Thankful Post Days 17-20

Yep. Catching up once again, but this one might look a little different. There are all kinds of different things running through my head right now, so forgive me if this sounds a little like a thankful rant instead of just a little post.

Day 17: I am thankful for my upbringing. (I know, I know! I already said I was thankful for my parents--this is different! TRUST ME!) I am thankful that I was raised in a tiny home bursting at the seams with people and animals and chaos--and mostly LOVE! I am thankful that through all my turbulent teenage and young adult years, I always had a safe place to land. I am thankful that--while I may have turned away for a time--I was raised up in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This, too, became a safe place for me to land.

Day 18: I am thankful for the knowledge that I have a loving Father in Heaven who knows me. He accepts me for who I am, and because of this, I know that I need to live my life as His daughter and representative--therefore I must love others.

Day 19: I am thankful for answers to prayers and divine intervention. No one would survive long in this world without either of these two things!

Day 20: I am thankful for challenges. I am thankful for strife. I am thankful that I can do hard things. I am thankful that I don't ever have to do them alone. I am thankful for eternal perspective--knowing that struggles are a necessary and brief part of an eternal plan. I am thankful for strength.

OMG! Catching Up Thankful Post! Days 13-16

November 13: Thankful for music and the blessing it is in my personal and family life. I love that my girls are always singing!

November 14: Thankful for an amazing support network for my weight loss journey!

November 15: Thankful for those who are patient with me.

November 16: Thankful for books. Lots and lots of books! And reading. And the ability to escape with a good book.

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Thankful November Day 11 and 12

Day 11

I am thankful for my education. It has always been one of my greatest treasures.

Day 12

I am thankful for the career I had as a high school teacher. I floundered. I failed. I fought. Mostly, I learned about who I am and what I want. I was blessed with many of the greatest colleagues a person could ask for. I had amazing mentors and awesome friends. Sometimes I miss those days. More often I am simply glad that I was allowed that experience.

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Thankful November Day 10

Some days it is just enough to have a thicker skin and enough perspective to understand where someone could be coming from...and the knowledge that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us all...so we should love all as well...even when it is hard. 

*STEPS OFF SOAPBOX* 

*TAKES A BOW*

*EXITS STAGE LEFT* 

Thankful November Day 9: Alisha

Yep. Totally stole this picture from your Facebook page, Alisha. :)

We have been blessed in numerous ways over the past few years, but none more so than with this girl! Our Alisha came into our lives because I needed a part time sitter and she needed a job. The blessing she became...the easy part of our family she became...the dependable, happy, helpful, wonderful, fun guardian she is to my daughters is PRICELESS.

So, I am sure she is every shade of red by now, so I will not gush more. I could not, however, have made it through days or weeks or this past year and a half without her help. We love you!

Thankful November Day 8: Sibs

I seriously have the absolute BEST siblings in the entire world. Like, the best best best best best...and I can hardly believe that I was so fortunate as to have my very best friends in the world as brother and sisters. Let's not sugar coat this--we didn't always and don't always see eye to eye on everything, but these five people are my biggest support, my biggest cheering section, and my biggest defenders. They are my foundation and the reason I know I can do hard things--because I am never, ever alone on my journey. They forever have my back, and I forever have theirs.

Thankful November: Day 6 and 7

Ooops! Didn't post yesterday...even though I thought about what to post off and on a lot yesterday. Ah, well! Here's a two-fer for ya!

Day 6

It is rare these days that I get to go anywhere with only one kid in tow. The other day, T had a doctor's appointment and Daddy was home, so T and I went to her appointment--just the two of us. Yeah, it wasn't a super fun mommy/daughter date, but I so appreciate getting to spend quality time with JUST Tessa! She is so funny, and sassy, and smart, and fun, and curious, and beautiful! I marvel at this little spirit I have been trusted with, and pray that I am actually worthy to be her momma. I owe her so much. She saved me, and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for sending her to me. 

Day 7

Let's make this post easy and be grateful for the other sassy-pants who lights up my world! My Quincy Anne is almost three, and I can hardly believe it! She is SO SMART! She quotes movies, runs everywhere she goes, sings at the top of her lungs, acts out parts of her favorite movies (Tangled and Finding Nemo in particular), reads, talks, dreams, jumps, and never slows down unless she is asleep! I can hardly keep up, but I love to try! She announced the other day that she is ready to go to pre-school and would like to start immediately. She asks me daily to listen to "music on the TV" so she can dance her heart out! My Q is amazing! I waited my whole life for her, and I am so grateful that she is mine. 

