Giving Thanks

As November comes to an end, I love to reflect on all I have to be thankful for. It can be so easy to get caught up in the pile of dishes by the sink, in the sea of toys on the floor in the basement, or on the tantrum one of the kids just started throwing that I often forget just how thankful I actually am to be going through each and every one of those "problems" I have on the daily. 

I'm thankful for the pile of dishes by the sink, because it means my family is getting fed. Eric and I work our butts off to put food on the table for our family. And those dishes means that its working. We have food. Is it always a 5 course meal? Absolutely not. Some nights it's more of a frozen pizza vibe, you gotta have a little give and take. We have family time at the table. We have "please" and "thank you" and "oh that's so yummy". A few "I don't like that", "get that off my plate", and "can I just have chips?" in there too. But we are fed.

I'm thankful for the sea of toys on the floor in the basement. For one, that means that they aren't upstairs in our living room ha! But it also means that we have a house with a basement, one we helped design and build (and will be paying for for forever, but I digress). We have laughter and giggles and dress up and destruction. Our house is filled with fun.

I'm thankful for the tantrums. For the tearful "mommy up" and the whiny "Wait for me, I want to hold your hand!". We prayed for years and years (7 years to be exact) to finally hear all those whines and screams and tears that can overwhelm us on the regular. But when I really think about it, hearing those sounds is so much better than hearing the silence that we were so used to. 

This Thanksgiving, I was reminded of how thankful I am for us. We may be a hot mess 97% of the time, but it's my hot mess, and I can't ask for more than that. 

Season of Thanks

When November rolls around, you can't help but feel a little extra thankful for what you've got. Maybe it's the cooler weather keeping us all inside together, or the family gatherings we are attending, or maybe it's none of that at all. Maybe it's just a good time to sit back and reflect on the good that God has blessed us with before the craziness of December hits. Regardless, I'm feeling a little thankful today.

Thankful for this beautiful house we built, knowing our kids' memories will come from growing up inside (and out of) these walls. And extra thankful for the garage that allows me to load and unload all the things without the threat of any type of weather.

Thankful for Brayden, lover of all things dinosaurs, tractors, monsters, and diggers. And Katie, I can't forget how much he loves Katie. Thankful for how much he loves his momma, even though at times I wished he loved me a little less. I'm already dreading when he no longer needs my kiss to make his owies feel better or wants to snuggle up on the couch to watch a movie. I'm thankful for his love of books and music- the boy can sure bust a move.

 

 

Thankful for Ashley, the queen of independence. She might be a tattle tale (Brayden does everything bad in our house ha!), but she's smart, and loving, and ornery as can be. I'm thankful for her desire to try new things, and how much she loves a hug and kiss before you leave or when she's going to bed. She's already grown up so much in the past month with not wanting me to tuck her in at night (shutting the door herself if a huge deal right now), so I need to do everything I can to keep her little forever. 

 

        

Thankful for Katie, our "golden child" and true ray of sunshine. Thankful that she loves to smile, and giggle, and let Brayden smother her with his love (and feet. He loves to put his feet on her for some reason). Her face lights up when you walk into the room and say hello to her, and she is learning and growing every day. 

 

Thankful for our families. They have always stepped up when we needed it, whether it be for a sick kid, to let Eric and I have a kid free night out, or just loving them with their whole heart. I know I'll never be able to repay them for all that they do for us. 

Thankful for friends. The ones who we see often. The ones who we only see a few times a year but talk to much more than that. True friendship is a rarity, and I believe we've struck gold with ours. 

Thankful for Eric and this life we've built together. It's far from perfect, but it's ours. All the craziness, all the grief, all the laughter, all the love. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Oh, and I can't forget good ol' Photoshop. I'm eternally grateful for that for allowing me to have somewhat decent family photos ha!

And for all of that, I'm Thankful.

Thankful

It's December, so I guess it's time for my November/Thanksgiving post, right? Maybe one day I'll be on top of things and blog in a timely matter. Today, however, is not that day.

I'm extra thankful for my two crazies, Brayden and Ashley. They brought a light I didn't know was missing in myself and have helped heal the holes left by Ian, Madison, and Jordan. 

