Rain

Muddy puddles, a nasty bathtub, steaks on the grill, and smiling kids. Need I say more???

Time

As of last night, I am thankful for the gift of Time. We have been given a little more time with Grandma, whether it's a few months or a few years, doesn't matter. We have it. And making it count is what matters most. QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY.

In correlation to this, I am thankful for my support team. Without support and cheering on, life would REALLY suck. Thank God for such great friends and family. I love you all and thank you from the bottom of my heart.


Note to self: It's gonna get hard. Read this over and over and over to help cope and remember that for now, you have the time, but that wont' last forever. You know this now.... remember it when times get rough!!

a hard one

Today it's really hard to think of something to be thankful for. Grandma's cancer is back and it could be really bad. As of right now, if she does nothing, she will be with us approximately 4 months. That's not enough. She HAS to do SOMETHING. She HAS TO. Why?? BECAUSE I SAID SO, that's why. She has too much to live for. PERIOD.

So, I decided that today, of all days, I have to find something to be thankful for so I make it through.

I am thankful that I have had almost 30 years with such a great woman. She has been so many things for me in my life. A grandma, a friend, a confidant, a room mate..... everything and more. She has been the glue that holds this family together more times than not. She has also been my link to knowing what I missed out with my grandfather that passed away almost 30 years ago. Everyone that knows her knows how wonderful of a person she is and how big a void would be left in this world without her. I thank God for every day that I have been blessed with her in my life.

book keeping

today i am thankful for my terrible book keeping skills when i WANT something. notice i said WANT. not need. WANT. screw it. i am a mother of three children and a wife to top that off. i never do anything for me. today, i did. and it feels good. no... it feels GREAT. i don't even care if a bill doesn't get paid until next week. i don't. I DO NOT CARE. i may care tomorrow, but today, i am thankful for my stupidity! ;)

Aching feet

Tonight as I reflect on all that I have accomplished in this day, I have a few things that I can say I am thankful for.

Aching feet. I can't believe I am going to post this on here, but I currently have a few plantars warts on my feet. Both feet. They are being treated with acid. I have been going up and down stairs today like a mad woman. And my feet? They HURT. They are literally killing me and I most likely won't get any sleep tonight. Why am I thankful for aching feet? Because it means that I have two legs that work and that I have accomplished a great many things with them today. And also that the acid is working and I will only have to endure the pain a little while longer.

Empty totes. Because it means that my children have had and have beautiful clothing, whether new or hand-me-down, and haven't had to go without. It also means that there are other children out there who will have beautiful clothing that their parents may not be so lucky to buy. You see, these clothes that my children have outgrown are all being donated. Some to Goodwill, some to Salvation Army, some to the City Mission, and some to the Catholic Social Services. Yes. My three children have THAT MANY clothes. The sick thing? I have gone through over 15 totes today alone of their clothing. This does not include the 10+ that I went through on a weekend about 6 months ago and donated. It's sick, really.... I love eBaying for kids' clothes and I get great deals and waaaaaayyyyyy too many clothes!!!

DVR and a cold beer. Because now that my personal torture session is over, I will be sitting and watching Grey's Anatomy and a couple of soaps and it's off to bed. Only one beer.... not gonna kill the diet and I DESERVE IT!!! ;)

Last but not least.... the person(s) that can read my thankfullness and think, "Hey, yeah! I am thankful too!" at the end of what was otherwise a VERY bad day!!!

The PERFECT neighbors

Tonight it's a really big chore for me to find something to be thankful for. It has just been a day. Found out tonight that an old neighbor (old in both senses of the word. She is elderly and she has moved out of the neighborhood) is in ICU and will NOT be making it out alive. My husband is gone until Thursday. They don't even think she will make it through the night tonight. A "friend" was here tonight when I found out and she didn't offer to sit with the kids (who were already in bed) so that I could go say goodbye to this wonderful little old lady that used to be such a big part of my days and nights. I could write a 20 page blog about Lillian, but I digress.....

Then, as I was getting kids ready for bed, I was washing little hands and faces and they were brushing teeth, one of the many nightly routines, and as I went to get a towel out of the closet, a freaking roach ran out of it. I almost passed out. The people that used to live in the other half of our duplex were, to say the least, nasty dirty and disgusting people. When they moved out, the leasing manager told me to keep an eye out for roaches because they had found so many over there that they were certain to come here once they moved everything out. Sure as s***, they appeared. Again, I paniced. My husband isn't here. It's too late for me to load up the kids and go to the store. I won't be able to sleep, feeling like I have bugs crawling all over me.

I called one of my dearest friends and neighbor, Adriann, to cry over the phone for a minute. I told her of Lillian. Once we were done crying about that, I told her about my day. She, without my asking, volunteered to go to the store and get me a bunch of the "roach motels" so that I can at least get a start to the issue at hand. I didn't even ask her. Heck, I hadn't even THOUGHT to ask her!! She just came right out and said that she and Mike would run over and get me as many as I wanted. I said clean off the shelves!!!! LOL!!!

