Thanksgiving vs Giving Thanks

my family. june. so thankful for them.

***this  post is from two years ago. As I sat down to write some thoughts for this week, these same words kept coming back to me, so I thought I'd share again ***

Yesterday morning I went to Costco (along with 14,000 other people) to pick up some groceries for our upcoming Thanksgiving feast.

As I was bumped into, cut off, and shoved across the aisles, I felt everything but thankful feelings. People wore frowns and muttered under their breath. Carts were overflowing 17 pumpkin pies, yet their owners were still forcing their way and knocking down small children and elderly shoppers for a tiny "sample" of the same pumpkin pie that spilled over their cart.

People all over the country are planning their after Thanksgiving (or during Thanksgiving for some) shopping sprees.
Spend spend spend. Consume consume consume.

Is this Thanksgiving? Maybe this is what Thanksgiving has become. 

But is it Giving Thanks? 

NO. It's not.

We need to take a step back and just think about what Thanksgiving means to us. If we truly want to show thanks, I think it takes more than a feast with a giant bird on the table and a quick 

"I am thankful for __________, now let's eat"!!

I could sit here and type out all my thankful thoughts (family! home! food! running! cookies! on and on and on!) but what does any of it mean?
These words I type are not tangible.

LIVE a life that is thankful. 

Love those around you and show your thanks for them every day. Be kind and considerate. 

Don't spend money on and consume things you don't need just because you can. 

Shop till you drop? How is that being thankful?

Don't just celebrate Thanksgiving........ celebrate giving thanks, and do it every day.

There is a difference.

Take this week to love your family and friends. Enjoy time together. Savor that giant bird on the table and all the wonderful things that go with it. Be thankful for what you have, and even for what you don't have--it's those things that make us better. 

And always, always, give thanks.

sunsets

Do you notice when the sun sets?

I love sunsets.....how original, I know.

There is just....something...about taking a few minutes to pause at the day's end to watch the sun slip away silently until morning.

As soon as I could drive, every now and then I'd hop in my old Jeep pick-up, AM radio blaring, and head up the road to get a clear shot of the sinking sun behind the mountains. We lived on the plains....ish. Our house sat right where the Rocky Mountains rolled out into flatness, kind of in the in-between--waves of fields dotted with cows, rocky buttes, and a river winding through it all.

I'd park my Jeep on the side of the road (praying it would start back up...it was a beast), and watch the sun dip behind the mountains. I never went with a purpose, I just liked getting up high, a view in all directions, and watching that big Montana sky wind down from it's day.

That teenage girl with the crazy hair was on to something....and I wish I could go back in time and thank her for the insight (and maybe give her a few tips about life....and hair).
Days are busy. Life is crazy....and seems to get more and more chaotic the older we get.
Time moves too quickly.
Do we pause enough to take it all in?

Sunday afternoon we jumped in the car to head out for a drive. The wind was whipping and the sky was threatening snow--but we wanted to hit one of our favorite roads that will soon be closed for winter. We had no intention of doing anything more than look out the windows--the kids were in pajamas with snow boots slipped over bare feet.

But as we drove out of the trees into a high clearing, the sky began to glow. The day had been grey....it mirrored my mood--and I had not expected that the sun would break through the clouds last minute and give us a show. We parked the car and headed UP. Straight up onto the highest point we could get to with little time to spare--through new snow and frozen grass, the wind biting at our noses.

I gasped (partially from the wind), but mostly from the view. Clouds in every size, shape, and texture spanned out for miles--we were on top of the world. We watched as the whole earth lit up--pink! then orange! purple! Lastly a bright silver in the sky--the mountains on fire as the sun shouted out one last good bye. 

My photos don't do it justice. They are a bit....blah.
But he FEELING that was there was something that you just can't capture in a photograph.
My favorite three people under a glowing sky....the best.
I paused and watched the sun melt away--time seemed to slow.
I felt.....everything. 
Life is good.
I've got this.
My soul was filled--in just a few minutes time.
Just from pausing for a moment and taking it all in.
All from watching the sun say goodnight. 

So I'll ask you again.....
Do you notice when the sun sets?
Should you?

thanks, legs

don't look down...but do.