We spent basically the whole month of November together due to me having Covid and the kids having to quarantine, so we really got to enjoy the nice weather that November gave us. We spent as much time as we could outside, because let's face it, when it gets colder I am not dragging my butt out there to play with them. We walk whenever we can, and Brady and Ashley have loved finding leaves, sticks, rocks, and dirt to play in and with. 

We were even blessed with some cold November puddles for them to splash in. The little things. 

And when we couldn't be outside, we made the most of our time inside too. I'm thankful that though our house is small, it has served us well through life so far.

Ashley has still be obsessed with her baby doll, and Brayden has drawn a liking to the stuffed monkey we got as a joke for a wedding present. That poor monkey has waited 8 years to be truly played with, but Brady is making up for it. It's been a favorite cuddle buddy when he goes to sleep now.

I'm thankful for Eric and our families. We somehow managed to not get a family picture at Thanksgiving this year, but we enjoyed all the food, family, and fun the holiday had to offer.

I'm also thankful for a basement! We watched as our house went from stakes, to a hole, to basement walls, and we've enjoyed having a front row seat to the action. 

I hope that the Thanksgiving holiday left you filled with happiness and all the pumpkin pie your stomach can handle. I know that it did for us. Now we get to look forward to seeing Christmas happen through Brayden and Ashley's eyes, and we can't wait!

Best Friends are Good for the Soul

I read a quote recently that said, "A good friend knows all your best stories. A best friend helped you write them." As I look back at all my best stories, I can't help but notice that these three girls are in practically all of them. (And if you didn't realize that by now you haven't been reading my blog long, ha!) Seriously, though. These three girls are the definition of a best friend. So you can imagine my excitement when the four of us all got together this past weekend for some quality girl time.

The weekend was filled with so many laughs, a few tears, and all the love you can imagine. And of course yummy food. And rain, can't forget all the rain ha! We even fit in an escape room and rescued the Mona Lisa (which Kendra and I both agreed was way bigger than the original painting).

I'm already looking forward to the next time we can all get together. By then we will have another baby to add to our bunch! Here's to many more weekends with these girls, writing the best stories of our lives together <3

Thankful

Thankful. Around this time each year, people all over the world reflect on what they are thankful for in the past year. This year is no different. In fact, this year I feel like my little family has even more to be thankful for!

Every day I am thankful for the man I call my best friend, my soul-mate, and the person who can put a smile on my face no matter what mood I'm in- Eric. (Even though this year I'm not too thankful for the facial hair he has been sporting for No-Shave November!) When I count my blessings, I definitely count this guy twice. I know he is going to be the best dad to our little nugget. 

This year especially, I am more than thankful for our families. Both of our families so graciously opened up their homes to us when we made the decision to move home. Did they have to do that? No. Will Eric and I forever be in their debt because of it? Absolutely. We can't ever repay you guys for all that you did for us this past summer, but please know that we very much appreciated everything.

And on that note, I'm thankful that Eric and I were able to both find jobs that we love that allowed us to move back home. Each day we talk about how nice it is to be home. I don't think that will ever change!

I think I speak for both Eric and I when I say we are thankful for our puppy, Bailey. She may get on our nerves at times with her biting and jumping, but nothing can replace that feeling of her on your lap giving you a big lick on the cheek or the leg hug she gives you as you are walking away.

Another thing we have the privilege of being thankful for is our own house! That's right, you heard me-Eric and I are officially homeowners (well, as of this Tuesday afternoon we will be). We have been unpacking and organizing things all week. Only a few boxes left!

Our friends have always been a huge a part of our lives, and this year is no different. They are always there to laugh with, cry with, and just be there when you need them. I'm extra thankful that I have the opportunity to be pregnant with two of my best friends, Kendra and Ashley, and that my best friend Kaci will get to be the honorary aunt to all of our kids. 

The thing I am most thankful for this year is the little bun in my oven :) Words can't express how I feel about the opportunity that God gave me to bring another human being into this world. Eric and I are already so lucky, and our baby isn't even here yet!

But for now, it's back to watching my Sunday night shows and maybe-just maybe-unpack a few more boxes. Those last few boxes seem to take forever to get through!