Thankfulness, Day 30

Aren't you so happy this month is over?! That I will stop posting things that revolve around me and my thankfulness?!

Feel free to express how you really feel. I will below. ;)

I have a whole lot to me thankful for. I'm so blessed by my kids, husband, family, friends, job, etc.  And I will nos continue to practice it throughout the year, not just around Thanksgiving.

I am thankful too that November is over today. 

Thankfulness, Day 29

Today I am thankful for songs like:

"Don't! Don't! Don't bite your friends!"

..or

"Clean up! Clean up! Everybody do their share!"

Makes life with these two better when they don't listen.

Thankfulness, Day 28

Today I am thankful for vacation time and having two little girls to dress up in matching holiday dresses.
Today I got to pretend I was a SAHM amongst the rest of them. All while waiting in line to meet Santa in a very snooty city. We heard the Santa was better there than the one in the mall. And he was.

Due to a closed day care, I am playing SAHM. I'm not getting the things done that I had planned all weekend, but the start of my antibiotics should clear that up.

Oh and I'm thankful for my medical coverage and the ability to have phone doctor appointments while having the meds prescribed to another location within the coverage area. Zero copay and short drive!

Thankfulness, Day 26 and 27

I have been fighting a nasty cold turned sinus infection, etc. So today is my double day. ;)

I am thankful that my girls get experience the magic of Christmas! Slowly decorating the house this weekend has been very exciting for them, and me.

Happy *beginning* of the holidays!

Thankfulness, Day 25

Today I am thankful for my hard working (sales) husband. Black Friday and the days before and after are hell for him, yet he goes to work, works hard and comes home and plays with his kids. I couldn't do the job he does ... Which he does a great job at!

So if you are out shopping this weekend, please be nice to those sales people. They are exhausted.

Thankfulness, Day 24

Happy Thanksgiving! In summary, I have a lot to be thankful and I give all thanks to God. I am thankful to be in such a loving family and to have all that I have. And for this blog and my handful if readers... Thank you for reading and chiming in when you do. It really makes my day. Like more than ice cream (and that says a lot).

Have a great day! Off to wash the Pioneer Woman's brine off Miss Turkey and place her gently into the warm oven.

Thankfulness, Day 23

Today I am thankful that both girls are fever free in time for me to clean the house (like the queen is coming (my Grandma) which I learned from my mom) and cook/bake like a mad woman for Thanksgiving AND Black Friday for my husbands' crew at work.

Thankfulness, Day 22

Today I am thankful for our day care provider. She runs a home day care and loves our girls just as much as their family does! While it is just two days a week, they have learned their ABCs, 123s, lullabies and even yoga! They understand Spanish and they learned to say "agua" which is used instead of the English version.

I can never thank her enough for the love and care my girls get (along side their cousins too!). We are truly blessed!

Thankfulness, Day 21

Today I am thankful for little reminders of how important and special you are in your child's life. When life with toddlers (and two of them!) gets hectic or crazy with their newly learned skills (hello kicking/tantrums and 3-year-old attitude!), you must try and be patient and not yell or get angry.

Yesterday we had a long day with my mom. We weren't traveling with my other half of my family to the funeral in Utah. But the other half was together. We needed it.

Anyways, we had a long day and Emma was extremely tired. Falling asleep on the couch at 6 p.m. (no way Miss Little Emma Lou!) and not staying awake as propped her up in the chair at the dinner table. I got her to eat after giving her two candy corns (bad mom, I know- but I wasn't going to be up all night!), and the sugar rush got her to stay awake until we took the car ride home.

She was so upset when we got home and I put her to bed. She wouldn't stop crying or fussing. I tried Tylenol and warm milk. Back rubs. Everything.

I finally went to the old days and the old tricks to get a baby/child to sleep. I rocked her in the glider chair and whispered lullabies in her ear. That did it. And I sat there for at least 15 minutes after because I knew these times would be less and less as they get older.

It was kind of magical. That's what I'm thankful for. I have the energy/patience (sometimes) to look at the little toddler/baby things and breathe it all in. Before you know it, it's gone.

Thankfulness, Day 20

Today I am grateful for drive-thrus. Traveling isn't ever fun or excting when the time passes from minutes- to hours- to days.

You can pack snacks galore, but when it comes down to it-- when you travel, you really want to experience that taste of fast food. The thrill of drinking your ice cold soda in the car and the smell of salty-crispy french fries. And the gas station coffee station. I'm really not sure why, but I get so excited for the choices that are put in front of me at a gas station coffee station.

