Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween!- Day 25


Doesn't everybody love to laugh?

Today, Day 25,  I'm grateful for laughter.

Watched Ellen today dressed up as Sophia Vergara for Halloween.

Hilarious, and just what I needed to brighten my day!

here's a link if you missed it.

http://www.eonline.com/news/358845/ellen-degeneres-dresses-as-sofia-vergara-for-halloween-wardrobe-malfunction-included


Have a safe and laughter filled Halloween everybody! 


PS: Post pics of your halloween costumes on facebook especially your little peanuts all dressed up in their
costumes, that includes babies and dogs. :)

Second Chances- Day 24

This post is for gratitude Day 24, I'm getting close to the end of my 30 day gratitude challenge.

Even if it was a day that I didn't have a chance to post I found something each day.

I will admit it was hard some days.

While of course I could always think of the people in my life to be grateful for and all the physical blessings God gives on a daily basis
 some days
you just don't feel like focusing on gratefulness and it's easier to let your mind focus on the selfish
things and not be focused on God and his plan.

But yesterday I was thankful for second chances.
Isn't it nice to be able to try again when you don't get something right the first time.

You know that old saying, "If at first you don't succeed try try again."

Sometimes you want to punch the person that says that phrase as you are falling off your bike, skinning your knee, when you're trying to learn to ride with out training wheels.

Or when you're trying to loose weight and you hit that road block and you hear well keep trying, try harder.

or when you are trying to cut a hole in your house for your egress window and it's not working and your wife keeps saying want to "try again".... yep it get's a little annoying at those times

but really isn't it great we get to try again and that we get a second chance to
be better than we were the day before.

God gives us so many blessings and the gift of a second chance through his constant forgiveness
and "willing" us to be more like Him.




Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Gnocchi "No Key"- Gratitude Day 18

I had a "no key" tonight, ya know a gnocchi. It was delicious.

Obama would be happy we spent some money tonight and helped the struggling economy

and Romney would be happy we supported corporate business via restaurant chain.

Peter is happy we went out to celebrate his big 3-O birthday.

So basically everybody should be happy. (sorry I have election brain, too many commercials)

I know I'm happy I had a delicious gnocchi in white cream sauce, with sauteed mushrooms, roasted
chicken and grilled asparagus... not to mention the house salad and bread with spinach and artichoke dip and a glass of Chianti.  Peter had a birthday filet mignon.

So tonight I'm happy and grateful for celebrations and yummy food.


                                                            You want a bite don't 'cha?





Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Happy Birthday Anne!- Gratitude Day 17

Since I'm on a roll about sisters...



I need to say Happy Birthday to my sister in law Anne.
Peter and Anne were lucky enough to have birthdays back to back in October
and today we are celebrating Anne, even though she's celebrating somewhere
much prettier on the North Shore.

I still remember the first time I met Peter's family, I was so glad Anne was there, she was so engaging and friendly and made me feel so comfortable in those awkward situations of meeting your boyfriends family for the first time as a young freshman in college. Thanks for the lively conversation even back then Anne.

I am grateful to have such a talented, creative, intelligent, driven, kind, empathetic
environmentally conscious and all around lovely big sister.

Happy Birthday Anne!


Monday, October 22, 2012

School Night- Gratitude Day 16

It's a school night but we are having a sleep over.


My little sister is sleeping over.  It's a wild sleep over night, she's doing homework
I'm blogging and we are watching the debate,

WILD I tell ya.

It's amazing that when I was 12 she was born, when I was 18 she graduated Kindergarten,
when I graduated college she was 11, now at just a few days until I turn 30 she's 18 and officially an adult.

It's all come full circle, I still remember when I was 12 and holding this little tiny bright red baby thinking about how this little peanut would be 18 when I turn 30 and that seemed so far away and i thought I'd be really really old.  And now we are here.

She's not just the little baby that I help feed or the silly little girl that dances around to Disney movies, now she's a grown woman, much taller than I am, not that it takes much and I'm grateful to be her friend.

