HiLaRiOuS :o/

Okay so moving right along into what I am thankful for today...I am thankful for the hilariously embarrassing moments we get to watch together as a family for a long time now.

I am very grateful for the technology to be able to change our 8mm video camcorder tapes over to DVD's. I was very worried for awhile that we would lose all those wonderful memories that we had recorded especially when Aarron's video camera broke. What neither he nor I realized was how many funny (we should have recorded over this) moments were on there. Now those moments are stuck on the DVD but honestly I can't really complain about them. I am glad that those dorky moments are now on film for us. I am sure we will cherish them more in the future than we do now. Thank you to those who worked to get our tapes turned into DVD's. Words can't express the happiness it gives me to have those forever :)

Easter

I did not manage to get this post written before midnight rolled around but since I haven't fallen asleep yet it counts ;)

Today i am thankful for so many things today. I am grateful for the knowledge I have of the ressurection and the faith I have in it. I love that we were able to go to church and teach our primary kids about the ressurection. That is such a blessing to see such bright spirits latch onto the principles of our gospel with so much purety and assurity. They amaze me all the time and I love how much that can teach us as we teach them.

Today I am also thankful for my beautiful children. I know again...right? I honestly get to see so many moments that are just so sweet and special with them. I got a great picture today of my three sweet loving boys helping their baby sister walk to her daddy. It is so amazing to see a bond like that between your children and know that as they get older they will have one another as friends to lean on. I couldn't be happier about that. I also love that I know my boys care about their sister and want to keep her safe. She has three brothers to watch over her and protect her and a big daddy to as well. She is one lucky girl!

I am also very grateful for the working camera that we have that catches so many great moments of our kids. I do wish that our video camera was in working order so that we could catch all the moments inbetween what the camera catches but you can't complain when you can at least catch a good majority of them. Today is definately one of those days where you want to catch those moments. Some of those firsts and just the fun special holiday moments. We are lucky to have a camera and the access to get copies of those pictures.

Today well we were doing the Easter egg hunt we had the two older boys outside and the younger two kids inside. The Easter Bunny did it that was so it was fair. ;) So of course the two older boys did a great job finding eggs outside and only missed a few without help. Inside with the two young kids was such a special experience. I didn't at all expect what I say and I had to switch Aarron kids so he could share that experience as well. Owen is a sweet little guy and loves his siblings but he is also a really rough kid. He constantly runs over his sister just because he doesn't pay attention to what he is doing or who is around. He will just go up and hit his brothers (not that he gets away with behaving like that) but needless to say he is just a rough little guy. Our sweet experience today is such a perfect example of the little guy he really is. He is sweet and caring. He loves to share and he is loving! Today while he was easter egg hunting with his little sister he all of the sudden took a couple eggs out of his basket and put them in Dessa's basket. He saw that she only had 1 egg and wanted to share. After that as they were hunting in the bedrooms for eggs he would find an egg and put it in her basket and the next egg he found would go in his or vice versa. I think that is going to forever be such a priceless moment. I am glad that I got to share in that moment with my sweet kids and to witness the pure love they have for one another. I am blessed with such amazing children. They are stubborn and sometimes that makes my job as a mom so difficult, but these moments are the ones as a mom you live for. I couldn't imagine a more perfect show of love on such an amazing day.

A beautiful day with so much to be thankful for. :)

HAPPY EASTER!!!

hehehe

I am so thankful for the moments that my kids use their imagination. There was a time when Aiden would say "I hate my imagination." We have come far and oh boy does he come up with some of the most amazing ideas now. I also am thankful that I can hear those moments when my boys are playing off of each others imagination. I am also lucky enough to hear all the funny things my sweet kids say. Today while the boys were outside playing around with the rocks I hear Aiden say to Ian "These are my ugly rock collection and this pile of rocks is the one I like." I couldn't help but chuckle at that. Not only do you need a rock pile you like but lets have an ugly one as well. Not sure why he did that but I thought it was very cute and I am so grateful that I can enjoy all those fun and very sweet moments that my kids share!

