So, I've been gone for ten days. I thought about blogging every single day, and just couldn't do it. Been tired, aggravated, and just not in the mood. But I'm still going to come up with *gulp* ten things I'm grateful for, right now!
November 11th...I am so grateful for troops who protect our country; past and present.
November 12th...I am grateful for weekends!
November 13th...I am grateful for my church family. I've met so many wonderful people there who I just love!
November 14th...I am grateful for my job. Yes, really. I work with some very good people and I am so glad for the opportunity to work from home.
November 15th...I am grateful for the teachers my children have. Honestly, I wouldn't want to be a public school teacher...what a thankless job! So I try to be gracious whenever I come into contact with those who deal with my kiddos on a regular basis.
November 16th...I am grateful for the supposed cooler season we normally get...today it's going to be 84. Let me get my parka.
November 17th...I am grateful I live somewhere where food is plentiful and I can choose what I want to eat. Many people don't have that option.
November 18th...I am thankful for the salsa this lady at church makes. I've eaten five jars in less than two weeks, and I just bought two more jars.
November 19th...I am thankful for my children! True, they drive me crazy and leave a whole lot of mess, but I love them dearly.
November 20th...I am thankful for music. I love to listen to music throughout the day as I work.
November 21st...I am thankful for modern appliances which allow me to cook and do laundry throughout the day while I work. If not for them, I'd have to hire a maid!
I'll try to do better this week...been crazy lately.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Gratitude Day 10
Today I am incredibly grateful for the power of prayer. I received a phone call this morning from a friend regarding my two eldest children; apparently they were both boasting to a friend that they are no longer believers, and consider themselves atheists. To say I am shocked is an understatement, as I've raised my children in the church their entire lives. I immediately called Mr. R to tell him this, and we will be making some changes around the house, one of which includes cutting off our cable TV and requiring church attendance on Sundays, and possibly Wednesday nights (I had been slacking in this area.) If we don't attend church on Wednesdays, I will be starting my own Bible study with the kids in the house.
Devil, you may try to take my children, but you will not win. My house is covered in the blood of Jesus and my children belong to Him. I intend to be on my knees over this situation because my kids and their souls are absolutely precious to me. The world will not win them.
Devil, you may try to take my children, but you will not win. My house is covered in the blood of Jesus and my children belong to Him. I intend to be on my knees over this situation because my kids and their souls are absolutely precious to me. The world will not win them.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Gratitude Day 8 and Day 9
Whoops. I forgot about my gratitude post yesterday! Well, no one's perfect, right? Well, these two gratitude posts are related to each other anyway, so I guess it works out that I'm posting them together.
I want to say that I'm thankful for my body. Despite the fact that I don't feed it as well as I should, am overweight, have awful eyesight...it treats me well. I can walk, jump, run, type, and I'm rediscovering my muscles. My heart beats, my lungs breathe, my brain functions...how blessed am I! I have strong feet and legs, a butt that won't quit, a uterus which birthed three children, breasts that fed those children, arms which can hug, snuggle, hold groceries and babies. I have hands which type, therefore supporting my family, which make meals, can sew, draw, paint, take pictures. I have a mostly strong back, ears that can hear, eyes that can still see (thank you, glasses!) and hair which people envy. Yes, my body is a gift and it's my job to love it!
Which leads me to what I'm thankful for next: exercise! I have not always loved exercise, and I still can't say that I love it. But I am thankful that I'm getting back on that bandwagon. I have kept up on my running for a few months now...getting better at it. Now I started Kettleworx and my goodness it is kicking my butt, but I can feel changes. Hoping to lose some weight before I (hopefully) get pregnant next year!
I want to say that I'm thankful for my body. Despite the fact that I don't feed it as well as I should, am overweight, have awful eyesight...it treats me well. I can walk, jump, run, type, and I'm rediscovering my muscles. My heart beats, my lungs breathe, my brain functions...how blessed am I! I have strong feet and legs, a butt that won't quit, a uterus which birthed three children, breasts that fed those children, arms which can hug, snuggle, hold groceries and babies. I have hands which type, therefore supporting my family, which make meals, can sew, draw, paint, take pictures. I have a mostly strong back, ears that can hear, eyes that can still see (thank you, glasses!) and hair which people envy. Yes, my body is a gift and it's my job to love it!