Here's a little senior picture sneak peak...

purdy, huh??!!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Family- Gratitude Day 15

Yep, don't worry, still been grateful in my 30 day gratitude challenge but just didn't get to blogging it.

Today I am grateful for family.


Becks, Lindbergs, Ingman's, Chenault's, Petersen's, Peterson's, Barber's, Zimmerman's, Wintersheimer's, Gasper's, Marden's, Martin's, Musser's, Anderson's, Beck-Esmay's, Iwaszko's, Breviu's, Schneider's, Johnson's...

Whoa, that's a long list of family and people to be grateful for.

Had a lovely time at a summer outdoor wedding for Stacy and Patrick with the Marden's, Martin's, Lindberg's, Ingman's and Peterson's.

Enjoyed the North Shore for a fun fall wedding for Brian and Amanda with the Breviu's, Beck-Esmay's and Becks.

Spent a nice Sunday morning with one of the Chenault's, aunt Carol, the Gasper's and mom at the Gasper's new place.

Got to pick up my sister in law at the airport and chitchat for awhile.

One of the Anderson's is in town, Kelda and her boyfriend are in town so we get to have dinner with them.

The Lindberg's sold their house so they will soon be moving closer to the Twin Cities area.

The Beck's are only a hop skip and a jump away.

The Holidays are inching closer which means that those that we haven't connected with in awhile we will soon.

The family all sees each other when we can and catches up...
 just as if we saw each other the day before picking up where we left off.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Ouch... Got a Sore Throat- Day 11

Today as simple as it is I'm sure grateful for cough drops and hot tea
my sore throat sure is grateful too.
MEA break came at just the right time so I can kick this cold to the curb. Hi-yah!


Little drops of heaven.



Kids Say the Darnedest Things- Day 10

Kids-     Gratitude Day 10 (from yesterday)



Student: "Mrs. Lindberg, who invented the word up?"
Me: "That's a good question."
Student: "I think it must have been Abraham Lincoln... (thinks for a second)...yep it was him"

Me: "What would you like to write about today?"
Student: "Well, I don't want to write about Justin Bieber, I hate Justin Bieber."
Me: "Ok then... we'll avoid that topic"

Day number 10,  I was grateful for kids, for my students in particular,
for their funny perspectives, their excitement for learning, their short attention spans...
which means yes, they are often easily distracted but also easy to bounce back and move on from a challenge.


P.S.- FYI this is not a picture of my class, if you look closely it's an old photo of my preschool
class at Halloween and yep, I'm the little bunny next to the yellow crayon Dana, and there's cute little Melena and Khelsey in the picture too.








Monday, October 15, 2012

This GUY

This Guy- Gratitude Day 9


Of course I'm grateful for "this guy" for many many reasons and more than just one day in a 30 day gratitude challenge but today I'm especially grateful for "this guy"and I want to share why.

So put yourself in his shoes...
Your wife leaves to go run a few errands and a few minutes later you get a phone call from the garage, "umm...sorry I think I hit (more like bumped) your car, oops, can you come out here and help me back out of the garage?"

To my defense we live on a tight alley garage, you have to almost turn at a 90 degree angle to avoid hitting the car parked in the driveway, avoid hitting the side of the skinny garage and make it onto the little winding alley.  It's tricky because you have to turn at a sharp angle to move out of the garage as soon as you start backing out to the alley.  

Well, let's get to the gratitude part...
instead of coming out and squawking, getting upset or giving me a well deserved lecture,

I see his patience.

He drops what he was doing, sees I'm fine, looks at the car says you can hardly see it, gently takes the keys and backs it the rest of the way out for me so I can run my errand no questions asked.

So calm, so laid back, so patient, just how he is in literally every situation.

This is a way that he surprises me and for that I'm grateful, 
an example in patience, 
something that I often need a lesson in.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Rest UP

 Relaxation- Gratitude Day 8

It's a blue sweat pants, feet on the ottoman, cuddling up, relaxing kinda night.

(who has prettier feet by the way ?? :) it's a close call, I know)


I'm grateful for the chance to rest, re-cooperate, reenergize, reconnect before beginning another week.

