Thankful

On this Thanksgiving (besides the obvious family, shelter, basic needs being met) I am grateful for:

• RID shampoo
• Sisters-in-law who cut hair
• My washing machine's sanitary cycle
• Crock Pots
• Lillian's burning desire to make a corn muffin recipe she found on HelloKitty.com, because it meant I already had cornbread to make dressing today
• Frozen pumpkin pies
• Pajamas
• Swagbucks! I just redeemed for a $15 iTunes gift card. LOVE Swagbucks! Go sign up!
• Rain
• Ice water
• The internet
• Stan not having to work Saturdays anymore for the rest of his life!
• Product testing - I just got a new box of cereal to test yesterday, so my kids have a sugary cereal to eat for breakfast today (I haven't been shopping in awhile)
• Homeschooling
• Did I mention RID shampoo?
• Flip flops (or just basically any shoe I don't have to tie)
• Fuzzy flip flop slippers
• The Southern Plate
• Bisquick
• Grace Church
• Kittens
• A husband who volunteers to make sausage balls because he can see that I'm tired
• Deodorant
• Mike's Hard Lemonade (I'm partial to the Margarita flavors)
• Amazon.com
• Mirrors with 10X magnification
• McRib sandwiches
• General Hospital
• DVR
• The Good Wife (did you watch it Tuesday?!? OH EM GEE!)
• Tweezerman tweezers
• Scrapbooking
• I don't think I mentioned it yet - but I'm super thankful for RID shampoo.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you out there who still read this blog. I'm thankful for you, too.

XOXO

I Am Thankful For...

This is what Lillian's 3 year-old preschool class had to say about what they're thankful for this year. Priceless.

Talley: hayrides, Mr. Mark, chocolate

Madison: butter (amen, sister!), Abbie, pretzels, cookies, Daddy and Momma (wonder how Momma feels about being one-upped by butter?!?!)

Nelson: Nana's cat Bob, my puppet show, Haley (she's in Heaven), my house, my dragon, my bathtub and lions (What, no butter?)

Caleb: Chocolate (Lillian needs to marry this boy. He knows a good thing when he sees it! Well, maybe not... if he's thankful for MILK chocolate, someone else can have him.)

Kaplan: Scout, my pup, my Momma, Daddy, my best brothers

Ben: leaves, pretzels too, a house, my bed

Samuel: my sister, Mommy and my Daddy

Ava: Daddy, my Mommy too, monkeys (someone's recently visited the zoo, I guess...)

Anna: my Mommy and Daddy, Luke and Sara

And then there's Lillian. I had to laugh.

Lillian: Annabelle (our cat), Oliver (another cat), Beeson (yet another feline), Quinn, Daddy, Mommy (oh, there I am!), cookies (whew, I made it in just before cookies!), Nana, Camryn, Aiden, scarecrows, rainbows. And toys. (Something tells me she was looking around the classroom to come up with scarecrows and rainbows. Hey, isn't that in that Julie Andrews song? "Raindrops on rainbows and fresh apple scarecrows? These are a few of my favorite things"? Isn't that how it goes?!?)

Along those same lines, I need to catch up with a blog challenge that my friend Sherry issued at the beginning of November. I'm only 3 weeks behind, but better late than never, eh? (That EH is a shout out to my Canadian friends Cyn and Lee!)

So, here's my list. Twenty-two things for which I am grateful. In no particular order.

(1) A warm garage. I'd hate to have to warm up the car and scrape ice in the mornings. More sleep for me!

(2) These socks I got from Bath & Body Works. They have no-slip circles on the bottom and they're super soft. I have red, pink and green. Toasty tootsies!

(3) Bath bombs from Basin. I stock up every time we go to Disney World, but you can order them online.

(4) My iPod. Greatest invention EVAH.

(5) My husband (I did say these were in no particular order... he and the kids would be at the top, of course!) I have a hardworking, big hearted, slow to anger, patient, loving husband that spoils me rotten. He's too good to me.

(6) My children. They play well together, they don't need me to entertain them constantly, they are good about getting homework done, they appreciate me and compliment and edify me every day. They are angels on earth and I know God sent them to me for a reason. They totally ROCK.

