Thanksgiving 2009

I love having a time to stop and reflect on all of the things that I am thankful for.
They say that in order to see the rainbow, you must endure some rain.
I have endured some rain.



People who have always been wealthy may not appreciate small things as much as those who weren't.
People who have always had good relationships may not deeply appreciate a wonderful, healthy relationship.
But me....I have endured the rain. Storms. Hurricanes.
I believe in gratitude.



I am grateful to have many things for which to be grateful.




I am grateful for four awesome kids. I am sometimes blown away by the people my oldest two children are becoming. Yes, they drive me crazy on a daily basis. But they are truly great kids. They have good hearts. The little ones are equally wonderful and when they're not making me pull my hair out, they are quite cute.

I am grateful that my relationship with my parents has improved greatly this year.

I am grateful for my wonderful friends. I'm the type of person to have a small circle of close friends. I don't warm up easily to new people. But that's just me. I don't need to be BFFs with everyone I encounter. I'm very content with my group of friends. This includes my wonderful bloggy friends, also, of course. xoxoxoxo

I am grateful for the wonderful church that we have found. We were led to this church by Shelbie, our 13 year old daughter. She started going to their Acteens group with some of her friends, and we attended some of the Acteens events at the church and then began attending services. It is the perfect fit for us,(and that's a big thing for me....I am very picky about churches) and we've made some great friends there as well.

I am grateful that, although our house that we loved fell apart, we were able to find a nice home in the same neighborhood that we love so much.

I am grateful that, through financial hardships, (including a layoff and a sudden loss of another source of income) we have still been able to provide our children with a comfortable home and the things that they need.

I am grateful for our pets and all of those that we have fostered.

I am grateful for my wonderful husband. I don't know what I'd do and where I'd be without this man. He works so hard to provide for our family, including three children who are not, biologically, his. He does so much for my children. He spends every moment with us, other than when he is working. He is a true family man. He makes me laugh, keeps me grounded, puts up with my craziness, and loves me the way that I am. I could not ask for more.

Right Place at the Right Time

Thanksgiving Thursday

I haven't done a Thanksgiving Thursday in a while,

and this week's edition pretty much wrote itself.

My oldest son Tim, who lives primarily with his dad, came over on Sunday for Andrew's birthday dinner. While he was there, he told me about his close friend getting into a car accident. The boy was driving his Jeep Cherokee and said someone was trying to pass him. He ran off the road and into a tree. The Cherokee caught on fire!! But he was very fortunate to be able to get out, and he escaped with only a broken arm and nose.
So, obviously, I'm very thankful that he wasn't hurt more, or even worse.

But what keeps running through my head is...what if Tim had been in the passenger seat? As he has been so many times. Would he have been hurt worse than his friend? Would he have been able to get out of the burning truck?

How different may my life be right now if my son had been riding in that truck with his friend?
It gives me chills; I can hardly stand to think of it.

I am so incredibly thankful that Tim's friend is OK, and that Tim wasn't in that truck that night.

~*~*~*~*~

I'm also thankful that my husband is now working and likes his job. I'm thankful for our fantastic new home. I'm thankful that my friend, who thought she had a blood clot, only has a pinched or bulging disc. I'm thankful for four healthy kids.
I'm thankful for all of the many blessings we have received recently.

Today & every day, I am thankful.

Windows Wide Open

I'm going to tell you something about myself. It takes a lot to get me down. It doesn't take much to piss me off, but it takes a lot to really get me down. I can usually laugh things off, or put things in perspective. But sometimes, when life is really smacking me around, I can only keep getting up so many times, before I just lie there and curl up in the fetal position.

And that's pretty much where I was at last Thursday. It had been a rough month, and Thursday was really just the tip of the iceberg. The last straw, if you will.

But...I somehow managed to keep myself focused. To fight off the darkness. And keep myself out of the fetal position. Instead, I focused on the positive things, and the things that I am thankful for.

And I like to think that maybe that's why things have totally, completely turned around since then.

We got some wonderful news on Friday. You see, my husband lost his job in July. But he will be starting a better job, with excellent benefits and potential for advancement, on August 31st. And, his unemployment compensation finally started coming in on Friday. Just in time for back-to-school shopping!