So, today, like many days really, I am thankful from the tips of my toes to the top of my head for the few TRUE friends that I have in my life. If it weren't for people like these, I would perish. No questions asked.

My husbands flub ups

Ok. This is mean. I know it is. But, I am thankful for them, none the less.

Last year for Mother's Day, my husband bought me a bike. It's what I REALLY wanted. I also wanted an infant seat for it so that our youngest could ride with me while the older two rode their bikes. So, he got me that too. It was wonderful. All summer the kids and I rode bikes. We went everywhere. We rode around the block at least three times a day.

Then, this April, not one year after getting my bike, someone stole it off my front porch. They walked up, while the lights were on not only in my house, but in the neighbors, and took the bike off of the porch. This is a HUGE risk, as I am a smoker and I am outside quite often smoking once the kids are in bed and I am doing chores. They did it, though. They made away with my beautiful new bike and infant seat. Not only was I crushed, so was my 3 year old. I called the cops and all that jazz. It hasn't been returned.

So this year when my husband asked me what I wanted I said a new bike. The same one I had. Nothing fancy, but perfect for me. I got online and looked and it was on sale!!!! A $300 bike for $130!!!! So, he went in to town STAT and got the bike (and a chain). When he got to Toys R Us, the bike was actually $70!!!! EVEN BETTER!!!! YAAAAYYYY!!!!!

Here is the funny flub up.....

So, he gets home and starts assembling the bike. He had some problems last year with this chore, since he had never had to do it before on an adult bike. This year, it was like he was a pro! Had it done in about 15 minutes compared to last years two hours. LOL!

The bike was assembled and he was airing up the tires. I was sitting here posting the previous blog. I hear this BANG!!! LOL!!!! He blew the innertube on the front tire!!! I have a new bike, but I can't ride it!!! So, needless to say, it stinks because he is gone for three days and I won't be able to enjoy my bike while riding it in the nice cool spell we are having right now, but I am happy that I got such a good chuckle (behind his back, of course) over it all!

sunshine on my shoulders.....

Makes me HAPPY! I have a slight red tint to my shoulders from sitting outside all day with the kids. Am I complaining?!?!? NO!!!! It makes me happy! Even though winter is by far my favorite season, one of the main reasons I love Nebraska is our ever changing weather and seasons. Going back out to enjoy some more. Have a happy Friday and an even better Mother's Day!!

Hard one

Today is hard to find something to be thankful for. Seems as though everything I have tried to do has gone to..... well..... shit.

So, today I will say I am thankful for the sun. It has been rainy and cloudy and poopy here for a week or so and for the last few days the sun has made appearance. It's been wonderful. **sigh** If only I felt better so I could enjoy it to it's fullest.

hmmmm.....

Today I am thankful for.......

my freshly cut lawn

the new fish in my children's aquariums (even though they are keeping the kids awake at this point)

my arse aching, because it means i actually got off of it today

my bed and soft pillows and comfy blankets.... all of whom i will be joining shortly, after a few chores and walking on the treadmill


have a blessed rest of your day and tomorrow to follow!

Oh happy day

I have decided that in order to succeed in a happy life, one has to focus on the happy things EVERY day and give thanks for those things. Today, I am happy for:

My daughter Jenna's laugh. I can't get enough of it. She just makes me smile. Even when I am mad at her and think, "This is why tigers eat their young", she does something that will make me smile and forget why I am angry with her. She is a spitfire. I want to be like that again.

My daughter Addison's wisdom. This child is so smart. Today she used the word.... now I can't remember the word.... but it was a rather large word for even an adult to use right, and she, as a first grader, used it perfectly. Now I won't be able to sleep until I think of the word. Oh well.... at any rate, I am thrilled to be a part of watching her grow into such a bright individual.

My son Zachary's sense of humor. Tonight at the supper table he was talking about the Ding Ding man's truck and if it was square or rectangle. I said, "Rectangle". He said, "Squaaaaaarrrrrrre?!?!" in a way that made the whole table laugh over and over the rest of the evening. He is a wonderful stress relief.... most days.

My husband's work ethic. I know I complain that he isn't home very much. But I also think that is what makes our marriage as strong as it is. I hate it when he is gone, but it also helps me to enjoy (sometimes) the time that he IS here with us. Tonight he and Addison cooked supper and it was just plain..... wonderful.

Last, but not least, the sun came out today for the first time in apprximately 4 days. After 4 days of rain (totals around 8 inches), the sun made an appearance, thus making it hard to want to watch all of these movies we rented because of the fact that it was raining. **sigh** We will watch the rest of them tomorrow. I hope.

Thank God for the good things in every day. There is always at least one thing to be happy about.