(7) My parents. They're always willing to keep the kids for us, and they don't just babysit. They engage the kids in activities and take them places. They truly enjoy being with the kids, not just simply having the kids in their presence. They were awesome parents, but they're even better grandparents. They raised me to be who I am and I am so grateful for their guidance, their praise, their leadership, their friendship and their love. They totally ROCK, too!

(8) This blog. I'm glad I started blogging. I do it for me (it helps when it's time to add a story to a scrapbook page!), but it's nice that y'all are along for the ride, too.

(9) Friends, both "real life" ones and Internet ones. I don't interact with either often enough, but just knowing they're there and will be there when I need them is a huge comfort.

(10) Our new church. We started going to a non-denominational church this summer, and I've experienced such spiritual growth since then. I'm grateful we found it and started attending. It's been an oasis in the middle of a huge desert.

(11) The kids' schools and their teachers. Every person that teaches one of my children truly has the kids' best interest at heart. Each one of these men and women actually seeks to know my children almost as well as I do. They love and teach my kids in my absence, and I'm so thankful for each one of them, their influence in my childrens' lives and the way they're molding and shaping my children to be good learners, full of wisdom about things of this earth and Heavenly matters.

(12) My husband's job. He's busier than ever, which, in this economy, is a wonder.

(13) Dave Ramsey. This man and his desire to help people get out of debt have changed our lives for the better. If all goes according to plan, we'll be completely debt free (house and all!) in just a little over 4 years. I'm giddy thinking about all the people we can help with the income we've been blessed with. Can't wait to pay that final mortgage payment! (If you're interested, you can buy Dave's Total Money Makeover book right now for $10. That's an awesome deal!)

(14) Scrapbooking. I love this "hobby". I have a passion for it. It feeds the need I have to be creative while letting me share my heart on paper. I hope my children cherish these books for the rest of their lives.

(15) To Do Lists. I make them every day and they really keep me motivated. Today's list: clean out the cups & glasses in the kitchen cabinet, clean out the upper snack pantry cabinet, bag clothes to go to Goodwill, laundry (always laundry!) and dishes (always dishes!)

(16) Books. I love books. I love the escape they provide.

(17) Movies. (See books!)

(18) A comfy bed. We have had a Tempurpedic for about 4 years, and I can honestly say I've never slept better. It was worth every last penny.

(19) Starbucks hot chocolate. I'm not a coffee drinker, so I didn't ever see the need to try anything at Starbucks. But I've been treating my daughter's 5th grade teacher to her favorite Starbucks coffees this year, and I've discovered their (sinfully delicious and outrageously expensive) hazelnut hot chocolate. It's heaven in a cup.

(20) My sister's friends. My sister has been going through some rough stuff lately, and I haven't been able to comfort her. Knowing she has great friends around her right now has eased my worry, so I'm thankful for Val and Holly and Trey and all the angels that have rallied around my sweet sister to help heal her broken heart.

(21) Massages. It's not that often that I get one, but when I do get one I feel awesome for days. I need to schedule a monthly rub down, but life is Busy with a capital B and my shoulders feel it!

(22) The $4 car wash place. I love that place. They do a fantastic job getting the Monorail clean, plus they offer FREE vacuuming! I love a clean car, and I love that I can get the van all sparkly for just $4!

Lemonade

It's very rare that I get to enjoy a grocery shopping trip by myself, but I got to do just that a couple of months ago. Since there was no one there begging for sugary cereal, no one asking for the 15th time how much longer the trip would last, nobody screaming, "He pinnnnnnnched meeeee!".... I was actually able to hear a neat song on the store Muzak. I liked it so much I wrote some of the lyrics on my shopping list so I could come home and try to find the song (thanks, Google!)

The song is called "Lemonade" and it's sung by Chris Rice, one of my favorite Contemporary Christian artists. I thought it was him singing, but I'd never before heard the song. It's one of my new favorites, just recently added to my iPod. (Isn't the iPod the greatest invention? I love mine! It's probably the only thing I'd run to save if the house was on fire... after the kids and hubby were safe, natch...)

