Thankful Thursday

can't remember the last time I did a TT post, so it's way overdue!!  and appropriate on the coat tails of our worship service at church last night.  So...

1.) I'm thankful for air-conditioning.  oh my word it is so hot in Alabama right now.  I just want to whine about it.  anyone else?

2.)  for kids who are healthy, smart and (usually) happy.  such a blessing, these little devils  are.  even in the times that they make me question what I was thinking by having them, I wouldn't change a thing.  I am fully aware that it can always change in the blink of an eye.

3.)  So thankful for Daddybird's job.  He's had steady work for 13 years and we've been fortunate enough for me to stay home with all of the babybirds.  In this age when jobs aren't a guarantee, I'm exceedingly grateful.

4.)  health.  we're reasonably healthy.  we've (obviously) never been hungry or had any major health problems.  How 'bout this?  Luke is going on 10 years antibiotic free!!

5.)  i'm thankful we have a home big enough (even if we feel a little cramped sometimes...only from our abundant blessings) for us that we can afford. if we can love them and feed them and shelter them, a good part of our job as parents is taken care of.  Bonus that they let us live here, too.

6.)  my church family.  we are part of a church the truly tries to show Jesus to the world, not just other Christians.  i'm not only thankful, but proud to be a part of that.

7.)  friends.  so glad we can meet up with people we've loved for years, whether it's for a week, a night or even a lunch hour and stay connected.  God has blessed us with such special people in our lives and I know it's because we found each other through Him.

There is more.  So much more.  But I'm not feeling exceptionally thankful for the Maggie moo's & hot sun at the moment (stick with Pop Ice, people), so I'll leave you with this:

Thankful Thursday, Surviving to Thriving

The kids have been out of school for about 3 weeks and all I have to say is that I'm so glad we aren't committed to being a lot of places and doing a lot of things this summer.  I'm thankful that we are going to get lots of play time - free time, time to just be - these next couple of months.

I love making the summer fun list every year and watching it grow as my children do (2013, 2012, 2011).  I'm thankful that we seem to have hit what I call the "sweet spot" in the last year or so.  Don't get me wrong.  That sweet spot doesn't in any way refer to the fact that we've finally, after only nine years of parenting, gotten everything figured out.  Oh, no.  That couldn't be further from the truth.  What I mean is that after nine years of parenting, we are no longer carrying a diaper bag, because no one is in diapers (and hasn't been for a really almost 3 years.)  And we no longer have to break up our activities while on vacation to plan around naps because no one requires one anymore (sadsadsad).  And while we do still have to take food with us to some places (because my kids are picky), it's not necessary.  We can pretty much pick up and do and go wherever we want to, whenever we want to.  I am so thankful to be in that season of life.  What I've only realized in the last couple of months (the ones that happen to be our busiest) is that we are entering a new phase of parenting, one that if we don't grab it by the horns and commit to being fully there, we'll miss it.  It will go by as quickly, if not quicker, than the last nine years have. 

You see, for almost a decade, to get us to this point, we have been in that season of parenthood called surviving (can I get an Amen?).  We survived on fewer hours of sleep, fewer brain cells (no thanks, pregnancy), fewer left over dollars (if any), remnants of sanity fueled only by cheerios and bites of chicken nuggets or niblets of hotdogs that have been skinned and cut into a million pieces.  We've done our time wearing pee, wiping poop and smelling like puke.  We've tasted baby fruits and chased down bottles left in the van after the previous trip to Wal-Mart.  We've felt guilty for going to church only to have to leave early because a nap was needed and they'd only ever sleep in their own beds.  We've clapped over first steps and yelled over masterpieces drawn on walls.  We've made it and, somehow - surely only by the good Lord's hand - so have they.

But now, we have to transition from the season of surviving into thriving.  Oh, I know we'll still have some surviving to do.  I mean, we are on the precipice of those dreaded teen years (Lord, give me strength!)  I have realized that there will be a year when I have an 18 year old son (you know, the one who'll know everything and think he's so big because he'll be on the way to college), a 16 year old son (I just don't even know that the Alabama highways will ever be ready for that child), and a 13 year old daughter (drama & hormones...kind of like now, but on mega doses of steroids) all living in one house.  Please have mercy. 

