Thankfuls...

Yes, all November long, I was one of those people who participated int he 30 days of "thanks" in November on Facebook. I haven't joined in any other year, but I decided I wanted to play along this November.

 

Each year I read about how people are thankful for their family, their children, etc. but it seems like such a blanket response and not truly heartfelt. I decided that I would not post until the end of the day and that I would reflect back upon the day and find the one thing I truly was thankful for in that given day. So, here they are.......

 

My Thankfuls for November 2013

1. I'm going to jump on the bandwagon before it's too late. Day 1- I'm thankful for my husband. Words cannot express how much he means to me. Love you DJ!

2. I'm thankful for my true friends. Those that are always there. Those that we pick up where we left off and those that I've only met online. To those ladies, thank you!

3. I'm thankful to have some amazing wives on the coaching staff and I'm glad to be a part of them and in thankful for helpful neighbors!

4. Thankful for my job. I love going to work. I love my schedule. I love that it's about to turn full time, but I'm not going to lie, the last two months have been amazing! Blessed to have my masters degree!

5. Thankful that I was able to have a lunch date with the hubby today! Also thankful that my embroidery machine did not mess up today while I was working!!!

6. Today I am thankful for this little girl (Megan) who makes me smile and laugh every single day. She has the most fun personality. She's full of giggles and smiles. She's also shy and timid and I love that about her. Thankful that God chose me to be her mommy.

7. Today I'm thankful that I get to take my big girls to school. I'm thankful that I'll have a productive day while they learn and play with their friends.

8. Landed in Greenville, NC! Looking forward to a great wives trip and game! #gohurricane #coachwifelife Thankful to be a part of such a wonderful team.

9. Thankful for time away with DJ and friends. Such a fun time at dinner last night. And even though TU didn't come home with a W, it's fun to see what my hubby does on the job. Thankful he loves his job!

10. Thankful the girls and I were able to bake cookies, probably the best part of our day... Everything else was rough

11.Thankful for my baby girl. Addy Pearl was a surprise to our family and she's been the best surprise God could've given us! She truly completes our family.

12. {Skipped}

13. Thankful for my Gretchen! She made me a mommy and challenges me every day. She's strong willed, determined, creative, and a girly girl. I love her to the moon/

14. Thankful for bedtime. I'm exhausted.

15.  Thankful my hubby was home for dinner for the first time in months!

16. Thankful that Gretchen is making new little friends at school! So much fun seeing them play together this afternoon. Also thankful that even though my hubby thinks I'm crazy, he fully supports me! He even cooked dinner, cleaned up the kitchen, and unloaded the dishwasher? I'm a blessed lady!

17. Thankful that I went to church this morning. I did not want to go b/c I was feeling so overwhelmed with my "to-do's" but I went, and I really needed that hour to refocus and calm myself. Also thankful for Kailah Stone and Ashley Manson…. two amazing ladies that have helped to keep me sane this weekend!

18. Thankful for my full time job. It's very stressful right now getting all the students testing and caught up, but God knew I needed to be home part time for the first few months of Addy's birth, and then he knew the perfect timing to throw me back into a full time position

19.  Thankful that DJ got to hear Adalyn laughing. #bestsoundever

20. Thankful today for the cuddles tonight w/ Addy Pearl. Love my little button nose thumb sucker.

21. Thankful that old friends can answer the phone and pick up where we left off.

22. Today I'm thankful for Friday and for getting to spend the weekend with my girls!

23. Thankful for the memories made with the girls today while we decorated for Christmas; playing in the "snow", Meggie eating an ornament, G getting gum in her hair…. the fun never ends. #thismamaistired #almostdonedecorating

24. Thankful today for my mom. She's my very best friend! Couldn't live without her!

25. Thankful today for a trip to Target tonight. #likeavacation

26. Thankful today that DJ was able to surprise Gretchen at her school Thanksgiving lunch. #lovemylittleindiangirl

27. Thankful day 27- thankful for the cousins my girls have... Near and far!

28. Thankful for my extended family! Love our time together, talking, laughter, and memories made.

29. {Skipped)

30. {Skipped}

 

Out of all 30 days only 3 days were skipped! I'm pretty proud of myself for keeping up with it and for beign able to reflect back and remember all of the blessings God has given to me.