We got some things fixed in our broken house on Friday. And although unfortunately it looks like we got a bad deal on this house, we have the ability to get out of the contract, and some great leads on even better houses.

We had a great weekend. Relaxing, and spending time together. And I even had a rare visit from my very best friend in the whole world, Danielle. She happened to be nearby and came to visit. I was so thrilled to see her!

When these problems initially started, Danielle said to me, "When God closes a door, He opens a window. In the end, you're going to be better off and so glad that all of this happened." And you know what? I'm already seeing how correct she is.

And most importantly of all, my family is healthy, happy, and together. For that, I am most thankful.

Thanksgiving Thursday ~ it's raining and my head is exploding.......

You know how they say, when it rains it pours? Well, it's raining where I live. Literally, and figuratively. I won't bore you with every detail, but last week we had a torrential downpour. Every time it rains a lot, our carport floods, which is a hot mess. But this time, it got better. The flood ventured INSIDE the house. We got that cleaned up, and now we're having floods coming from the inside. In short, our plumbing is screwed. Basically, my house, my precious 50+ year old house that I love so much, is falling apart. Literally.
That, among other things, is causing me a significant amount of stress. So as a way of getting my focus where it needs to be, I'm doing a Thanksgiving Thursday.

~*~ I'm very thankful to have a job. And things have greatly improved here at work recently. I have wonderful co-workers who are like family. In this economy, I'd be (at least a little) thankful for ANY job, so the fact that I really love my job is even better.

~*~ I'm thankful for my kids. They are super smart and intuitive. They know I love them, and they love their Mama. And truly, they are great kids. That's not just Mama talking, I get a lot of compliments on my children. They are awesome. I have a special relationship with each of them, and I know that no matter what happens, we'll always have that bond.

~*~ I'm thankful for my friends. More than words can say.

~*~ I'm thankful that my parents are still in good health. They are aging but are very blessed to be healthy and relatively active.

~*~ I'm so very thankful for my husband. He is so good to me, and makes even the most stressful situations better. He is my very best friend. If ever two people were meant to be together, the two of us were. We just fit.

Okay. I just got a text from my husband that our A/C is literally burning up. And my head will now explode in 3....2....1........

Thankful Thursday

I'm overdue for a Thankful post, and since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, this one is dedicated to my Valentine - my hubby, J.

1. I am thankful that I have so much to be thankful for, I can't even decide where to begin!

2. I am thankful that my happiness is so important to J.

3. I am thankful that he loves me exactly the way I am.

4. I am thankful that he supports me in everything that I do.

5. I am thankful that we share the same interests and passions.

6. I am thankful that we have so much fun together.

7. I am thankful that he brings out the best in me.

8. I am thankful that J is a wonderful stepfather and provider.

9. I am thankful that J is totally unselfish and generous.

10. I am thankful that I could go on and on with this list!

I joined in Rose Colored Glasses' Thankful Thursday.

Check it out!

Thankful Thanksgiving Thursday

I tend to reflect on my blessings often. I am a very thankful person. Today is the perfect day to stop and reflect on what I have to be thankful for - Thankful Thursday, and Thanksgiving!

* I am thankful for Spiderman's mother - because she gave birth to him, and he is now doing so well in our home.

* I am thankful that my kids yelled and argued and ate up tons of food today - because they are at home, healthy, and happy.

* I am thankful that my parents drive me totally insane - because my mom is 65 and my dad is 72, but they are healthy and we get to spend Thanksgiving with them.

* I am thankful for our stressful jobs - because they provide for our family.

* I am thankful for my scatter-brained, sometimes thoughtless MIL - because she gave birth to my wonderful husband and obviously did a wonderful job raising him to be a kind, sensitive, generous, caring man.

* I am thankful for fur all over my black clothes - because it comes from my beloved doggies and kitty.

* I am thankful that I will get very little sleep tomorrow and will probably be exhausted - because I will be cooking for, and then visiting with, my family.

* I am thankful for bills to pay and messes to clean - because we have a comfortable home full of love.

