A Winning Combo

I am not a gal who shies away from food. I love to eat. But, I have never been a big fan of Thanksgiving. I remember my mom starting the meal preparation around 5am and cooking all morning. Then we'd sit down and eat for 10 mins before spending an hour cleaning up all the dishes. Yesterday, however, that didn't happen. Rob deep fried the turkey, freeing up the kitchen for me to cook some new recipes. (Carrot soufflé and homemade pecan cheesecake, anyone?) I was in the kitchen for about 1 1/2 hours before putting all the food out. We had a feast and everyone seemed to love the new dishes I made (as well as some of our old time favorites). Then my parents and Rob tag teamed the clean up, giving us time to play football, watch football and do a little "Black Friday" shopping. It was the perfect day! I am thankful, not only for all the delicious food we had, but the teamwork that was put into making it happen.

Thankful Catch Up

This has been a blog fail. So much for blogging every day this month. Between teaching, photography, football games and my parents here, blogging hasn't been a priority. But I will play a little catch up for the past week.
I am thankful for parents. In the past, parents have definitely not been my favorite part of teaching. However, that has changed since teaching at SCA. I recently had a parent-teacher conference and I was so thankful for the parents' support. I am also thankful for my parents, who have been visiting for the past week. They have helped in numerous ways- cooking, the boys, laundry, being my chauffer when I hurt my foot, projects around the house. It's been fun having them here, showing them around. I am thankful for parents and all they do for their kids, young or old.
I am thankful for the cool weather and rain. I have been waiting for a cool down since last Spring. There are very few things that make me as happy as wearing my UGGs so I jump at the chance to wear them whenever possible. I am so thankful that I've been able to bundle up in scarfs, hoodies and my UGGs this past week.
I am thankful for my camera! It has been one of the best investments I have ever made. It allows me to capture moments in time for our family, the school and my clients. It allows me to be creative, to think outside of the box. I have enjoyed it beyond belief!
I am thankful for "surprises" in the mail. I love going to the mailbox and finding an unexpected letter from a friend, or money, or a letter from a business that an issue has been resolved. I love opening the front door to find a package. Despite getting bills in the mail, one of the highlights of the day is when the mail arrives because you never know what's going to be in there.
I am thankful for friends. That goes without saying. But, I am thankful that some of our good friends will be making a 2 1/2 hour drive (one way) tomorrow to come have Thanksgiving with us. I am thankful that friends text me to see how things are going. I love hugs that friends give me when I see them. I love that friends are there and will listen, even if what you're telling them is not the most pleasant stuff. I love that my friends are my cheerleaders!
I don't think I have caught up on all the days. But at least I have caught up on a little bit. I'm forewarning you that I probably won't blog tomorrow. It's Thanksgiving so I'll be hanging out with family and friends, looking at the Black Friday ads, stuffing my face. You know? The usual! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Another 3 for 1

Nov. 14
I will be the first one to admit that I miss the snow, the cold weather. Come October, it's supposed to be cold enough to wear a hoodie. And, by November, you should be bundled in a coat and UGGs. But there's something to be said for putting on shorts and a t-shirt to do yard work. It's nice that the boys can come home from school and burn energy, playing football outside. It may chap my hide to turn the A/C on when we go to bed, but there are some things I enjoy about the warm weather.

Nov. 15
Three and a half years ago a little mutt darkened our doorstep. She wasn't the cutest dog I had ever seen. In fact, she wasn't even close to it. But something about her made us fall in love with her. After showing up for a few weeks, every day, we decided to adopt her and I am so thankful we did. P named her "Fetcha", which is funny only because she hates to fetch. Her toy of choice? A balloon. Other than that, she could care less about anything other than us....and the neighborhood cat that comes into our yard. Her only annoying habit is running out an open door and then having the boys chase her to get her back home. But, for us, she has been near perfect of a pet. She is connected at P's hip until he goes to bed. Then she split her time between me and Rob. She either lies on the carpet in the bathroom while I take a bath or she lays at Rob's feet while we watch TV. She is fiercely protective of her boys and, I have no doubt, would give her life if one of the boys was in danger. I am so thankful that she found us a few years ago because she has been such a welcome, and very loved, member of our family.

Nov. 16
I am a high school history teacher so, on more than one occasion, I have taught about how people traveled in the 1800s during the Westward Expansion. I teach how it would take months to get across the country, if the people even made it to their destination. So, today, I am thankful for modern transportation. I am thankful that my parents were able to get on a plane and travel across the US in a matter of hours. I am thankful that I was able to get the boys and drive to the airport in about an hour to pick them up. I have always been close to my parents. So, the thought of not being able to see them a couple times a year would be unthinkable. I am thankful that they are here for Thanksgiving, seeing our world.