Yesterday I woke up at 3:45..... waaaaaay earlier than any human should ever have to wake up, if you want my honest opinion. I headed down the canyon--no one else out but the deer crossing the road on every single corner--on my way to my second clinical shift. Our shifts this semester are in a long term care facility (aka, nursing home) and things have been, AHEM, eye opening.....in more ways than we should probably discuss here.

As I was helping the sweetest little old lady out of her bed and on to breakfast, we talked about Halloween, her grand kids, and the other ladies in the hall (just so you know, women continue to be gossipy well in to their 80s). We would talk and she would be making complete sense, and then she'd kind of slip away and switch over to nonsense mumbo-jumbo conversation for a while, before returning back to herself with complete wit and charm. At one point she looked down at her legs, and said "look at my legs! They are so old!" It was like she was seeing them for the first time in years--and she was shocked. Then she looked right at me--IN to me almost, grabbed my arm, and said "HOW did I get this old?"

Her comment sat on my shoulders all day. It made me think.  Made me nervous. Sometimes I feel this way. I don't FEEL 32--I feel much younger. But I sometimes have moments where I really open my eyes and I'm like, "whhhaaaaaat?! I have two kids! 8 and 10?! HOW?! WHEN?! ME??!!" 

It's a panicky feeling, how quickly time goes by.

So I did what I do when I need to think--I went for a quick run after school to sort through everything. As I ran and felt my muscles burn, I wondered what my 80 year old legs will look like? They'll still be chicken legs, I'm sure of it. My right leg will still have a gnarly varicose vein--a souvenir from my Lucy. But I hope when I look down and see them, it won't be in shock. I hope they'll be old and tired from all the adventures they took me on, all the mountains they climbed, all the scratches and scrapes and bruises they got from falling down, and always getting back up.

A couple weeks ago we headed south to soak up some desert sun one last time before winter sets in. We camped, we explored, we counted stars, and we ate fantastic burgers.....the perfect weekend. One morning we got up before the sun, and headed up high above the desert floor. We watched the blankets of clouds roll back and the sun rise up between them.

Our plan was to head back down.....but not the way we came. No. STRAIGHT down, into the earth where the sun had yet to reach. Over the edge of the solid red rock beneath our feet, and DOWN, feet dangling over the desert floor below.

I totally kept my cool.

I thought I was going to puke. Now, I'm not saying "I thought I was going to puke" in a figurative way, to add an extra descriptive sentence to my story. I LITERALLY thought I was going to throw up, and found myself trying to find the best way to go about it. 

(Yeah, there is no best way to go about that).

My legs shook. They bounced. They almost jumped me right back down the trail.

And then, first step off.

Second step off.  

(there was quite the pause between this first two steps, mind you. 

But I never puked, so I'm ok with that.)

 

And then, they left the wall altogether. They scooby-doo'd a bit as I gathered myself together and looked around to take in my surroundings--140ft off the ground. 

"WOOHOO!!!" What a feeling, let me tell you. 

My legs landed me safely on the ground, and we hiked on to our next drop. 

And our next, and our next.

Dropping through holes,

squeezing through cracks.

My hoots and hollers echoing off the walls.

I hope that in sixty years my little legs are still carrying me around, no problem. A little slower, a little more effort required, sure--but I hope that I can remember when they were strong and quick and took me places not many people get to see. I hope I remember they always kept me side by side with the best of the best people. I hope I never have to look down in shock and not remember how they got so old.
I want to remember every step along the way.

this month I'm working hard to really open my eyes and notice all the good around me every day--all the "normal" things that I'm thankful for. Join me on IG (@_sheenarae) by tagging your photos #thankfulforthenormal

what are you thankful for today?

all photos taken in Capitol Reef National Park with our iPhones

Gear Up:

Ahnu Sugarpine Boot

Patagonia R3 Fleece  (Mine is from a previous year and has a hood but this is THE best jacket!!) 

(Mens) Prana Stretch Zion Pant (Robby's all time favorite pants--for everything)

(Mens) Vasque Boots

thankful for the normal

welcome november.

 These last few days have been almost completely normal.....and they have been nothing short of completely fantastically amazingly amazing.

No hustle, no bustle, no plans at all. The kids had Friday off for end of term, and my Friday schedule was unusually clear, so we took full advantage. 

And by full advantage I mean we

-slept in. way in.

-stayed in our pajamas until 5:00.

day. well. spent.