Have you forgotten?

I think many times we get so wrapped up in our day to day lives that we forget those who have allowed us to do so. There are so many men and women who willingly serve our country and how often do we take the time to thank them? How often do you remember their constant service and the blessing it gives us without the reminder from an email or Veteran's Day? Those amazing people who serve now or have before had their lives change forever. They have seen things they should never have had to witness. They have made hard choices and they may have watched a loved "family" member die or be severely injured. Do we stop to think of that? Do we ever stop to realize their lives as they new them were destroyed and their is no going back for them? They wear such horrid wounds on a forever basis and I think we fail to remember those as well. I am grateful for those who have served bravely in the past and those who are currently serving. I am grateful to their families who have to live without them for the time they are deployed and for all the sacrifice their families make as well. I pray that all those who serve are safe and that they can come back home and find a way to cope with all those battle wounds. I do not envy them those hardships they carry and I don't know anyone who would want to take those from them and live with them. I do hope that they know there are many of us who do truly appreciate the freedoms and safety they allow us. We have lost to many service persons to those scares they carry and hope that we find a way to change that for those future men and women who come home. I want to shout a huge THANK YOU to each of those who kindly and bravely serve our country!

shath...?

This is one of those things that drives me absolutely crazy. I think it is so annoying when you get in the shower and the next thing you know there is a puddle starting in your shower and by the end of it you have ended up with a shower/bath or as I so recently renamed it a shath. I am so thankful that I do not have to deal with this because there is a solution. I love drano. It is fast and effective. Plus it is such a simple fix in my opinion. So come tomorrow morning I will be fixing my darling kids shath problem with a little drano. So glad it will be a simple and fast thing for me and then they will be back to have a more effective and less germy shower. :)

loud and wild :)

I am grateful for spring break. I love having my sweet kids home with me all the time. Yes it gets a little wild and extremely loud but I enjoy them being home and getting to share so much time together. I am so excited for the school year to be over and for summer to be here so that I can have so much time with my kids. I also can't wait to start enjoying all the fun outside activities again without freezing. I am also thankful for all the nice weather we have been having so we can soak up the much needed vitamin D. I have to say I have also really enjoyed seeing all the cute little birds and hearing all their chirps! Yay for what the season has to offer us :)

glimpse

Today was another special day. Honestly I feel that way more often then not but it was an exceptionally special day. I was lucky enough to go on a field trip with Ian. I did this with the last one as well. It is so much fun to get to see him interact with all of his little friends that he has made. It is also so nice to get to know some of the mom's of these boys so that I get a glimpse into these boys and if they are a good or bad influence on my little guy. I am thankful for the time I got to spend with him today during this field trip. He is a sweet little guy and I sometimes feel like I do not get enough time with him and that saddens me some, but in moments like this I feel like I am still getting that special time with my son and to grow the bond that we share. I love that I have the opportunity to create a strong bond with each of my children. They are my world and I would do anything I could for them.

the obvious

Okay so I again have to be thankful for my washer and dryer and will explain why in a little. I also am beyond grateful for walmart bags, baby wipes, and outside garbage cans!

So here comes the oh so fun story. :o)

Last night it was almost 10 p.m. and I was wanting to go to bed early since I went to bed late a couple times this week. Ten is not early for me at all but I was getting ready to get into bed because I knew I needed to get in bed A.S.A.P because it was a school night and I am the one who gets everyone in the family functioning and ready for the day. Just as I lay down I hear my sweet baby Owen starting to cry. I thought I bet he is having a bad dream (as he has done that a few times off and on in the last few months) and I will go pat his little back super quick and still get right back in bed. That is so not what happened. I head back toward his room and hear this choking sound which for most moms is an automatic link in our brains to my kid is sick. Sure enough I get the light on and he is covered in vomit and screaming now. I felt so bad for him. Thank heavens that my hubby was home we double teamed the mess. I was nice and gave him Owen to bath while I cleaned up all the yucky puke. So here is where the wipes come in. I am obviously grateful the obvious reason of diaper changing but I used wipes last night well trying to lessen the amount of puke on all the laundry I needed to throw into the washing machine. That leads right in to being so grateful I have a washing machine because it quickly got the laundry clean without me having to continue to smell it or touch it. Last I put all the nasty stuff into a walmart and Aarron took it right out and put it in the big garbage can. So thankful those things were available to help contain the mess and get rid of the smell in our house.

