Usually we are thankful and express gratitude at Thanksgiving. For some reason, this past week, I have been reminded over and over again that I am thankful. What does thankful mean?
Thankful: adjective
feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative
Here is a list (I am a bullet point list type of girl) of 10 things I am thankful for at this moment:
1. I am thankful for Skip. He is a Godly man that honors his family, serves his community and is an all around great person. He never draws attention to himself or wants to be recognized. He is my rock, he is my best friend, he is my number 1 supporter.
2. I am thankful for my 3 wonderful babies. They drive me nuts at times but that is how the parent/child thing can roll at times. They are wonderful individual creatures. I am thankful for the time we get to spend together as a family. I am thankful that they are respectful and happy children (most of the time). I am most thankful that they know Jesus. Grant's health is 100% better. What a miracle!
3. I am thankful that we have a home that we love. This is our 5th house and we have been here 10 years. Yes, I get the urge to move into a bigger or newer house the my kids remind us that they LOVE it here. This house is big, bigger than we actually need. Most importantly, our neighbors rock! My kids have 20 instant friends to play outside on any given day. My kids still love to play kick ball, hide and seek, tag, build forts, etc. with the neighborhood kids. My neighbors would help us in any way at any time. We could buy a 'nicer' house but we couldn't buy these neighbors. As they say, priceless.
4. I am thankful for my parents. They are wonderful. We are all very close. They are still my mom/dad but they are more of my friends, counselors, supporters, encourager's now. The roles are evolving as we age.
5. I am thankful that all my medical tests this year have been normal. We are ready to battle anything thrown our way but we have been given clean results so far.
6. I am thankful that my hubby and I still have good jobs. I work part-time from home for an incredible company. Skip has a flexible schedule that allows him to be a part of the kids lives more while still succeeding in his job.
7. I am thankful for our little dogs. I never really considered myself a dog person but I love these little creatures. They are my company while I am working during the day.
8. I am thankful for our church. Our church has been instrumental in changing the focus of our family.
9. I am thankful for the opportunities we have to be together as a family whether that is watching a movie by the fire, traveling for vacation, to visit family/friends, going to dinner or having family dinner at home. I am thankful that our lives allow time. Or shall I say that I am thankful that we all value time with each other so much that we make our schedules fit "our" time?
10. I am thankful I am forgiven. I am definitely not perfect, never have been, never will be. I have had moments in my life where I was 'better behaved' than others. I am thankful that I am forgiven and restored. I am thankful that God forgives us and loves us for us. He created us to be individuals. I finally get that! God created each of us individually, why do we want to be 'like' someone else? That is no who he created. At 42, I get it!
Psalm 107:1 (NIV)
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."
Showing posts with label Random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Random. Show all posts
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Gilcreases go Green
The Gilcreases go green.. say that 4 times fast. Well, let's just say we are making 2degree changes in our lives to start living a more environmentally friendly way. Our trash company doesn't put much effort or availability on recycling so we took the easy way out. We are now recycling plastic and cans. We take them to a local school for drop off. We took our tree to Home Depot to be chopped into mulch. We took it one step further and had a truck full of the mulch dropped off here. We are going to have to put it through chipper one more time but it will be great mulch for the natural areas in our back yard.
My hubby is the most studied human that I have ever met. Come over to our house and you will find a library FULL of history and science books, a downstairs office full of books, bedroom bookshelves full of books and a stack from the library at any time. Skip reads several books at one time. None of them are at all appealing to me. His last book was 1300 pages of Lincoln and his cabinet. My point with this is that he is very educated, very! I go to him with questions all the time. My latest was concerning global warning. How in the world can people say Global Warning does not exist? That blows my mind. How do people think we are not effecting the environment? If you have ever flown into Atlanta on a hot humid day in the summer and have seen the thick yellowish/grayish layer of smog, you will see we do have an impact on our environment. You almost wonder if the plane will be yellow when we get through the blanket of yuck. Yes, the earth has warmed and cooled over time but NEVER as fast as it is now.
I think we need to teach our children to respect the environment. My children were actually proud of us for starting the recycling. I think they are taught recycling at school and it should be enforced at home. I am looking for ways to do better. If you have any ideas, please comment. I would love some 2% Green ideas... Thanks Jim for the ideas.. will change the light bulbs on the next trip to Home Depot.
My hubby is the most studied human that I have ever met. Come over to our house and you will find a library FULL of history and science books, a downstairs office full of books, bedroom bookshelves full of books and a stack from the library at any time. Skip reads several books at one time. None of them are at all appealing to me. His last book was 1300 pages of Lincoln and his cabinet. My point with this is that he is very educated, very! I go to him with questions all the time. My latest was concerning global warning. How in the world can people say Global Warning does not exist? That blows my mind. How do people think we are not effecting the environment? If you have ever flown into Atlanta on a hot humid day in the summer and have seen the thick yellowish/grayish layer of smog, you will see we do have an impact on our environment. You almost wonder if the plane will be yellow when we get through the blanket of yuck. Yes, the earth has warmed and cooled over time but NEVER as fast as it is now.
