Thankful Tuesday: Birthdays, Bookshelves, Old/New friends, Green Drink, and on and on…

You know that problem you have when you show up at a new friend’s house and you head straight to their bookshelf, because you can’t help it even though you know it’s nosy and possibly judgmental of you, but you still need to look and look and look because you want to know if they’re your new best friend and (sometimes) nothing can give you a better indicator than how many copies of Jane Austen books are on the shelf, whether they read poetry or biographies of poets, who wrote their biblical commentaries and their affinity for YA novels. Also, do they read memoir and do they read the good kind or the lame kind? (True confession, I’m not just a semi-book snob. I a Real Big Nasty Book Snob.)

All that to say, my friend Sarah Bessey is sharing her top 10 books with us, every day this week! (In varying categories, of course.) That’s seven peeks into her bookshelf. And I can’t wait to snoop around her lists.

Other things I’m thankful for:

• Thursday night celebrating of Jamie’s birthday with our fellas. For good food and the miracle that we actually live in the same town and can snag babysitters last minute and laugh and wear cute dresses in honor of her being a year older.
• Some sweet Friday afternoon time with Kristen, a dear friend from college.
• A Saturday morning walk with a new friend
• Alone / writing / planning time at my favorite Austin coffee shop, overlooking the lake, with an espresso shake in my belly at 10 in the morning. Oh yeah!
• The playlist at the coffee shop was superb. It included, “I Bless the Rains Down in Africa” (one of my all time favorites) and “Livin’ On a Prayer.” If only I’d had a friend with me (during my alone time, mind you…that very statement is proof I’m an extrovert) to celebrate the sweet memories attached to those songs at that moment! Even though I had no one to whom to tell the stories, at least I could tell the world on Twitter. Right?
• For a 5 o’clock wake up and earlier bedtimes. It’s time for me to be a grown-up, everyone.
• Sunday morning rain in this parched, yellow land
• For a last-minute dinner at our place with friends Sunday night
• Eating my favorite trademarked Chris pasta three nights in a row!
• And for Green Drink (kale + spinach + cucumber + apple + banana + almond milk) in between…
• The fun of packing for another trip. This time, we’re off to see my family in the great city of Amarillo, Texas. (Ten points if you can guess how native Amarilloans actually pronounce it.) I’m so excited to spend long days with my brothers and their families.
• August and Chris staying up past bedtime making an amazing wooden marble track. (Some things are worth less sleep.)
• The way my boys have been playing lately. Yesterday, I walked into the living room to find Brooksie standing on the couch, falling into his brother’s arms and August barely getting that toddler to the floor without a broken neck. I put a stop to it but it was so sweet I could hardly stand to.

And you? What are you thankful for? Link to your post in the comments and we’ll all celebrate some good thanksgiving today.