So, here are the lyrics (you can listen here if you want to hear it):

So go ahead and ask her
For happy ever after
‘Cause nobody knows what’s coming
So why not take a chance on loving
Come on, pour the glass and tempt me
Either half-full or half-empty
‘Cause if it all comes down to flavor
The glass is tipping in my favor

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!

Now take your time to answer me
For the beauty of romancing
Is to calm your trembling hand with mine
While begging love to fill your eyes
I can hardly breathe while waiting
To find out what your heart is saying
And as we’re swirling in this flavor
The world is tilting in our favor

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!

I’ve got it made
Rest in the shade
And hold my love
While God above
Stirs wiith a spoon
We share the moon
Smile at the bees
More sugar please
He really loves us after all
We’re gonna need another straw!
We’re gonna need another straw!

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!

I definitely got lemonade. No lemons here. I do need lots of extra straws, though. Life is GOOD.

For These, I Am Thankful

This is my lovely family:



There is my sweet husband, who loves me unconditionally. I make him mad a lot with my little quirks, but he still adores me. I take advantage of him a lot, because I know he'd do anything for me, and he doesn't say a word. He's the most amazing father and the world's greatest husband. I love him to pieces. I'm thankful God sent me such a wonderful helpmate.

There is my 9 year-old daughter, who frustrates me daily with her pre-teen angst. But she's loving and talented and smart (too smart, maybe!) and beautiful and caring and gentle and headstrong and determined and all of the things a mother wishes her daughter to be. I love her more each day.

There is my 6 year-old son, with his freckled face and gap-toothed grin. He's a lefty, which I love. It makes him more unique. This boy is so smart, so loving, so complimentary, so desperate to please, so helpful, so tidy, so imaginative, so very kind. He's my pride and joy and when I look at him sometimes it takes my breath away that he's mine.

There's my goofy 5 year-old son, with his loud screaming and his constant smiles. He's got joy in his heart, and he makes me laugh. He's a snuggler, too, and when he climbs up in my lap and rubs my arm, it just makes me feel like nothing can take away our happiness. Those moments are pure magic.

And there is my bubbly 3 year-old, whose corny faces make me laugh long and out loud, so much that my sides ache. She has personality with a capital P, and more energy than I have ever seen in a child. She goes full throttle all.day.long, and is almost instantly asleep when her head hits the pillow. Her hair smells fantastic, and she loves to be read to. She's my pixie, and I adore her.

I don't know what I ever did to be rewarded with all of these blessings, all this love, all this joy, but I work hard every day to deserve it.

Thank you, God.

Happy Turkey Day!

So, it's 2:43 pm est on Thanksgiving Day and I'm still sittin' on the Oasis (aka sofa) in my jammies. Watching last night's "Project Runway" episode and snacking off and on. The hubby is taking the kids and his mom to the movies to see "Enchanted", so in a few minutes I'll have the place to myself. Ahhhhhh.......

We started the day with sausage balls. Started getting out the ingredients and found we were completely out of Bisquick. Hubby improvised with Crisco, milk and flour. He did a pretty good job!



After the sausage balls were in the oven, I made (in the Crock Pot) a scrumptious Sausage Dip with 2 bricks of cream cheese, a pound of browned & drained sausage and a can of undrained petite diced tomatoes. DEE-LISH.



Around noonish the kids started making their Thanksgiving pizzas. They each put their own toppings on, and they had a blast. That was pretty fun. Notice they're all still in jammies, too.









Not long after lunch, hubby fell asleep on the Oasis having consumed ZERO turkey. Guess it's HGTV overload.



Later tonight we'll wrap up our holiday revelry with a delicious supper of Banana Splits.

It's been a good, good day, but I miss the turkey and dressing.

Thanksgiving

When I was a kid, Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday. I loved everything about it: the turkey, the dressing, the cranberry sauce (!), the sweet potato casserole (my aunt's is the BEST evah!), being out of school for two days, the Macy's parade... all of it.