I think we need to teach our children to respect the environment. My children were actually proud of us for starting the recycling. I think they are taught recycling at school and it should be enforced at home. I am looking for ways to do better. If you have any ideas, please comment. I would love some 2% Green ideas... Thanks Jim for the ideas.. will change the light bulbs on the next trip to Home Depot.
Friday, January 16, 2009
BUUURRRRRR!
Woah! It is cold here in the deep south. It was 10.9 degrees this AM with a wind chill of less. I am okay with cold weather but this is uncomfortably cold. I am sure Skip enjoyed letting the dog out at 5:00 AM while she ran and played enjoying the outdoors. We lived in New Hampshire for 4 years. Waverly and Kendall were born in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is part of the great white north and has a reputation for some pretty cold winters. But.. something is different there. I don't know if it is because it is less humid or you just get used to it but it doesn't feel as cold as it is now in Georgia. I remember walking the streets of Portland, ME one night window shopping and the temperature was -1 degrees. It wasn't this cold. I remember thinking.. "Boy, I am not cold right now. Odd?"
In the 4 years we lived in NH, we only had to plow our drive way a couple of times. We lived on a beautiful peninsula in a town called Dover, NH. The Great Bay surrounded our peninsula. Since we were close to water, we didn't get as much snowfall as they did inland. We had to cross a large bridge to get to our house. There would be tug boats (the old fashioned red and black ones) pulling large barges up and down the bay. Maine was on the other side of the bay. I can tell you that as beautiful as the view from that bridge was... it was also a terror on snow days. Me.. with my GA plates.. would drive about 5 mph over the bridge. I would be white knuckled on all 10. I am sure I aggravated the stew out of all the Yankees behind me.
So.. here we are in GA. Thankful we will not have to go out today. Sorry our kids had to get on a school bus... Freezing our little tails off... drinking hot coffee... praying for a snow day.. and complaining. But, it gives our Yankee Transplant friends something to talk about. And Yes, we will all buy bread and milk today even though there is no chance of snow. Just in case.. you never know.
In the 4 years we lived in NH, we only had to plow our drive way a couple of times. We lived on a beautiful peninsula in a town called Dover, NH. The Great Bay surrounded our peninsula. Since we were close to water, we didn't get as much snowfall as they did inland. We had to cross a large bridge to get to our house. There would be tug boats (the old fashioned red and black ones) pulling large barges up and down the bay. Maine was on the other side of the bay. I can tell you that as beautiful as the view from that bridge was... it was also a terror on snow days. Me.. with my GA plates.. would drive about 5 mph over the bridge. I would be white knuckled on all 10. I am sure I aggravated the stew out of all the Yankees behind me.
So.. here we are in GA. Thankful we will not have to go out today. Sorry our kids had to get on a school bus... Freezing our little tails off... drinking hot coffee... praying for a snow day.. and complaining. But, it gives our Yankee Transplant friends something to talk about. And Yes, we will all buy bread and milk today even though there is no chance of snow. Just in case.. you never know.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
2008 Wrap up....
It has been a long time since I blogged. Sorry.. life just got crazy with the holidays, outreach and family activities so some things had to be put on the back burner. New Years has past and it is a great time to reflect on 2008. Here is what our family was up to in 2008:
January: January started with the kids going to my moms for a few days. Skip and I had a wonderful time lounging kidfree, watching movies, cooking dinner, etc. Grant came back a complete sports fan since he participated in the college bowl game picks with my mom. Skip's brother and his family came for a visit in January. They stayed the whole weekend. It turned out it was the weekend it snowed. They live in Tampa so they do not get a lot of snow. The kids spent the weekend playing football, sledding and building snow-men. The adults stayed inside near the fire and watched movies. It was just good ole' lazy family time.
February: We went on a cruise to Cozumel Mexico and Key West, FL. It was a great get away for our family. The kids had one room and we had an adjoining room. Kendall met a sweet friend from Indianapolis. She makes friends so easily. Grant learned to shuffleboard and became competitive at shuffleboard as he does any sport.
Skip takes the girls to a Father/Daughter dance each year. The girls love this time with their daddy:
March: Kendall, Waverly and I spent the night at the Chattanooga, TN aquarium with Girl Scouts. We slept in the tunnel under the sharks and big sea turtles. It was really one of the most peaceful nights. I remember looking up and seeing a large sea turtle, hammerhead shark and parrot fish swimming above me.
=
Waverly and Kendall started spring soccer. They have been on the Bulldogs for years. This was their last season with the Bulldogs. We will miss that great group of families. Grant went to ADay (Auburn) game with my dad. This was the beginning of transforming the little guy into an Auburn Tiger. Skip and I went through a renewal with our marriage this month. It was a challenging process but our marriage has never been stronger.
April: We went to Panama City Beach, Fl for spring break. My dad and step mom have a place in PCB that they frequently loan us throughout the year.
