being thankful

Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in the daily grind and we forget to appreciate all of the blessings we have in our lives. Paul and I often talk about it. Thank goodness we have what we need. Thank goodness we have jobs, reliable cars, a nice home, our children and grandchildren, each other.

I think we’re pretty thankful on a day-to-day basis. Part of that comes from sometimes not having all of those things that we now have. Through hard work, we do okay. Thank goodness. Since this is thanksgiving week I'm especially thinking about everything that I am thankful for.

I'm thankful for my children. They are trying hard to establish their own lives and families, but they stay connected to Paul and I on a regular basis.

My parents and family...I was so blessed to have a mother and father who loved us, took good care of us, took us to church on Sundays, and taught us love, respect, and compassion. I know they don't always seem completely normal, and sometimes they drive me crazy, but they’re all good hearted people and I love them.

I'm thankful for my husband. I'm thankful for his strengths, and also his weaknesses. I'm thankful that he's honest, loyal, responsible, disciplined, and that he's such a great father to our kids. He loves me and he loves our children. He's good and decent and has a huge heart and sometimes endless sense of humor.

I’m thankful for my home. I love being home more than anything else. Its certainly got its issues, like a furnace that doesnt work at the moment, but Im so thankful we're having mild weather this week and that we have a woodstove if we need it.

I'm so thankful for grandchildren. I miss Kaylee so much, but am thankful that we live near Ethan and can see him on a regular basis. This love is so different than raising our own children. Maybe its that I'm older and appreciate how fast they grow up.

….And I'm also thankful for all the little things in life, my dog, my friends both online and locally, GeekSquad who helped me get Pauls computer running again last night, and last but not least, my new refrigerator :-)

Happy thanksgiving everyone.

what extra hour of sleep?

Macie doesnt have a reset button, so she woke up at her same time... only today it was an hour earlier ... thats just great.

On a normal weekend she wakes us up between 6 and 7. Today it was between 5 and 6.

Daylight savings time should be abolished. really.

What is the point anyway?

I really dislike going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark.

Way to make a bad season even worse.

speaking of starbucks

I pick one of these up on my way out the door everytime....

They are great for your garden.

Feeling fall-ish?

This chai tea concentrate is really good and its much faster than running through the Starbucks drive through. Just add equal parts of concentrate and milk. Pop it in the microwave and thats it. I think its a little spicier than the chai tea latte that you get at Starbucks. You can add some frothed milk on top if you want.

And to have with it, its always good to have a fresh out of the oven gingerbread cookie. This mix makes it super easy too. For an added bonus, the house smells wonderful too.

Fall in an instant....and all for about the price of one Grande Starbucks Chai Tea Latte and a slice of pumpkin bread

remember that scene in ET where ET hides in the closet with the stuffed animals?

I was looking for Macie the other morning. I looked upstairs and downstairs.

I looked in everyone of her sleeping spots.

Then I happen to see a movement under the kitchen table where her toy box is.
This is were she was laying, quite content to hang out with her toys

every.single.day

you are missed

...but none more than today.

There are places I remember all my life,
Though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain.
All these places have their moments
Of lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I loved them all. (The Beatles)

We love you Justin

RIP

happy anniversary

to the silly

the sweet

the funny

the totally cuteman I married.

Love you