What I mean is that when we first start out, I think we do a lot of "reactive" parenting.  Yes, there are some instances that you plan for.  You have to.  But really, until you bring one of those little cave people home with you...how much do you really know?  Nothing.  And we've all looked at our parents and their coy smiles and thought (or maybe cried), "Are you kidding me with this?  Why didn't you tell me parenting would be like this?"  Why, indeed.  It's because nothing could have prepared us.  And so we wing it.  We react and figure it out as we go.  We make mistakes.  We learn.  (It's totally why God makes kids so resilient.  They survive just like we do, lol!)

But you make it to a point to where all your kids know to rest when they're tired.  They know the "urge" when to go to the bathroom (and even when they can go alone in some places).  They know when they're hungry and can even fix SOMETHING to eat and drink on their own.  They don't walk out into the middle of the street completely naked or open the door to strangers. 

So now what?  Now comes the really hard part.  Getting into a different mindset so that you can let them go one day.  We can't merely survive these next pivotal years. We have to figure out how to thrive so that they will, too.

I'm thankful to be done with some of the stress that comes with the tiny years.  I'm thankful that, right now, we get to experience the joy (and even heartache) that comes with trying new things and meeting new people in these little years.  I'll be thankful for all the frustration that has and will come with all of the years when they've left my nest because I have no doubt that they'll grow up and one day, finally get it (gasp!  My mama wasn't a complete moron!)

So while the foundations and routines and habits we've instilled in them to get here are important, these next years are even more so.  I have no idea how we'll survive it.  But I hope we do it while thriving.

I was chosen just for them.  They were chosen just for me.  I've lost precious friends too young, too soon, who've had no choice in leaving littles behind.  I don't mind sounding a little bit selfish when I say I want to be the one to experience the thriving years with these three who have been entrusted to the Mr. and me.  I'm thankful for last season and I'm thankful for this new one.  I hope the plan is for me to see and experience many more seasons to come.

thankful thursday

Thank you will never be enough to say for all of the prayers and thoughts and words you have sent up for me and for the Griffies family.
I'm thankful for:

• laundry, dirty dishes and piles of toys
• getting to be here to take care of all of those things
• my hubs whom I adore. everything about that man makes me giddy and lovesick today
• a God who gives us a home in Heaven and gives me another day to try to 'get it right'
• curly red hair, straight copper penny hair, and curly golden brown hair and the heads all of that hair resides on. i'll sniff it and run my fingers through it every day.
• friends who pray for you and for families they don't know
• that i knew susan. she was a good friend, a wonderful wife, mom and Christian. she was also a wicked prankster! there are too many laughs to count.

thankful thursday

well, while we are still in the throws of "the 16 (going on 17) months" around here...




she is still an angel. see that halo??

she doesn't fight fair at all. how am i supposed to resist that face??

thankful thursday::southern style

a few thoughts have come to me over the last few weeks about why i am thankful i live in the south. i figured i'd post 'em.

i'm thankful i can use yall's as a possessive. as in "it that yall's truck?" and it doesn't sound weird. well, at least not to me.

i'm thankful i live in an area of the country where people still pull off on the side of the road when there is a funeral procession. it's just respectful and it gives you an opportunity to say a quick prayer for people you don't even know.

speaking of respect, i'm thankful that around here, people don't think it's crazy to teach your kids to say "ma'am" and "sir". it's actually kind of expected. again, it's just respectful (even if your own kids can't seem to get a grasp on it.)

as much as i love some restaurants, i'm thankful that there are some that are closed on sunday...ON PURPOSE.

i took this picture outside of Lawler's BBQ where i live. you all know Chick-fil-a is also closed on sundays so that their employees can have a chance to worship with their families. i love it.

i'm thankful that when i go to someone's house and say you'd like tea to drink, it's gonna be sweet. i do not understand unsweetened tea (except for diabetics)...or hot tea. i like mine sweet and on the rocks please.

i'm thankful to live somewhere people will still tell you "have blessed (read bless-ed) day.

and something that i'm missing right now...my precious boiled peanuts. (by the way, the ones in this picture are the best. they are small and a little bit purple and a little sweet. soooo good.)