We spent time with Kim Wood and kids. We always enjoy our time in FL for spring break. We see the same folks there every year. Kendall is 100% a surfer girl. I have no doubt that she will end up living on the coast one day. Mt. Paran had Service Day which is an awesome event. It was my first experience with service day. The entire school and parents participate in a service project for a day. I went with some kids to the Warehouse of Hope in Hiram, GA. Skip turned 40 something this month. I surprised him by getting his mom to watch the kids. I got a hotel in Atlanta and sent him a text to meet me there. He was very surprised. It was a fun little vacation.
May: I went to the beach with some lady friends of mine. This was the 3rd year we have gone to the beach for a kid-free weekend. It was fun as always. Our beloved baby-sitter heaven went to be with Jesus in May. She died in a housefire trying to save her 2 year old son. Amber's son made it out of the fire but Amber did not. Amber was Grant's baby-sitter when he was young. She is missed. Our family went to Cozumel with my father. We stayed at a resort we have grown to love. My dad has stayed at this resort many many times. They know his name and know we are part of his family. It was kind of like a homecoming for us and the kids. The kids absolutely LOVE Cozumel. See posting about Cozumel. Grant became an Atlanta Braves addict. Skip and Grant went to the Braves game any chance they could get.
Cozumel:
June: June was the beginning of a very busy and crazy summer. It started out with Kendall and Waverly going to Girl Scout camp for a week. They loved the camp and had a great time.
Waverly attended a soccer camp at Mt. Paran. Waverly and Kendall then went to Tampa for "Cousins Camp". Aunt Stephanie has the kids at her house each summer for cousins camp. It is great fun. She is amazing! The following week was SURGE camp for West Ridge. I taught a photography course to 3rd- 5th graders. It was an incredible experience. Waverly took cooking, Grant took basketball and Kendall took scrapbooking. Skip worked with the parking guys. A good time was had by all. We headed back to the beach to recover from the crazy month. Grant turned 7 and had football birthday party. See post about Grant's birthday.
We spent time with friends during the summer. Here is a photo of one fun summer day at our neighbors, the Dennehy's, pool:
July: Kendall went to an English camp at Mt. Paran. Grant went to my mom's house for a visit. Kendall then went to Camp Glisson in Dahlonega. This is a great Christian Camp out in the woods. Skip went when he was a kid. It is not fancy at all but a great way for the kids to have a good ole' fashioned camp experience. Kendall turned 9 while at Camp Glisson. She was showered with attention and really enjoyed having her birthday at camp. I felt like a heel for planning the camp week with her birthday in the week. She had a spend the night party when she got home from camp. The last two weeks of July were spent working on a Community Makeover with Engage Atlanta. www.engageatlanta.com We got a group of friends together and did a make-over on a friend's home. We originally were going to put down flooring and ended up hard-wording and recarpeting the entire home, painting the home, adding furniture, landscape work, doing extreme repairs, cleaning, making drapes, decorating.. It was truly an effort by many that has changed the life of the family.
We also spent the summer getting ready for the Back to School Drive. Boy oh boy did that take a lot of time. It is quite an experience working for your 10 year old daughter. We had to give our sweet dog Judd away. See post on Judd. We still see Judd often and he is doing great.
August: The big event in August was the Back to School Drive 8-9-08. This was A Fresh Hope and West Ridge event. Over-all, 1100 new back packs and supplies were given to kids in the area. It was a true blessing for our family. It really brought service to the forefront of our family mission. Skip and I started the Dave Ramsey course. Although we did not graduate, we did learn a lot. Even 5 months later, we are putting his principles into practice. Kendall and Waverly started Mt. Paran and Grant started Picketts Mill. All 3 have had an incredible school year so far and LOVE their schools. Grant went to an Auburn game with my Dad. I think they went to 3 or 4 games this season. It has been a great way for them to bond.
September: Skip and I went to the mountains for a little R&R. My mom came and watched the kids for the weekend. My kids love when Gram and Joey come to watch them. Skip, Waverly and Kendall went to Father/Daughter Girl Scout camp one weekend. This was their 4th year to go to this camp. They bike, hike, cookout, etc. Skip takes several tents. They are not roughing it as Skip is usually working on his laptop after the girls fall asleep.
October: October was jammed packed with flag football, soccer, fall carnivals and events, etc. Our kids once again got their flu shots. They just love getting the flu shots, ha ha ha... it is a sight to see. Grant has to get his at the pulmonologist because of his egg allergy. This month was monopolized by junky election stuff. I hate elections and have over-posted on this fact to date so I will just drop it. I was diagnosed with mono so our life slowed down a bit. Skip was diagnosed several weeks after me. Thankfully, the kids never got it which is amazing!