Which leads me to what I'm thankful for next: exercise! I have not always loved exercise, and I still can't say that I love it. But I am thankful that I'm getting back on that bandwagon. I have kept up on my running for a few months now...getting better at it. Now I started Kettleworx and my goodness it is kicking my butt, but I can feel changes. Hoping to lose some weight before I (hopefully) get pregnant next year!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Gratitude Day 7
On a Monday, I find it especially apropos to choose COFFEE! I am a coffee lover. I mean, I. LOVE. COFFEE. I like the way it smells, I love it's taste, I like how it makes me feel. I like iced coffee, espresso, lattes...but my favorite way to have coffee is to brew a strong cup of Kona and add half and half. I go through a 1/2 gallon of half and half every two weeks. I'm ADDICTED. It's so bad that when we run out of half and half, my kids say we're having a CODE WHITE and I will knock people down to get to Publix to buy more. I will give up snacks, dinner, and paper towels before I give up my two to three cup a day habit.
This morning, I got dressed to go for my run. I ground the beans, measure the water, turned the coffee pot on, and left. When I came back, I was tired and sweaty but all I wanted was my coffee. I stood in the kitchen, kicked my Nikes off, and happily sighed as I sipped its warmth. No sugar for me in my coffee, and I was like that even before I was diagnosed with diabetes. Luckily, I haven't had to skip my habit, although my physician says I should choose decaf...but I don't even understand the point of decaf!
However, I don't just love coffee on Mondays. I have it every day. I had it when I was pregnant. I've had it when I am sick. One of my favorite things in the world is to go out with a friend, order a coffee, and sit and chat. Even Mr. R and I do that! What's funny is, my mom and sister do not drink coffee. I don't know if my biological dad did. You know who I learned my habit from? My stepmom, Pam! I was 14 when my little sister was born, and I spent three weeks with them the summer Kristin was born. Pam taught me how to brew coffee, as she was up nursing the baby a lot. That was my first experience with babies up at night; I learned to love the dark brew pretty quickly.
This morning, I got dressed to go for my run. I ground the beans, measure the water, turned the coffee pot on, and left. When I came back, I was tired and sweaty but all I wanted was my coffee. I stood in the kitchen, kicked my Nikes off, and happily sighed as I sipped its warmth. No sugar for me in my coffee, and I was like that even before I was diagnosed with diabetes. Luckily, I haven't had to skip my habit, although my physician says I should choose decaf...but I don't even understand the point of decaf!
However, I don't just love coffee on Mondays. I have it every day. I had it when I was pregnant. I've had it when I am sick. One of my favorite things in the world is to go out with a friend, order a coffee, and sit and chat. Even Mr. R and I do that! What's funny is, my mom and sister do not drink coffee. I don't know if my biological dad did. You know who I learned my habit from? My stepmom, Pam! I was 14 when my little sister was born, and I spent three weeks with them the summer Kristin was born. Pam taught me how to brew coffee, as she was up nursing the baby a lot. That was my first experience with babies up at night; I learned to love the dark brew pretty quickly.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Gratitude Day 6
Today, I am grateful for the end of Daylight Savings time. I personally think changing the clock is STOOOPID. I would rather leave it at one or the other...and I don't care which. Grateful for the extra hour of sleep (and you know that's what I did!) but I will be pretty ticked off come March when it switches back again. Sigh...ridiculous.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Gratitude Day 5
Today, I am grateful for my mom.
Cliche, maybe. But with my father being absent, and then my sister's father coming in and out of our lives from time to time, my mom was my rock. She was so much fun; she took us to parks, and roller skating. We did lots of crafting, like sewing, cooking, baking, coloring. My mom had issues in school with being "slow" as one her report cards said...but she's super smart. I'm pretty sure that if my mom were in school in modern times, she'd be diagnosed with dyslexia...she is forever mixing up letters and numbers. She graduated high school, but barely. Because of this, my mom insisted that my sister and I be exposed to books very young. We lived three blocks from a library and we went at least weekly. You know what I remember most about our library...the librarian was named Sarah Miller, just like me! We loved her so much, my sister and I would run in to hug her.
My sister and I were both voracious readers, and are to this day. One of our favorites was the Little House on the Prairie series. Fiction, books about the ocean (we lived on the ocean, so this was our world) animal books, biographies...we sucked it all in. One of my happiest days was when I was old enough for my first library card; I practiced signing my name so it would look nice on my card.
My mom kept a clean home, brought us to church, and loved us so much that she would skip meals in order to make sure we had enough food. I remember when I was about 8 or 9, she was dating a guy (I don't remember his name) and he bought her an expensive leather coat. My mom didn't have a good coat, and living in New York, it would have been appreciated. One day Mom came home crying because she had lost the coat on the subway. Her boyfriend was angry and yelled at her. I think they broke up just a few weeks later. I didn't find out until we had moved to Florida that my mom hadn't lost the coat. She took it to a consignment shop and sold it, then went to the thrift store to buy my sister and I a few bags of used clothing to get us through another winter.