i endured a cold ball game this past weekend and called my brother to "give him a blessing" of my own. see, my SILs family is able to grow their own. they have no shortage. if you live above montgomery, you ain't gettin' any REAL boiled peanuts. infact, most people probably haven't even heard that you could do such a thing to a peanut. (it's strange to live in alabama and still sometimes feel like you are a yankee. no offense to my northern readers.) see, we have red clay up here...and that doesn't seem to be conducive to peanut growing nor white field pea growing for that matter. but that's a sadness to be shared in the summertime. ANYWAY, all that so say, i'm thankful i have access...even if i have to wait until thanksgiving to collect.

thankful thursday

i'm thankful everything went great with ACs procedure yesterday. I'm also glad that cold held off until today to get fired up. hopefully she'll go through it quicker than the rest of us.

i'm thankful that i get to see 2 of my besties this weekend. i have missed them a little too much and not told them nearly enough.

i'm thankful i can see my kitchen counters again. i was starting to wonder.

i'm thankful i have friends who let me shove baby stuff on them. nothing excites me more than sending out packages. and although my wallet doesn't love the postage, i always secretly wish i could be packed in every one of them to see reactions. clearly the best part. i just love random gift giving. it is way too fun. and within the next week, i will be sending out SEVEN!!!

i'm thankful for frivilous girly stuff. i have mentioned before that i don't get boys. don't get them at all. cave creatures, the whole lot. girls, i get. i FINALLY did a little shopping for my BFs daughter/my niece basically and she is luke's age. it is the 3rd trip i have made and finally forced myself to make a decision. the pink aisle is a good place to be again.

speaking of girly stuff...i am thankful for writers of all things FICTIONAL teen angst. two words (before the awesomeness that was 90210 and saved by the bell)...DAWSON'S CREEK. hello, one of my all time faves. (unfortunately, since noggin took it off of reruns, i had to get into gilmore girls. hey, i have to distract myself while ironing or folding clothes. can't help it.) anyway, right now i am reading the TWILIGHT saga. i said i didn't think i'd be into it due to the vampire stuff. i'm saying it now. in all caps. bookmark it. I. WAS. COMPLETELY. WRONG!!!! i have a little vampire crush on edward cullen because he says things like "you are utterly indecent. no one should look so tempting. it's not fair." and "you smell so good in the rain." WHAT??? who says that? a teenage 100 year old vampire made up by a woman. that's who. don't judge. my hubby completely knows i am feeling that way right now. and i'm calling him out. he has read the books already. and because of that, i now love him more. i'm sure i could find a cullenism to put there for how much. but my pizza rolls are ready.

thanks for all the prayers and thoughts for lil sis. yall are my B(log)BFFs.

thankful thursday

i am thankful that i serve a faithful and forgiving God. if i didn't, there would be no hope.

i am thankful that my monica is pregnant. for some, the road to a family is a bumpy one. but again, my God is faithful.

i am thankful that while we are cramped, we have a roof over our heads. it fills our needs and we have no problem affording it.

i am thankful that my children are happy and healthy and brilliant. each child is exactly what i wanted and needed to make me who i am and to make me whole.

i am thankful that my husband has a job and is such a wonderful provider for us. we never go without and we often have more than we need. he always comes home from hard days full of love and time to give each of us. he is exactly what i need.

i am thankful that we have family that we love and who love us. i wish we could spend more time with them.

i am thankful for my new job. i haven't even started yet, but i am soooo greatful to have an outlet for my nursing brain that will also allow me to be home. no guilt, no babysitters, and wiggle room in the budget. who wouldn't be completely thankful for that??

i am thankful for the blogosphere. without it, i may not be who i am now. with it, i can have a better chance at becoming that proverbs 31 woman. i learn more about making our house a home in so many ways. thank you for teaching me how to be better.

thankful thursday-a foot in the "Graves"...

