A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 19

I'm grateful today for prayer. And Sara Lyn. And Sara Lyn. And Sara Lyn. And prayer. And Sara Lyn. And Dr. Pepper (but just a little bit.)

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 18

I am thankful that I only took 2 Benedryls today because if I had taken more I am certain the house would have burned down and the kids would have roasted marshmallows while I slept through it all.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 17

I'm thankful for my blog. It's so fun to go back and see my view on life over the past 4-5 years.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 16

I'm thankful for friends who share their kids hand-me-downs with my kids. I didn't even realize that we needed them until they were given to me. They sure have been a blessing with Sammy's potty-training issues.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 15

I am thankful for easy spaghetti dinners on nights that I don't feel like anything. I am also thankful for library books and that my kids love them so much. It's so fun to watch my 3 and 5 year olds sit with a book and tell their own story, page by page... especially when they don't know I am watching or listening. :)

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 14

Good weather, rotten kids, grocery shopping alone, vehicles that run well enough, running water...

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 13

I'm thankful that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm thankful for my calling as YW secretary because it allows me to be surrounded by awesome young women and leaders. I love that they can be such great examples to each other and to me.

Today a YW "graduate" stopped me in the hallway at church and I was just so freakin' proud of who she has become. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the for all that it can and will do to change a persons life for the better.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 12

I am thankful for my little family. And today I am thankful for Amanda. She is awesome. At Hayden's birthday party today she took control of the games without a moment of hesitation. She even drew and painted a picture of a monster for "Pin the Eye on the Monster". And she totally rocked it. She loved the kids, the kids loved her and she ran the games like a pro.

I'd post a ton of pictures of it all, but we're having computer issues right now.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 11

I am thankful for the triage nurse who understood and didn't make me drag my kid around in the car all day when she just needed a prescription filled and rest at home. What a relief!

AND...

I am very thankful for the fairy godmother and her children for coming over and cleaning my kitchen and sweeping my floors and loving my kids... just wish she could have stayed longer so we could just hang.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 10

I am thankful that I have a husband that just "knows". And for the time we had together today to recover from a long night with Samantha.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 9

I am thankful for busy days and for my awesome husband. And for the whisperings of the Holy Ghost.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 8

I was so busy today and so wiped out at the end of the day that I didn't post anything... I am grateful that I had the energy to be so active on this day and since there's probably only 1 person reading this anyway, I am grateful that I didn't disappoint anyone too much. :)

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 7

I'm thankful for our carpet cleaner... and our washing machine. And the patience God bestowed upon me today. :)

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 6

I'm thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and for the knowledge that my family can be together forever.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 5

I'm thankful for good books. I've learned that there are plenty of people out there writing and even publishing books, but only a few that are worth the paper they are written on. And some writers really, really should have shopped around for a better editor...

Anywho, two books that I have read recently are on my list of books women need to read:

LIFT - by Kelly Corrigan - There aren't a lot of books that I would purchase AFTER reading it, but this is one of them. It's short enough to read on a plane ride without being all fluffy and trite. And I can totally relate to the author/narrator.

THE GOOD DAUGHTER A Memoir of My Mother's Hidden Life - by Jasmin Darznik - Loved learning about the lives of this Iranian family and especially the women. It makes me want to read more books about the lives of women in other cultures, especially during the sixties.

I'm off to the library to exchange books... I really couldn't even get through the other two I started.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 4

I'm thankful for my awesome friend Sara Lyn 'cause she is always commenting on my blogs... and for a plethora of other reasons.

I'm also thankful for patient, understanding doctors and nurses who handle hysterical children like mine very well. Though, I have to wonder if after we leave, they grab some Valium or chocolate or sit and meditate in one of the exam rooms. That's what I would do.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 3

I am thankful for big boxes filled with old photographs in the back corner of my closet. :)
... and that I found one today.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 2

I'm thankful for a strong husband who CAN fix things and WILL fix things for our family and others.

A Month of Thanksgiving - Day 1

Today I am grateful for closets that hide Halloween candy well.
And for my family.
And for chocolate. All kinds of chocolate.

Cruise! - The Good Stuff!

Let me start out by saying that I never could have gone on this cruise with my hubby if it wasn't for our very generous friends the C's, the other C's and the B's. This certainly wasn't something we ever dreamed we could do together at this time in our lives but it was much needed, much appreciated, and we feel so blessed! We really can't thank you enough!

The cruise was actually an employee appreciation excursion that was arranged through my hubbies work. It was essentially paid for by his work. I don't know about other wives out there, but the idea of my hubby going on a cruise without me stirred up some jealous anxiety and without going into a lot of details, let just say there was NO WAY he was going without me. Thank goodness a few of my friends agreed with me and helped me make it happen. If not for these friends we would have had no babysitters and no way of paying for my ticket... because honestly, we had no business going on a cruise in this economy.

So I'll start with the pretty pictures... 


Welcome to Nassau in the Bahamas!
The water was so beautiful and the weather was great!










We were both anticipating lots of fun towel art in our cabin but this was the only one we got. Any guesses as to what this is depicting?
It later occurred to use that we might have gotten more towel art if we hadn't left the Do Not Disturb sign up so much! lol!

 

This was the view of as we returned to Port Canaveral on Monday. It was kind of sad for it all to be over so soon, but I was anxious to know how the kids were doing since we didn't have cell service the whole time we were gone. 





I'll post more pictures soon...