Rest up everybody

Matthew 11: 28-29 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Hope Floats

Day 7: 1 Week of Gratitude

Today I'm grateful for

Hope

I've got hope.

 Remember the movie Hope Floats with Sandra Bullock?  Remember this line...
"Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning.  Just give HOPE a chance to float up.  And it will, too..."

love that

And then there is my favorite bible verse sending hope...



Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a future.

When we see something beautiful in nature that is so breathtaking it makes you think about the higher power that created it, it reminds you God has a plan for you and it gives you hope.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Gratitude 6: The Cutest Little Dog

Today I'm grateful for the cutest little dog a girl could ask for.





When we decided to adopt a dog, we wanted to go with the Humane Society and adopt a dog with out a home.  We looked on Pet Finder and found this cute little black dog, not furry like he is now because they buzzed his hair due to how unkempt he was where ever he lived before the shelter.

His name was Lonnie, (Max is better don't ya think??) and he was in Fairbault, MN.
Peter had a soft ball game that night but I convinced him we had to drive 45 minutes to Fairbault to see cute little Lonnie.  Peter wasn't too keen on missing his game but what if we missed the chance to get this little dog that just had to be ours, I had a feeling.

When we got to the shelter, they led us to his cage.  We had a leash for us to take him outside and walk
him around to get to know him a little.  When we first walked into the cage he didn't move, he didn't run to us, he stayed back in the corner.

And if any of you have met Max now you know that is not typical Max, as soon as you walk in the door and hardly have a chance to sit down he pounces on you and before you look twice he's curled up in your lap cozy as can be.

So he just stayed back in the corner as the shelter worker put on the leash and he sheepishly followed us out the shelter door to the field next door.

As soon as we hit the grass, he was like a new dog, he was running into the grass, prancing, jumping around just like the little Max we know now.


He just seemed so excited to be out and so free.

Peter and I looked at each other and one of us said, (can't remember now who and we both would say "it was ME!") "we got to take him", he was so excited we couldn't bear to bring him back to the cage, it would have been down right mean.

So we took him back to the front desk said we'd like to adopt him, thinking maybe there's some paperwork to sign and they have to process something and maybe the next couple days we get him. But NO they said fill this out, pay your fee and here you go.

We were just going to look, we had no dog food, no dog bed, no dog dish, toys, you name it.
So needless to say we had to make a quick Target run on the way home.  But we adopted Max, he was our dog and I think God had a hand in getting him to us.

We are dog people, so tonight I'm grateful for this little ball of fur that curled up on my lap.


 


Thursday, October 11, 2012

Would you ever run for public office?

Gratitude Day 5- Aren't You Grateful You Aren't Running for Office??


So it's election time and I know everyone is getting tired of all the commercials, the media coverage, the non stop election coverage each day, the constant campaigning and it's only going to increase as the election approaches.

I understand that and I agree but...

 I will say that I am grateful that there are people out there

that feel compelled to make a difference and run for office.

Even if I don't share the same values, beliefs or political views or don't necessarily agree with the difference that they want to make...

 I am thankful that there are people
out there that feel driven or passionate enough to run for office whatever it might be and serve our
country.

 I sure couldn't handle the constant criticism from both political parties back and forth, your entire life forever in the spot light, the constant debate and all the information and facts to keep up while everyone is telling you what stinks about you all the time.

Imagine having a commercial about you,  (sad announcer voice) "Cassie Lindberg... Don't vote for her, she didn't stop at a stop sign once,  (camera pans to a car crash) she sometimes chews with her mouth open (camera shoots food on the ground) and she hates cute little kittens (zoom up close on a little kittens face)."

I truly believe that people that run for office do want whats best for America even though they can't agree on what that is and do deserve some respect.

It's so easy to just say we hate everybody running and politicians are shady
(I know that some have been proven to be)
BUT
I am thankful somebody is running, somebody wants to be a leader and somebody wants to the job.
(because I sure as hell wouldn't want it :)

So I'm grateful for public figures today and the sacrifices they make.
( and so grateful I don't have their job :)

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Cheers to Good Friends and Good Health

Day 4: Gratitude Blog

I've been blessed to have many wonderful friends in my life.