maybe that wasn't the best title. some of you may worry. So I went to the doctor today. I already knew what she would say. As a nurse, you tend to know too much to no know enough. Does that make sense to only me and the nurses who read this, or do you get what i'm sayin'? The diagnosis is Graves Disease. (Basically it's autoimmune hyperthyroidism or overactive thyroid.) We are completely baffled about it because other than maybe 2 symptoms, I have classic symptoms of hypothyroidism, meaning an underactive thyroid. It was caught really early!! It doesn't seem to be related to postpartum how we thought it might be because my antibodies are way too hight for that. And it doesn't seem to be an acute form (because sometimes a virus can cause the same thing to happen) because a different portion of my blood work wasn't elevated enough to suggest that. So what do I do? Fairly simple. I continue to take the medicine that protects my heart. And I will be started on an antithyroid medication probably at the beginning of next week. I'll have to continue to have my levels monitored because there is no perfect maintenance dosage. The thyroid is a booger like that. I have been through a jillion thyroid medications with my patients enough to know it is trial and error and what works for a while may not always be the case. This medication does have the potential to suppress my bone marrow, so that is another thing that will be closely monitored. This medicine may be taken for 6 months, maybe 2 years. You just don't know. I DO know that if it doesn't go into a euthyroid (normal) or hypothyroid (low) state in 2 years, then we will do something more permanent. That would be to sock the cells with radioactive iodine to kill those cells, which will probably make me be hypothyroid the rest of my life. But that also can be fixed with a pill. There is a certain test she could run to check on the thyroid right now, but i would have to be away from my kids for 2-3 days. And I don't have that kind of time right now. But she said she would give me the same treatment no matter what it said. But next week I will go have an ultrasound done to see if anything like a hot spot shows up. She repeated my bloodwork today just for a confirmation. So, my 30 year old self has to start taking daily medication, multiple times a day.

and so today, since it is thankful thursday, i am thankful that it is a fairly simple diagnosis.
I am thankful that i was sick a few weeks ago and went to the doctor when i normally would have just rode it out.
I am thankful for western medicine. I will always be thankful for that!
I am thankful that I have friends who have prayed for me and will continue to pray for me. (Because i would LOVE it if this can be taken care of with medicine only and without any kind of radioactive treatment!)
I am thankful that I have a doc who errs on the side of being overly cautious.
I am thankful for God's perfect timing (even though I don't always realize that it IS PERFECT.) If I would have had this earlier, I may not have been able to get pregnant with my precious angel girl and also may have had complications with that pregnancy. He knew just what I needed...LIKE ALWAYS!

and that's it!! you are welcome to ask any question that you want. I think we all know I'm an open book.

thankful i'm a stalker

i am so glad i'm a stalker. because i read tara's blog, i found angie's blog, who led me to brandi's blog and big mama's blog (see i told yall i have serious issues.) anyway, because i'm such a loyal stalker, i found out that is is being declared the year of the scarf. SOOOOOOO glad i knew. so i marched my hiney to walmart for said $5 dollar scarves and proceded to buy 4. see, i have a hard time with scarves. i had 2 given to me that were knitted. wellllll, i'm not good with the knitted kind. they itch me to death. i am CERTAIN i would NOT make a good sheep. i'd be on benedryl for being allergic to myself. however, these cotton scarves are THE BEST. they are thin so they aren't too hot. and on a day like today that was great for just a long sleeve tee but there was some wind, it was PERFECT!! and i will go on record as saying that i was looking super fly walking out of the dr's office, into walmart and into MMO in my long sleeve tee, my scarf, my big glasses and my flippy new do. i felt like a cute mama today. not like the worn out one i usually am by the time thursday gets here.

so friends, i am a PROUD stalker because this time, it has kept me in the know!! hillary, go get ya one and wear it on our girl date next week. we'll take pics! (if yall made it through all of those links, i will whip you up a blog merrit badge for also being a proud stalker!!)

why am i thankful that it's thursday???

so glad you asked. this is why...

because i will get to see some folks this weekend that i rarely get to see and i will be uninterrupted in doing so.

that means, i'm going somewhere without my kiddos (that should be read with a heel kick at the end.)

the boys are at preschool right now and sister is napping. there is no tv on. i can only hear the clock ticking and my keyboard clicking. SWEET!!

my heater is working and that is a good thing since when i woke up this morning it was 19 with a wind chill of 6. thank you my little american standard.

the heater in my van works. see above.

i made the reservation for our beach trip last night. now i have something to look forward to and to day dream about. (sis will turn ONE on that trip!!)

i ordered an embroidered insulated tote and an embroidered umbrella from harriette this week. she did it that day and also surprised me with a few extra goodies (including a matching wheeled tote that i am gonna use tomorrow night and for my ladie's retreat in march.) she is tooooooo good to me!! i'm so glad i have a friend like her. she feeds my habit.

earlier this week, i looked out my kitchen window, where i see some of the best sunsets, and saw that my 5 little...well, this year they are BIG...white tailed friends are back. it's truly an amazing sight and i take pics and video nearly every time. i wonder if the makers of "planet earth" would like my footage.

