Thanks!

We returned last night from a wonderful few days in snowy Frisco, where we relaxed with some good friends ...and, of course, over-ate a large amount of delicious food. What a great way to spend Thanksgiving...unwinding in a winter wonderland, away from work and the hustle and bustle of daily living. I felt like the world stopped for a few days and I was finally able to catch my breath.

Many of the hours in Frisco were spent painting. I was invited by my aunt Kathy to be in an art show at her gallery in December (Ice Cube Gallery, Denver, CO). For the Christmas show this year, each member of the gallery will present one piece of art and each also invited one friend or family member to present a piece with them. The show goes up in a couple of weeks and I've very excited to be showing a piece of art in a bonafide gallery. First time for that... how fun! I'll post a picture of my painting when it is finished.

Also, we found a small 1 BR apartment in the Cherry Creek neighborhood (4 miles from my job) and we'll be moving in a couple of weeks. It is a short term rental (we're taking over a guy's lease which gave us a great rate for the neighborhood). We're going to miss my aunt tremendously and will probably be hanging out in Arvada often. I am, however, looking forward to being nearer to work and to having our stuff out of storage. Fingers crossed that we'll sell our place by March and be able to settle somewhere a bit more permanently soon.

I was meditating at church this morning about how many things there are in my life to be thankful for. It is easy to let Thanksgiving go by without taking the time to pause and reflect on the many blessings I overlook every day. Megan gently reminded me a couple of weeks ago that when I'm stressed out I often forget to remember to articulate the things in my life that are positive...and there are so many (the first being my wise and loving wife).

Over the past couple of weeks I have reconnected with two friends from the past (one from high school, and one from my time in San Francisco), which has been a huge gain towards feeling 'settled' in Denver. Our friends Julie and Maclain have been a source of constant support and laughter. I am daily grateful for the amazing people I work with. Of course, one of the biggest blessings of living in Denver is that we have so much family around us (and the generosity of parents who let us use their mountain home for R&R). I'm also very thankful for Maclain Looper's chocolate blueberry bread pudding with amaretto cream sauce. That was a highlight of the weekend.

And right this second I'm extremely grateful that I can start this week rested and a little more at ease, even if my pants are slightly tighter around the waist.