November: Waverly turned 11. We went to Tuscaloosa for a weekend for my cousin, Lindsey's, wedding. It was beautiful. I could not believe Little Lindsey was getting married. We then headed to Tampa for a visit with the cousins. My kids LOVE the cousins house. They have 6 kids and live on several acres. There is more than enough for any child to do at any time. I enjoy spending time with my sister-in-law Stephanie and the gang. Skip, Grant and Waverly went to the Bucs game before we headed back home. Doug is the Chaplain for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so we are big Bucs fans. Obama was elected President. It was a historical moment that our children will remember for a lifetime.
December: I am officially no longer 40 as I turned 41 this month. 40 is not nearly as bad as everyone makes it sound. In fact, I think it is better than 30. We spent the month preparing for the Outreach Party. The party was help on 12/21. A Fresh Hope partnered with 5 churches, CAYA and Toys For Tots. We had an incredible outreach event. Over 5000 in the community were served.. Amazing! see www.afreshhope.blogspot.com for more information. The kids had their annual Christmas party. They love doing this little party. It started 8 years ago as a cookie decorating party for a few kids. It is now 25+ kids with crafts, parents, and good eats. The boys typically play sports and the girls will do a craft.
Our Christmas was slimmed down this year but it was the best Christmas Ever!!! We spent more on giving than on our own gifts and felt very blessed in the end. Our kids "Got It" and that was the best part of all.
We adopted Lily Bleu in December. She was an 8 week old Goldendoodle when we adopted her:
This year ended in St. Louis celebration Grammy and Grandpa Gilcrease's 50th wedding anniversary. It was a great celebration of 50 wonderful years.
January: January started with the kids going to my moms for a few days. Skip and I had a wonderful time lounging kidfree, watching movies, cooking dinner, etc. Grant came back a complete sports fan since he participated in the college bowl game picks with my mom. Skip's brother and his family came for a visit in January. They stayed the whole weekend. It turned out it was the weekend it snowed. They live in Tampa so they do not get a lot of snow. The kids spent the weekend playing football, sledding and building snow-men. The adults stayed inside near the fire and watched movies. It was just good ole' lazy family time.
February: We went on a cruise to Cozumel Mexico and Key West, FL. It was a great get away for our family. The kids had one room and we had an adjoining room. Kendall met a sweet friend from Indianapolis. She makes friends so easily. Grant learned to shuffleboard and became competitive at shuffleboard as he does any sport.
Skip takes the girls to a Father/Daughter dance each year. The girls love this time with their daddy:
March: Kendall, Waverly and I spent the night at the Chattanooga, TN aquarium with Girl Scouts. We slept in the tunnel under the sharks and big sea turtles. It was really one of the most peaceful nights. I remember looking up and seeing a large sea turtle, hammerhead shark and parrot fish swimming above me.
=
Waverly and Kendall started spring soccer. They have been on the Bulldogs for years. This was their last season with the Bulldogs. We will miss that great group of families. Grant went to ADay (Auburn) game with my dad. This was the beginning of transforming the little guy into an Auburn Tiger. Skip and I went through a renewal with our marriage this month. It was a challenging process but our marriage has never been stronger.
April: We went to Panama City Beach, Fl for spring break. My dad and step mom have a place in PCB that they frequently loan us throughout the year.
We spent time with Kim Wood and kids. We always enjoy our time in FL for spring break. We see the same folks there every year. Kendall is 100% a surfer girl. I have no doubt that she will end up living on the coast one day. Mt. Paran had Service Day which is an awesome event. It was my first experience with service day. The entire school and parents participate in a service project for a day. I went with some kids to the Warehouse of Hope in Hiram, GA. Skip turned 40 something this month. I surprised him by getting his mom to watch the kids. I got a hotel in Atlanta and sent him a text to meet me there. He was very surprised. It was a fun little vacation.
May: I went to the beach with some lady friends of mine. This was the 3rd year we have gone to the beach for a kid-free weekend. It was fun as always. Our beloved baby-sitter heaven went to be with Jesus in May. She died in a housefire trying to save her 2 year old son. Amber's son made it out of the fire but Amber did not. Amber was Grant's baby-sitter when he was young. She is missed. Our family went to Cozumel with my father. We stayed at a resort we have grown to love. My dad has stayed at this resort many many times. They know his name and know we are part of his family. It was kind of like a homecoming for us and the kids. The kids absolutely LOVE Cozumel. See posting about Cozumel. Grant became an Atlanta Braves addict. Skip and Grant went to the Braves game any chance they could get.
Cozumel:
June: June was the beginning of a very busy and crazy summer. It started out with Kendall and Waverly going to Girl Scout camp for a week. They loved the camp and had a great time.
Waverly attended a soccer camp at Mt. Paran. Waverly and Kendall then went to Tampa for "Cousins Camp". Aunt Stephanie has the kids at her house each summer for cousins camp. It is great fun. She is amazing! The following week was SURGE camp for West Ridge. I taught a photography course to 3rd- 5th graders. It was an incredible experience. Waverly took cooking, Grant took basketball and Kendall took scrapbooking. Skip worked with the parking guys. A good time was had by all. We headed back to the beach to recover from the crazy month. Grant turned 7 and had football birthday party. See post about Grant's birthday.
