100 in 2021

Here are 100 things I am thankful for this year in no particular order!

1) My Lord and Savior - this walk of faith has taken me places I never would have imagined - or hoped - but my God is so thankful every step of the way

2) My dad - he loves me well and loves my llamas well too

3) Dusty Grace - you are definitely Nana Dog to my llamas and are so patient with all their antics, especially when they crawl on you or use you as a stepstool

4) Katy Joy - You are turning into a good little pup! You follow the llamas everywhere and are so protective over them

5) Lola - a couple of times I have thought you were getting close to the end of your time with me but then I see you running and frolicking in a nearby field and my heart smiles 

6) Bruce Jenner - you are so patient with Katy but definitely put her in her place when she gets too rough

7) This house I get to live in - I have loved having lots more room and the llamas have settled in well

8) My church family - I am welcomed with hugs and smiles each Sunday and love my church family so much

9) Lucy - my faithful Jeep is still running

10) Iced German chocolate cake mochas

11) Rain

12) My brothers

13) Playing ball with Dusty and Katy

14) Depot salsa

15) My book - writing and publishing a book has been the scariest, and yet most rewarding, thing I've ever done and I continue to pray it reaches other abuse survivors and gives them hope

16) Karen - a kinder and more encouraging woman I will never know. She makes me want to be a better person

17) Kathy - the epitome of faith in Jesus even when life gets hard - really hard. Oh to have a faith like hers one day

18) Mississippi Pot Roast

19) A warm cozy bed 

20) Rick - welcomes me with the biggest hug every Sunday at church and sends me text of encouragement through the week. I don't have any grandpas left but if I did, I would want one just like him

21) Echo - the other half of the dynamic Rick and Echo team! Her smile lights up her face and her laughter fills a room. She is faithful, kind, and incredibly real when it comes to dealing with life's ups and downs

22) The first snow of the season and the last

23) Friendships - I've learned so much about friendship this year, including those who are consistent in the every day ups and downs and that it's okay to stop chasing after those who aren't

24) My llamas - they keep me on my toes every single day

25) Eowyn - how is she 5? She is all together way too practical and her black and white perspective on life both puts me in my place and makes me laugh

26) Lizzy - an old soul in a 3 year old's body! She sees the beautiful in every day life and is the best hype man ever

27) Nora - loves to laugh and smile and is just starting to learn the fine art of picking on her older sisters, which is hilarious

28) Karly - watching this little one blossom as she's spent time with my herd has been so fun to see. She went from being quiet as a mouse to sassing along with the other llamas

29) Kennedy - such a quiet and serious llama, taking it all in

30) The mamas of my llamas that entrust them to my care each day

31) Joy, Nadia, and Clara - not only do we love our playdates with them but Joy has become a good friend

32) Hot showers

33) Hard jigsaw puzzles

34) Tuesday morning Bible study - love that group of ladies so much

35) A job I love - although some big changes are coming down the pike, I have been so blessed to wake up to a job that usually doesn't feel like much of a job

36) Leah - she's quick to laugh, always encourages, isn't afraid to give the hard advice, and is the best grandma ever! I pray to be even a fraction of the woman of God that she is as I grow older

37) Butterfinger jingle bells

38) Jess - we love playdates with her littles but mostly, I am thankful for her friendship and competitive Bunco games

39) Summer mornings spent outside watching my llamas play

40) Air popped popcorn tossed with coconut oil, butter, and Everything Bagel seasoning

41) Marilyn - our sporadic lunch dates (when I can remember the right restaurant) are some of my favorite things

42) Sitting out on the back deck first thing in the morning, spending time with Jesus

43) Ian - I have such great respect for my pastor! For someone my age, he is so wise - not only in how he studies, preaches, and explains the Word, but for his practicality and common sense when the world seems to be going crazy and a great sense of humor. We at Cornerstone are beyond blessed to have him as our shepherd

44) The Bible - I am so blessed to own several copies when there are other believers in the world who desperately long for a copy of their own

45) Trips to Arizona for Christmas with my dad

46) Our chickens - even though they drive me crazy with daily games of "Where Did the Hen Lay Her Egg Today?" they are pretty cute and their butt nuggets are tasty

