10 Things to be Grateful For

1. The fact that my husband does have a job and can support our family

2. The beautiful, fresh snow from yesterday morning

3. That my dog got 3 vaccinations yesterday, and didn't whine once

4. That even though Thanksgiving isn't on time this year, we'll have it together

5. Pumpkin pie

6. That Lite Cool Whip tastes just as good when the real deal was sold out

7. Village Inn and Little Ceasar's

8. Warm, waterproof boots

9. The fact that the furnace blows a disproportionate amount of hot air into the bathroom, so every time you walk in you can feel any and all goosebumps melt

10. That the mice have no idea how to get onto the kitchen table: my one last grip on sanity

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! May warmth and love be your companions this whole season! :)

Bits 'n Pieces: Life is Swell

1. The mice are back with a vengeance. Their scurrying around freaks me out at night, and I hate finding their crap all over! Killing them with traps is making me nauseated...I wish we could just fumigate.

2. On Wednesday, I had a RS Christmas Kickoff party! So fun! When I got home, Dan had prepared a delicious meal of enchiladas and spanish rice. He's so wonderful!

3. I have almost all of my Christmas shopping done! Which is a pretty big miracle, considering there are no shopping malls within an hour and a half of here. Amazon is the best!

4. Last night, I had a "Taken" related dream. (It wasn't scary or anything, I was helping Liam Neeson find her.) But I woke up really wanting to watch that movie. I now have a renewed sense of gratitude for my dad, who I know would kill 1000 Albanian pimp lords to save me. Love you, Dad!

5. It's been about a week since it last snowed, and now it is sooooo nice and warm! I'm still mourning the death of our snowman, though.

6. Daniel and I have embarked on a top secret project! It'll probably be a long time in the making, but I absolutely love that we have something to dream up and laugh about together. It's so much fun and we're letting our creative energy flow. I have the best Partner in Crime!

7. Happiness is...a fully checked off chore list.

8. My latest reads: "Book of a Thousand Days" by Shannon Hale, and "The Lost Hero" by Rick Riordan. I read both in one day each this week--not in a row though. Hahaha! I just couldn't put them down! Shannon Hale always amazes me with he captivating stories. And I can't wait to continue the Heroes of Olympus series (kind of a continuation of the Percy Jackson books). Reading is my fave. When they say that the activities you enjoyed as a ten year old are things you'll still love...they were absolutely right!

9. Tomorrow, I'm singing in the ward choir in Sacrament meeting; it's the special Thanksgiving musical number. I'm so thankful to be a part of a choir at the moment, and can't wait for the opportunity to participate in a chorus in college! I've missed it so much!

10. It's exactly 28 days until the move. Wow! Please someone kick me in the behind so I start packing!

DIY: Thankful Turkeys

What do you do when you want to add some Thanksgiving spirit to your house, but all you have is construction paper, googly eyes, and two empty Pringles cans?

You make turkeys.

I got the idea from my cousin, who made paper turkeys with her kids. On each tail feather, they wrote something that they're grateful for. I was totally going to do that until I realized that the empty inside of the Pringles cans can't go to waste. 

This month, Daniel and I are filling up each other's turkey with things that we're grateful for about one another. I imagine that on Thanksgiving, we'll read everything inside our turkeys. I'm super excited! If this works out well, it might become a Coley family tradition! 

What are your family's Thanksgiving traditions?

Project 333: Taking the Leap

Because the Coley Clan is up and moving next month, I decided I should get a head start on the hardest part of packing: my clothes. I have WAY too many to wear! Like seriously. In anticipation for a few moves in the next year--planned and possibly unexpected--downsizing right now sounds like a breath of fresh air!

About a month ago, I caught wind of Project 333. Courtney has some wonderful posts on how to get started, and with her advice, I've decided to give it a go! I've compiled my Winter Capsule Wardrobe, and will plan for spring, as well, letting some unlucky items drift into the "Donate" pile. I'm really excited about this! This is going to make moving and packing so much easier!!

On my list:

3 heavy coats: one gray, one blue, one khaki with flowers

4 sweaters: yellow, green, navy/coral, and Christmas patterned!