We spent time with friends during the summer. Here is a photo of one fun summer day at our neighbors, the Dennehy's, pool:
July: Kendall went to an English camp at Mt. Paran. Grant went to my mom's house for a visit. Kendall then went to Camp Glisson in Dahlonega. This is a great Christian Camp out in the woods. Skip went when he was a kid. It is not fancy at all but a great way for the kids to have a good ole' fashioned camp experience. Kendall turned 9 while at Camp Glisson. She was showered with attention and really enjoyed having her birthday at camp. I felt like a heel for planning the camp week with her birthday in the week. She had a spend the night party when she got home from camp. The last two weeks of July were spent working on a Community Makeover with Engage Atlanta. www.engageatlanta.com We got a group of friends together and did a make-over on a friend's home. We originally were going to put down flooring and ended up hard-wording and recarpeting the entire home, painting the home, adding furniture, landscape work, doing extreme repairs, cleaning, making drapes, decorating.. It was truly an effort by many that has changed the life of the family.
We also spent the summer getting ready for the Back to School Drive. Boy oh boy did that take a lot of time. It is quite an experience working for your 10 year old daughter. We had to give our sweet dog Judd away. See post on Judd. We still see Judd often and he is doing great.
August: The big event in August was the Back to School Drive 8-9-08. This was A Fresh Hope and West Ridge event. Over-all, 1100 new back packs and supplies were given to kids in the area. It was a true blessing for our family. It really brought service to the forefront of our family mission. Skip and I started the Dave Ramsey course. Although we did not graduate, we did learn a lot. Even 5 months later, we are putting his principles into practice. Kendall and Waverly started Mt. Paran and Grant started Picketts Mill. All 3 have had an incredible school year so far and LOVE their schools. Grant went to an Auburn game with my Dad. I think they went to 3 or 4 games this season. It has been a great way for them to bond.
September: Skip and I went to the mountains for a little R&R. My mom came and watched the kids for the weekend. My kids love when Gram and Joey come to watch them. Skip, Waverly and Kendall went to Father/Daughter Girl Scout camp one weekend. This was their 4th year to go to this camp. They bike, hike, cookout, etc. Skip takes several tents. They are not roughing it as Skip is usually working on his laptop after the girls fall asleep.
October: October was jammed packed with flag football, soccer, fall carnivals and events, etc. Our kids once again got their flu shots. They just love getting the flu shots, ha ha ha... it is a sight to see. Grant has to get his at the pulmonologist because of his egg allergy. This month was monopolized by junky election stuff. I hate elections and have over-posted on this fact to date so I will just drop it. I was diagnosed with mono so our life slowed down a bit. Skip was diagnosed several weeks after me. Thankfully, the kids never got it which is amazing!
November: Waverly turned 11. We went to Tuscaloosa for a weekend for my cousin, Lindsey's, wedding. It was beautiful. I could not believe Little Lindsey was getting married. We then headed to Tampa for a visit with the cousins. My kids LOVE the cousins house. They have 6 kids and live on several acres. There is more than enough for any child to do at any time. I enjoy spending time with my sister-in-law Stephanie and the gang. Skip, Grant and Waverly went to the Bucs game before we headed back home. Doug is the Chaplain for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so we are big Bucs fans. Obama was elected President. It was a historical moment that our children will remember for a lifetime.
December: I am officially no longer 40 as I turned 41 this month. 40 is not nearly as bad as everyone makes it sound. In fact, I think it is better than 30. We spent the month preparing for the Outreach Party. The party was help on 12/21. A Fresh Hope partnered with 5 churches, CAYA and Toys For Tots. We had an incredible outreach event. Over 5000 in the community were served.. Amazing! see www.afreshhope.blogspot.com for more information. The kids had their annual Christmas party. They love doing this little party. It started 8 years ago as a cookie decorating party for a few kids. It is now 25+ kids with crafts, parents, and good eats. The boys typically play sports and the girls will do a craft.
Our Christmas was slimmed down this year but it was the best Christmas Ever!!! We spent more on giving than on our own gifts and felt very blessed in the end. Our kids "Got It" and that was the best part of all.
We adopted Lily Bleu in December. She was an 8 week old Goldendoodle when we adopted her:
This year ended in St. Louis celebration Grammy and Grandpa Gilcrease's 50th wedding anniversary. It was a great celebration of 50 wonderful years.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thanksgiving doesn't get the credit it deserves....
Thanksgiving doesn't get the credit it deserves... Don't you think that is true? I mean, the Christmas decorations come out when the Halloween stuff comes down (and even before in some stores). It blows my mind that Halloween gets more press than Thanksgiving. I am not a huge fan of Halloween. The kids dress up, we carve 3 pumpkins and Trick-or-Treat. That is the extent of my Halloween decorations and celebrations. But.. Thanksgiving.. Wow.. we can't take a little extra time and reflect on what all we have to be thankful for? I think it is especially important to reflect this year with so much craziness going on in the world. Regardless of our circumstances at this very second, we have a ton to be thankful for. I am writing this blog for my kids. As a parent, I want my kids to grow up with a feeling of gratitude, a heart of compassion, a desire to give and a LOVE of Christ. (of course happiness, manners, success, etc. is thrown in there too but that will all come if the others are in place).
