Today, I am Thankful for... (day seven)

Today I am thankful for a warm house to stay inside of while the stupid snow is out to play, and excited to start some fun "first snow" traditions with Mason. I really hate the snow, so I'm trying hard to find a way to make it fun. I would like to avoid ruining his view of a winter wonderland, because he is so very excited to go build a snowman.

I would be extra thankful if he would stop the tantrum throwing so we can have some fun. If he does, I will be back to post some cake pictures on the food blog later today. Also, I have finally finished one of the projects I wanted to do for Claire's room, so maybe I'll get pictures of that up as well.

Today I am thankful for... (day six)

Today I am thankful to be the mom of a sweet, beautiful daughter who loves to sing while I'm trying to feed her, enjoys being rocked to sleep, and grabs my shirt so tightly during either activity that she is always attached to me (no need for a sling at our house).

I also love watching her adore her brother and dad. She has always been quick to give them a big smile, bu she's starting to not mind when they play a little rough with her. Beyond that, she loves it enough that the little giggle she gives is infectious.

I'm grateful we decided to have another baby. She completed our family in a really fantastic way and I'm so excited for the opportunity to watch her grow, to get to know her better, and to be her mama.

Today, I am thankful... (day five)

Today I am thankful to be the mom of such a healthy, energetic, silly little boy. I am also thankful that the day is going better now than it did at the beginning. He helps me live in a world where a wonderful day is simply a picnic lunch in his bedroom and his bed is the slide or the big bridge or somewhere to bounce. It's a truly magical place and I need a little of that! Now if I could just borrow a small fraction of his energy...

Today, I am thankful for ... (day four)

Today, I am thankful for the lovely gift of a comfortable rocking chair to snuggle my baby in when she can't breathe all night. And for the gift of wit that will make it possible for me to make it through the day after sleeping sitting up, because at a certain point all you can do is laugh about it!

I am also thankful for our good health. The last two nights are among the first I've spent sitting up with a sad, sick baby; I've been very lucky not to do that more often. We, unlike many others, usually only have doctor's bills from regular check-ups, have not been to the hospital unless we're visiting dad at work, and hope we continue to be so blessed.

The more I hear from friends who are suffering through something unimaginable, or whose children are suffering, the more grateful I am for this. Problems are possible at any turn. I've been very fortunate to have two healthy pregnancies and to give birth to two healthy, beautiful children. It would be ridiculous not to recognize the gift that is as I hold my children close every day and watch them grow.

Today I am thankful for... (day three)

Today I am thankful for brave men and women who defend my family, my country, and my lifestyle so that I am free to live it. They go where no one else wants to go, do what no one else will speak of, and are expected to come back and live happily after all that. I am sincerely grateful for their sacrifices.

My brother-in-law was in the military (specifically in the Marine Corps.) for a few years. It's no great secret what he gave up in the end. He is living a great life now, but will have physical challenges to overcome for the rest of his life. And he was one of the lucky ones.

While he was enlisted, he missed many family events. Some were major, some were minor, and we planned what we could around the times he would be home. But he wasn't around when Mason was little. I know he missed the little guy and he was very anxious to be a part of Mason's life once he was back home.

Again, though, we were one of the lucky families. He didn't forego a honeymoon or miss the birth of his own child. But these incredible people give up all that and more for our security. I cannot begin to say how grateful I am for them. I'm equally grateful to the hospital personnel (who I believe are also enlisted, but I'm not sure) who stitch them back together when things don't go as planned.

I could go on about this forever and kind of already have. I feel silly joining the group by thanking them on Veterans Day when it's foremost in my mind more often than that. But today is a good day to start.

Today, I am thankful for... (day two)

Today I am thankful for coffee. We had a very, very long night last night. Alan is hunting with his brothers and his dad today, so he wanted to get to bed early so he could get up early. That left me with the end-of-night household stuff, so I didn't get to bed until almost 2300. Mason woke up twice to go to the bathroom. Alan unintentionally woke me up when he got up at oh-God-thirty, and then when he left at oh-God-thirty-six. Claire woke up complaining of teething pain.

So the short version is, mom is tired today and on her own. And I'm grateful for the coffee that will keep my tired headache to a minimum and enough caffeine that I can function.

Today, I am thankful for ... (day one)

I am totally taking material from my Facebook status to post on my blog. I'm that lame.

Let's see how many people can do this. Every day this month until Thanksgiving, think of one thing that you are thankful for and post it as your status. "Today I am thankful for..." Now if you think you can do it then repost this message as your status to invite others to take the thanksgiving challenge, then post what YOU are thankful for today.



Today, I am thankful for my wonderful neighbors. I was chatting with a neighbor from up the street while I was feeding Claire this morning. We got talking about our shared chocolate addiction, most specifically Snickers candy bars (my big craving of late). Well, while we were chatting, her husband attempted to doorbell ditch and leave a Snickers behind. I only saw him as he was backing out of the driveway because every time someone rings our doorbell, Mason and I have a mad race to get there. Mason does not understand discretion, screening, or security. Anyway, it was a sweet gesture from the two of them, even if I totally busted their anonymity. It made my day.

My neighbors are great. This kind of thing is not uncommon. I only know a handful of people around, but would be willing to help them anytime they need it, no questions asked. And the favor has been returned to me many times over. I was talking with my neighbor across the street recently about how we don't really want to move and leave this neighborhood, even if our family has other needs. Ideally, at that point we would want to somehow magically transport everyone with us.

I'll be back tomorrow! But if you would like to join me in this, either here or on Facebook, it would be fun to see everyone else counting their blessings. It'll be good for me to shake off some of the negativity I've been experiencing of late.