a rare thing

At this point in time it is a rare thing to be in a long term committed relationship let alone married. I am not saying it doesn't happen as it does, but it is thrust on us everywhere that it is okay to get married to get divorced or to avoid marriage altogether and just live with one another. I am not saying people who do that are horrible, but it does sadden me some. I love being married to my husband. I love being able to count on him coming home to me and only me. I love the example it gives to my children and what it shows them to expect from the person they choose to spend their life with. You should be able to expect unconditional love and respect. You should be able to be sure in the relationship you share that you are the one who matters and just you. I know that their our married people who cheat on their partners and it doesn't create a box of flawlessness but I do believe it gives you a better shot when those values and expectations are so clearly defined. All of that being said I am so grateful for the amazing example my parents have shown me with their marriage. They had a very rough start but instead of giving up and being done they fought through it and now have been married for 27 years and 1 day. :) How amazing is that to be shown that amount of love and commitment to one another even in the rough times? I am so glad I have been able to have such a great example in my life of a positive relationship. I hope that my kids can get so much positive from the example that Aarron and I set for what a marriage should be, and that we can keep the wonderful example going.

spring cleaning seems a fitting time

I am so thankful today for the happy little children who yelled "HOORAY" when I said it was time to do chores. They even continued doing them "the mom way" without complaining. I have made the decision to go over each specific chore in the house one chore each Saturday until we are through them all to teach my family how to do them "the mom way." I love that they all like to help me but they usually don't quite get it done and I want to teach them the right way to clean now so when they are grown they know how it should be cleaned. I won't lie it is hard for me to give up my control on getting the chores done to my standard, but in time they will be able to do them just as good as I do. I am sure when they get a little bigger they will not enjoy it but will do them the right way as that will be what was expected from the beginning. I love that for now they enjoy chores and helping mom out so much. I appreciate their pleasant attitudes so much more then I could tell them. :)

any better...?

Can it really get any better then this? I really feel like I have such a blessed life. There are rough patches for many different reasons along the way but even those become a blessing. Everytime I turn around I am amazed by the wonderful people who share my home. There is so much love in our home and I am astounded by it and so glad for it. I can't help but tell and show my family how much I love them on a daily basis. They all return that love so completely. I am thankful for the blessing of these beautiful people in my life. I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with these sweet spirits. This was not really the original plan for my post but I honestly feel like the luckiest woman in the world so often that I can't help but share those feelings. It is a beautiful thing to be so happy and to know how amazing the people are who share your life with you on a daily basis!

I would also still like to share how thankful I am for our wonderful evening last night. I made a yummy dinner and we decided to go eat out on the lawn. It was so nice to be able to go outside and spend the time together as a family eating and talking. After dinner was over we got to pull out some of the outside toys and play with all our sweet kids outside. It was so much fun to play outside with them and to just watch them and soak up those moments. They will grow up so fast and I love to watch and see how much they have learned and grown already. Our children have always had lots of personality but it is fun to see how the older kids personalities are growing as they learn more things and have that time to search out their independant thoughts. I am thankful for the nice weather that allowed us to share that time last night before bedtime rolled around. Overall I am just grateful for this beautiful life I have been blessed with!

the CRAZY!!!!

I am thankful for the crazy that my children surround me in. I won't lie and say there are never moments that I want to lock myself in a quiet space but I have come to realize that these loud crazy moments won't last forever. I enjoy my kids everyday of course but to enjoy the noise is odd. I am a quiet person and I get headaches really bad so I always have enjoyed the quiet time. I now though look at that noise as a huge blessing. There are sweet moms all around the world who don't get to hear their children's sweet or crazy noise for so many reasons. Realizing that is huge and I would encourage many young moms to find a special joy in that blessing we have. I am sure there are many more moments where I will be a little frazzled by it but I hope I can always find a way to step back in those moments and love this crazy loud life that I live. I will soak it all in and hold my babies close and maybe even find a fun crazy and loud activity to add into a weekend routine every so often. :)

It's gonna be a...