We are getting ready for our Thanksgiving Travels. This week, we are headed to Tuscalosa, AL (home of the University of Alabama but we will hold our nose while we are there, hardee har har) for my cousin LIndsey's wedding. Lindsey and I have been close her whole life. She is getting her Masters at University of AL. I love her anyway but I do feel a bit of betrayal if I must be honest. I am an Auburn Grad and spent the better part of my life swaying her in that direction. Seriously.. this is a great moment and we wish her the most wonderful marriage. We then come back for school Monday and Tuesday then head to Tampa for the holidays. Skip's brother Doug and his wonderful family are in Tampa. They have 6 kids and my kids LOVE to go to "THE COUSINS'". I love spending time with family during Thanksgiving. I won't see my mom or dad this Thanksgiving and I miss that but we try to alternate.
Thankful.. what am I thankful for:
* my wonderful family. My incredible husband and 3 wonderful children. My husband loves me with all of his heart. He is the most giving man I have ever met. My husband is an incredible father. This could be a blog in itself and it could be juicy.. he never reads this blog. My children are a gift from God. They are the "apple of my eye". I was truly blessed in the family category.
* I am thankful that my kids have 6 very involved grandparents who think they hung the moon. They have 4 wonderful great grandparents. My parents and I are still very very close. Our extended familes are very close.
* I am thankful for our jobs. We both work at home (Skip goes in a couple days a week) and get to be more involved in our home life and kids' activities. Things are less hectic.
* I am thankful that Grant has not have pneumonia in 1 1/2 years. Grant has had pneumonia over 30 times with 25+ hospilizations so this 1 1/2 years is HUGE! I am thankful that he is a miracle! I am thankful that we are not going to the hospital, doctor's offices or for testing every week anymore. I am thankful that he is not in pain or not feeling well, his oxygen level is actually normal and he is thriving.
* I am thankful that we have an awesome neighborhood. We are very close to our neighbors. We feel very safe. Our neighbors help each other when we are down. Our kids have 20 instant friends on our street alone.
* I am thankful that our kids have great schools and teachers. Waverly and Kendall are at Mt. Paran. Grant is at Picketts Mill. This is a time to give extra thanks for Kendall's success this year. Kendall is dyslexic and has had a hard time in school until this year. She is now making great grades, her self confidence has increased, she LOVES school again.
* I am thankful for A Fresh Hope. Waverly started A Fresh Hope to help others. Wow.. what a blessing it has been to our family. It has made giving service a focus of the family.
* I am thankful for West Ridge Church. Wow.. what a great place. Check it out if you are looking for a church in the West Cobb, Paulding area.
* I am thankful for our nation and the freedoms we have. We live in a great country and complain way too much. We all want everything OUR way which is not possible and quite frankly, is rather self centered. I think we could all focus on the incredible things about our country rather than picking apart everything that is not specifically benefiting ourselves.
* I am thankful for our friends. We have a great network of friends, some new and some old.
* I am thankful for the lifestyle we lead. Our Pastors just got back from Africa. Wow.. boy do we take things for granted. We have food anytime we want it, clean water, a house, safe conditions, we don't battle starvation and disease. 4 out of every 10 children die before the age of 10 in the poor areas of Africa. Can you imagine the loss they feel? Can you imagine the desire to just survive much less to be happy and grow?
* I am thankful my children know and love God.
* I am thankful that we are not under huge financial stress at this time but also hurting for those that are. Now is a time to focus on giving to others.
* I am thankful, not as much as I should be, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. I am thankful that we have grace and forgiveness through Jesus. I am thankful that we will have enternal life through our faith and trust in Jesus. Wow- if I can get a full grasp on that alone... everything else is just gravy.
We are getting ready for our Thanksgiving Travels. This week, we are headed to Tuscalosa, AL (home of the University of Alabama but we will hold our nose while we are there, hardee har har) for my cousin LIndsey's wedding. Lindsey and I have been close her whole life. She is getting her Masters at University of AL. I love her anyway but I do feel a bit of betrayal if I must be honest. I am an Auburn Grad and spent the better part of my life swaying her in that direction. Seriously.. this is a great moment and we wish her the most wonderful marriage. We then come back for school Monday and Tuesday then head to Tampa for the holidays. Skip's brother Doug and his wonderful family are in Tampa. They have 6 kids and my kids LOVE to go to "THE COUSINS'". I love spending time with family during Thanksgiving. I won't see my mom or dad this Thanksgiving and I miss that but we try to alternate.