Thankful Thursday

i am thankful...
1. that the polyps "appear" benign. will know in a week.
2. that my christmas tree twinkles. it's not a rhythmic blink. just a light that twinkles here and there. if you aren't looking you may not catch it.
3. that i have 3 beautiful, healthy, perfect children.
4. that ally claire is starting to babble (although it sounds like dada and not mama who is her favorite) and that she finally rolled over from her back today.
5. that micah took our recycling out to the recycling plant today. it was starting to overflow and i thought it was gonna come in my back door.
6. that i am almost finished shopping and that i plan to complete shopping this weekend.
7. that i get to see my friends the Tate's this season. since brad moved them away from me 5 years ago, we don't get to see them very much and i miss my friend terribly.
8. that my brother and his family are coming to see me at new year's. they haven't gotten to come in a while or just by themselves in 5 years.
9. that i have already gotten back into the habit of drinking more water. one less resolution to make.
10. that there are "marathons" on tv during the holidays. i DO love to veg when i can (which is not often). nothing like mindless television. maybe mindless tv in the background is why i lose concentration when i'm sewing. hmmm...
11. that Jesus was born, he died and rose again...all for me (and YOU!!!)

Thankful Thursday

1. I'm thankful my hubby recognizes the importance of my having alone time. i had to get out and breathe last night or the population of my house was about to start dwindling...quickly. thanks babe. i enjoyed eating alone, reading alone and shopping alone. i'm refreshed.

2. i'm thankful this weekend is Christmas on the Square in Athens. it is an annual even where the stores around the downtown square open their doors on a sunday afternoon for a little holiday shopping. i go with my friend brandy and it is a wonderful little burst of estrogen for me. and this year i have a girl to shop for which makes it soooo much better.

i'm noticing a retail therapy theme. moving on...

3. hand-me-downs. love them. love to get them. love to give them. somebody we know is about to hit the motherload!!

4. thanksgiving is next week which means DOTHAN!! i only get to go home a few times a year, but i cherish every single one of those trips. the 6 hours it takes us to get there is totally worth it.

5. holiday traditions. we have a few that we do around here, but nothing set in stone. this year, since our little family is complete and the boys are older, we are gonna cement some of our faves and have a snuggly good time during these holidays.

6. 2 new cd's to listen to. taylor swift and faith hill's christmas cd. crap...guess this should have been #3 along with the other retail stuff.

7. snuggly pjs, hot chocolate, house shoes and clean babies. what could be better?

thankful thursday

the main reasons i'm thankful that it's thursday...

that means only 3 more days of doing this alone until i get my "vacation"

that means only 2 days until we go swimming in a big pool (note to self...look in drawer for maternity bathing suit.)

that about does it for today. sad but true. however, there is a post from last night below.

thankful thursday

today, i am seriously most thankful that this last little journey is almost over.

I am thankful that this is a girl and not a boy. don't get me wrong. i love my little (cave)men and would have loved whomever God saw fit to send my way. however, after the last 2 days confined by the rain, i am CERTAIN i was never meant to have 3 boys. my new address would have been bryce mental hospital, tuscaloosa, alabama.

I am thankful that I finally got the inside of my van all spiffed out and squeaky clean and even went ahead and put her seat in. (a very much pregnant woman can dream about early comers.)

I am thankful that my hair dresser could squeeze me in on Saturday for a shape up b/c it has been 8 weeks since I had a haircut. Prenatal vitamins plus naturally rockin' thick hair...you do the math. one word...banshee.

I am thankful that i have an excuse not to be the one out in the heat with the boys. unfortunately, in about 3 weeks, the gig is up.