 

I am also teaching Gretchen the principal of being thankful. Right before Thanksgiving she started to complain that her friends get to do things or have more things than her, and it saddened me to see her so ungrateful for all that she has. I've started having her tell me one thankful before every meal and I love hearing what she comes up with! It's also been a great reminder for her how blessed she really is!

By: Unknown On 06.00

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Girls Branson Trip

Every year for as long as I can remember, the girls in my family would pack up and drive to Branson for a weekend of shopping. The boys would always head to the duck cabin. It's a tradition that we've carried on even as our family has gotten bigger. We usually get two condo's and all pile in. People sleep on the floor, on the couch, share the beds, and we bring pac n plays for the babies. 

Friday morning we got up and headed to Branson after a quick stop at my grandma's house.

Our first stop in Branson was The Landings. We always go to Belk's first, even though we all have one, then we head down and go in the shops, take in the sights, and do lots of shopping!

This year, they had a little train and Gee let the girls ride.

Gretchen was so excited to get to ride in the front of the train.

Amelia was going to ride with her, but she refused to have the man buckle her seat belt, so she sat with Gee and Meggie. Meggie was too scared to ride by herself, so Gee rode with her.

I love that every time Gretchen gets to ride in something she waves as if she's a princess going by!

After the train ride, we walked down to the Bass Pro Shop. I let the girls color a picture, and I wanted Megan to have a chance to see Santa before we actually took her the next day to see Santa.

Poor Meggie needs to get warmed up to the idea of something before it happens or she freaks out a bit.

After shopping at The Landings, we had dinner at Panera and then checked in to the condo for the night. The girls had a bath and my sister in law and I went to Wal-Mart to pick up some necessities. Like wine.

The next day, we headed back to The Landings to have pictures made with Santa…. i'll have to get those posted soon! I'm so pleased with how they turned out! We also lucked out because it was Toys for Tots day, so we each brought a little toy and received a free package of pictures from Bass Pro.

Once our Santa pictures were done, we grabbed lunch and headed to Tanger mall for shopping.

Gee bought Meggie a new doll.

(Gretchen bought a Frozen play set for herself with her spending money.)

We shopped all afternoon, and then around 5, went back to the condo to freshen up for dinner.

My mom and her friend, kept all of the kids and us "younger mom's" went out for a girls night!

We went to Cantina Loredo for dinner and it was so yummy!

Big cousin Hannah came over to help babysit as well, and the kids made reindeer ornaments! We knew they'd be in good hands with a registered nurse and a former preschool teacher taking care of them!

Aunt Jan also got some cuddle time in with Miss Adalyn.

On Sunday, we packed up the cars, and headed to The Grand Village. I wanted to go to their Christmas store to pick up a 1st Christmas ornament for Adalyn.

We had the girls take their picture by the giant wreath.

And Megan and Gretchen had their picture made with Santa again.

We ate lunch and then went back to Tanger mall to pick up a few last minute purchases, and then the girls and I headed back home.

Megan slept for over an hour in the car while Gretchen watched a movie. Addy was an angel and slept too! We stopped in Joplin for a bathroom break, to fill up on gas, and so I could feed Adalyn, and then we finished our drive home!

It was so good to be back and to see DJ again! It also meant that football season was officially over and we could start celebrating Christmas and the five of us would be able to spend lots more time together! It's always a blessing to get daddy back home again!

Oh, and our Elf on the Shelf showed up, so stay tuned for his shenanigans!

By: Unknown On 05.40

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Happy Turkey Day!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays! It's definitely in the top three…. sort of a toss up between Thanksgiving and Easter coming in 2nd place. I was so thankful that my mom let me sleep in Thanksgiving morning!