* I am thankful for our several-years-old, uncool automobiles - because they are paid for and, most of the time, get us where we need to go.

Several times in my life, I have had things happen that appeared to be bad things at that time. But later, they turned out to be the biggest blessings ever, more than I could have ever imagined. They brought me to where I am today, and I am incredibly thankful.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thankful Thursday

I haven't done one of these in a while, and it's way overdue. It's time to count my blessings!
* I am SO thankful that we found our lovely new home.
* I am thankful that a few key things fell into place, enabling us to get this home.
* I am thankful for my husband, and all that he does for me and our family.
* I am thankful for my kids, even when they reeeeeeally test my patience!
* I am thankful for coffee. I honestly don't know how I would've made it through the last couple of weeks without it, and it's not going to get any better anytime soon!
* I am thankful that I had the courage to take a leap of faith, and make a life-changing decision this past February, that has improved my life even more than I imagined.
* I am thankful that we have the ability to fix a really bad situation for my little stepson. (more on that later)
* I am really thankful for my job & co-workers, and my supervisor who can tweak my schedule at almost a moment's notice. This makes my life so much easier. I'm thankful that things have improved greatly at work in the past couple of months.
* I am thankful that Autumn is here, my favorite season, and that it's October, my favorite month. I love all the fall decorations & activities, and Halloween is my favorite holiday!
* I am thankful that my best friend's grandpa, who recently passed away, got his dying wish to be buried by his mother. The plot had never been reserved, but amazingly had never been purchased. (RIP Grandpa Jack)
* I am thankful for your generous donations to March for Babies in honor of Baby JW.
* I am ever-so-thankful for all of my bloggy friends! xoxoxo

What are YOU thankful for?

Thankful Thursday

I have much to be thankful for this Thursday.

* A while back, I posted about some major work-related issues I was having. Thankfully, things are much, much better now. Everyone said that once things settled down in our brand new unit, it would get better. I didn't believe it. Now I do! The best thing about my job is my kick-ass schedule, and the fact that my boss is incredibly flexible. He switched my schedule this week with practically no notice, just to help me out since Dysfunctional Dad is still working insane hours. I'm very thankful for all of that!

* This hellish period called "Turn" is almost over. This is the reason my husband has worked every day, with no days off, for over two weeks now. It's also the reason he's went to work at 7am, and worked until 10pm. I have barely seen him. I could never be a military wife! It's almost over; hopefully this coming Monday is the last day. I am incredibly thankful for that!

* We're getting a new a/c unit installed (hopefully) tomorrow. It would've been today, but it was storming, and storms are predicted for tomorrow as well. But even if not tomorrow, it will be installed soon, and I am thankful for that.

* The kids are starting a new school year on Monday, finally at the schools I wanted all of them to attend. By moving here back in January, we reached a goal that we'd been working towards. We're very thankful for that.

* I'm thankful that, as I get older, I'm learning more and more every day. About myself, other people, relationships, and life. I like to think I'm getting wiser as I get older. I'm learning to take the Serenity Prayer to heart; "to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." There are certain things in this world that cannot be changed. But I can work hard on changing those things that are within my power. I am thankful for that.

* Ariel is continuing to improve. She gained half a pound, which is significant for a very small dog. She is getting wonderful care and love now. I am so very thankful for that.

* I'm thankful for the place I am in life right now. Everything I went through in the past, prepared me for this wonderful present. It gave me the ability to be thankful, and not take it for granted. Ours is a simple life, but it makes us very happy. I am wonderfully thankful for that.

What are you thankful for?

Thankful Thursday 7.17.08

~~I am thankful for a teenaged son who still gives me hugs, snuggles on the sofa with me, and tells me that he loves me all the time.
~~I am thankful for a preteen daughter with a great smile and loving spirit.
~~I am thankful for a seven year old princess with a love for life and an amazing mind.
~~I am thankful for a husband who totally gets it when I have a really horrific visit from Aunt Flo, and tells me to take a hot bath and go to bed, while he takes care of everything.
~~I am thankful for my friend's healthy, brand new baby. 7 pounds, 7 ounces of beautiful baby girl!
~~I am thankful for a wonderful co-worker and friend, who has assisted me in resolving some work issues.
~~I am thankful for Weight Loss Surgery. I could not have lost 84 pounds without it. I am so glad I made this decision, and have made such a healthy change in my life.
~~I am thankful for a loving family.
~~I am thankful for being involved with a wonderful Rescue Group.
~~I am thankful for all of the things that led me to where I am right now in life.

