Thankful Thursday with a Twist

I'm changing it up today.  Instead of writing five things I'm thankful for, I've decided to write five things I bet you didn't know were going on with me right now.  Okay, some of you probably already know about a few of them.  And yes, this is basically an update in disguise.  But it's a more fun way of doing an update!  So, play along and read on:

1.  I am currently planning a reunion for my old youth group.  A friend from "way back then" contacted me on Facebook and asked if I would be interested in helping her put something together.  Like me, she and some of the people she was still in contact with were so much closer to their church friends than their school friends and wanted to get together.  So, it's in the works and will be happening in just a few weeks.  I'm so excited about seeing everyone!

2.  Yesterday, I got my first set of Invisalign trays for my teeth.  Or rather, my dentist's version of Invisalign, which is called Essix.  If you haven't heard of these, they are removable trays that you wear 22 out of 24 hours a day (you only remove them to eat) that slowly guide your teeth back into place.  As your teeth shift, you get a new set of trays, which is about once a month.  Then, when you're finished realigning the teeth, you get a retainer to wear at night for the rest of your life.  Sexy, I know.

My teeth aren't that bad now, but they're certainly not getting better and will definitely be in bad shape in 5-10 years.  So, I decided to go ahead and get the work done now when it will only take 3-4 months' commitment as opposed to later, when it could take much longer to readjust or require metal braces.  The pain was really rough yesterday - they had to sand off parts of some of my teeth to make room plus the trays are incredibly tight at first.  But, it has eased off quite a bit today.  I might even feel like chewing by dinnertime!  Hopefully, by Christmas, I'll have a new, straightened, gorgeous smile!

3.  David and I are trying to get back into running.  To help motivate us to stick with it, we've signed up for a couple of 5Ks in the coming months.  The first one will be next month and it's one we've run a few times before.  We're looking forward to getting back into this healthy habit together!  (Okay, I'm looking forward to it.  David is joining me because he'd rather do that than listen to me nag.)

4.  We've been visiting a new church the past couple of weeks and are really enjoying it!  Our plan is to join a small group for the upcoming semester and then see where God leads us from there.

And, lastly, the latest with AJ.  I know I updated not too long ago, so some of these may be a repeat.  They're still cute, though:

5.  She's walking like a pro and learning new words every day.  We've been working very hard on "please" lately, but because we taught her "more" first, she uses that in its place.  She loves books and will often sit in the floor and flip through them herself.  She frequently requests "E-I-E-I" (Old McDonald) and loves music and dancing.  She also really likes having her teeth brushed and brushing the "teeth" of her baby dolls with an old toothbrush.  She's learning to share more and more everyday, so next time you visit, beware that you just might get a sippy cup jammed in your mouth.  Is there any greater love?

Have a happy Friday!