I am thankful for the sun. I love light. I do not enjoy when all the windows in my house are closed because I feel like I am in a dungeon. I enjoy the feel of the sun shining down on me and how it warms you up. It seems to make everyone happier. I mean honestly how can we not be thankful for the beautiful sun that does so many things for us. I guess I should just say I am so excited for the spring :)

: /

So I was doing good for awhile but life sure does get busy.

I know I have been thankful for this before but over this last week I have again realized how much I appreciate this. Owen over the last week has had multiple accidents out of the middle of nowhere which wasn't fun but was more tolerable due to our washer and dryer. So today I am so thankful for the washer and dryer that we have for those moments!

I am thankful also for the continuing of my journey in bettering my health and for all the information I have learned over the last week or so to help keep all of us healthy.

Oops skipped

Saturday...because I am that on top of things ;)

I am thankful  for the manual I have to help me make a lesson for the cute little primary kids we teach. It is a handful sometimes to get a lesson planned, but I enjoy that time in my week that I spend focused on making that lesson. It has given me a very good reminder of the focus for the week. Even in the moments that my kids are being wild or fighting and driving me crazy I think it has helped me teach them about life in a better way with a better focus for the their future and spiritual well being.

Sunday...
I am thankful for all my cute primary kids and the faith that they have and are working to improve. They are so full of knowledge that it astounds me sometimes. I love getting to know the new little kids who join our class or the ones who have not come in a long time. I hope that I get to serve in this calling for a while because I know it is helping me to become a better person and it touches our lives with such pure faith and happiness.                            

just one of those days...

So I am one of those odd mommies who does not enjoy time away from my kids without Aarron being home at list. I love every moment I get with them. There are those moments where I need some me time but I don't enjoy being away from my kids. I am human and I do need time talking to other ladies who totally get how I am feeling but I go when my kids are asleep and Aarron is home so that I don't miss time with them. This is not because I am a crazy mom who does not let her kids go out into the world it is because I want to soak up every moment I can with my sweet babies before they grow up and no longer want to spend time with mom and dad so much. I already know that the time with my kids will go faster then I am ready for or then I want it to. I have always found it funny when older people try to convince me about the time going fast and to enjoy my kids. I of course agree but they usually seem to think that I am just being agreeable when in all reality I already know that and it saddens me. For all those people who wish I would let my kids come over to be watched by you I don't do that for the very reason that I am not willing to give up that so very precious time with my kids. All of that being said I have gone out with my husband and enjoyed the time. I am not saying it is horrible to go out and leave your kids with a babysitter. It is just my personal preference that we don't really spend a ton of time away from our kids.

So what started this days post was my search for something to get Owen for his 3rd birthday. It sent me into this little "depression" about my kids. They are all growing up on me and they are doing it so quickly. It blows my mind at every birthday that my kids are a year older. It seems like it can't really be possible and yet I know it is. Owen though has kind of been that exception for me. He has been highly delayed in his speech, self-help, and fine motor development. This at one time was very concerning to me and I spent a lot of time working with him to improve his skills after he got tubes as well as a person coming out to help him once a month. He slowly improved but I could always still see his delay and knew he was my baby. :O) All of the sudden though about 2 months ago he made leaps and bounds in his improvement. Now don't get me wrong this is a great thing, but this is where his birthday and me looking for a present all came into play. Like I said he has always been my baby boy but all of the sudden I realize he is turning three on me with a probability of preschool and he is now capable of doing things on his own. My baby boyjust grew up on me. He is not a baby boy anymore he is turning into my big boy. As happy as I am that he has come so far in this last year with his development being almost exactly on target I am sad that it happened all at once because it hit a little harder then it normally does.