Thankful Thursday

(From My Sassy Pants)

Where to begin? I have so much to be thankful for. I recently saw a familiar saying.
"We may not have it all together, but together, we have it all."
And it really applies to us right now.
We have a bunch of messy kids and animals. Our house is not going to be featured in a magazine any time soon. The yard needs more grass. The cars need to be traded in. I am rarely organized. I'm usually late for everything; field trip permission slips, appointments, paying bills...you name it. There's not a whole lot in the bank account. There are usually dishes in the sink. There's always laundry that needs to be done. There's pretty much always something that I need to do, but I'm procrastinating. We definitely don't have it all together!
But we have IT ALL.
We have four wonderful kids. They drive us crazy much of the time. They are opinionated, loud, funny, mischievious, curious, and very entertaining.
We have our dogs. The experience of rescuing and fostering is incredibly rewarding. I love the lesson we are teaching our children.
We have our beautiful cat, who the girls decided to take responsibility for. We did not ask, they begged to do it! They clean her litter box, and feed her twice a day. All of her supplies are in the girls' room.
We have a roof over our heads, and we love fixing up our little house, bit by bit. We have a big yard, which our kids and dogs love to play in. We love beautifying it, bit by bit. I'm working on my little garden....it's my relaxation place. Soon I'll have a pond there, and a fountain. It will be my little haven.
We have our families. My in-laws may drive me crazy sometimes, but they are incredibly loving, kind, and generous. They spoil us. They are good to my kids, for which I am incredibly thankful. We have my niece who is one of my best friends, and I am so thankful for that, and her very entertaining boyfriend. My sister, my brother, his family, my aunts and uncles and cousins (one of whom was recently featured in the paper - for a good thing! He's a sheriff). Such an amazing amount of people who love us.
We have our friends. The love and support we have from them is beyond measure.
We have everything we need, and many things we want.
We have a lot of fun and laughter.
We live in a beautiful place, with many fun things to do, and many beautiful places to visit.
We visit those places as often as we can.
We have our health, and so much happiness.
Without a doubt, we don't have it all together.
And without a doubt, together, we have it all.

Thankful Thursday 3.6.2008

From Another Chance Ranch

Today has been a little rough for me. I am on day 11 of nothing but "full liquids" and I.am.so.sick.of.it.!!! I just want to fast forward....just a little while!
But Mr Wonderful......he makes it all better.
He was so worried about me tonight, and kept trying to say encouraging things, while I curled up in the fetal position on the sofa, full of self-pity. I refused to eat (really, drink) any of the crap I've been "eating" for the last 11 days. Broth, jello, pudding. Blech! I've had enough!
He kept begging me to eat, and then finally made me some egg drop soup. (which had to be STRAINED in a fine mesh strainer. blech blech blech) I told him it was good. It kind of tasted like eggie water. But I love him so much, and he rocks for all that he does for me.
I have no idea how I'd have gotten through this surgery without him, truly. And as much as I know the whole procedure terrified him, he was so wonderful. Supportive, encouraging, and helpful. He is my rock, my cheerleader, my biggest fan, and my best friend. He has done everything while I was recovering, and encouraged me to do absolutely nothing. For the most part, I needed very little encouragement for that! It's been nice to kick back and be taken care of by the man who God put on this Earth for ME.
I am so thankful for my husband!