That kind of love signifies to me how much my mother loves me. She is an amazing woman. And when Ken died last month, she was on vacation but still took time to listen to me cry on the phone. I am 36 years old, and I still need my mom. In fact, she is coming over in an hour and I need to get off this computer so I can do the dishes and get the kettle on. She's going to want her "cuppa tea" and it is my honor to make it for her. I love my mom!
Cliche, maybe. But with my father being absent, and then my sister's father coming in and out of our lives from time to time, my mom was my rock. She was so much fun; she took us to parks, and roller skating. We did lots of crafting, like sewing, cooking, baking, coloring. My mom had issues in school with being "slow" as one her report cards said...but she's super smart. I'm pretty sure that if my mom were in school in modern times, she'd be diagnosed with dyslexia...she is forever mixing up letters and numbers. She graduated high school, but barely. Because of this, my mom insisted that my sister and I be exposed to books very young. We lived three blocks from a library and we went at least weekly. You know what I remember most about our library...the librarian was named Sarah Miller, just like me! We loved her so much, my sister and I would run in to hug her.
My sister and I were both voracious readers, and are to this day. One of our favorites was the Little House on the Prairie series. Fiction, books about the ocean (we lived on the ocean, so this was our world) animal books, biographies...we sucked it all in. One of my happiest days was when I was old enough for my first library card; I practiced signing my name so it would look nice on my card.
My mom kept a clean home, brought us to church, and loved us so much that she would skip meals in order to make sure we had enough food. I remember when I was about 8 or 9, she was dating a guy (I don't remember his name) and he bought her an expensive leather coat. My mom didn't have a good coat, and living in New York, it would have been appreciated. One day Mom came home crying because she had lost the coat on the subway. Her boyfriend was angry and yelled at her. I think they broke up just a few weeks later. I didn't find out until we had moved to Florida that my mom hadn't lost the coat. She took it to a consignment shop and sold it, then went to the thrift store to buy my sister and I a few bags of used clothing to get us through another winter.
That kind of love signifies to me how much my mother loves me. She is an amazing woman. And when Ken died last month, she was on vacation but still took time to listen to me cry on the phone. I am 36 years old, and I still need my mom. In fact, she is coming over in an hour and I need to get off this computer so I can do the dishes and get the kettle on. She's going to want her "cuppa tea" and it is my honor to make it for her. I love my mom!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Gratitude Day 4
I haven't run out of ideas yet! Today, I'm grateful for technology. I know what you're probably thinking...whaaaa??? Yes! I can't even imagine how truckers wives ran their lives before cell phones. My hubby and I speak with each other sometimes 10 times a day! I think I talk to him more when he's in his truck than when he is home! Not only that, but today he called me, lost. He doesn't have a GPS in his truck (truck GPS's are around $1000) so he called me and I google mapped him out of his abyss. Ahhh, the knowledge is right at your fingertips! Because TRUST ME, you don't want me to find anything with a regular map. You're better off wandering around in a circle than using me as a navigator!
Wanna see what I did last week?
Wanna see what I did last week?
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| This is what I wore to a department meeting. Those are two earrings holding my top together. And I'm ticked because I lost one! |
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| I glared at the papparazzi... |
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| I went carb crazy at the bake sale... |
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| I managed to avoid these delectable goodies... |
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| But I ate the entire jar of large salsa. By myself. In one day. I'm not even ashamed. |
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| I made these delicious (and way too sweet) raspberry sandwich cookies... |
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| And I made these amazing orange marmalade cookies, too! |
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| I did eat some caramel and mocha fudge. Sigh. It was good. |
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| And I got to babysit Miss Olivia! |
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| My arms need a baby in them! |
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| And I did a whole lot of this. Have you? |
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Gratitude Day 3
SLEEP. I am talking about perfect temperature. Clean sheets. Perfect pillows. PJs which are not too tight, not too warm, and won't give wedgies. (by the way...as much as I love dresses and skirts, I DO NOT LIKE nightgowns. They ride up while I sleep and then I feel like my butt is hanging out and I do not like the idea of accidentally mooning my kids if they walk into my room, so I stick to PJ bottoms.) No TV blaring, no radio, just the whir of a fan, me and my bed. No alarm clock, no bad dreams, no reason to get up in the morning except my natural body clock waking me when I'm good and ready. I...LOVE...SLEEP. I tend to feel sorry for people who tell me they only need 4 to 5 hours of sleep per night. Pity, really. Beds are warm and comfy and so pleasant. If I were any animal, I'd be a cat. They sleep a lot. I envy them.