Not only is he getting bigger and not needing mom as much my sweet baby girl is starting to not need mom so much anymore. When all you have done for the last 7 1/2 years starts to change what do you do with the knowledge that you are not needed so much anymore. I honestly love my kids but these next few years of growing up that will hit are going to be hard ones on me. I at some point over these next few years will have to learn how to let go and let my kids learn and grow in this scary world without me being there to catch them all the time. That will be very difficult for me. I have faith that my Heavenly Father will help guide me to help my children prepare for the future so they can succeed in life. I know there will be hard and scary times where I will want to jump in and can't because they will need those moments to mold them. In those scary and tought times I know I will turn to my husband in those moments and that he will be there to support me through the tough moments. He always has before. I also trust that he will know when we need to step in for our kids and when to let them be...if it were up to me I am sure I would always jump in even though I know that isn't what they need. Sheesh is parenting hard. I pray that my kids don't make choices that compromise their future and that if they do start to struggle that we can help them get their lives back in order.

So there are a few things I am thankful for...my amazing husband who has worked so hard to allow me to stay home to raise our sweet babies, for the love and support he has always showed me, for all of the sweet and tough moments I get to share with my babies, and for the bond we share with our children.

a view point

You know one of the things I love so much about having children at home you get to see the world again through a child's eyes. It is such a huge blessing. I am grateful that I get to have the opportunity to see the world through such pure and sweet eyes. Children find joy in such simple things that as adults we forget to take joy in now. Children are also so forgiving to everyone. They get upset and their feelings might get hurt, but after a little time passes they have moved on and forgiven that person. What a sweet blessing that is. I also love that a little time to get over something is actually a small amount of time where as adults we say a little time and that could mean a day or two. I am lucky to have such beautiful and pure examples in my life. I have taught my children many things and I plan to teach them many more, but they have taught me so many wonderful things as well and for that I will always be grateful to them!

thankful for...

As I read an article today about the boy scouts of america it did create some concerns but not for just one child but for children on both sides of this new choice that has arose.

Today I am thankful that I have been taught to have tolerance for others. Tolerance does not mean you have to agree with a persons opinions, but that you can civilly disagree. This is such an important thing for people to learn to have. I hope that I can teach my children to be tolerant of others while not swaying back and forth from everyone elses opinions. I think it is important to have your own opinions and beliefs and to find what they are yourself. After you have done that I think it is important that you are capable of standing behind your own beliefs without stepping all over someone elses.

BSA lifting homosexual ban...thoughts

I do not have a child who is 14 yet, but I am the mother of three boys. I would hope that my opinion would matter to them as my boys will likely be boy scouts. I understand that the current survey will go into effect way before my kids reach the age to start the program, but it will also more then likely have an effect on my children. So like I stated above I would like my thoughts and feelings to at least be heard. I am not sure if you can get this information to them or not though.



I think the Boy Scouts of America program is an amazing program for young boys and young men to take part in. I do not feel that a persons sexual gender should be something that disqualifies them from the program. It teaches so many important skills that I do believe it important they have the opportuity to learn these things just like any other male child. I also feel it should be in a positive environment where they are not made to feel bad about themselves. Every child is entitled to a high self-esteem! We as those people teaching children need to nuture those important qualities in children in a safe and positive way.



That leads me into the issues I do feel may arise from this. For one I think it may be possible that there will be those boy scouts if allowed into the program who maybe have a same gender preference will be belittled or bullied for that particular preference. I don't think that is fair for those children and if that happens what will be in place to fix the problem. Also how often will they check into these individual groups to make sure that the safety of all the children is still being upheld?



Also as a mom I want nothing more then to keep my children safe. I do have to wonder if a homosexual leader or fellow boy scout will be a danger to my heterosexual child. Overnight campouts would probably be a cause for more concern as if the other leader is a heavy sleeper then what if they do not wake up if a situation were to arise. I think the safety of all children need to be thought of and accounted for. This question could be worded in the exact opposite way. Would a heterosexual leader and child who do not agree with the childs preference be a danger to the homosexual child. I think these concerns need to be addressed and a safety guidline need to be in place. Those guidlines also need to be followed not just put on paper but they do need to be used and there needs to be someone who checks to make sure the safety of our children are the top priority.



