January 8th, 2013 - JJ

1. For warmer weather. It hit 40 yesterday and is supposed to hit 45 today. So much better than being in the teens!!

2. Oatmeal. It's SO delicious! This morning I put craisins, pineapple, and cinnamon in mine and it was amazing. Didn't even need sugar!

3. Downton Abbey. Such a great show! We watched the season 3 premier last night and I'm already chomping at the bit for more!

4. Tammy's pickled beets. I haven't been thankful for them lately (at least in this forum), but they are the best snack EVER. I've gone through an entire jar just this week.

5. For Derick, who had dinner cooking when I got home late last night. He made bacon mac and cheese, mashed cauliflower, and baked the meatloaf Kathy sent us home with. It was amazing! Looking forward to my left overs for lunch in a few minutes! :)

January 7th, 2013 - JJ

1. The yummy chicken and sweet potato chili that Kathy sent us home with this weekend. So delicious! Especially with the focaccia bread that Kathy taught me how to make. YUM!!!

2. That it's warmer today than it has been in a while. It was above 30 when I left for work. Horray!!

3. That I get to see Anna tonight.

4. Clean laundry.

5. That I don't have a headache or any coffee withdrawal symptoms. Today is day 1 of giving up coffee on weekdays (again). Impressive that I don't want to kill anyone yet.

January 4, 2013 - JJ

1. It's Friday already! I'm so ready for this weekend!

2. For my new scarves from Tammy and my new boots from my momma. I'm feeling pretty cute despite being bundled up for warmth. Horray for winter fashion! :)

3. That Derick got a free Nook a while back when he was trained to be a CPI trainer. We haven't used it much but I started using it this morning and I think I'm in love. Just what I need though, another electronic device to carry around...

4. That Allagash's fur is now poop free. Can't remember if I was thankful for this yesterday or not, but if I was it's worth repeating!

5. For the delicate little infinity ring Derick got me for Christmas. It arrived late, but it's so pretty and I love it!

January 3rd - Heather

1. Train trips. I love riding the train, and I love that the train is so inexpensive and fast between Milwaukee and Chicago! Makes me want to take another cross-country trip on Amtrak...

2. The French Market at the Oglivie (that's so not spelled right...I can't pronounce it, I can't spell it....it's the Metra station a few blocks north of Chicago's Union Station on Clinton). I had stopped in once before...but had never made it past the macarons. Well I walked all the way in today and was instantly overwhelmed! I thought it was just this little market that extended away from Vanille Patisterie and ended. Oh, no, it's a much bigger thing. As I walked past Vanille and the fresh produce, three aisles of wonderful food began to unfold before me. So I got some Indian food from one vendor, a cup of coffee from another and wound my way around taking it all in. And, of course, I had to get a tube of macarons on my way out!

3. The strangers willing to point me in the right direction while I was trying to find the French Market! I thought it was much closer to the Amtrak boarding gates than it was....but it was worth every step. I ended up following two different tracks over to it...I couldn't help but think of platform 9 & 3/4!!!

4. The reminder that I've lost my city feet in the last three years...which served as a renewed motivation to reacquire them! I know I'm at my heaviest living in the land of deep fried food...but moving around in Chicago reminded me of all the walking I did in DC. I need to work that movement back into my life.

5. E-tickets and the Amtrak app....I bought my ticket on my iPad and provided my ticket to the conductor paperlessly through the app! Gotta love technology!

Posted with Blogsy

January 3rd, 2013 - JJ

1. That we were able to get Allagash in to see a vet today to get groomed, finally. He's got to be sedated, poor thing, but at least he will come home smelling nice. Also thankful that we are able to get his shots updated at the same time. I've been a slacker of a kitty mommy lately. Best yet, I am thankful that Derick was able to drop Allagash off at the vet this morning on his way to work and that I get to work from home until it's time to pick him up later today. So nice not to have to sit in the waiting area and wait for him to be done with his appointment.

2. Again thankful for all the dogs that Ripley is friends with and for having such a great community of dog owners that I know through our amazing dog guru: Elena. I spent about an hour this morning watching several of the neighborhood dogs chase each other around. It really is the best way to start the day. I can't wait for summer and trips to the dog beach with our dog pack. Should be tons of fun!!

3. For renting, even though I'd really love to own a house. Today we're having some maintenance done and it's so nice to know that we won't have to pay anything to have things fixed, and that someone else can come over and take care of everything without me needing to worry much about it.

4. For Pinterest. I have so many great ideas of things I'd like to make and do! Now I just need to tear myself away from the computer and actually do those things instead of just pinning more stuff to do. :)

5. That I know that I'm not ready for, or in a position to have certain things that I want, even though I really want them, and that Derick and I are able to work together to plan for those things in the future. I am so glad I married someone who is frugal that I can learn from. Horray for budgets and long-term plans!

January 2nd - Heather

1.  That Jimmy's company brought him out to Chicago for so long that he was able to spend a couple days up at my place.

2.  Also thankful that I was able to come down and spend new years with Jimmy, JJ, and Derick.  We drank, we laughed, we stayed up till dawn....ok, not quite dawn....but only because it's winter and dawn is rediculously late into the mid morning hours.  

3.  I'm thankful for the wonderful bread I stumbled upon this morning.  I went to a place for breakfast called Oak Tree and had pumpernickel raisin toast with my breakfast.  It was so good I bought a whole loaf to take home!

4.  A pink Lush bubble bath that I don't have to worry about slipping on afterwards!

5.  New year, new you commitments.  It seems a bit cliche to make a New Years resolution about my weight....but I'm going to do it anyway!  Here's to a new commitment to improve my health and (hopefully) drop some serious weight along the way!

January 2nd, 2013 - JJ

1. That I put in my 2 week notice at my job today. I will be sad to leave the friends I've made here, but I'm really looking forward to starting my new job on the 16th!

2. For time with Heather this weekend. It had definitely been way too long since we'd seen her!

3. That Allagash didn't scratch or hurt any of the employees at the Petsmart Grooming Center that he went to this morning. They were unable to serve us because apparently he was "too stressed out." If "stressed out" means he was behaving for them the way he was behaving for me when I tried to cut the poo matted fur off his butt yesterday, then it's pretty impressive that no one was injured. He's a fiesty little guy!

4. For mittens and warm clothing. It's so cold outside today!

5. For the left over broccoli cheese soup I ate for lunch today. It was so delicious!! I am still thankful that Derick was able to make it for me. Best soup ever!