I didn't get a 5 Things I'm Loving post up last week because I chose to go to bed early instead of stay up and write a post (priorities, eh?). That means I have lots of things to share this week! In fact, I had trouble narrowing the list down to just five things!
After some thought, here's my list of some of my favorite things right now - what I'm thankful for, stuff I'm loving, things that are making me happy, etc.:
1. Our New Fire Pit
I've long wanted one for our patio and was SO excited when Jess surprised me with it. It may be a little cold to roast marshmallows right now, but that didn't deter us from using it before the freezing temperatures and snow came.
Sitting out by the fire is a the perfect end to a quiet and relaxing day of rest. I think it's especially appropriate for this Year of Rest as it will encourage me to slow down and savor time with the family more.
2. An Amazing Grocery Deal
This is for sure our best grocery deal scored so far in 2016! I thought maybe the zero was supposed to be another number, but they had a whole stack of them at this price!!
I love me some Kroger markdowns!
3. My Book is in Target & Costco!!!
I never, ever thought I'd have a book in Target. In fact, just a few months ago, someone asked me if my new book would be in Target and I said, "No, I doubt I'll ever have a book in Target. I just don't sell the thousands and thousands of copies required for them to consider it."
And I was content with that. Truly content. I'm just honored to actually have 3 published books - something I would have never dreamed would be the case 10 years ago!
But then, not a week after that conversation, I got an email from my publisher saying that TARGET HAD PICKED UP MY BOOK and would carry it in January!!!!!
So yes, Silas' face here is pretty much how I feel about this. Surprised. Thrilled. Humbled. Overwhelmed. Overjoyed.
And mostly just grateful. Grateful for the opportunity to write words. Grateful for the privilege of getting to share those words with the world. Grateful for the faith my publisher has placed in me. Grateful for my loyal and amazing readers who have believed in me and in this book.
Grateful that God does abundantly above all we could ever dream or hope or imagine. Grateful that He uses broken vessels for His glory.
Then, this week, Costco started carrying my book. And all week long, people have been posting and emailing me to tell me they saw my book in Costco. A number of people even sent me pictures to prove it, as shown above! 
I'm reminded once again how blessed I am. How amazingly blessed I am. That people take the time to care about me, to cheerlead for me, and to celebrate with me.
In a world filled with so much competition and comparison, this is a gift I don't take lightly. And it inspires me over and over again to look for ways to care more, cheerlead more, and celebrate others more.
Life is so much more meaningful and rich when we choose celebrating and cheering with others instead of competing and comparing ourselves with others.
4. SNOW!!!
Color me surprised… We woke up to this on Saturday. Yes, even though we weren't so sure of it ever since moving here from Kansas, it is really possible for the Nashville area to get more than a dusting of snow!
However, they are saying that this is the worst snowstorm they've had in 13 years… So this is pretty EPIC for this area!
Apparently, everyone in our area decided that stocking up on meat was more important than stocking up on bread and milk before the snowstorm, as evidenced by this picture my husband took at the grocery store on Saturday evening!! 
5. Our New Morning Routine
At the beginning of this year, one of the big commitments Jesse and I made together was to put forth a lot of effort and intention into getting on a great morning routine. We came up with a simple routine, we made some changes in what we did before bed and when we got up to set ourselves up for success, and then we just dove in.
Even though the first few days were hard, I'm so glad we stuck with it as it's made such a difference in our days. One of the best times has been starting our mornings by sitting down to breakfast as a family and studying God's Word together after everyone is dressed and ready for the day. This has been such a sweet time and such a great beginning to our homeschool day!
Bonus: This quote - I read this on an "off" day this past week and it made me laugh. It was just what I needed that day. And I thought maybe some of you might need the laugh, too.
What are YOU loving right now? Tell us in the comments.