This particular thought comes to me that if they cannot assure the safety of those children together all in one group it may be worth creating a group of each. This would in essence be segregation.That though saddens me at the thought that it would seem we may be sliding backwards in history and creating the inability to tolerate one anothers differences rather then moving forward and seeing what good those around us can contribute. All of this being said I feel very strongly that all the childrens safety should be our very first priority and that then we need to build these children self-worth and self-esteem up and not tear it down!



Brisha Po'uha

Tuesday is the day :)

Last year I was lucky enough to get to volunteer in Aiden's classroom every Monday for the reading folder exchange. I loved going in to see how my son was doing in class and how much he achieved each week. I also enjoyed meeting all his little classmates and getting to know his friends. I like that some of the friends he has now are the same ones I met back when he was in kindergarten with them. I also love that he still wants to introduce me to all his new friends at school. What a huge blessing it is to know the friends our children spend so much time with.

Today I am thankful to have the opportunity to volunteer in Ian's kindergarten class ever Tuesday. I now work in groups with his little classmates. It is fun to be involved in the activities that he is doing in class. I am also getting the same opportunity to meet the friends he is making in his class this year. I enjoy seeing how well he is doing in kindergarten. He has improved so much since we moved back to Cedar. I am so proud of all the work he has put in and how well he behaves in class.

This mama is sure a lucky lady and is grateful for all of lifes little blessings!

Love him

My naughty little (almost 3 year old) monster today decided he would be super funny. I however did not find it so funny. I am a weird mom and I always meet my kids outside when they get off the bus. Today the bus had passed our house as I was getting my shoes on so I knew I wouldn't make it all the way down to where the bus stops. At that point I decided to just meet Ian on the sidewalk right outside our house. In the whole 2 minutes it took him to run home from the bus stop to me and us to walk around the lawn to the front door Owen had locked the door. Then the little stinker wouldn't/couldn't unlock the door. I am grateful for Sam (the manager of our apartments) who so quickly gave me the extra key to be able to unlock the door and get back inside to my kids. I am also grateful to her little boy Ryder who took that key back to his mom so I didn't end up locked out again. I love my little Owen bug but I sure would love if he would not pull surprises like that.

Experiment :)

Today I am grateful that my thrown together recipe was a success. Dinner was full of hiccups and at one point I even wanted to just give up and make macaroni or ramen. I am glad that I did not as all of my kids ate dinner pretty good today. No complaining and not much left over. Dinners usually don't go quite that easy if it is not something the kids normally eat. I am grateful for that tiny little blessing tonight to not have to hear complaining while they ate dinner. Plus it was healthy and yummy...you really can't complain ;)

bitterSWEET!!

I am not sure if I have already been grateful for this, but I don't honestly think you can ever be to grateful for the many things in your life.

I am grateful for my sister. It may have taken us 24 years to get along, but I am grateful that we are friends now. I always wanted to be friends with my sister and was very sad that it never really happened. At one point I thought that it may never happen. Her moving to Kentucky was such a great choice for her. She is so much happier now then she has ever been before. It makes me so happy to know that her life is working out for her. She is with someone who makes her happy and treats her and Garrett so good. I could not ask more for my sister. I like Aric just because of who my sister is now that she is with him. I am grateful to him for being such a positive influence in her life. He brings the best out in her like any good relationship should be. I wish them all the luck in their lives together.
I
Since she has moved out to Kentucky though our relationship has improved so much as well. I am somewhat saddened that she is so far away now because our relationship is finally where I wanted it to be and now I cannot go over and see her. I wish selfishly that she lived closer so I could visit her. I want to share those happy life changing moments with her and I get to sort of but it just isn't quite the same. I am sad that my kids do not get to really know and play with Garrett. We have been the ones who always lived farther away from family so even earlier in their lives they did not get to play together as much. Now I just feel like they might not ever really get to play together again. I am grateful for the times that I have shared with my sweet nephew and the moments that my boys have spent with their cousin.