We were lazy all day--I slopped together some Halloween costumes and the kiddos carved pumpkins (while wearing pajamas, obviously), and then we headed into the city for more Pho because I just couldn't stop thinking about the hot steamy goodness from last weekend. We got home and I roasted pumpkin seeds and Robby and I stayed up way too late watching stupid tv, and it felt so normal I could hardly stand how much I loved it.

The next morning Robby and I quickly ran up up up up the mountain, and I'm so thankful for my sore legs that carried me to the top--they have gotten used to sitting all day--I doubted their abilities.....thankfully, they proved me wrong. 

oh hey, little towns.

 

We came home and got some chores done around the house, and then tricked and treated until these crazy kiddos ran their little legs off.

my bandits.

RUN!

We topped off the night feasting on Nachos, which in my opinion is the best way to end a day.

Sunday was church, followed by a long drive on unexplored roads, taking in the quiet eeriness that only early November can offer.

 

We wrapped in blankets while Robby read bedtime stories, and I did my best to soak it all in as we geared up for another week. 

I'm so thankful for these normal little moments with my family--slow weekends spent soaking up nothing but time together.

...and thankful for slow evenings with soup on the stove while the wind blows outside....

Roasted Cauliflower and White Bean Soup

1 head cauliflower, cut into small pieces

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 TBS fresh rosemary, finely chopped

4 cups prepared cannellini beans 

4-6 cups chicken stock (depending how "soupy" you want it)

2 bay leaves

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cayenne pepper

few dashes of white wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

bacon for topping (when you take your cauliflower out of the oven, lower the temp to 400°, spread out the bacon on a lined cookie sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy.)

Preheat oven to 425°. Toss cauliflower pieces in olive oil, a little salt, and cracked pepper and spread on baking sheet. Roast until fork tender and golden brown. While cauliflower is roasting, heat olive oil in your soup pot. Sauté onion until tender. Add in garlic and rosemary and cook a few minutes more, stirring constantly. Add chicken stock, beans, bay leaves, vinegar, nutmeg and cayenne. When your cauliflower is roasted, add it to the pot.  Simmer for 30-40 minutes so all the flavors have time to party. Ladle soup into your blender and give it a few pulses (I don't like it to turn into a puree). Return it to the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste, (I like LOTS of cracked pepper in this soup) and add more broth if needed.

Top with bacon and broil some crusty bread for dunking.

enjoy!

Remember when I used to blog like crazy and all November I'd post almost DAILY about what I was thankful for? (find all those posts HERE). While I won't be posting daily on the blog--I'll try my best to really open up my eyes and look around to see all the little normal things that I'm thankful for--and hopefully post a few times a week on IG for the month of November. I invite you to join me--share your photos #thankfulforthenormal on IG so we can all see!

What are you thankful for today?

MORE FROM THIS POST:

My favorite "thankful" post: My Two

Great Soup: Beef and Butternut Stew

Vest and Boots

thanksgiving vs. giving thanks

a quick snap from my run this morning. 

I ran and ran and ran and tried to sort through these thoughts.

Yesterday morning I went to Costco (along with 14,000 other people) to pick up some groceries for our upcoming Thanksgiving feast.

As I was bumped into, cut off, and shoved across the aisles, I felt everything but thankful feelings. People wore frowns and muttered under their breath. Carts were overflowing 17 pumpkin pies, yet their owners were still forcing their way and knocking down small children and elderly shoppers for a tiny "sample" of the same pumpkin pie that spilled over their cart.

People all over the country are planning their after Thanksgiving (or during Thanksgiving for some) shopping sprees.
Spend spend spend. Consume consume consume.

Is this Thanksgiving? Maybe this is what Thanksgiving has become. 

But is it Giving Thanks? 

NO. It's not.

We need to take a step back and just think about what Thanksgiving means to us. If we truly want to show thanks, I think it takes more than a feast with a giant bird on the table and a quick 

"I am thankful for __________, now let's eat"!!

I could sit here and type out all my thankful thoughts (family! home! food! running! cookies! on and on and on!) but what does any of it mean?
These words I type are not tangible.

LIVE a life that is thankful. 

Love those around you and show your thanks for them every day. Be kind and considerate. 

Don't spend money on and consume things you don't need just because you can. 

Shop till you drop? How is that being thankful?

Don't just celebrate Thanksgiving........ celebrate giving thanks, and do it every day.

There is a difference.