And once the girls were out of infant carriers and it wasn't as easy to get them in and out for the occasional coffee. Drive thrus save my sanity!

Thankfulness, Day 19

Today I am thankful for the bond of family. Whenever a life event happens, you are reminded of the bond that a family shares. You stick together like glue and all of the previous frustrations/fights/whatever disappear and you bond together to support one another.

Loosing someone to death is hard. It's always hard. Even if you were expecting it or not. It still stings and you go through the cycle of the 'grief emotions.'

Through reading blogs and witnessing the words being written about experiencing baby loss, pregnancy loss, child loss, parent loss, sibling loss; I tend to watch my words more carefully when writing or saying my condolences. I wouldn't of learned this without the blogging world. About what is proper to say without really hurting someone's feelings without knowing it.

When supporting my family during the loss of a great, wonderful man... who was my dad's brother and my favorite uncle, I have found that just offering physical/materialistic support is best. I don't want to say the wrong thing or mention how 'he's not hurting anymore' to those of my family members that were his children or wife, but traveling across states to be there to say goodbye is what matters.

The grieving loss feeling doesn't end there, it never ends. It just gets a bit easier as the hours or days or months pass by.

Thankfulness, Day 18

Today I am thankful for coffee. Yes, coffee. Love it. Have to have it. Understand now why mommies need it. It allows you to escape for one moment of smelling the aroma and tasting the caffeine your body is begging for!

Everytime we are leaving or in the car approaching the drive-thru for coffee, my girls always ask "Mommy, do you need coffee?!" And yes, darling little loves, yes, mommy needs coffee. :)

Thankfulness, Day 17

Today I am thankful for medicine. Modern medicine. OTC medicine, like the NyQuil I took last night to help me sleep. Third cold in a month and a half. Enough said. And for the tough and heart-breaking news I got last night about my dear uncle passing away (the meds helped me sleep from the cold and roughness). Please say a quick prayer for my entire family- we are all hurting over the pain of loosing someone close to us.

Thankfulness, Day 16

Today I am thankful for the girls' Nana, Papa, Papa Abuelo, GG, Papi and all of their in-law grandparents. They all love my girls almost just as much as I do and we are so overly blessed for that.

Thankfulness, Day 15

Today I am thankful for food and my love for it. (This may be a petty post, but Thanksgiving is almost here-- and it is, a holiday for eating and being thankful). I may be over weight and may over indudge when it's dessert time-- but without my love for food, I wouldn't get to experience life in a fabulous way!

My husband has taught me a lot about food. I never liked garlic or onions or spicy things and definitely not sushi-- before I met him.

Today in my Things Pinterest Made Me Do blog, I posted a fabulous and delicious recipe that takes me back to when I was in high school. Two words: Zebra Bars. Go... go check out the recipe!!! I promise you chocolate and cheesecake.

Some people are having a really tough time with finances and putting food on their tables for Thanksgiving, or dinner any night of the week. Scary Mommy is doing a great thing-- she is asking for her readers to help provide funding for half of a Thanksgiving meal, $25. If you are interested, leave a comment on this post and she will be sure to contact you (leave your e-mail with your comment).

Thankfulness, Day 13

Today I am thankful for lazy mornings in bed with cuddling and warm cups of milk.

Thankfulness, Day 12

Today I am grateful for all of the toys that are piled up in the toy box, flowing over the toy box, and the ones that have been thrown, tossed or dropped across the playroom.
I tend to realize that I keep all of these toys because I want my girls to have every single toy I wanted as a little girl that I didn't get to have. I remember. The play kitchen and all of its accessories. Dolly diapers. Over 10 dress-up dresses and more!
So cheers to cleaning out the playroom today! We're going to be battling a lot over what they need and/or don't need to keep (if they catch me- that is!) before Santa makes his way to our house.

Thankfulness, Day 11

Today I am thankful for all of the service men and women that protect our country everyday, either on U.S. ground or overseas. We take this for granted and only until we are directly effected, do we think about it.
So thank you. Thank you to everyone who has served and who is serving.
And should I be so unique to say: God bless America!

Thankfulness, Day 10

Today I am thankful for my health. I may have issues of being overweight, high blood pressure and now I may have to wear glasses all of the time. But, I am healthy. I have both legs, both arms, fingers, hearing, etc. so that I can raise my family and take care of them.

Things like that I take for granted, I will not anymore.

Thankfulness, Day 9

Today I am thankful for my job. It's really the ideal situation with a mommy with two young kids (part time SAHM) and I'm good at it (been there for six years).

And during these tough times, I am employed and blessed with medical benefits.