47) Joannie - a more dear, encouraging, kind, and loving woman you will never meet. Her faith is strong, her heart is huge and she loves me so well

48) Christian Faith Publishing - I couldn't have asked for a better publishing company to work with

49) A garage to park Lucy in

50) Ryan Joe - how he is 10 is beyond me! Love his enthusiasm for life and the way he interacts with my llamas

51) Color Street and Scentsy parties

52) When the first blades of green grass show up after a long winter

53) Hummingbirds

54) Cindy and Lainey - two of my favorite people in the world! Playdates that always include coffee, talking about - and recommending - good true crime podcasts, and just a friend to vent to, she really is the best. And she always encourages me to be #sherrystrong

55) Bunks BBQ wings with mac and cheese

56) The rare occasions when all my fur babies sleep on the bed with me

57) Cuddling babies

58) Kristen - always helps me see things from a new perspective and loves Thai dinner dates. Holding and feeding her babies is so fun and hanging out with Theo always makes me smile

59) Fair week - watching the parade and taking the llamas to see the animals is always a highlight of the summer

60) Kayleigh - it's still so crazy to me that I knew of her when I went to a previous church but I didn't get to know her until Cornerstone. She is hilarious, real, always willing to help lay on a dog to hold it down so I can clip a broken claw, and just an optimistic ray of sunshine. She lets me listen to police and EMS scanners when I hang out at her house, and she's my go-to source of information for police activity! Depot dates for chimichangas are at the top of my list of favorites

61) When my lamas leave at the end of the day and quiet descends on the house

62) New friends like Danyel and Darci

63) The abuse in my childhood - would I have ever chosen it? No. But it has brought me friends, experiences, and, most importantly, a relationship with God where He has proved Himself the Great Healer and given me hope and peace I never would have had otherwise

64) A Million Little Things

65) Turkey

66) My beautiful niece Lilly Opal

67) Hazel - a constant friend who always makes me feel seen and listened to and making her laugh will always be high on my list of favorite things to do

67) Tyler - that baby-faced old man has a heart for kids I have never seen before. I love to watch him interact with them and minister to their little hearts

68) Gage - growing up and so serious. I love his hugs on Sunday mornings

69) Ainsley - her smile and enthusiasm for life help me view the world with more optimism

70) Drake - this handsome Wumpy will always have my heart

71) A good margarita

72) Christmas Eve tradition with my dad - last minute shopping and a yummy dinner

73) Miss Pat - oh to have the boldness to praise Jesus the way she does! She loves well, she encourages always, and has a sense of humor that matches mine

74) Cornerstone VBS in the summer

75) Sleeping in

76) Serving in the nursery at church with Krista - I absolutely love my Sundays with her watching little ones. She's funny, smart, and about as real as they get. I love to give her a hard time, she is so quick to laugh and rib me right back

77) Sunsets

78) My Grandma Judy - I love that she lives her life as she sees fit, no matter what others think. She is witty, quick to swear at me, gives good advice and always has an ear for listening

79) Pam, Carol, Leah, Karen, Kathy, Robbi, Echo, and Emily - the woman who prayed and encouraged me in the process of publishing my book from the very beginning

80) Belly laughs from my llamas

81) Corndogs with mustard

82) Peach season

83) Megan and Shannon - friends from high school (who I never thought I'd keep in contact with) who are out there taking life by the horn and raising amazing children that will be world changers

84) Naps

85) Elly - one of my lasting friendships from my time at Trinity. She is one of the strongest women I know and faces challenges with faith and optimism. I love hear dearly

86) 4th of July in Lander - parade and lunch at Gannett Grill

87) Devotional apps

88) Buffy - goodness. This girl is amazing! Strong, courageous, real and more beautiful - inside and out - than she will ever know. Another lasting friendship from my days at Trinity

89) Lea - she will always be my favorite neighbor

90) When all the llamas are sleeping at the same time

91) The beach

92) Kris and Celia - I'm so glad they met and married my brothers!

93) Saturday morning LORT group

94) Visits to the Pingetzer farm

95) Air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter

96) Camping and fishing in the mountains

97) Chicken verde enchiladas from The Depot and an always welcoming Mary

98) Not having to shave my legs in the fall and winter

99) Cheese

100) Sloths - my spirit animal