Lunch Bunch

I'll be honest....making everyone's lunch every night is not my favorite thing. It's usually the last thing I do at the end of the day. By the time I make them, I'm ready to be done. So, most days I am not thankful for making three lunches (most of which will not be eaten the next day and will be thrown out). But tonight I realized that, although it's not my favorite thing, I am thankful for the opportunity to make them. I am thankful that we have the resources to provide a variety of lunches four to five days a week. I am thankful that I can drop little notes of encouragement and love in their lunchboxes. I am thankful that I can make them smile when I pack them small treats that I know they'll enjoy. I am thankful that I have three boys who may not eat their entire lunch but appreciate that I make them. Well, 2 out of the 3 appreciates them. This morning our 4 year old informed me that he wants Rob to make his lunch because I don't make them the way he likes. But, nonetheless, I am thankful that tomorrow, at lunch time, my boys will enjoy a token of my love when they reach into their lunchbox.

Alone

I am sitting on the couch, drinking my cup of coffee and watching the news. It is quiet. I am not getting multiple breakfasts ready, washing dishes or arguing with a 4 year old about life. I am simply waking up at my own pace, a rarity in my life. Today I am thankful my "me" time. As a working mom, I do not get a lot of alone time. After I drop P off at school in the morning, I get 7 minutes (9 if I get caught at the light at the top of the offramp) of "me" time before walking into my classroom. After that, I usually don't get any more alone time until after 8pm and that's usually only a few minutes. I am not complaining in the least. I would not change my life for anything. However, it just makes me thankful when I get an extended amount of alone time.
Growing up, I wanted a marriage like my parents have. I wanted to be connected with someone 24/7 the way they are. But, once I became an adult that goal changed for me. When Rob and I got married, our marriage was different. He worked out of town a lot and I did my own thing. It worked for us because it had to but it wasn't what either of us wanted. After moving to LA and getting a job in management, he is home every night. We do a lot more as a family. We sit down to eat together every night. We drive to football and soccer games together. We go to church together on Sundays. I feel like we are a team more than we ever have been. But, I still like my "me" time. Whether that's going out with girlfriends, watching a cheesy Hallmark movie by myself or just reading in bed after the boys are in bed. I NEED that time to decompress. For awhile I thought that meant something was wrong with our marriage. I didn't want, nor need, to be around Rob 24/7 to be happy. But, after spending hundreds of dollars in counseling last year, I realized that our marriage works just fine for us. In fact, it's perfect for us. We don't have to be connected at the hip. Our personalities don't work that way.
Rob took the boys to deer camp this weekend because I had photo shoots and I wanted to get the house cleaned for my parents' visit later this week (yay!). As much as I love being a wife and a mother, I have enjoyed this weekend by myself. I have run a copious amount of errands and they have been quiet and at my leisure. I have lounged around, watching what I want to watch. I went to bed late one night and to bed early the next. I have edited and done lesson plans without feeling guilty for being behind a computer screen, ignoring my family.
So, today, I am thankful for "me" time. I wouldn't want it for a long period of time. But, today, I am thankful for the weekend I have had to myself. My alone time makes me a better wife, a better mother and for that I am thankful.

Veterans

Far from home. PTSD. Desert life. Gunfire and bombs. Questioning who to trust. Missing holidays and birthdays with loved ones. These are just a few things soldiers endure. Marriages dissolve. Alcohol and drugs take over. Nightmares occur nightly. These are things that great men and women know they are signing up for when they become a soldier. Does it happen to every soldier? No! But, it's common.
That's why it infuriates me when football players-skilled athletes who are paid millions to catch a ball and run for our entertainment-take a knee to disrespect the flag and our veterans. They do not consider everything someone has given up so that America can be the land of the free. Where we can enjoy freedom unlike other nations.
I am thankful for the men and women who join the military every single day. I am thankful for their selfless acts in defending our freedom. I am thankful that they put on a uniform every day to go fight for our country. Thank you, veterans, for giving so much! You are appreciated. Happy Veterans Day!

A Three For One

Well, will you looky here? I only got a week into November before I started slacking. So, I guess tonight you get three blogs in one. Sooo.....