~Thankful Thursday~

I'm a little late, but I'm posting my Thankful Thursday any way, because I want to. I really like Thankful Thursday posts, and they way they make me think about what I'm thankful for even more than I normally would.
This Thursday, I am thankful for my job.
For a very long time, I've known that I wanted to work in the medical field. When I had children and started taking them to the pediatrician (all the freakin' time, it seemed like!), my interest really intensified. I was always floored when my friends told me their kids were sick but they couldn't remember the medications they were on or even the name of the diagnosis. I soaked in all of that like a sponge. After a while, when the kiddos got sick, I could diagnosis them and predict what meds they'd be given with amazing accuracy. If I had a prescription pad, I could've skipped the ped visits altogether! (I kid, I kid)
I myself have spent some time in the hospital; appendicitis when I was 9, major leg surgery when I was 11 after running into a glass door, and severe pneumonia when I was 13. Then, I had 3 c-sections. I've done my hospital and doctor time!
Then I had kids. My girls have always been pretty healthy, other than the normal kid stuff. But that son of mine! Tubes in his ears twice, tonsils & adenoids removed, and he banged himself up hard enough 3 times to warrant ER visits and staples or glue. And then, his Chiari decompression surgery.
Naturally, at this point, hospitals are like a second home to me.
So, at last, in October of 2006, I got a job at the biggest hospital in our town. It's a very well-known hospital and people travel from all over the place to come here. I love working here. I love saying I work here. I love almost everything about it.
I love working nights. I love the majority of my co-workers. I love what I do, and what I help others do.
And the benefits are great. The health insurance is enabling me to get my gastric bypass surgery. I can't say enough about how thankful I am to have that. Many policies exclude this surgery or make it VERY hard to get aproved. Not mine.
We get prescription discounts and they will payroll-deduct your meds. We get silly things like theme park discounts, and they payroll-deduct that, too. I love me some payroll deduction! I swear one day, I'll have no paycheck at all because I'll have already spent it. Woops!
Being here today for all of my pre-op stuff, I LOVED the feeling that I belong here. I'm 'one of them'. I'm not an outsider. And when I'm here post-op, I'll get a private room, and VIP treatment. Woot! Some of the fees and co-pays are waived, as well.
And one more thing.........they will send me to college and pay for everything, as long as it's a medical field. So hopefully, after I recover from surgery, I will be enrolling in school. I have some prerequisites to get out of the way, and then I'll start nursing school. During that time, I will work only 20 hours per week, but I will get paid for 40 hours a week. Just one more benefit of the job.
I love my job.

Thankful Thursday

Courtesy of Another Chance Ranch

I can honestly say that I am a very thankful person. I take little for granted. What we have materially, we have worked very hard for and I'm proud of it. My relationship with my husband is amazing and I rarely take it for granted for even a moment.
But I think sometimes, in my busy world, I forget to reflect on how thankful I am to have my children.
For one thing, so many couples struggle with infertility. That was not a problem at all for me, and I'm very thankful for that.
I wanted 3 children. We had 2 and thought we'd probably stop there.
Number three was the most wonderful surprise ever.
I truly can't imagine my life without my youngest child. She brings me such joy. She lights up a room. She's super smart and super funny. I am SO thankful that God sent my third child to me.
I am still amazed that I have a fifteen year old and a twelve year old. So are most people that I meet. I don't look my age. When I tell people that I have a fifteen year old, you should see the looks I get!
My son is very smart, and has his mother's sarcasm and sense of humor. I love just talking with him. He also loves Mustangs, my favorite car. I'm thankful that I have him, that he has so far grown up to be a great kid, and that he is healthy. When he was 8, he had Neurosurgery for Chiari Malformation. Some day, I'll tell that story, but that's another post for another time. But I can't even describe how thankful I am that he came through that, and right now is doing fine.
I am thankful for my Middle Child. She is my most caring child. She worries about everyone and wants everyone to be happy. She marvels over how much Mr W and I love each other. She writes "Funky loves Mr W" on our Dry-Erase boards on the fridge. She loves animals and babies. She makes friends easily and treats people with kindness.
I am thankful that later this month, I will be taking charge of my health and making some very positive changes in my life.
I am thankful for Thankful Thursday.

I am going to make another blogroll. I had a very small one, but I removed it. I'm going to put in all the blogs that I read. I know I won't be able to remember all of them at once, so it will be a work in progress. I am only doing this to be able to keep up with the blogs that I read, and so that any visitors I have can be directed to some fabulous blogs they may not have seen before. If you want to be added to my blogroll, please tell me so! Don't be shy!