I am grateful for evenings when I get to fall asleep in my husband's warm arms. I'm also grateful for the nights when he's not here, and I get the bed (and remote) to myself. I am so blessed that I don't tend to suffer with insomnia. But on the nights that I have, I can completely relate to those who suffer with it on a regular basis. I really love my daily schedule which allows me to get into bed by 10pm for the most part. When I talk to people who brag about staying up until 4am, I'm not jealous. I wonder what's wrong with them. I figure if someone is up at 4am, they either have a newborn, or a crack addiction. Or a 3rd shift job.
Last night was one of those nights when I actually prepared for a good night of sleep. Mr. R finally left on a run to NC (phew...it's getting tight around here again.) I fluffed the sheets. Rearranged pillows. My kids had no school today (standardized testing for grades other than theirs, so I kept them home instead of sending them in to school so they can sit in one classroom for five hours being quiet.) So I didn't set my alarm. Instead, I rolled over, went to sleep, and woke up on my own at about 6:30. I had about 8.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. It was heavenly!
I am grateful for evenings when I get to fall asleep in my husband's warm arms. I'm also grateful for the nights when he's not here, and I get the bed (and remote) to myself. I am so blessed that I don't tend to suffer with insomnia. But on the nights that I have, I can completely relate to those who suffer with it on a regular basis. I really love my daily schedule which allows me to get into bed by 10pm for the most part. When I talk to people who brag about staying up until 4am, I'm not jealous. I wonder what's wrong with them. I figure if someone is up at 4am, they either have a newborn, or a crack addiction. Or a 3rd shift job.
Last night was one of those nights when I actually prepared for a good night of sleep. Mr. R finally left on a run to NC (phew...it's getting tight around here again.) I fluffed the sheets. Rearranged pillows. My kids had no school today (standardized testing for grades other than theirs, so I kept them home instead of sending them in to school so they can sit in one classroom for five hours being quiet.) So I didn't set my alarm. Instead, I rolled over, went to sleep, and woke up on my own at about 6:30. I had about 8.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. It was heavenly!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Gratitude Day 2
Today I want to say that I'm grateful to have such a wonderful man in my life, Mr. R. He loves the Lord, is a hard worker, loves being a dad. He does laundry, dishes, he can cook, he gardens and will protect us to the death. Our kids simply adore him; they still clamor around him and yell "Daddy, Daddy" when he comes home. He also grew up with no father figure; but instead of using that as an excuse to be an absent dad, he learned from it and is now such a wonderful father. As he gets older, I only find him sexier. He truly is my best friend. I call him when I'm upset, or happy, or just want to tell him what I am making for dinner. Here are ten things I love about Mr. R:
1) he encourages me in my walk with the Lord.
2) he refills my vitamin tray when he's home
3) he will make me an omelet with green peppers even though he hates the smell of them
4) when I am sick (and he happens to be home) he will take over all household duties; there is no such thing as "women's work" to him, he does it all!
5) he compliments me when he likes what I'm wearing
6) and he will tell me if he doesn't like what I'm wearing, but not in a mean way.
7) we made three gorgeous kids together!
8) he is such a hard worker; even when he has time off work, he rarely just sits. He is always doing something.
9) he is not afraid to be silly or romantic with me, even in front of other people.
10) he loves ME...which I like. A lot!
1) he encourages me in my walk with the Lord.
2) he refills my vitamin tray when he's home
3) he will make me an omelet with green peppers even though he hates the smell of them
4) when I am sick (and he happens to be home) he will take over all household duties; there is no such thing as "women's work" to him, he does it all!
5) he compliments me when he likes what I'm wearing
6) and he will tell me if he doesn't like what I'm wearing, but not in a mean way.
7) we made three gorgeous kids together!
8) he is such a hard worker; even when he has time off work, he rarely just sits. He is always doing something.
9) he is not afraid to be silly or romantic with me, even in front of other people.
10) he loves ME...which I like. A lot!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Gratitude Journal
So I've seen many facebookers declare the month of November "Gratitude Month" and for every day, they're going to say something that they are grateful for. I think this is a wonderful idea, but I'm going to do it here on my blog instead of on fb.
For my very 1st post, I want to say that I'm grateful for the cross. To think that Jesus would die for ME...and he would have done it for just me, and not all of humanity....humbles me completely and warms the very depth of my soul. I am so blessed that Jesus is not some guy in a storybook, or a myth, but a living Savior who cares about my every issue. Even during my despair after my father's death, I knew He was there for me. Jesus, I love YOU so much!
For my very 1st post, I want to say that I'm grateful for the cross. To think that Jesus would die for ME...and he would have done it for just me, and not all of humanity....humbles me completely and warms the very depth of my soul. I am so blessed that Jesus is not some guy in a storybook, or a myth, but a living Savior who cares about my every issue. Even during my despair after my father's death, I knew He was there for me. Jesus, I love YOU so much!
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