November 8
I am thankful for our church family. Over the Summer I signed up to help with the kids' Wednesday night church program and I loved it. I was planning on taking a break once school started, but the boys were excited about the new program starting up. So, I signed up to help with that one as well. I will be honest. There are some nights I don't want to go and some nights the boys don't want to go. It's hard during the school week and it's made even more difficult when we have sports 2-3 nights out of the week as well. (Let's not forget the school events either.) But, once I get to church I am thankful for the people I get to fellowship with.
On Sundays I look forward to catching up with friends at church. I love the hugs and the "How are you doing?" conversations! I love how some of us get together, on occasion, to go to the movies or have a play date with the kids in tow. I love how we help others out and they are quick to help us as well. With our families being in other states, I am thankful that we have our church family. It is such a blessing!

November 9
Preston is our bookworm. He loves to read and loves to learn! But, another thing he loves is football. I am thankful that he found a sport he loves because, quite honestly, I was wondering if he would ever enjoy extracurricular activities. He is a social butterfly. However, he doesn't like to do something if he thinks he may fail. (Yeah, he doesn't get that at all from his mama!) So whenever we asked him if he would like to join a certain sports team or do Boy Scouts he wouldn't show interest. But, now that he's into his third season of football, he is really loving it. And...he's gotten to be really good at it! He is awesome at defense and, most games, is the star of the game as far as making "tackles" (insert: pulling flags). I love watching his games and really love watching Rob coach his team!

November 10
I can't let a "Thankful Day" go by without mentioning cold weather. We finally got some...until tomorrow. I have loved wearing hoodies and my UGGs. I loved freezing at P's game last night. Seriously, I did. I love seeing my breath in the morning. I love everything about the cold weather! So, on the rare occasion we get a cold day or two down in the Sultry South, I love every minute of it. Who knows? Maybe this year, we may even get some snow! A girl could hope anyway.

P.S. I want to get back to my book so I am not checking for grammar or spelling mistakes. You'll just have to deal with my imperfect blogs.

School Support

As you probably know, if you're in the working world, a work environment can make it or break it for making your job a fun one. Thankfully, I am blessed with a great work environment and a wonderful boss. One thing that makes is great is that, while my boss and I may not always see eye to eye, I know I can go to him about anything. If I disagree with something he says or does, I am comfortable in respectfully giving him my point of view on the issue...and he listens. Another thing I appreciate about my boss is that, although he struggles to accept change and new things at the school, he has been open to it this year. I have brought him several ideas, along with how I want to implement it, and he has agreed to most of them. He has been very encouraging with my ideas that I present him.
Another thing I absolutely LOVE about my job is our current student council. The students who make up our student council are very imaginative and aggressive in getting things done. Together, we have introduced many new fun activities that have been well received by the student body. It's a great, fun loving group of students that I am blessed to advise.
The last thing I am thankful for at my school is the students. We have a very talented, compassionate, intelligent group of students who get along great (for the most part) and would bend over backwards to help each other. They are the most respectful, well behaved group of students I have ever taught!
I enjoy going to school every day and see it as more than just a job! I am thankful that I have been blessed with such an awesome opportunity to teach at SCA!

Nature's Suprises

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE surprises!! Well, let me rephrase that. I love good surprises! God provides many good surprises using nature. A couple weeks ago the boys and I were leaving Bass Pro when I noticed something in the grass nearby. There are a lot of stray dogs in the area so I slowed down, thinking that's what it was. But when we got closer, we saw that it was a cute little fawn with all its spots still on it. A few nights later I was coming home from a school volleyball game when I saw something standing off to the right of the road. I did a double take and saw the most beautiful buck I have ever seen up close. I flipped a U-turn to go back and get a picture of it but the elusive beauty was gone by the time I got back to where he had been standing. This weekend the boys and I were driving by Bass Pro again when we saw the fawn in the same place as we had previously seen it. This time it stood there long enough for me to get a few good pictures of it.
Things like this happen all the time- a raccoon or an armadillo walking by the side of the road, a gorgeous sunrise, a rainbow, a group of deer off in the brush. One of the coolest surprises I ever experienced with nature is when a bull elk happened upon me and Rob when we were in NV. It was a spike (a young elk) but it was the most majestic animal...and it came within 10 yards of where we were sitting! Nature is beautiful all on its own (except snakes, lizards and mosquitoes) but I am especially thankful for it when God uses it as a little surprise in life. Today, and every day, I am thankful for nature's surprises in life!

Hallmark

OK, I was seriously trying to decide on two different things to write about for today's blog. And, to be honest, they were both equally unconventional things to be thankful for. But, since I am watching a Hallmark movie at this very minute, it won out on my "What I am Thankful For Today" toss up.
I am adamant about not celebrating one holiday before the other one is over. It is a giant pet peeve of mine to start celebrating Christmas before you enjoy your Thanksgiving feast! My only exception? Christmas Hallmark movies! The only reason it's my exception is because there are SOOOO many of them and I couldn't possibly watch every one of them between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, I indulge and watch at least one a week in November and December. Yes, they are cheesy and predictable but I am a hopeless romantic so it's my 2 hour escape from reality. Sometimes Rob will even join me in watching one, which makes me even more thankful for Hallmark movies! So, for the next couple months I will enjoy my cheesy romance movies and be thankful for the brief escape from reality every week!