3 dresses: cream, gray, and black/gray

4 skirts: two black, one gray, one brown

1 pair of leggings

1 pair corduroy pants

2 pairs of jeans: black and blue

1 long-sleeved shirt

4 basic tees: blue, pink, gray, and striped

1 sparkle sequin shirt for special occasions

3 button ups: flannel, green, and gingham

3 cardigans: black, yellow, and polka dotted

and

3 pairs of boots: two brown, one gray

(I wanted to post pictures, but I got impatient waiting for the sun to come out. You get the idea though.)

I based my selections off of a rich, earthy palette: navy, gray, mustard, brown, green, and black. The whole point is to layer and make different combinations, so all of my choices are very versatile and well-fitting. I should add that I didn't include leisure clothes in the list. I'm not sure if that's breaking the rules, but that's a price I'm willing to pay for my sweats. ;)

Now I'm off to pack up everything that didn't make the cut! Wish me luck!

Sterling Lately

It's been snowing all day. All day! When I woke up, it was just beginning to stick, and now I'm trying to find an emergency shut off button! It hasn't blockaded me inside the house...yet, but I feel like it will by tomorrow morning. Every time I look outside, I'm in awe of the beauty and also scared that I'll become a "Saracicle" if I go out. It's a super complicated feeling.
Also, what's up with snow sticking to the bottom of my shoes? It's like it's TRYING to make me slip and bang my head every single time I step inside the house... This snow will be the death of me. My conflicting emotions aren't letting me fully commit that I miss good 'ole AZ, but check back at the end of the week, k?

Bits n' Pieces: November Changes

1. I found my third white hair today. Right on my side part, like a brazen traitor. I really hope those rumors about white hairs being teeny hydra heads is false...

2. I'm finally done reading the Fablehaven series. SO GOOD! I highly recommend it.

3. In case you were wondering: Yes, "Bits n' Pieces" is just a way for me to write about a bunch of random things in one post. Gets the job done.

4. Chopper now knows his Angry Bird plush by name. When you ask for it, he'll bring it to you, wherever it is in the house! We're working on speed every day, and he's catching on super fast. "Ducky" is next!

5. I'm excited to share an upcoming project either the end of this week or the beginning of next. Stay tuned! This may be life changing!

6. Last night, I got Dan to watch "500 Days of Summer" with me. It made him slightly depressed, but he admitted that it wasn't the chick flick he thought it'd be. WIN! Gosh it had been too long since I watched it...too long....

7. Since Fablehaven is done, I'm onto my next book: "The Help". I love the movie to death, and the book is even better!! But not even detracting from the movie. It makes me want to watch it and speak in a Southern accent all day...hehehe!

8. Chopper is also getting the hang of jumping to grab toys out of the air, rather than waiting until they hit the ground to chase after them. Right when I try taking a video, he gets lazy.

9. There's something magical about hanging up clean laundry to dry. I'm in love with our clothesline out back.

10. Now for the big news...we're moving...again. We've loved being here so much, but after Dan graduates from training, there will be no work for him. So we're going to try our luck in Gallup, New Mexico. We'll be living in Snowflake, AZ, so while we're sad to leave, we're excited to be much closer to our families. And at least this time, we have a month and a half to get packed, rather than 3 weeks... :) These next weeks will be stressful, but the result will be worth it. 

This is a long shot, but is anyone interested in renting a wonderful house in Sterling, CO? I know of one that is wide open!

Daylight Saving Time

This is the worst invention ever. Like seriously. What good is an hour more of sleep when you feel like curling up and hibernating at 7pm??
Chopper's schedule is all out of wack now. And so is mine. I look at the clock and it feels like it should be about 10am by now, but nope. It's only 8. At least the sun is safely tucked behind the clouds today, so as to not prematurely blind me through the windows. Although, that may just leave me very depressed by the end of the day. I despise artificial lighting when the pure, natural light should suffice.

The clouds are so thick, it's like the sun hasn't come up at all. Maybe it'll snow today? I kind of hope not, because the cold scares me. Because it's so windy, I have to keep the puppy inside, and he's not too happy about that. He probably won't let me get much cleaning done today.... Neither will this post, if I don't wrap it up soon..hahaha! I wish a warm and productive Monday to you all!