I have to say I am excited for the new little bundle of joy they will have joining their family before long. It will be such a fun time for the three of them. I know they will all love that baby so much. That though even makes me sad. I will not get to see my new little niece or nephew for probably a long time. Kentucky is far away and it is a spendy trip, but I do really hope that we can all make it out there for a visit sometime soon after the baby is born. Until I can actually visit them or they visit here I will be grateful for all the long phone calls we share. I love my sister and am glad that we have gotten to a point where we can talk on the phone for an hour or more and talk about anything. It is so nice to share our lives with each other even though we are far away and to have the ability to better our relationship. I honestly am so grateful to Aric for being so wonderful to two of the people who are so important to me.  Love ya sis :)

and go...

Feeling kind of like life is a whirlwind. I am so glad that the weekend is here. I really do feel like my whole family needs some down time before life picks back up and gets crazy again. So I guess that leads nicely into what I am grateful for. I am grateful for the lazy weekends we get to spend together as a family. It is so nice to have that time together especially since our kids are growing up and eventually they may not want to spend so much time with mom and dad. I hope that they are always close to us and that our family bond is a special one, but I can't count on that. What I can count on though is the time I can give to my wonderful babies right now. :)

everyday things

I am grateful for the fridge in my kitchen that works and keeps my food from going rotten. I am glad we have healthy food to eat and that we do not have to throw out the left overs that we have after meals. I hate to waste food so it really is a blessing to have a fridge. I also am grateful for my stove which allows me to cook the food that we do have. I love home cooked meals. That is not to say I am always happy about or in the mood to cook but I do like home cooked meals. I am so grateful to have these appliances in my home. They make our lives a lot simplier that is for sure. :)

Yay!!!

Okay so as I stated way earlier in this challenge that I was thankful for my car that was and is so true. I am grateful that our Durango continued to work for us while we had it. There were some hiccups along the way with that vehicle and it was definately going downhill, but I am very glad we did have a vehicle to get around to where we needed to.

I am also grateful for the many people who helped us get where we needed to during those times when our Durango was being a little ticky. Well today is the day where we say goodbye to that lovely dark blue durango that was struggling. I am glad that we no longer have to stress about what is going to break next or when the durango is going to break down in such a bad way that we would be in big trouble. That lovely durango is fixable and I am sure it will turn out to be a good car for somebody who is smarter then I am with cars. I guess if they fix it up all nice and sell it then they won't have to worry about it but either way that is not my stress anymore...

Now I get to stress about paying off a used vehicle. We are thrilled to have gotten a good vehicle from a great dealership. They worked so hard to get us into a good vehicle for our family. There were a few people who really put in a lot of effort for us and even put in a good word for us. I am so grateful for those people. I am glad that we have a vehicle that fits us all so nicely and that I feel like is safe for my family. Thanks to all you wonderful people who worked a small miracle for us!

little blessings...

So today was my sweet baby girl's check-up after her hospital stay. Happy today that she is doing great and they are happy with where she is at. We still have the option of getting her suctioned if need be, but we are all hoping that we don't need to. It is funny to me that the two doctors who have really dealt with our kids can tell when they are sick because they behave so differently. I have loud children full of so much personality that when they are not openly showing it we all know something is wrong. :) I am so glad that my kids are so sweet and have their own personalities. I am also so grateful that people see my children as well behaved. I work hard to have them behave and though they don't always behave at home (and somedays I feel absolutely crazy) they always behave well when we are out somewhere. I know that my children are growing into great young men and a great little girl.