I am thankful that I can get rid of maternity gear forevah!! summer is plenty motivation not to stay in it, that's for sure!!

I am still hoping i can have one last date with my main squeeze. i mean seriously, people. where is the love? One friend is going out of town, the other has her mama in the hospital and isn't doing well...gracious. is a quiet dinner with some movie time hand holdin too much to ask for? looks like Digiorno and Movie Gallery. (don't yall feel sorry for me?)

thankful thursday

1. I'm thankful I had enough energy yesterday to get a lot done (wash the van, clean out the garage, strip and remake 2 beds, get the cradle into our room...)

2. I'm thankful that when the kids are outside, they play really well together. I think we should live outside.

3. I'm thankful we have enough stuff for them to play with outside so that they don't require me to do things for them.

4. I'm thankful that when I attempted to make pretzel salad today, I didn't screw it up for the very first time. Now I wish i would have made it with strawberry instead of peach!

5. I'm thankful that I have stuck to it this week and cooked everyday and not just picked up something quick. Getting back in that habit really does help the budget!

6. I'm thankful that even though I have had to bring my kids with me to the last 2 doctor's visits, Micah hasn't minded to sit and watch the boys instead of coming in with me.

7. I'm thankful that sister is hanging in there until full term and that everything was good today at the visit. (Still doesn't explain these last 2 nights of dreaming my water is going to break!)

8. I'm thankful that in 2 weeks at my doctor's appointment, I will get a glance at sister one last time since he wants to do one last ultrasound.

9. I'm thankful that there are only 19 days left b/c sleeping, or lact thereof, is getting crazy. On tonight's menu...benedryl!!

10. I'm thankful for little moments with my kids that i never write about. On tuesday we were outside and they wanted to pick "flowers". (Also known as weeds.) While picking the flowers, Luke noticed a couple of ladybugs crawling around. He just sat and watched them. Of course, he also encouraged his brother to stick his finger out there and try to pick one up. But it had been a bad morning with them and I'm glad I get to be here to see the truly sweet times, as well as the truly devil times!

Bonus: As always, I'm thankful for Micah. I'm interested to see how he takes to this little girl. I'm also anxious to have one last date with him. I better be finding a babysitter!

thankful thursday

(zoo pics added to the post below)





i'm thankful that seth has a more willing attitude about most things than luke does.

(swollen mama on mother's day!)


i'm thankful that i get a vacation in less than 4 weeks, even though i have to be sliced and diced to get it.

i'm thankful that MY family (which actually includes some of my friends) sees the importance of being there for me, micah and ACs birth, even though she is the 3rd.

i'm thankful that i don't live around water b/c there are too many kids getting hurt within a few seconds right now. their families are just on my heart.


i'm thankful that i felt better yesterday and today than i did the last few days. mama is getting too old for this.

i'm thankful that DHR isn't within earshot of my house most days.


i'm thankful that school is over tomorrow. no more driving that much.


i'm thankful that my life isn't complicated.

i WILL be thankful when it is naptime...that is the bestest part of my day...well, actually bedtime is. at least then i can spend time with micah...well, an hour, but that counts, right?

thankful thursday

-Luke ate his applesauce the last couple of days. score for us and still having a link to the fruit/veggie world.

-Cervix is closed which is good b/c i've had a lot of pressure over the last few days.

-We are taking the kids to the Nashville Zoo and to the Rainforest Cafe this weekend for our final family of 4 hoorah.

-I have 3 weeks of work left.

-I'll have a baby girl in 4.5 weeks, thus ending my new sciatic pain.

-Luke only has 3 days of preschool left, which means i'll be saving 100$ a month in gas until the fall.

-b/c of the stimulus check, we will pay off more debt, save money for Christmas and put money on a giftcard that will only be used for formula and diapers. thanks GW.

-my sunday morning class is awesome this quarter and i will be sad to miss it a couple of weeks after sissy gets here. i hope our teacher and his family are completely blessed for the effort he is putting into the study.

-my hubby who is my bestest pal in the whole world. i just love 'im and he always deserves a shout out.

Thankful Thursday

1. I am thankful that the boys' room and Ally Claire's room are both done and I don't have to worry about anything else for either of them.

