First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #51: 100 Things To Be Thankful For.

This was a tough one! I definitely have a lot to be thankful for in my wonderful, blessed life.

1. My amazing parents.
2. My wonderful husband.
3. Having a loving family.
4. Marrying into a huge family!
5. Being a part of the PEO sisterhood.
6. Being a sister of Alpha Sigma Tau.
7. The ability to travel.
8. A beautiful house.
9. Air conditioning and heat.
10. A great job.
11. Access to quality education.
12. Being able to get fresh food.
13. Having spending money.
14. Building savings.
15. Being able to access the Internet at virtually any time.
16. Being raised in a loving church.
17. Access to public libraries.
18. Having a reliable car.
19. Having the skills / ability to fix my car, and other things.
20. Being able to communicate effectively.
21. Having a variety of skills.
22. Access to books.
23. Clean air.
24. Clean water.
25. Having a cup of coffee every morning.
26. Being part of a team, many times over.
27. Learning critical thinking.
28. Being one small part of an amazing blogging community.
29. Freedom of the press.
30. Freedom of religion.
31. Freedom of speech.
32. The right to vote.
33. Being an American citizen.
34. Being able to get a passport.
35. Being able to see movies in the theaters.
36. The opportunity to have seen so many different cities and countries already.
37. Access to a gym to work out and keep my body healthy.
38. Having decent health insurance.
39. The ability to problem-solve.
40. Stress relievers.
41. Having a bathtub for those days where a long bath with a fizzy bath bomb is warranted.
42. Budgeting.
43. Having a shredder.
44. Clearing the clutter.
45. Improving our home.
46. Collecting things for my American Girl dolls.
47. Having an amazing support system.
48. The ability to celebrate big things, and small things.
49. Those who aren’t afraid to tell it like it is.
50. Nostalgia.
51. Warm hugs.
52. Comfort food.
53. Fleece blankets.
54. Spending time with family and friends.
55. Trying new things.
56. Feeling amazing after a haircut.
57. Being able to get a massage at the chiropractor’s office.
58. Disney movies.
59. Star Wars.
60. Having a camera to explore photography.
61. Making people smile.
62. Making people laugh.
63. Helping others.
64. Giving blood.
65. Encouraging others to give blood.
66. Feeling satisfaction when a plan comes together.
67. Chocolate mousse.
68. A warm bed for sleeping.
69. Concerts.
70. Art.
71. Music.
72. Flowers.
73. Nature.
74. Animals.
75. Dogs.
76. Sending care packages.
77. The first responders that work incredibly hard every single day – The police, firefighters, EMTs.
78. Doctors and nurses.
79. Everyone in our military, past and present.
80. The times when I don’t have to set an alarm.
81. Being able to come home to my husband every weekday.
82. Using my talents.
83. Trivia nights.
84. Podcasts.
85. National Public Radio.
86. Popcorn.
87. Sushi.
88. Colorful gel pens.
89. Amusement parks.
90. Roller coasters.
91. The seasons.
92. The Muppets.
93. Sesame Street.
94. All the teachers in my life.
95. Holidays.
96. Mental health days.
97. Surprises.
98. Brunch.
99. The occasional mimosa.
100. Learning something new every single day.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #50: Lessons Learned This Year.

I feel like I learn more things every year. This year, 2017, was no exception.

I’ve learned more about being a wife, and a homeowner.

I’ve learned more about my job, and my career aspirations. I learned how to deal with the devastation of a supervisor leaving for a better opportunity. It hurts, but I’m so happy for them.

I learned how to have fun while balancing work and school. I’m giving more time to myself to enjoy little things, like playing Roller Coaster Tycoon for a few hours on the weekend!

I’ve definitely grown this year, and looking to grow even more in 2018!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #49: Things You Like About Winter.

This post comes as we’re preparing for some of the coldest weather since the beginning of the year. It was 70 degrees yesterday, and today it’s falling into the 40s! It’s possible that we will see some snow flurries on Friday night, too. That’s exciting to think about!

I’m grateful for simple things, like working heat at our house. Being cold-natured, I also love different blankets. A few years ago, a friend gave me a fleece blanket that’s red and green and Christmas-themed. It’s time to pull it out of the closet!

As much as I gripe about being cold, I enjoy seeing the snow on the trees and the ground. The cold weather also seems to make the sunrises and sunsets prettier.

We’re planning to put up our Christmas tree this week. I love listening to Christmas music while we work – Al used Spotify last year, and it was awesome! With recent car issues (All good now) and some stress at work, I’m in need of some holiday spirit.

I drink more hot chocolate in the winter. I also love making peppermint bark! Delicious!

Winter is colder, and it gets darker sooner, but I love feeling the warmth, celebrating the Christmas season, and ringing in the New Year!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #48: Your Job.

I’m incredibly thankful that I was given the opportunity to come on board at Riverside five years ago. I’ve learned so much in a different field over the years. I use my Communication Studies degree nearly every day. It’s not journalism, but I’m happy to be challenged in the field of healthcare. It’s also contributed to my paralegal studies, which are almost finished.

I also enjoy the people I work with, and the people I’ve met through Riverside as an organization. I’m grateful for all the connections I’ve made so far, and I’m sure there will be many more!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #47: Opportunities You’ve Been Given.

I’m grateful that so many people have come into my life, helping me open doors that I didn’t think were possible.

It’s funny, I write this post as I’m reflecting on the going-away party that we attended on Friday night for Emily and Phil. Thanks to my mother, Emily came into my life in 2010 and helped give me one of the most important opportunities of my life – The internship I needed to graduate from Longwood!

Sadly, Emily and Phil are getting ready to officially move to Texas. But, I have a feeling there will be many opportunities to go visit them!