Some special people that are family but also friends,
some special people/friends  I still keep in touch with from high school,
friends I have made in my professional life,
and special friends more specifically a special group of girls that I met at Bethany Lutheran College,
we like to call ourselves Chi Beta Zappa.
 (yes it's am imaginary sorority that we made up for ourselves, just to be random and fun)

Today I am grateful for all my friends but would like to talk about my college girls.
Here they are...
This is a photo of a photo I have hanging on my wall.
These girls are so special to me,

I remember late night chats, trips to the Viking Village, parties at Barons, dressing up crazy for
Halloween and going bowling, driving through the courtyard, cheering Bethany basketball in our homemade shirts, trips to Perkins, going out, sleep overs at the school house, sharing our most important stories, birthdays, new years,
and so much more.
I am thankful for each of their individual personalities and the blessings they give to our friend group.

Now here's where my gratefulness leads to GOOD HEALTH.
4 friends out of this group have had babies,
within the last 2 months, that's a baby every 2 weeks, whoa girls :)


I am so grateful that though each one of their pregnancies/deliveries may have been stressful or  however they may describe it (and have every right to... )
each one had a healthy little baby and are in good healing health themselves.
Also the mothers that have had children previously are also healthy and so are their children.

Congrats to Lindsay and Phil for the most recent addition healthy little Noah Nathan :)

What a blessing it is and a reason to be grateful to God.


Proverbs 4:22 
For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their whole body.

SO here's to  GOOD FRIENDS and GOOD HEALTH!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Simple Things

Day 3

So as mentioned earlier, my gratitude journal will range from extraordinary to simple because gratitude can be found in many places.

So I started extraordinary and am slowly scaling down to simple with this next one.

"Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father..." Ephesians 5:20

Being thankful for everything includes the simple, small things like slippers.



How amazing are slippers on a day like today? Right?

Seriously, they are warm and cozy like socks with the durability to make a quick run out to the car to get the lunch bag you forgot when coming in.

Your feet will never be cold again and with these first few days of "true" fall weather, with only more to come, I can say that I am grateful for my cozy black slippers.

And heres a little fun fact, let's give a shout out to Alvin Slippers who began this form of footwear in 1922.


Monday, October 8, 2012

Gratitude: Day 2

If you read my post yesterday you saw...


"So my goal for this next year, a year when I'm really trying to slow down, invest more time in the things that really matter and enjoy each day, I am going to start a gratitude journal on my blog." 
So here is Day 2 of gratitude...



"Home is where the heart is"

"There is no place like home"

"Home Sweet Home"

"Where we love is home,
Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts."
~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.


I am grateful that we have a place to live, to be comfortable in, to make our own. 

(literally make our own, as any one that knows us, you know we have in the past been addicted to home renovation :) I think we are finally done with this one though... 5 years later.










Sunday, October 7, 2012

Gratitude

When life gets busy and we are thinking of the next thing we need to do, its hard to live in the moment.  When life doesn't go as planned, when there's disappointment, you're frusterated, distracted, focused, self absorbed, worried, it's hard to live in the moment.

So my goal for this next year, a year when I'm really trying to slow down, invest more time in the things that really matter and enjoy each day, I am going to start a gratitude journal on my blog. When I looked up gratitude online to get the "official" definition here's what it said, "The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness."  I need to show appreciation to God for all he's given me and appreciation to those around me for the positive way they've impacted my life and give back with kindness.

Everyday I want to focus on and think about at least one thing I am thankful for no matter how simple or how extraordinary.

Psalm 118:24 says it best...
This is the day that The Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.




Day 1:
I am grateful for my parents. For their guidance, support (both financial $$ and emotional)  love, patience ( I'm sure there are times you needed a lot of it with me :) sense of humor,
Hard work (sooooo much hard work)  faith, example, and for the wonderful people they are.