I think the extra hour of sleep while i'm at my mom's makes me want to drive down there every weekend!

I settled the girls down so we could watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade together. It's one of my favorite traditions to watch the parade, and I hope it will be a fun memory for the girls.

Megan wasn't too interested in hanging around but G and Addy watched it for a while.

This is G's reaction when she found out Santa would be in the parade!

Fun fact: I was invited to dance in the parade when I was a junior in high school. My mom wouldn't let me go, and I remind her of the missed opportunity every year.

The girls got dressed in their matching outfits.

#areyousurprisedtheyhadmatchingoutfits

We attempted to get a picture of all four girls, but if you've ever tried getting four girls to sit still and look at the same camera while smiling, well, then you know it's like herding a pack of wild hogs.

I made shirts for the girls and my mom made their pants. Addy wore leopard leg warmers with pink ruffles.

The girls and I sent this picture to DJ since he couldn't join us for Thanksgiving.

I love this little turkey!

Her first Thanksgiving!

The girls eating their lunch.

Addy and I after lunch.

All the cousins went outside after lunch and spent lots of time jumping on the trampoline and playing outside!

Gretchen loves getting to see her older cousin!

And Meggie just loves her baby dolls!

Most of our company stayed so we could all enjoy leftovers for dinner, and once everyone left, we layed around and watched t.v. My mom and stepdad actually went out to Belk's when they opened at 8 pm, because my grandma insisted that my mom go Christmas shopping and buy grandma's presents for all of her grandchildren. I stayed home with the girls and because they refused to go to sleep, we ended up watching the end of Pitch Perfect. (That movie never gets old.)

It's safe to say that we ate our weight in turkey and casseroles and we had such a fun time!

By: Unknown On 05.45

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The Day Before Thanksgiving

The day before Thanksgiving the girls and I left to Tulsa and headed to my mom's house in Arkansas. It's only a four hour drive, and it wasn't too terrible with the girls. Actually, Gretchen and Adalyn do great in the car- it's always Megan that throws a fit.

Once we arrived at my mom's we went to my sister in law's house where she and my grandma had been cooking pies and preparing the dressing for Thanksgiving.

The girls and I joined in the fun and made the pumpkin pies.

I got to play with my niece Amelia. 

She however was not cooperating and didn't think I was much fun!

I think my mom enjoyed having all of us together!

The entire time my sister in law and I were cooking, my grandma, kept saying things like, "you're not doing it right, you're cooking it too long, there's too much butter, let me do it." She would not give us a break! Poor lady has a hard time letting go of control.

#soundlikeanyoneyouknow

#notme

All of the girls had fun playing with each other, and they all loved being with their Gee!

I feel so blessed to have made these memories with my ladies!

By: Unknown On 05.40

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Thanksgiving Travels!

Hey y'all!!! I'm back.... sort of! I have lots of blog catching up to do, and I'm so ready to get back into a steady swing of blogging. I'm determined to play catch up this week and then get back to regular blog posts next week! I feel like i've left everyone just hanging around. Even though, my life isn't really that interesting!

 

Last Tuesday, Gretchen celebrated her Thanksgiving lunch at kindergarten. She made a little Indian vest, necklace, and headdress and was so excited to show it off! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to her lunch because of my full time work schedule, but DJ was able to go! He actually surprised Gretchen and she was so thrilled!

She has this little boyfriend, Conner, and the first thing she said when she saw her daddy walk in was, "Conner, you need to ask my daddy if you can marry me?!" Apparently, she yelled it loud enough for the entire class to hear, and it not only embarrassed my husband, but Conner's family as well. His dad told him not to talk to DJ for another 30 years.

Tuesday night I headed home to work on laundry and to pack for our trip. Let me tell you, it is a CHORE to pack for four girls for five days! I did get some cuddle time with Addy during the process though!

