aside and snuck pieces of ham out of the dish when Mom and Dad had their backs turned. We didn’t waste any time when it was all done. I’m pretty sure we scarfed down our plates in less than ten minutes. Afterwards, Sis and I went outside on the porch with Mom while the kids, Brandon, and Dad stayed inside and watched TV. It was our typical family dinner. We ended the night crammed on the couches watching movies like Edward Scissorhands and She’s the Man. Sis, Brandon, and Ema went home when they were too tired to stay awake. Dad went to bed so he could get up and go hunting in the morning. Leo fell asleep in my lap during She’s the Man. Mom sat at her computer and edited (as always).
This may seem boring to you, but the WHOLE point of this blog is to convey how grateful I am. Every single day, no matter how busy I am or how fast I’m going, I try to stop and look around where I’m at; who’s beside me; whatever situation I’m in. I take a minute to think of how thankful I am for that particular moment.
Thanksgiving is about giving thanks–expressing your thankfulness and celebrating it. I feel like it has the same concept as Valentine’s Day. You know, like you shouldn’t just express your love and thanks on one certain day of the year. It should be something you do on a daily basis. That’s what I’ve been aiming towards, at least. Making sure I let the people around me know just how much I love and appreciate them; how genuinely thankful I am to be apart of their lives as they are in mine.
I’m thankful for my wonderful parents. They are the definition of unconditional love.
My goofy, easy-going, creative sister.
My selfless, artistic, beautiful Maddie.
My loud, sweet, sensitive Leo.
My strong-willed, silly, princess Ema.
My health.
My family’s health.
The fact that I get to go to college and study the thing I love.
Music like Chris Stapleton, The Districts, and Kings of Leon. Records. Because music is better on vinyl.
Movies like Casablanca and St. Elmo’s Fire.
Books. Libraries. Book stores. Indie book stores.
Nature. The ocean. Lakes. Mountains. Rivers. Trees.
The fact that I get to get up and go to a job that I love; being surrounded by books all day, every day.
That I have a vehicle that gets me to and from.
I could go on, but my point is this.
Don’t forget to acknowledge the people or things you’re grateful for, because life is moving. You will never be where you are right now ever again. Tomorrow will come and it will be a brand new day.
Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you ate entirely too much turkey and pumpkin pie. Make a list of all the things you’re grateful for in life. Fold it up and keep it in your wallet or purse. Get it out and read it every time you feel like life sucks.
PS. Vargas Fruteria ice cream • Go. Just go. Because I mean…
Randi Garner 