Givings of Thanks Everywhere.

Every year I compile a thankful list on thanksgiving. Of course I know this is a good habit to keep, but yesterday it made me feel kind of naive and selfish.

I should have this feeling of thanks EVERYDAY. Thanksgiving should just be the day that all your appreciation is highlighted around you with food and family and friends.

I sat around yesterday looking at how much all my cousins have grown, how the stories my mom has told me about my uncles when they were younger still reflect upon their personalities today. I let myself be spoiled by all my aunts (guilty as charged).  I ate 3/4 of the green bean casserole, and I just breathed the healthy air around me.

My cousin Amanda and I putting our little girl poses on.

All of us with my mom who looks like she’s still our age.

La familia

It’s told that turkey has something in it that causes drowsiness….

 Aunt Gloria- my second mother who has the most kind soul

Tio Beto passes out after his first beer during the cowboys game….aren’t you eager to get to that point in your life?

I guess the women weren’t too interested in the game…

Being thankful for family is very important, but another reason that I stay sane is because of my amazing friends. Last weekend, my co-op had a hausgiving. The day was spent with a full kitchen, cooking all day, christmas jams, and some puzzle solving

I was on mission potatoes. Here are 10 pounds of them….

Which I eventually mashed and mixed with oregano, romano cheese, garlic, and a beautiful amount of butter.

We all took a pause from cooking late morning because of the sudden “snow” that magically appeared by my car.

Tender Trent making his mean pumpkin bars which didn’t last long in our house.

And the children colored while impatiently waiting for all the food to be prepared….

TaaaaDaaaaaa, look at all da grub on that plate. Makes me proud to be an american.

Brian with his ginormous turkey leg, what a brave boy he is.

NOMZ NOMZ NOMZ

Gosh there’s just so much food, what a disaster! (said no one ever)

We went around the table and said what we were thankful for, the perfect combination of awkward and cute.

My mini family: boyfriend and dog

This is all 19 of my housemates on our front porch. They are my family and see me at my grossest and finest moments and I am so thankful that I get to know more and more about each of their unique personality’s everyday.

The holidays are here people! I’m ecstatic to be able to geek out on my christmas music and ugly sweaters and egg nog and christmas trees and all that good jazz.

Spend this time with family or friends or animals or whatever  else is important to YOU.

xoxo, 

Nadeen 

I’m Thankful For:

So close to thanksgiving, and I wanted to share what I am thankful for. I know it’s super cheesy, but if you haven’t yet, you should make a list. It really makes you appreciate what you have. Here we go:

1. My Dog

-my little shih tzu is the most loyal best friend anyone could ask for, and he’s the best cuddler 🙂

2. Coffee

-people think I exaggerate about how much I love coffee, but I am so serious when I say I could not live without it. I drink a cup at least 3 times a day. This is currently my favorite, it’s grown in Nicaragua and roasted here in Austin! My favorite coffee shop down the street on 43rd brews their coffee as well, so I’m always enjoying it.

3. The University of Texas at Austin

-UT has been my dream school my whole life. Everyday while I walk through campus, I can’t help but smile and remind myself of how grateful I am to be able to have the opportunity to go here. Hook Em!

4. My Combat Boots

As said on my previous post, I had been wanting some of these for so long. I got them exactly 3 weeks and 3 days ago, and I have not stopped wearing them. Even when they don’t match my outfit, I wear them anyways. With shorts, skirts, leggings, jeans, and anything else you can think of. Best investment ever.

5. Tegan And Sara

-These twin girls are geniuses. I used to love them back in my middle school days and then stopped listening because I overplayed their music. However, they were recently at Austin City Limits music festival, and after seeing them perform my love sparked back. Their beautiful, sassy, and powerful tunes stick in my head all day.

6. Avocado 

-For the past few weeks, a wish from God has come true and avocados have been on sale at my local fresh plus grocery store (2 for $1). It’s almost too good to be true. Everytime I’m bored, I feel the need to walk over there and grab some more. My roommate and I have made guacamole about 4 times this past week and if were not snacking on that, then were spreading avocado on toast, putting it in salads, or just eating straight out of the shell. I am so thankful for that.

7. Friends and Family

-So unoriginal, I know. But really, I have the most diverse family in the world and the greatest group of friends anyone could ever ask for. We’ve all been friends for so long, they are pretty much a part of my family. (here’s a little mini slideshow of them)

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8. Arabic

-Lastly, I am so thankful that I have been learning Arabic this semester. I am half Lebanese, so I already knew some, but I am currently taking an intensive course at UT where I have class everyday and practice it for hours a day. As much of a pain that it can sometimes be, I can’t get enough of it. I plan on taking it every semester until I graduate and using it with my future career. Look at this beautiful script.

Thats all for now, I hope this motivates you to make a list of your own on this jolly holiday! I’ll be at the UT vs TCU game today, but I hope all of you gobble up bunches of turkey, be thankful, spend time with your families, and be grateful!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! (ﻋﻴﺪ ﺷﻜﺮ)

xoxo,

Nadeen!