 

I woke up around 6:30 on Wednesday morning to finish packing. I had packed everyone's clothes but my own. Then I loaded everything into the car and we started our 4 hour journey to Gee's house.

I have so many people tell me that I'm brave to travel with all three girls by myself, but I do it all the time, and aside for maybe an hour total (when Megan decides to cry over a silly reason) the trip isn't bad at all. Adalyn sleeps the entire time. Gretchen watches a movie and plays quietly in the back seat, and Megan, well, she either plays, watches t.v, cries and screams, takes off her shoes, and looks out the window for cows.

 

We typically stop about two hours into the trip so we can take a bathroom break or get something to eat.

And sometimes, Meggie falls asleep.

 

Once she woke up, we finally stopped to eat!

Gretchen had been telling me for an hour that she was hungry, so I tossed her a package of fruit snacks to tie her over. I have a few exits that I try to stop at, and this was not one of them, but there was a McDonald's and the girls were starvin, so we stopped here. I took them to the bathroom and then we ordered Happy Meals and ate.

 

I realized that fast food with three girls is not fast at all. We were there for at least an hour.

Once we got back in the car, the girls watched a movie again, but toward the end Megan was becoming very frustrated that she could not get out of her seat! I sang Feliz Navidad at the top of my lungs to try to entertain her. Obviously, I failed.

 

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post and see what happened once we finally arrived!

 

By: Unknown On 10.01

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Weekend Wrap Up

I have been MIA from the blogging world for so many days! It's this time of year, so crazy and hectic! Is it like that for y'all too?

 

I started work full time about two weeks ago, and since then I feel like I'm in fast forward mode and everything is non-stop. I'm trying to get it all together. Trying being the key word here. I definitely have not reached that "successful" level yet.

 

I got home late Friday night and God bless my neighbors for keeping Gretchen AND for inviting us over for dinner! I had planned on making pancakes and watching Monsters U with the girls (DJ was in Ruston, La for a football game) but when they invited us for dinner and I realized that I did not have to cook- score!

 

Needless to say, by the time we got home at 6:30, I decided we would skip movie night and I would get some sewing done while the girls played and then it was time for bed.

 

Saturday morning the girls were up by 7, and after breakfast I turned on Monsters U for the girls then I drug out boxes after boxes of Christmas decorations.

 

After the movie, the girls helped me clean up and put away our fall decorations, and we spent the rest of the day decorating for Christmas. I kid you not, at 10:30 pm I was still working on the finishing touches!

Here's a sneak peek at our fire place. I have ordered Adalyn's stocking (as of last Thursday).

 

Saturday started off well, until I decided to keep Gretchen busy with getting the nativity out of the box, and Megan decided the styrofoam box would be so much fun to play in and rip to shreds. We had "snow" all over the house! It was in their hair, on their clothes, and I laughed and tried to play off my mini-heart attack all at the same time!

 

 Later that afternoon  we sat down together to decorate the girls' Christmas tree, Megan decided she was hungry and she bit into a small glass ornament. Her excuse, "candy!" Um, no, it's not candy! I hurried her over to the sink and sprayed her mouth out with water, then called my mom to figure out if I should take her to the emergency room. She told me to give her some milk because that would help coat the stomach, and then to watch her for throwing up or pooping blood. Thankfully, none of that has happened, and she seems to be okay.

 

After dinner, I let Gretchen have gum and it got caught in her hair, which meant trying to get it out with peanut butter and then giving her a bath. By this time, Adalyn just wanted to be held, so I called our neighbor and invited her over to hold a baby!

I think morning time with Adalyn was the calmest part of my day.

DJ made me check on Megan before I went to bed Saturday night. He was totally freaked out that she ate glass, even to where he told me I needed to sleep with her, and that if I ddin't, he would when he got home.

 

On Sunday, I went through boxes of clothes, that I've kept from each girls. Addy is needing warmer clothes and I could have sworn we had a carseat blanket and a hat for her, but after spending the morning looking through boxes and cleaning out her closet, I found neither.