On to what I was originally going to be thankful for today. I am thankful to Dr. Newman who took the time to look at Aiden today even though it was Dessa's appointment. I love the small town family doctors for that reason. They really do care about how you and your whole family are doing. I don't go in there everytime asking for him to look at someone else though we usually discuss a multitude of health concerns while there I do not usually have him check out someone else in the family. I am glad he was so willing to today though because my Mr. Aiden has an ear infection. He woke up in the middle of the night crying that his ear hurt and he couldn't go back to bed. I feel so bad that he is hurting so bad, but I am glad that we have the meds to get him on the mend as well as the essential oils to help him heal faster. We are so blessed in our lives by all the many kind people we know. I couldn't be happier! :)

liFE HAPpens

Okay so I missed a few days but life happens and I would way rather have been where I was worrying about what I was then stressing about my blog and challenge :)

March 2- I am so grateful for hospitals and the ability they have to treat little children with RSV so well. Was it fun to see Dessa get her nose suctioned no, but I am glad they did it and got all of that mucus out of her so she could heal. She is a completely different baby from Friday night. I am so thankful for Kenny (the respiratory therapist) and how good he is at his job. He in my opinion is a huge part of her fast recovery.

March 3- I am grateful to have such amazing people in our lives who cared to reach out and check on us. It is so amazing to be surround my such kind and caring people. I really appreciate each one of them who reached out to check on not just Dessa but for everyone in our family. I am also so grateful for all the offers to help us out as we were balancing the family from two different places. Makes me really grateful for my cell phone that allowed us to say good night to the boys and to be able to be involved in bed time prayer.

March 4- I am grateful to the many people with so much knowledge of cars and for the friends who willing at the drop of a hat came and saved me and my sweet son from our overly tired unworking vehicle :) Got to love those days right.

More then anything I love the life I have and the people I share it with. I am so grateful for the health of my sweet babies and my spouse. Our lives are full of so many blessings and miracles we just have to stop so we can see them when they take place!

hAhAhA...like I will keep up ;)

Okay so the life of a mommy is a beautiful and wonderful experience that I wouldn't trade for anything, but it is also a super busy one where you come last. I am okay with coming last but I obviously am so not staying caught up on my daily blogging.

My poor kids all got sick with something which didn't last long at all for my boys. My poor sweet princess on the other hand is having a very difficult time getting over this. She has had a pretty constant fever at about 100.8 for the last three days. I have gotten it down to 99 a few times but it won't stay down. At least it hasn't gotten any higher then 100.8. I have kept her oiled up and sleeping as much as possible and I even moved the diffuser into her room. My poor little thing though. It makes me sad :( You can even tell how yucky she feels. I am hoping by the weekend we can kick whatever it is. If not we are doctor bound because I am not going to put it off until things get really bad!

So onto being thankful. Yesterday the last day of February...I am thankful for the chance I had to go to subway and get a februany. To bad Subway doesn't carry it through March maddness right. Maybe we should suggest that to them. I love that Subway does the 5 dollar footlongs because it is pretty healthy and I can use it for two meals. You just really can't complain when you pay 2.50 for one meal in my opinion. Probably a funny thing to be grateful for but there is so much junk out there to choose from that I find it very nice to have a decent place to stop at when you are busy running around with 4 kids.

March 1- I am thankful for the movie I watched today. It was a great movie and it was nice to watch something that didn't disappoint. The Odd Life of Timothy Green is such a sweet movie. If you have not seen it I would suggest watching it. I really like finding movies that I would feel great about having my kids watch and this was one of them. I don't feel like there are a lot of movies like that anymore. It is kind of sad to say that, but in my opinion very true. A lot of people think I am so crazy to no want my kids to watch certain movies or certain video games. A constant statement "they are going to learn it eventually anyways" or "it is the world we live in." My reply to those people is one why is that an excuse to thrust it upon them at a young age and better yet should they really learn such poor behavior from their parents. I think it important to teach your children how to handle themselves in this world and to tell them of the dangers out there. I also find it important to teach them about nature and some of that is sad, but I think those things are important. I don't however feel my letting them watch crude television or games is in any way going to prepare them for those things. All it teaches is violence and poor standards. I want my kids to know how to protect themselves and stand up for themselves not how to start the problems. Sorry end of rant.

I am also thankful for my diffuser and all the oils I have available in my home. As I mentioned above my poor sweet girl is sick but having the diffuser in her room has made a world of difference. I am glad we also have so many oils to combat so many different things so that if one oil is not working I can choose another.