Making up for 4 days.....

Day 14: We woke to the coldest morning yet. Frost on the ground....and no heat in the house. I thought we had moved past that after moving out of the dump we lived in previously but every house has its hiccups I guess. Today I'm thankful that, despite not having a working heater, we stayed warm. I'm thankful that the boys have footsie jammies and thick blankets to keep them warm throughout the night. I'm thankful that we have a fireplace that kept me warm in the early morning. I'm thankful that the heater guy came within an hour of us waking up and fixed the circuit board so we could have heat once again. And most of all I'm thankful that this is not a way of life for us anymore. We don't have to worry about cold nights and limited indoor heating like we did at our old house and that so many people do on a daily basis during the Winter months.

Day 15: I can't believe I ever thought I'd be thankful for this but I'm thankful for all the meat Rob provides for the family. I've tried (and liked) meats I never thought I'd try. We have a freezer full of the most organic deer meat you could imagine and it tastes 1000% better than NV deer meat. Sometimes Rob's hunting passion drives me crazy but I'm thankful that he provides delicious meat for our family.

Day 16: Friday night was a rough night with the boys and my hip hurting so I didn't get much sleep. I'm still trying to limit my caffeine intake so I only had decaf coffee on hand in the house. That means that today I'm thankful for ALL the Starbucks gift cards I was given for my birthday and for the Starbucks points a family friend sends me that earns me free coffee. The boys love that I usually order a slice of lemon pound cake as well because they enjoy sharing it with me. (Who knew that slice was so small when shared 2 1/2 ways?) I'm thankful that Starbucks makes it easy for me to get my caffeine kick when I need one but even more thankful that I didn't have to pay for it out of my own pocket.

Day 17- Today I'm thankful that I'm finally pursuing my dream of being a photographer. I've been obsessed with photography since I was a child and wish I wouldn't have listened to the naysayers when I was younger. I could've been way more advanced than I am at this point. But I am thankful for the courage, resources and encouragement from friends and family to make my dream come true now. Whether I'm able to make it financially enough to not have to ever obtain another job has yet to be seen but my business is picking up and I'm thankful I get to do something I love while staying home with my boys.

Day 13

Wow! I can't believe how fast this month is flying by! I still have so many more things to be thankful for so I hope the month slows down a bit. :) Today I'm thankful for all my friends in life. Some I've known since birth, some I've only known a few months. But they all have a special place in my heart regardless of how long I've known each one. My friends are people that love me despite my faults, people with whom I share many memories, people who are quick to give me a hug or share in laughter. My friends mean the world to me and I'm eternally thankful for each one of them!

Day 9, 10, 11 and Today

Ok, now I'm really behind so here's another "catch up" blog.....

Day 9- I'm thankful for lazy Saturday mornings. It was nice to wake up without the help of an alarm clock. Then I enjoyed cuddling with my boys in bed while watching cartoons. When we got out to the family room we cuddled by the fireplace (OK, I chased Easton to keep him away from the fireplace) while I drank my French pressed coffee and P enjoyed hot cocoa. It was nice not to have to be on "the go" from the moment we woke up like we have been doing.

Day 10- I am thankful for our church here and have missed it the past couple weekends that we've been out of town. Other than my childhood church, I've never felt more at home than I do at ODBC. Members of the congregation always stop me and ask about specific things that have been mentioned in conversations the previous week or on FB. The sermons are always Biblically based and keep me thinking throughout the week. I'm thankful that I found a church right from the get-go that we enjoy going to and feel connected at.

Day 11- Today I'm thankful for all the veterans, young and old, who have fought for our freedom. Soldiers give themselves unconditionally and sacrifice so much, asking for nothing in return. I'm grateful for the freedom they provide.

Today- As I am every day, I'm thankful for my youngest son. He's at the phase in life where he only wants Mama, which is a blessing and a curse. I love my cuddles with him but would like him to be happy with someone else when I get a break every once in awhile. He's also at the phase where he keeps me on my toes. He's quizzical and analytical....quite the combination. I love watching his personality develop and watch the bond between him and "Bubba" develop. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for his future.