Thankful.. what am I thankful for:
* my wonderful family. My incredible husband and 3 wonderful children. My husband loves me with all of his heart. He is the most giving man I have ever met. My husband is an incredible father. This could be a blog in itself and it could be juicy.. he never reads this blog. My children are a gift from God. They are the "apple of my eye". I was truly blessed in the family category.
* I am thankful that my kids have 6 very involved grandparents who think they hung the moon. They have 4 wonderful great grandparents. My parents and I are still very very close. Our extended familes are very close.
* I am thankful for our jobs. We both work at home (Skip goes in a couple days a week) and get to be more involved in our home life and kids' activities. Things are less hectic.
* I am thankful that Grant has not have pneumonia in 1 1/2 years. Grant has had pneumonia over 30 times with 25+ hospilizations so this 1 1/2 years is HUGE! I am thankful that he is a miracle! I am thankful that we are not going to the hospital, doctor's offices or for testing every week anymore. I am thankful that he is not in pain or not feeling well, his oxygen level is actually normal and he is thriving.
* I am thankful that we have an awesome neighborhood. We are very close to our neighbors. We feel very safe. Our neighbors help each other when we are down. Our kids have 20 instant friends on our street alone.
* I am thankful that our kids have great schools and teachers. Waverly and Kendall are at Mt. Paran. Grant is at Picketts Mill. This is a time to give extra thanks for Kendall's success this year. Kendall is dyslexic and has had a hard time in school until this year. She is now making great grades, her self confidence has increased, she LOVES school again.
* I am thankful for A Fresh Hope. Waverly started A Fresh Hope to help others. Wow.. what a blessing it has been to our family. It has made giving service a focus of the family.
* I am thankful for West Ridge Church. Wow.. what a great place. Check it out if you are looking for a church in the West Cobb, Paulding area.
* I am thankful for our nation and the freedoms we have. We live in a great country and complain way too much. We all want everything OUR way which is not possible and quite frankly, is rather self centered. I think we could all focus on the incredible things about our country rather than picking apart everything that is not specifically benefiting ourselves.
* I am thankful for our friends. We have a great network of friends, some new and some old.
* I am thankful for the lifestyle we lead. Our Pastors just got back from Africa. Wow.. boy do we take things for granted. We have food anytime we want it, clean water, a house, safe conditions, we don't battle starvation and disease. 4 out of every 10 children die before the age of 10 in the poor areas of Africa. Can you imagine the loss they feel? Can you imagine the desire to just survive much less to be happy and grow?
* I am thankful my children know and love God.
* I am thankful that we are not under huge financial stress at this time but also hurting for those that are. Now is a time to focus on giving to others.
* I am thankful, not as much as I should be, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. I am thankful that we have grace and forgiveness through Jesus. I am thankful that we will have enternal life through our faith and trust in Jesus. Wow- if I can get a full grasp on that alone... everything else is just gravy.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Blogging limitations
A read a lot of really funny and inspiring blogs. A lot of the blogs are written by moms of younger children. The stories are very funny and I can related to most of them. So.. here comes posting on my blog. You see, I have to be careful posting on my blog because my 2nd, 4th and 5th graders are frequent viewers of the blog. If I were to post an embarrassing story, it would not be a good day in the Gilcrease household. I wouldn't want to embarrass them but there are some stories I think are funny and sweet that would be a reason to move to Canada in their book. I would love to tell stories of funny things they say or do but I will just have to jot a little note down and save it for when they have kids.
Another limitation is my kids' friends also read this blog (Hello Brandon and Megan)... so even if my kids missed a funny story on this blog, their friends would be sure to tell them about it. I was almost most in hot water over the ear piercing story. So... for now.. we will have to stick to censored stories for curious minds.
RANDOM UPDATE: Skip now has mono. Wonder where he got it from?
Another limitation is my kids' friends also read this blog (Hello Brandon and Megan)... so even if my kids missed a funny story on this blog, their friends would be sure to tell them about it. I was almost most in hot water over the ear piercing story. So... for now.. we will have to stick to censored stories for curious minds.
RANDOM UPDATE: Skip now has mono. Wonder where he got it from?
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Mono aka The Kissing Disease
Well.. all through my tween and teenage years, I went through mono testing anytime I got overly tired. I swam for Swim Atlanta and swimming 25 hours a week on top of school can wear a gal out. I never got mono, ever. I knew a ton of teens that got mono, but never me. I think I secretly wanted it as a teen so I could take a break from school, swimming and get some rest. I have always been a big sleeper. I am the type that needs 8 hours to be worth anything the next day. You are risking it if you call me past 9:30 on a school night.
Well.. fast forward 25 years... About a month ago, I was beat. I was flat exhausted! After two weeks of feeling horrible, I went to the doctor. I had a throat culture and came home with a Z-pack. A week went by, still exhausted and feeling like a truck ran over me.. I went back in and had blood work done. On a side note.. the nurse at Dr. Loe's office rocks! I honestly did not even feel the needle that was sucking a few vials of blood out of my arm. So.. Dr. Loe called me this Monday morning and woke me up because I sleep a lot now.
