when and now

I’ve been reading on Facebook and in blogs what everyone is and has been thankful for with the holiday season upon us, and so naturally I’ve been thinking about all that I appreciate in my life. Instead of detailing each and every thing that makes me smile from day to day I decided to make a list. I’m sure I’m missing many, many things but it’s a start and it’ll continue to grow for the rest of this Thanksgiving week and for the rest of my life.

I’m THANKFUL for …

• Being married to a wonderful man and having a relationship where I fall in love deeper every day
• Having two amazing parents who love and support me in everything that I do
• My close relationship with my five incredible siblings
• Being an aunt to the two most precious little girls
• Being a part of a big family
• My genuine friends - both near and far
• My faith and my desire to learn more about my religion
• A new job that will help me grow professionally and personally, and where I can make a difference
• Being a homeowner in a beautiful part of the country
• Being healthy enough to do everything I want to do
• My experiences as a marathon runner and a field hockey player
• Chocolate indulgences
• Good books that I can’t put down
• My TV show lineup
• Laughing with my loved ones
• Singing and dancing with my nieces in public
• Making a meal that makes everyone happy
• A good night’s sleep
• Sunday fun days with my husband
• Social media to keep in touch with friends and family

… and LOTS more!

Please think about all your thankful for this holiday season and find love in your heart to brighten someone else’s day. Make someone thankful for you. :-)

This year will go down as a year of change for me … big change, and lots of it. Generally speaking, it has all been change for the good. Better yet, change for the great. My life has flipped, turned, spun and is teetering back and forth right now about to settle down. At least I think so.

First, I started the year off engaged and in the midst of wedding planning. That was a whirlwind in itself. Nothing more had to happen and I would have had a busy enough of a year. Our friends bought a house last year and it got Chris and me thinking. Is that something we could do or even afford? It seemed so far out of reach but the question kept arising, “Why would we continue paying rent when we could start investing in a home?” So, we went to the bank and sat down with a mortgage broker. Is this possible, we asked. Apparently it was. So, we began spending all of our (not so) free time looking online and going out with our real estate agent to find our future home. After some twists and turns, we found one we loved and we moved in on March 8.

Now on top of planning our wedding, we were also learning how to be homeowners. There is always something to do and something “we need to buy”. That didn’t go great with paying for a majority of our wedding either. To make all of our expenses and our new mortgage easier to handle, Chris and I joined bank accounts. Even though it wasn’t a major change, it was a change nonetheless, and one we continue to work together on every day.

Finally August rolled around and we tied the knot. On August 13, I became Mrs. Meredith McCombs. It was a perfect rainy day. The celebration was filled with love, family and friends, dancing, alcohol, more dancing and more alcohol. It was a Brown/McCombs wedding – we didn’t expect any less.

When we thought we could finally breathe, I was contacted by a recruiter regarding a job opportunity a couple months following our wedding. With some investigation I became extremely interested in the position and what the company had to offer. After a couple phone interviews, a Skype conversation and an extensive in-person interview, I was offered the job as the product manager. Without hesitation, I accepted. Not only was I switching companies, but I was also venturing into a position that was new to me. It’s an exciting move that will bring many rewarding experiences.

As you can see, 2011 will be one to remember. A year in the books, as they say. Many people are reluctant when it comes to change but I think it helps you develop as a person. It’s the detours in life that give you the experiences to pull from to make you a better person. Kind of like my blog name - I’m thankful for my “when” because it makes for a better “now”. This year, not only did I grow in my personal life, but I am confident that I became a stronger professional in my career and a better wife, sister, daughter, aunt and friend. I feel blessed to be surrounded by the people I am who undoubtedly helped me through this rollercoaster of a year.

No, not ME. It’s Nicholas Sparks’ new book - The Best of Me. It hits stands on October 11 but THIS GIRL pre-ordered a copy today and I’m thrilled for it to be delivered. I get lost in his books, and they are always great companions on the elliptical at the gym. Nothing screams a good workout more than a casual elliptical ride after work with a good book open and Dr. Phil on the monitor in front of me. Talk about breaking a sweat. ;-)

All of his books are based in North Carolina, which is one of the reasons they intrigue me. Another attention-getter would be the realistic and vulnerable love stories that they all portray. They very easily pull you into the scene and tangle your emotions. PLUS, this one is definitely scheduled to be featured as a film.

Book summary:

“The Best of Me is the heart-rending story of two small-town former high school sweethearts from opposite sides of the tracks. Now middle-aged, they’ve taken wildly divergent paths, but neither has lived the life they imagined … and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever altered their world. When they are both called back to their hometown for the funeral of the mentor who once gave them shelter, they will be forced to confront the choices each has made, and ask whether love can truly rewrite the past.” (courtesy of: http://www.movieweb.com/news/the-best-of-me-lands-at-warner-bros)

October is great for so many reasons. First of all, October in North Carolina … enough said. B-E-A-utiful. It’s reason enough to live here.

Secondly, it’s MLB playoff time! What a string of games the other night to determine who’ll come out on top for the Wild Card picks! I didn’t have anything on the line being a Yankees fan but it was kind of nice seeing the Red Sox being so close yet ending up so far away. Bummer for them. :-) I saw on Facebook this morning that the Yanks are prepping the stadium for the first ALDS game tonight. Oh, what I would give to be there for a post-season game!

Chris (my husband) and I bought our first home in March of this year. Before that, we lived in a couple apartments in Raleigh. It’s tough to decorate an apartment. You don’t have a lot of room to elaborate and there isn’t much opportunity to experiment … besides, you DO want your security deposit check back. Apartment living is cramped and the holidays quickly pass by, at least in my experience.

NOW, that we are homeowners I’m viewing the holidays in a completely different way. I get to really decorate and make our home, well, home-y. :) Some of my cousins bought me a Southern Living magazine subscription for my wedding and the last issue really gave me some good (budget-friendly) ideas! I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and try some out.

This is definitely my favorite. How cute are these, and they’d probably only cost about $15 per jar with all the supplies.