Thankful for: my family

My sister.
This girl will make you laugh so much! Jill is sarcastic beyond words. But what you may not know at first glance is that under all the sarcasm she has a heart of gold, which is so sensitive to others. She is so loyal and will have your back for life. No matter what. We are only 16 months apart, so we are close in every way possible. I also don’t hate it that we can share clothes…although that doesn’t do us much good now that she lives in Boston.

My brother.
I know I said my sister can make me laugh, but my brother is by far the wittiest and funniest person I’ve ever known in real life! Justin is the owner of 3 record stores, Guestroom Records, and has a very creative and innovative mind. He is very caring and takes care of the people around him, especially his wife. He surprise visited me in Tyler and drove down just to take me to lunch one day last spring. I know that I could count on him for anything.

My sister-in-law.
I am so happy for the older sister I got in who my brother married! Julie is so sweet and caring. She may be quieter than the rest of us, but that doesn’t mean she can’t laugh and joke with the best of us! She has been such a great addition to our family and it was so natural for her to become a Sowers (and it didn’t hurt that she has a “J” name!).

My mom.
My mom is one of the most loving people I’ve ever known. She will love anyone’s socks off, but also isn’t afraid to shoot you straight. She is definitely a servant and loves to take care of people. What I have come to appreciate as I’ve gotten older is how she loves people by taking care of the details. I am lacking in this area, so I extra love this about her! My mom ALWAYS encourages me to go on adventures and I love that.  I am also so thankful for her accounting/financial help in my life…gotta love that accounting brain of hers!

My dad.
In a lot of ways, I am my father’s daughter. Most of my obvious traits, I get from him. My love for people most definitely comes from him, and this, of course, is something that I love about him! He will talk to absolutely anyone around him and has a way of putting others at ease and making them feel loved and welcomed. My dad pays attention to the details of my personality and always lets me know that he loves me and is proud of me. I feel so supported by him. And where would I be if my dad hadn't always told me these two things: "Jen, pay attention to what's going on around you" and "Don't forget to leave time to have some fun (not that I necessarily struggled with this, but great that Dad supports this)."

Giving Thanks...

I am going to celebrate Thanksgiving awareness month through a few different posts in upcoming weeks to share some of the blessings in my life. Thanks, Chelsea, for this idea! See? I am giving thanks already! It’s working, it’s working!

"Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day." -Robert Caspar Lintner

My roommates.

Where the heck would I be without these 4?! We have a policy in our house, that somehow has come about in the last few months—No Secrets. These girls know everything about me and I know all there is to know about the happenings in their lives, as well. It’s been so incredible living in such a way that they know the best and the worst about me and love me just the same. Legit.

In addition to “no secrets,” we have SO much fun together! The volume level is stuck on loud. And 9 times out of 10, there is trash rotting in our pantry. But I love it all and I would have it no other way…ok, well maybe we can work on the trash thing. The overall dynamic goes a little something like this: Hannah exclaiming some sort of bold statement. Jenn office houring with one or all of us. Ally laughing at all the madness surrounding her, while also being the steady hand of wisdom. Kyndell getting real, real fast and pillowtalking with the best of ‘em. Regardless of our individual differences, we know how to laugh. A lot. And pillowtalk. A lot.

Sooner football.

I love it. I can’t help it. I literally was Sooner born and bred. It’s so fun to have a team to root for and want them to succeed. Additionally, I love to still be connected to my school, which I love so much, even though I graduated 3 years ago. It’s a loyalty that transcends tens of thousands of strangers, and who doesn’t love that?!

Tutoring.

I recently started tutoring high school seniors in English. I am helping them with their college admittance essays and doing a little ACT prep. It has been such a blessing to be able to use what I studied for 5 years in college. I love being able to help kids develop a life skill and help them to discover their own potential. Who knew that teaching English would be just like riding a bike…

Group text messages from my family.

Hahaha, it was a funny day when everyone in my family learned about group messaging. From there, I can count on this occurrence at least once every other day…if not every day. Last night, I was hanging out with a friend, when I saw my phone had texts from brother, sister, dad, and mom. I thought that it was to update me on a family member who was in the hospital, so I stopped what I was doing to check my phone and brace myself for what update may be awaiting. Low and behold, false alarm. All my family members were just talking nonsense about who knows what. I laughed a lot about the late night discussion being had by the Sowers fam.

There is so much to be thankful for...Always.  No matter what.  These are just the tip of the iceberg; stay tuned...