But what I loved the most was being together with family. Yeah, we had to travel to be with that family, which meant missing about half of the aforementioned parade, but being with kin made me feel like I was part of a rich history, like I belonged to something bigger than me. I loved hearing the often-told and retold favorite family stories about when family members were younger. I loved the corny jokes my uncle Johnny told. I loved being with my cousins and aunts and uncles. I just enjoyed the big family gathering. My sister and I would groan about having to go a-travelin' over the holiday, but I secretly enjoyed the togetherness of it all.

I got married in 1996 and moved away from all of that family. My husband's brother's family goes to be with his wife's relatives on Thanksgiving. His sister and her family go another direction. Sometimes my family comes to see us, but I can't count on that every year.

I miss the big family gathering. The cooking is time consuming, and sometimes I whine about all the preparations, but I love it. I love cooking every last morsel, and I love hosting the dinner at my house. In years past we've gone out to eat at a nice buffet for the holiday, and even though that means I don't have to do anything but show up, it's still not the Thanksgiving I dream of having.

This year I thought I was going to get a big ole family gathering. My sister called to say she wanted to bring her beau, and my parents were going to come, too. I bought the turkey, the sweet potatoes, the pecans, the marshmallows, the stuffing mix, the cranberry sauce, the pumpkin pie fixins, some pie crusts to make apple and pumpkin pies, and all the other little ingredients it takes to whip up a spectacular Thanksgiving feast. I could not wait!

My sister's phone call was on a Tuesday. I went shopping the same day (I was already going anyway...). My sister called the following Friday. She and the beau weren't coming. The parents called the following Monday. They're not coming, either.

Turkey was donated. Everything else is canned or bagged and will keep for awhile.

New Thanksgiving day plan: wake up and watch Macy's parade in our jammies. Everyone makes their own pizza for lunch. Banana splits for dessert. Perhaps a movie in the afternoon.

I'll miss my big family gathering and the turkey and the dressing and the cranberry sauce, but I'll have my kids and my husband to love on during the day.

I'm thankful.

Blog Challenge: Treasures

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

This week, think in terms of Thanksgiving. Even if you aren't in the USA, really think about the things you're blessed with. But don't blog about the general stuff. Don't make a quick list of what you're thankful for. Don't do a half-hearted attempt at the generic "I'm Thankful for" blog. Instead, meditate on the above quote, and then write.

There is so much I can give thanks for this year.

I have a beautiful new house that I enjoy every day. It thrills my heart to hear my kids playing together in the back yard. I get happy when I can spend some time in the scrapbook room my ever thoughtful hubby asked the builder to include for me in the plans. Its pink color warms my heart!

My husband has a job that he enjoys, and it allows me to be able to stay home with my kids. I am constantly thankful that it is ME who picks up the kids from school every day. I'm blessed to have the freedom to be so involved in my kids' lives.

My children are healthy. They're happy. They love each other. They do fight, but they do have their moments of expressing genuine adoration for one another. Those moments make me so very proud.

My parents are still alive. And more than that, they're still married after 37 years. And yet still more than THAT... they still LOVE each other after all that time. They still smooch on each other and travel together and enjoy being in each other's company. THAT'S amazing. Their marriage was a good model for me.

I have a great sister. She and I have a great relationship. That's something to be grateful for, because in this era of dysfunctional families, not many people can truly say they get along well with their siblings.

But this year, at the top of the list of things I'm praising God for, is FRIENDSHIPS.

As I blogged about a few days ago, it's been a difficult year. The depression I wrote about afflicted me for months before I did anything about it. I let a lot of my friendships dwindle to the point where I was left with just one really good friend. I regret that.

So this year I'm grateful for that one friend that's left. She and I have grown closer this year. I love her and am very happy to have her in my life.

I'm also exceedingly thankful for new friends I made when I went to the ScrapShare Texas retreat. I may not be able to talk to them much, but I know they're there for me when and if I need them. They rekindled a fire in my soul that has been dormant for a long time. They made me feel alive again, reminded me that I need female friendships.

This group of women, each one of them unique and gifted and talented and strong, loved on me and joked with me and insulted me (in a good way!) and laughed with me and encouraged me and stayed up all night with me. I came home from that retreat exhausted and renewed all at the same time.

I cannot wait to see them again. Thanks, girls.