Day 28: Our Oldest

I know I have blogged a lot about my husband and how thankful I am for him. I am extremely thankful for Rob, for how hard he works for our family and how he always makes me feel so loved. But today and tomorrow I want to focus on the other special boys in our family- our boys. Today I am extremely thankful for our miracle child, our oldest son. He's a miracle because I wasn't supposed to get pregnant, yet I was pregnant with him within 4 months of getting married. He's a miracle because he was extremely sick at a newborn. We were told that, if he lived, he'd most likely have brain damage. That couldn't be further from the truth (isn't our God AWESOME??)!
At 10 years old, he's still a lovebug. He loves cuddling and telling us how much he loves us. He loves when Rob is out of town because he gets to share the bed with me. He loves family time and often encourages us to do Family Movie Night because he loves when we're all together. He loves when he gets 1:1 time with me or Rob. He is very well mannered and has a heart the size of Texas! He's always wanting to help people who don't have a lot. (He wanted to use his allowance to buy Christmas presents for a classmate.) He is a crazy talented musician. He plays the guitar and writes beautiful songs. He is also crazy smart! Last year was the first time he ever got a B on a report card. He loves to read and is often caught with a book in his hands after he's supposed to be in bed. He's a talented artist and enjoys drawing. He's an animal lover, especially when it comes to dogs. If he had his way, we'd have a house full of dogs. He loves telling jokes, asking trivia questions and learning song lyrics. He loves telling very detailed stories. But most importantly he loves learning about Jesus. He looks forward to Sunday School and can't wait to tell us what he's learned every Sunday. I can't imagine life without him. I thank God for him every day, several times a day. He has greatly blessed our lives!

Day 27: Family Time

I looked at the calendar this morning and realized that I only have 4 more days of "Thanksgiving blogs". How can that be possible when I have so many more things to blog about being thankful for? Today I'm going to highlight one of my favorite things I am thankful for...family time. When my brother and I were little, I remember so many family memories: trips to Apple Hill, cutting down a Christmas tree in the mountains, Friday night golfing, board games, WWF (not the fake WWE that they have today) on Monday nights, craft shows, dinner at the dining table most nights. After college my parents and I started a Tuesday night Family night tradition. I'd go to my parents' house, where we'd enjoy a nice meal and then watch Gilmore Girls together.
It wasn't until I was married and had a family of my own that I realized the value of family time. Thankfully, Rob and I do our best to have family time, a time that the boys will hopefully cherish when they're older. Despite our busy schedules, we try to do Family Movie Nights and we eat dinner together most nights. We go on family trips, where we create a lot of memories. Sometimes we go on family walks together or play family football games in the front yard. We cheer each other on at sporting events (the boys' sports at PARDS and my runs) and we go to local parades together. In the Springs we take the boat out and fish. I love our time together, the memories we create together. I know that, even at their age, the boys appreciate our time together as a family. And I don't take it for granted.
I know friends who have been divorced and they juggle custody of their kids. I am thankful we don't have to do that. I am thankful that Rob and I have a solid, honest marriage that becomes stronger each year. I am thankful that no matter if we're just enjoying a homecooked meal around the table or going on vacation we're spending time together as a family. That is something I will always cherish!!

Day 26: Our Neighborhood

Today, and every day, I am thankful for our neighborhood and our wonderful neighbors. A few years ago I don't know if I could have said that because we had moved from an awesome neighborhood full of lots of kids and great people. We moved to a neighborhood which was scarce because of the flood recovery. But now I can say that, honestly, it's one of the things I love about living in Louisiana. We have a neighborhood where I am okay with the boys playing outside, unsupervised. I know that neighbors are watching them and will step in if needed. I also love that there is open land where the boys can explore. Last night P had a friend spend the night (another thing I am thankful for) so this morning they went to explore the Amite River by our house. Now, as much as I trust the boys, I don't want them at the river by themselves. So I did go stay close to make sure everyone was okay. But I loved that they spent about an hour there, using their imaginations and exploring along the river bank. I love that afterwards we walked along the fenced in hunting property to see if there were any wild hogs that we could see. I also love that, at the moment, it still feels like we live in the country. I know that will change as they build a new high school down the road but for right now I'm thankful for where we live. I am also thankful for our neighbors. We have become very close to one family in particular. Our boys play with their son every day and we have been to each other's houses several times for meals. I know that, if I need someone to keep an eye out for our boys while I run errands, I can count on our neighbor. We have been very blessed, with the exception of one house that-thankfully-we only lived in 1 year, to have had great neighbors and great neighborhoods where the boys can play and be boys. For that I am thankful.