Adventures

Being a parent of boys is not for the faint at heart. Every week brings a new adventure. Some are easy, crafty, my kind of fun. Others are educational. Some are destructive. And, as they get older, I am sure some will be gruesome. But, never the less, they are all interesting. This week's adventure includes yet another turtle. I have learned more about turtles in the past 10 months than I ever knew. A few months back we had a turtle (Sniper Jr) that we let out for awhile. Well, while she was out, she dug a hole and we believe she laid eggs there. We have been monitoring the area ever since, hoping to find one of her babies. Yesterday when I let our dog out, lo and behold, there was a baby turtle in our pool. We grabbed it, put it in a box and named it.....drum roll please....Sniper III. (When we find a name we like we stick with it!) Now, you may have learned by now, that we don't have the best track record with turtles. Who knows if we'll have this one a week, a month or a year? I do know E already lost it yesterday and, thankfully, one of Rob's friends who had stopped by to visit, found it for us. One thing is for sure- no matter how long Sniper III stays with us, it will be an adventure. And today I am thankful for all of our adventures (so far!).

Family Movie Nights

A couple months ago, when life started really getting busy, P asked if we could have a family movie night. He chose the movie, we popped popcorn and hung out together as a family. Just relaxing. This tradition kind of stuck. When we're in town, and don't have something on the calendar, we sit down together as a family and watch a movie. We take turns choosing the movie, for better or worse. I have come to love these nights for two reasons. Reason #1 is because, after a long week, there is no other place I'd rather be. Reason #2 is whether this tradition lasts a couple months or a couple years, I know at some point the boys won't want to hang out with us on a Friday night. So, tonight, I am thankful for our movie nights. I am thankful for our time as a family, unplugged from our phones and cuddling and making memories.

Teamwork

Today I am thankful for teamwork. I honestly do not know how people survive without a tribe. First and foremost, I have my family. Then I have my church family, my co-workers, my friends. People that come together to help when need be. For the past couple weeks, Rob and I have been a team when it's come to the boys' health (We are a team in so many ways these days but this is one that comes to mind because we've been dealing with a lot of sickness lately.). We have been tagteaming dr appts, all nighters with sick kiddos, taking time off work. And then there are our friends who have helped pick P up from school and have coordinated rides for him before school. One of our church family has recently had a double knee replacement and I am working with a team to bring her food while she's recovering at home. Teams are good. They are essential, especially if you have kids.
It's good to be a part of a team. I NEED teamwork! It is something I take for granted at times, but something I really appreciate. Teamwork makes things possible, less of a headache. So today, and every day, I am thankful for my tribes that contribute to our lives.

A Fly-By Month

Yesterday, I gleefully flipped the calendar from October to November. As I did, P said, "Is it November already? October flew by!" Indeed it did. I love being busy, doing fun things, but we have gotten so busy that I cherish the little down time we get once in awhile. Between school spirit days, football games, church, photo shoots, sleepovers, school events, and Halloween festivities we have had obligations almost every day. Today I am home with E because he is sick. I feel so bad for him being sick but it's nice to be able to take a break from the rat race of life. We are just "being" today. Something he needs and something I appreciate.
So, to give you a small glimpse of our busy life I thought I would share some overdue pictures. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving

A few years I diligently blogged every day of November things I was thankful for. But the past two years I have slacked on this. It's not that I'm not thankful. It's just that life has gotten in the way. So, I am going to try my best to blog every day in November to, not only let you know things I am thankful for, but to be more aware of all the blessings that surround us on a day to day basis.
Now, it goes without saying that I am thankful for my family, my friends, my walk with God, the big things in life. But I am also thankful for the smaller, more unconventional, things as well.
Today I am thankful for modern medicine. I have no problem using essential oils, rice bags, honey, etc for ailments. However, there's something to be said for antibiotics and Tylenol. We have had a houseful of ailments lately, between the two boys. P had some stomach issues that required probiotics and other things to aid his digestive system. Then he had the most random bug bite on his head that has him on antibiotics. E is currently dealing with a fever virus, in which he needs Advil and Tylenol. So, today, on the 1st day of November I am thankful for the conveniences of modern medicines. I can't image life without them!