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Thinking back, I can list many opportunities that I’ve been given:

• Learning different instruments – Piano, then viola
• Traveling abroad – Two cruises in the 1990s, British Columbia (1998), Russia (2001), Europe (2005), Paris (2008)
• Participating in the IB program in high school
• Being a blood donor since 2005
• Going to Longwood for my college career
• Writing for and being on staff with Longwood’s student newspaper
• Holding a variety of jobs since college
• Gaining valuable experience through work and volunteering
• Being accepted into several different organizations – Alpha Sigma Tau, PEO, etc.
• Working toward a paralegal degree
• Becoming a Certified Professional Coder
• Participating in National Novel Writing Month three times, so far
• Improving this little blog of mine over the last several years

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For me, I think of every new day as a new opportunity to make a difference. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Think random acts of kindness. I’ve participated in a few drive-thru “pay it forward” chains before, as well as holding doors for people, thanking those in uniform for their service, and just being kind. I haven’t read the book or seen the movie yet, but I think of Wonder and I think “choose kind.”

I look forward to future opportunities, and I’m grateful for every one.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #46: Technology.

I’m grateful for technology, for the most part. It’s changed my life in multiple ways.

When we first got Internet at my parents’ house, it was the mid-1990s. It was revolutionary! It’s amazing how far things have come in just the last 20 years.

However, I find myself looking to escape technology as well. Since I work on a computer all day for my job, there are many days where I come home and I don’t want to look at any screens! It’s a hard thing to balance.

What about you? Are you grateful for technology?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #45: What You Do For Fun.

I could go on for a long time about what I like to do for fun.

—

June 2017 – Al took this photo before we hopped on. We love riding around our neighborhood – Very safe and quiet. We certainly work up a good sweat! The only change we’ll make is better bike seats!

Image Credit: Nevada Preps

I’m grateful that I’m physically able to ride my bike and play softball. Al just bought lights for our bikes so we can ride them in the evenings – Yay! I would love to get back into softball – I played on a church team several years ago, and I miss it!

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Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia. Image Credit: Theme Park Review

Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. Image Credit: Kings Dominion

In the same vein, I love visiting different amusement parks. Roller coasters are the best! I’m glad that I’m able to ride them. They definitely make my heart race and my voice hoarse. I’ve been fortunate to have been to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Kings Dominion multiple times, along with Water Country USA. As a kid, I went to several in California, Florida, and Pennsylvania.

One of my big goals is to visit Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. So many coasters! I also like the water rides. Plus, it’s a great way to spend time with friends and family.

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Gummy Drop is one of my favorites! Image Credit: Big Fish Games

Have you played any of the Roller Coaster Tycoon games? Image Credit: RCTgo

I had this! I wonder if my parents still have the game CDs! Image Credit: Amazon

I also enjoy playing games on my phone, iPad, and computer. Right now, I like several different match-3 games, but I also want to get all the Roller Coaster Tycoon and Carmen Sandiego games for my PC again. Those bring back so many childhood memories!

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Image Credit: YouTube

Traveling is another fun thing. We’re saving money for New York City right now!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #44: Your Favorite Holiday.

I’ve always loved Christmas. As I’ve mentioned before, most of my childhood Christmases were spent in Florida with my grandparents. However, I have fond memories of my church’s Christmas Eve services – I sang in the children’s choir for several years during the 5:00 p.m. service. The traditional 7:30 p.m. service has Christmas carols, and the last song has almost always been “Silent Night,” sung by candlelight as the sanctuary lights are turned out. It gives me chills now just thinking about it.

I’m not a fan of the commercialization, however, especially in the last few years. We’re already seeing Christmas commercials on TV. We walked into Lowe’s in Norfolk over the weekend, and we were blasted with Christmas decorations when we walked in! I try to remember the true reason for the season.

As we kick off November, I’m excited for lower temperatures and Thanksgiving. But, in about a month, my Christmas spirit will begin to kick in. I can’t wait to decorate our Christmas tree with Al, play festive music, and enjoy several parties and holiday activities.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #43: A Mentor / Teacher.

Thinking about this week’s post, I remembered writing a different blog post about the wonderful math teacher I had for three years in high school, Mrs. Zwemer.

Here’s the link to that post, from September 2016:

• Getting Personal #35: Back to School

I’ll let you read the original post, but I think of Mrs. Zwemer every single day. Sadly, the evil beast that is cancer took her from this world far too soon. I found the program from her funeral this past weekend at my parents’ house, and she’s been on my mind ever since. She made me appreciate math, and that’s a big feat in my eyes!

When I think of Buzz Lightyear, it reminds me of Mrs. Zwemer and her classroom. To infinity and beyond!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #42: Your Favorite Possession.

I still don’t have a photo to share, but my favorite possession is my first 18-inch American Girl doll. I got her for Christmas 1997, and I named her Stephanie. I took her almost everywhere, with the exception of school, from ages 9-14. She has blonde hair and laser green eyes, and she was a wonderful companion when I was a kid. Being an only child, Stephanie was the confidant that I needed at times. I loved her then, and I still love her now.

Over the summer, I was lucky enough to purchase several “vintage” Pleasant Company catalogs. They brought back so many memories!

The doll pictured in this catalog is not my Stephanie, but it gives you an idea of her hair, and the outfit she came in. I also have the accessories now!

Stephanie is currently at my parents’ house, dressed in the School Jumper outfit pictured here. However, she will permanently reside in my “Lady Lounge” starting this weekend! I also had the Girl Scout Uniform for her.

I’m so excited to finally bring Stephanie home this weekend. She means so much to me, and I’m incredibly happy that I’ve held on to her all these years. She’ll be in a special place in the custom doll cabinet that Al and I are designing. I’m so grateful that Al supports this sometimes very expensive hobby of mine, and lets me enjoy it to the fullest!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