Day 7 and 8

I'm a day behind already so I wanted to let you know that yesterday I was thankful for successfully being able to nurse Easton for the first year of his life. Nursing P was so difficult for the both of us that I stopped after 6 months. With Easton, I have throroughly enjoyed that bonding time. I don't even mind that, at 10 mos old, he still wakes me up once a night to nurse. It's a bonding experience like no other and I'm truly thankful for it.

Today I'm thankful for the 1:1 time P and I will share this afternoon. I feel that, since Easton's arrival, he takes a "back seat" sometimes. Even if it's just to go to the dentist, he is already excited to have some alone time with Mommy. I'm thankful for the time I have with him and the memories we create together.

Day 6

I have quite a bit to blog about but, as usual, I'm running short on time. I am in need of a shower while the little guy takes his morning nap and have already spent too much time on Amazon's website. So, for now, I'll just let you know what I'm thankful for today.
Today I'm thankful for the little moments that often get taken for granted....making play dough with P (and spending hours playing with it!), Easton cuddling with his head on my shoulder, Facetiming my brother every morning, belly laughs with Rob, an unexpected text or call from a friend, visiting with neighbors for a few minutes, getting a card in the mail from my parents, being a human jungle gym every time I sit on the ground, eating dinner as a family every night, taking the boys for a quick walk around the block..... You get the idea. It's the little things that can really brighten my day and for which I'm thankful on this 6th day of November!

A Month of Thanksgiving

Dedicating each day of November to something I'm thankful for has become an annual tradition that I enjoy. It helps remind me that I have SOOOO much to be thankful for! I had planned to blog a small blurb about my daily thanksgivings but, as always, I'm behind. So please allow me a minute to catch you up on the past 5 days.
Day 1- I'm so incredibly thankful to be a stay at home mom. It's been such a different experience the 2nd time around, one I love. Some days it's the most challenging job I've ever had but every day it's the most rewarding one! I love all the special moments the boys and I share together, the moments we cuddle or the moments P asks me a question where I have a chance to teach him a new thing or the moments we discover something new together. Each day, good or bad, is a treasure with my boys!
Day 2- I'm thankful for my dentist appt I had. I'm one of those weird people that thoroughly enjoy going to the dentist. I love how clean my teeth feel when I walk out of the office. It's been too long since the last time I went (because I wasn't a fan of our dentist in Reno) so this appt was especially welcome!
Day 3- I'm thankful for the peaceful, relaxing camping trip that we took as a family. We didn't have anything going on so we decided to get away, just the 4 of us. Well, Jay joined us for a few hours but for the most part it was just us and it was so nice. We rode the golf cart, played baseball, BBQd, enjoyed the bonfire and the "big boys" went hunting.

Day 4- I'm thankful for the love notes Rob leaves me. It's one of the things that made me fall in love with him in the first place. I can't describe the feeling when I find one "hiding" somewhere. It makes me feel so special and loved, starting my day with a smile. I'm thankful that Rob still puts forth effort to write me notes, something I don't take for granted.
Day 5- I'm thankful for my oldest son. He is so incredibly compassionate and has a heart like no other 4 year old that I've met. He's patient and has good manners, wanting to teach other kids the "right" way to behave. He plays with everyone no matter how different they are from him. The best thing about him? He has such a heart for the Lord. He's always talking about Jesus, praying about things and asking questions to learn more. I'm so thankful for the young man that he's becoming!

10 months

As I say every month....I can't believe how fast the first year of Easton's life is flying by! Every time I turn around he's getting bigger and bigger. There are certain things I hope I'll remember about both of my boys' childhoods when they are grown and raising their own families. One thing is how BOTH boys love their bathtime. As soon as they hear the water running in the tub they stop whatever they're doing and make a beeline for the bathroom. Easton stands at the edge of the tub, anxiously awaiting to get in. Another thing I hope I remember is how Easton LOVES to help with the dishwasher. Every morning he stands there and pulls silverware out or rearranges the plastic plates while I load or unload it (making sure the knives are never within his reach). I also hope I remember how, at this stage in his life, Easton likes to cuddle....but pretty much only with me. He lays his head on my shoulder and hangs on so tight and I love every minute of it! It's the little things that I hope to take with me down Memory Lane some day.

Good luck trying to read these. He never sits still, making this shot nearly impossible