2. I am thankful that they have been sleeping great and haven't had any problems adjusting to having a roommate.

3. I am thankful that for the last 2 days in a row, i got them to BOTH take naps at the same time. (Luke is old enough that he doesn't require one everyday and i really thought it would be more of a fight.)

4. I am thankful for the return of warm weather and sunny days. This is how i get them worn down in the morning or afternoon so that good sleep is had by all (even though i typically never have sleeping problems out of them.)

5. I am thankful that I can call next week and get my date all set up for sister to come. Having an actual date is so nice, especially when you are a planner and you need to tell all 900 grandparents when and where they are needed.

6. I am thankful that my husband realizes that after 2 weeks and 2 weekends, i am due a mental health day on saturday. that means that i have allowed him to get anything he needs to get done that morning. but by lunch, i am outta here and i'll be back...eventually. (i am taking suggestions for what i should do. already on the list...lunch with a friend at a tea room and a pedicure.)

7. I am thankful that i have felt productive enough today to get the laundry done, floors vacuumed and mopped and dishes put away. this afternoon should hold time outside with the kiddos.

8. I am thankful that the genius idea came to me yesterday to take the easel outside for the kids to paint. no inside mess to clean up and when they were done, they got to play in a bucket of sudsy water (and i was even smart enough to use baby shampoo b/c i knew they would splash!) all of those brain cells aren't completely dead after 3 pregnancies.

9. I am thakful that at 32 weeks, i have only gained 6 lbs and i can still wear my wedding rings. i know those days are numbered, but it is definitely something i couldn't say with my boys.

10. i am thankful that b/c i have the awesome-est friends, sister is NOT naked. now we will just have to find somewhere to go everyday to show off our cutie patootie clothes.

thankful thursday

1. i'm thankful that it is almost the weekend which means it will be my BIRTHDAY!! this is a big one. the big three-oh! i am super excited b/c i can just feel how much smarter i will be.

2. i'm thankful that for my birthday, i will be getting a 60 minute prenatal massage, a manicure and a pedicure. plus my friend brandy will come keep the kiddos for a little date to the macaroni grill with my hubby.

3. i'm thankful that on monday, i will travel to clanton to pick up my mama and she will be here for a week. she has NEVER done that before and this will save me countless hours on the phone next week!! (i'm also thankful she will be cutting my hair!!)

4. i'm thankful that it has been a pretty good week with the kiddos, even though today looks like it has the potential to be a doozy.

5. i'm thankful for the awesomeness that is cocoa rice krispy treats. and peanut butter rice krispy treats. and i'm really thankful i made a pan of each last night.

6. i'm thankful that micah got a bonus for the first time in 3 years and that it was actually the biggest one he has ever gotten. way to go smart daddy. just in the nick of time for buying new beds for the boys.

7. i am most excitedly super thankful that next week, i will get my first real look at my little tinkerbell. we are scheduled for our 4-D ultrasound and nana will be here to witness it! (from her earlier profile pic, i think she will look like Luke...but we'll see!)

~NOTE: next thursday's thankful edition will hopefully include new pictures of sissy!

thankful thursday

it has been a run on sentence of a week. however...

1. I'm thankful that it is honkin' gorgeous outside today and I could run some energy out of my kids, even if it did mean i had to pour sand out of their clothes and completely undress them in the garage before sending them inside.

2. I'm thankful that my SIL's grandaddy is so super crafty and Pop got him to make us a pint sized picnic table. It is completely perfect for days like today when I feel the need to eat lunch outside with the kiddos.

3. I am thankful that Kohl's was having a monster sale and that i could get some new sleep n play outfits for sissy. even my neutral stuff is a little boy looking.

4. I am thankful that as of this week, we are over 1/2 way to being back to debt free. It may be more like 2/3, but i'll be safe and just know it's more than 1/2.

5. I AM thankful that my house is generating lots of interest, even though it is showing an average of every other day and I'm completely worn out. (say a prayer that an offer comes...most people are needing to sell their own home to make an offer.)

6. I am thankful that tomorrow afternoon i will be on my way to my 24 hours of estrogen and Jesus. mama is most deserving!!