Thankful November Day 5: Challenges

I have to admit that I haven't had the best of days. No real reason. Nothing significant happened, but when I have days like this I do my best to try and find something worth celebrating. This evening, as I have played the why me? game, I decided that instead of being such a sad little thing, I need to celebrate the challenges in my life. Okay, celebrate isn't the right word, and let's not pretend that I don't have a sour expression on my face even as I type this, but...the woman that I am today has been very much shaped by the challenges I have faced over the last few years. For better and for worse. I still am climbing my mountain, but I have no doubt that the view will be well worth the climb.

Thankful November Day 4

I have really great parents. I have always known this, but as I have been exposed to the experiences of others and their parents...I just have really great parents! Supportive. Trusting. Wise. Kind. Loving. They bless my life and my children's lives just by being themselves! Today (and many days) I am very thankful that my mom and dad are mine.

Thankful November Day 3

I discovered yesterday that Hallmark Channel is playing their Christmas movies during the weekends, and I posted my excitement on Facebook and talked about it with several people today at church. So, FYI, Lisa, I am not the only person in love with these wonderfully cheesy movies!

I have always been a fan of the fun and cheesy. I think I allow that side of me to be a little more evident to the whole world as I have grown up a little, but these movies hold a particularly special place in my heart.

Two Christmases ago I met with a challenge that I was sure was going to defeat me. My husband was in Texas for the unforeseeable future, I had a one year old, and I was about 6 weeks pregnant. I felt horribly alone. And scared. And lost. So, I did what any person would do...I started watching sappy Christmas movies. A good majority of them were on the Hallmark Channel, and I PrOmIsE you--those movies healed a little part of my broken heart. I watched them over and over again. I watched them until 3am because I could not sleep. I watched them while Q napped on my chest because I couldn't stand to put her down. I watched them while I waited for phone calls. I watched them morning, noon, and night, and I let the less-than-stellar acting and the super predictable story lines wash over me, and I found a little piece of Christmas.

So, today, every weekend in November, and all of December, I will be very grateful that the Hallmark Channel plays their Christmas movies over and over again. I will watch. And I will always carry a little bit of Christmas in my heart that is stamped

 

Thankful November Day 2

Well, kids...since today is his birthday, let's focus on how thankful I am for this handsome guy! I am so glad he came into my life and so glad he gave me the two most beautiful daughters. Nick works hard every day to do right by his family. I am so thankful for the commitment he has made to me and to his daughters to live a healthy, happy, sober life. We are blessed to have him back with us! He is a light in his daughter's lives and brings joy to this household. Love you, babe!

Thankful November and Day 1

I love Thanksgiving! Love it! It truly is the perfect holiday to lead us into the Christmas season. I relish the opportunity to express my especial thanks for the things I have been blessed with in my life. For the past few years I have participated with so many others in expressing one thing that I am thankful for each day during November via Facebook. This year, I decided that I would pay a little more attention to those things and pay them a small tribute each day here on my blog. While I plan to cover all the wonderful big things, I have been working hard this past year to try and recognize and appreciate the small blessings in my life or just my day sometimes. This has helped me to be more positive through my trials (I'm not saying it always works), and so you will have to forgive me if some days my thanks is for one of those tiny blessings we don't normally think about.

Today I will start with a bigger one though.

November 1st: Today I would like to express my thanks for a special lady in my life. My sister-in-law, Kara.

Kara has been around and then a part of this family for quite some time now! I do believe she started dating my brother almost 14 years ago. (Am I right?) The poor girl started dating the boy with five sisters--all fiercely protective and loyal to that brother. His older sister (yeah, me) in particular. The road was never easy, but she/me/we all grew up and into a more wonderful family because she a part of it. I am jealous of her wickedly creative mind and her ability to create and/or duplicate the most beautiful things! I think that every time she says, "Oh, I can do that!" my brother rolls his eyes, but then she just DOES whatever new project/home improvement/design/craft she set out to do.

Kara is the best aunt! She takes care of my girls as if they are her own, and Q and T love her! She has come to my rescue a time or two when I needed help with these handfuls of mine, and I will never be able to thank her enough. She is also the most wonderful mom and a really great wife to my brother.

I love you, Kara! Thanks for sticking around and thanks for being such a wonderful sister to me.