Take this week to love your family and friends. Enjoy time together. Savor that giant bird on the table and all the wonderful things that go with it. Be thankful for what you have, and even for what you don't have--it's those things that make us better. 

And always, always, give thanks.

comfort + joy

ahhh winter. 

It made a grand entrance this weekend 

as it drifted from the sky in big fluffy pieces. 

It fell and it fell and it fell allllllll day long.

It piled up high and left cheeks rosy.

The snow entertained them for hours. 

Angels and forts and a tiny little snowman.

I always forget how much I enjoy winter. 

I have the hardest time letting summer go each year--I am so nervous for what is coming....

....but then we have days like this, and I just love it.

There is so much comfort in winter.
So much joy.

Slower days, spent cozy inside. 

Memories from my own childhood replaying right before my eyes.

Hats, coats, boots, mittens. 

Snowflakes melting from their eyelashes as they sip their hot cocoa.
Fuzzy blankets, slippers, and long movies.
And cookies of course.

I love these days.

Days like this always call for soup.
I remember being little and playing outside in the snow.....and believe me, Montana knows how to do winter. Hot potato soup always tastes the best on the coldest nights. 

Potato Bacon Chowder

4 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces

1 onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, chopped

1 TBS chopped fresh rosemary

2 TBS chopped fresh thyme

5 extra large potatoes, diced

2 small apples, diced

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (more if you want it more "soupy"-- I wanted mine thick)

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 TBS apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup-1 cup whole milk

In a large pot, cook bacon pieces until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside. 

Using bacon grease (add a little olive oil if needed) saute onion until soft. 

Add in garlic and herbs and cook for a few more minutes. 

Add a big pinch of salt.

Stir in potatoes and apples and continue to cook for a couple minutes. 

Add in broth and bring to a boil. 

Cover and reduce heat a bit--continue to cook on a low boil until potatoes are tender--about 15-20 minutes. 

When potatoes are done, ladle half of the soup into a blender and puree. 

Stir blended soup back into pot and add cayenne, nutmeg, apple cider vinegar and milk. 

Add in bacon pieces.

Continue to cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes. 

Salt and pepper to taste ( I like lots of black pepper in my potato soup). 

enjoy! 

What's your favorite soup on a cold winter day?

blogged 1 year ago: bacon minestrone AND black and white chile 

blogged 2 years ago: whole wheat pumpkin and cinnamon swirl bread

blogged 3 years ago: 24 hours in San Francisco 

day date

always on the trail....
we celebrated 11 years on our Washington trip (HERE)

pssssstttt.....

......I have a secret.

Want to know what will make your marriage 

healthier

stronger

and waaaaaaay more fun....

Shared hobbies. 

It sounds so simple, right?

I am constantly surprised at how many couples I meet that don't share many of the same interests. 

Long long ago when Robby and I were first married, we really didn't enjoy alot of the same hobbies. 

Actually......we were so young and consumed with school and work that we didn't have too many of our own individual hobbies either. 

Neither of us had a very sure sense of self, or things that we just LOVED to do.

We kept busy, babies came, and while we enjoyed "hanging out" together and have always been best of friends.....we didn't do much more than that. 

Then a few years ago I started running trails. 

He started mountain biking.

Trails became our "thing". 

We talked about trails all the time--we ran and rode in all the same places.

The kids got old enough and we could get out hiking more, and we started venturing out often as a family. 

Planning day excursions, camp outs, and week long road trips. 

But everything always centered around trails. 

"Let's try out this one--the kids will love it."

"If we are already driving this way--let's take a detour through here and check out this trail."

Last year he finally convinced me that I needed a bike.

(see my first mountain biking experience HERE)

I don't know why it took me so long to try it out--I was hooked my very first time. 

I love hitting the trail together--it makes for quite the date. 

(if you like to end your date exhausted and covered in mud).

Monday he was off of work--

--the kids were in school, the sun was shining bright--so we loaded up the car and headed for the trail.

(look at this weather! in November!)

I can't tell you how much I love it when we can get out on the trail together. 

He cheers me on as I climb up the hills. 

(....as I think the worst words about him as I'm struggling to climb......sorry babe...it was harrrrd.)

We celebrate when I finally make it to the top, and then zoom down through the bare trees. 

Twenty-one miles under our belts and we head for fajitas (and extra chips and salsa.)

Our perfect date.