Daay 25: God's Creation

There are a lot of things that fascinate me about God's creations- sunsets, animals, trees, oceans. Sometimes I think, "Why did God create that?" (Think mosquitos, snakes, fire ants....) And sometimes I think, "Wow! That's one of God's best creations!" (Think sunsets, puppies, ALL of my boys) Well, yesterday we went to the big zoo in NOLA. We had only been there once before when the boys were young...and it was miserably hot....so the boys didn't remember it. Yesterday was the perfect day to be there and we had so much fun! We were in awe of a small member of the cat family that the zoo featured at a Zoo Chat. We laughed hysterically at the monkeys and their crazy antics. We were mesmerized while watching the elephant and giraffes eat. More than once I thought, "Why would God think to put that animal into existence?" Or "Wow! God sure knew what He was doing when He created that animal." I am thankful that we got to enjoy a beautiful day at the zoo, admiring and learning about so many of God's creatures.

Day 24: Work Ethic

Growing up, I remember that my mom always had a To-Do list by the kitchen phone. As she got things done she'd mark them off. I used to check it throughout the day, amazed that she got so much done. Later in life, I found out that those To-Do lists stressed her out if everything wasn't checked off by the end of the day. What I saw as accomplishments she must've seen as failures. But she and my dad both taught me good work ethic. They were always working on projects or cleaning things around the house. I am thankful that work ethic was instilled in both me and my brother. As a home owner, I always find things that need to be done- weeds being pulled, cabinets being wiped down, baseboards being cleaned, leaves being raked, closets getting organized. I'm sure you get my drift. I am thankful that my mom wrote those To-Do lists because that is something I do as an adult. However, my lists are different. Mine consist of a running To-Do list. I continually write things down until there's no room left on the paper. Then I transfer what's left to do onto a new piece of paper.
As I get closer to retirement age, I worry about retirement, about getting bored. But I see my parents and how they keep busy. My dad is always working around the yard, in his garden or on his boat. My mom is always cleaning or sewing. They give me hope that retirement doesn't have to consist of sitting around all day, watching the paint peal. I know that, because I am like them, I will keep busy with different things. I am so glad they taught me how to work hard and be proud of what I have by keeping it looking its best. I am thankful that, when I hit the pillow at night, I can look back on all that I've gotten accomplished throughout the day, knowing I made the most of my day. I am thankful that I work hard, play hard in life- the perfect balance for me!

Day 23: Weighted Blankets

You may have heard of the fad- weighted blankets. They are meant for children and adults that have anxiety. Well, E has always had a difficult time sleeping through the night. A few weeks ago I was exhausted from being woken up 2-3 nights a week. So, as a last ditch effort, I bought him a weighted blanket. I told him it was a magic dream blanket. For almost 3 weeks he has slept through the night perfectly. Last night I went to bed before he did so I was not able to tuck him in. (Well, I did but then he got up to play with P.) And last night was the first night in almost 3 weeks that E woke me up because of a nightmare. At 4am I was thankful that his weighted blanket has allowed him to get so much sleep the past few weeks because, let me tell you, we were both cranky when he woke me up. Something so simple can make life a bazillion times easier. And for that I am thankful.

Day 22: Grace

It's been a long week. Not a bad week by any means. Just long days and sleepless nights. So tonight I am thankful that we're enjoying a relaxing family night. The boys and Rob have been playing video games and I'm catching up on my People magazines. It's wonderful just sitting around with nothing on the agenda.
That being said, I try to make a homecooked meal 5-6 nights a week. So I feel guilty that that hasn't been the case lately. Some nights we eat cereal. Some nights the boys eat Top Ramen or quesadillas. Tonight there was no reason I couldn't cook a nice homecooked meal. Rob was home by 6 and we didn't have to run off to football- the perfect night for a family meal at the dining room table. But I didn't have it in me. And everyone showed me grace, even when I failed to provide them a well balanced, homecooked meal. No one complained about eating cereal once again. No one guilt tripped me for not cooking dinner. Everyone graciously ate what was put in front of them without complaint.
It made me thankful that my family shows me grace when I fail to meet MY expectations as a mom and wife. They love me just the same whether I cook them a full meal or scramble up a bowl of cereal of $.25 noodles. That's unconditional love!