 

I did find a few clothes for Megan though:

I went through Gretchen's closets as well, and she has plenty of clothes for this spring! I hope the weather warms up fast because I don't think she'll get to wear all that she has! My mom may have overshopped.

 

I took a little nap Sunday afternoon, during the 40 minutes that Megan took hers. (Addy has not been sleeping well at night and I think Megs crawled in bed with me at one point.)

 

Then, I finished a few sewing projects.... I swear y'all I'm working as fast as I can to get your orders completed, photographed, and shipped! Please give me some grace as I continue to finish up orders!

 

DJ came home early last night so I could go to the grocery store, and that didn't happen thanks to laundry and my lack of a shower. Plus, it was freezing and I did not want to go outside anyway! We were also afraid that Megan had a little temperature, but our thermometers stink and by this morning we were in the clear. That's not to say that at one point last night I had four bodies in my bed. #weneedabiggerbed

 

I am so thankful that I can put Gretchen on the bus in the mornings, and everyone else is out the door by 7:20. It gives me some extra time to do a little picking up and then I get to take this girl to the bus stop!

I'm so thankful for a two day work week this week!

#ineedabreak

By: Unknown On 10.04

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Two Weeks Till Turkey Day!

I love, love, love Thanksgiving! Aside from Christmas, it's my most favorite holiday! I have fond memories of growing up and having Thanksgiving at my grandparents house with all of my cousins, aunts and uncles, and a house full of other people. When I was little, I swear it seemed like we had 50 people at my grandma's house for Thanksgiving. I remember sneaking her homemade yeast rolls and only eating those and pumpkin pie. We could eat all day and I always chose the rolls.

Now that I'm a grown up, Thanksgiving brings up new memories and new traditions. Instead of my grandma hosting Thanksgiving, it's hosted by either my mom or my aunt. When we lived in Indiana, I couldn't be home for Thanksgiving and DJ and I found different ways to celebrate. One year, we were with his family, and another year, we had Thanksgiving lunch with the Ball State football team. 

I've only hosted Thanksgiving once, and that was when I was pregnant with Megan. DJ's dad and stepmom came up for Thanksgiving, and i'm so thankful that his stepmom was there to help me bake the turkey! I even made my grandma's homemade rolls because it was such a fond memory- and they're pretty yummy!

Since we've moved to Tulsa, the girls and I are able to go home to my parent's house for Thanksgiving, but sadly, DJ typically stays behind to work. I'm sad that he can't be with us for Thanksgiving, and I realize that we could stay here with him, but then I'd have to cook a turkey.

Anyway, I wanted to browse interest and share with y'all some of favorite Thanksgiving day finds, just in case you are the host and you have to cook that turkey!

I love this idea for a menu. It wouldn't work in my family because we cook tons and tons of food y'all! We have a potluck style, but I just love the idea of chalk board paint, pumpkins, natural elements, and Thanksgiving…… that's fall.

The year I did host Thanksgiving, I let Gretchen make us Thanksgiving placemats. I used the die cut machine at school and cut out leaves and turkeys, and then I printed off little Thanksgiving clip art. we traced her hand, and she decorated to her hearts desire. Then, I took them back to school to laminate them. She loved making these.

I also love the idea of writing what you're thankful for, and this is a cute way to display it. I'm participating in the 30 days of Thanks on Facebook, and at the end of every day, I write my status update about what I was thankful for in that day. So many people write a generic thankful for post, but I really want to reflect on the day. At the end of the month, I plan on compiling and sharing them all here.

This would be the cutest little hostess gift if you're a guest! Or, as a place setting around the table, and every one can take home their little jar of Turkey Toes! Just replace the front tag with a name tag.

I found this printable shopping list and menu planner. I'm sure if you have to cook everything for the big day you'll need it!

Follow me on Pinterest!

By: Unknown On 06.15

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