No matter WHAT it is you enjoy doing, I think it's so important to find something you enjoy doing TOGETHER. I am so thankful to be married to my best friend (aaawwwwweeeeeee. cheese), and for all the fun times we have together.

I want to know--what hobbies do you share with your spouse?

life with lyme, part 1

"I beat lyme & so can you!"

2010. An inspiring note graffitied on the wall outside my Dr.'s office in San Francisco. 

I was flipping through old pictures and came 

across this one......it made me cry.

It was taken 3 years ago when I was still in the thick of it and taking exactly 1,027 pills a day. 

Give or take a few.

I remember thinking someday those words would come true for me.

And I just realized.......they DID come true. 

Someday is NOW.

I have been off all antibiotics for a little over a year now and I'm feeling fantastic. The best I have felt in years. No more doctors, no more pills, no more crazy tests, no more awkward contraptions pumping poisonous medicine into my veins. 

No more!

In case you are newer around here, in 2009 I was diagnosed with Lyme disease (FINALLY......after chasing down doctor after doctor for well over a year). 

It seems like so long ago sometimes, and then some days it seems like it all happened so recently. Parts of it stand out very vividly, and sometimes 2008-2012 just mush together into a blurry jumble.

But the point is......I made it. 

It's done. 

I rarely think about it, which is so weird because it was such a HUGE part of our lives for so long.

I am strong and healthy and every single time I get out and run I am so thankful for my body and all it has overcome. To say "I am thankful for my body" sounds extra cheesy, but those words are so true for me. There are times when I'm out running and climbing and pushing myself that I get emotional if I think about how far I've come. A few years ago I struggled to get a mile in around my neighborhood--Flash forward to now--Saturday I hurried out for a quick 10 miles on the mountain, no problem.

Time makes everything better.

Lyme made me stronger. It made me faster. 

It made me look at life differently. 

We completely changed our lifestyle because of it. 

How we eat, how we live. 

How we spend our free time. 

Were those four years hard?

Yes. Terribly.

But worth it?

Every day.

* * * * * *

Now I need your help--you all know I am terrible when it comes to email. 

I am the worst at responding--so sorry! Every month I get a few emails that are Lyme related. I really try to respond to these in a timely matter because I know what it's like when you are searching for answers. 

A lot of the questions I get are very similar, so I started thinking that maybe I should put up a Lyme Q&A here on the blog to direct people to. Lyme is getting a lot more attention these days, and I feel like more and more people are closer to getting the help they need. 

What questions do you have about Lyme? 

It presents itself differently in everyone, but I will do my best to answer what I know, and my own personal experiences.

If I could point one person in the right direction, I would be so happy.

Also, if you or someone you know has been diagnosed and have seen a Lyme Dr, could you pretty pretty please leave the Dr.s name here in the comments (and the area you are in). 

I would be nice to list a few LLMDs from around the country if I could.

In the next few weeks I will put up another post. I will share my own experience with Lyme (I will try to condense it down, promise) and I will do my best to answer your questions. Leave them here or if you'd rather, email me sheenajibson at gmail. 

(If I don't respond directly to you, I will answer your question here on the blog if I know the answer)

I look forward to hearing from you--don't be shy.

In the meantime, be grateful for your body.

Women are especially hard on themselves because they don't look a certain way. 

Can you walk? Can you run? Can you climb mountains? 

You never know when those things could be taken away from you.

Be grateful. 

I sure am.

What does your body do for you that makes you thankful?

tiny humans

Today I am thankful for my kids. 

Seems like such an obvious thing to be thankful for, right?

It's just so true.

I love these tiny humans. 

When they are born, they are adorable chubby little blobs. 

They don't do much--just lay around and eat and look extra sweet. 

They grow and laugh and babble. 

They toddle around. 

And it all goes by so quickly, let me tell you.

They grow and stretch and their shoes get too small.

They never stop running and always have holes in their jeans.

They have dirty faces and messy hair.

They are funny and bright and never stop talking.

And they can do anything. 

Anything!

They run, jump, hike, they explore.

They sing they dance they create. 

They don't let fear of failure or judgement hold them back.

They want to learn it all--little sponges soaking up life.

I love that they are mine to help shape and mold. 

.....and I love how they help me grow too.

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park Utah. 

Vernal Falls, Yosemite National Park California.

What are YOU thankful for today?

one year ago I posted one of my favorite posts about my two (HERE)