Here is the conversation:
Dr. Loe: Hello Jennifer, this is Robin Loe. How are you feeling?
Me: Not so great. In fact, I was going to call you today.
Dr. Loe: you don't feel good because you have MONO. Your blood levels are through the roof.
We went through the details of mono, recovery, side effects, etc. You are not suppose to get mono once you round the corner of 40. Dr. Loe basically said I would be pretty tired for the remainder of 2008. My side hurts because my spleen is swollen. I will have off/on fevers. I need to be isolated for another week or two. My husband has questioned me on how I got the kissing disease. You don't have to kiss someone with mono, you only need to have a droplet of saliva. Can I tell you how gross that is to me? Somewhere, somehow, a droplet of saliva from some random person got into my mouth. YUCK!
Now, let's exam this a little closer. How in the world is a working mother of 3 suppose to clear her calendar in October, November and December? I think it is fair to say these are the busiest months of the year. There are fall activities, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. A Fresh Hope is doing a Christmas event 12/21. My mom has demanded a list of activities I plan on cutting out. I offered to let her come here and cook/clean but she declined that offer. I love you mom if you are reading this.. Our strong point is just not cooking. My mom called me Wednesday morning and woke me up to tell me to get some rest. Now mom.... does that make sense?
So.... I am looking a little worse for the wear right now. I have cut back washing my hair to every 3-4 days rather than every other day. Doesn't that count for my list of activities I am cutting back? I have high ups and downs. During the downs.. I am good for nothing except a little complaining and sleeping. During the ups.. I try to get as much done as possible. This just throws me into a down moment. It is a roller coaster ride.
Thank you to my kind friends that have sent notes, made me soup, and called. No one has offered to give me a hug and I can't understand why. I should be able to be in public more at the first of next week. I probably shouldn't swap spit with my hubby for a while (even though he said it doesn't matter because if he has it, he has it). By the way.. he is getting tested tomorrow.
Well.. fast forward 25 years... About a month ago, I was beat. I was flat exhausted! After two weeks of feeling horrible, I went to the doctor. I had a throat culture and came home with a Z-pack. A week went by, still exhausted and feeling like a truck ran over me.. I went back in and had blood work done. On a side note.. the nurse at Dr. Loe's office rocks! I honestly did not even feel the needle that was sucking a few vials of blood out of my arm. So.. Dr. Loe called me this Monday morning and woke me up because I sleep a lot now.
Here is the conversation:
Dr. Loe: Hello Jennifer, this is Robin Loe. How are you feeling?
Me: Not so great. In fact, I was going to call you today.
Dr. Loe: you don't feel good because you have MONO. Your blood levels are through the roof.
We went through the details of mono, recovery, side effects, etc. You are not suppose to get mono once you round the corner of 40. Dr. Loe basically said I would be pretty tired for the remainder of 2008. My side hurts because my spleen is swollen. I will have off/on fevers. I need to be isolated for another week or two. My husband has questioned me on how I got the kissing disease. You don't have to kiss someone with mono, you only need to have a droplet of saliva. Can I tell you how gross that is to me? Somewhere, somehow, a droplet of saliva from some random person got into my mouth. YUCK!
Now, let's exam this a little closer. How in the world is a working mother of 3 suppose to clear her calendar in October, November and December? I think it is fair to say these are the busiest months of the year. There are fall activities, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. A Fresh Hope is doing a Christmas event 12/21. My mom has demanded a list of activities I plan on cutting out. I offered to let her come here and cook/clean but she declined that offer. I love you mom if you are reading this.. Our strong point is just not cooking. My mom called me Wednesday morning and woke me up to tell me to get some rest. Now mom.... does that make sense?
So.... I am looking a little worse for the wear right now. I have cut back washing my hair to every 3-4 days rather than every other day. Doesn't that count for my list of activities I am cutting back? I have high ups and downs. During the downs.. I am good for nothing except a little complaining and sleeping. During the ups.. I try to get as much done as possible. This just throws me into a down moment. It is a roller coaster ride.
Thank you to my kind friends that have sent notes, made me soup, and called. No one has offered to give me a hug and I can't understand why. I should be able to be in public more at the first of next week. I probably shouldn't swap spit with my hubby for a while (even though he said it doesn't matter because if he has it, he has it). By the way.. he is getting tested tomorrow.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
What I love about the Fall..
Fall is my favorite season of the year. My totally random list of reasons I love fall:
** I love the cool crisp weather. I love feeling the change from being blistery hot to a nice chill in the area.
** Auburn Football
** Pumpkin Fraps!
** You can say Autumn to sound fancy
** Christmas Shopping starts- I love Christmas.
** It's fun to put on jeans again. It is a like a whole new wardrobe appears. With any luck.. I am able to wear this 'new' wardrobe again.
** We burn fires in the fireplace as it gets colder. I love the sound of wood popping and the smell of real wood burning.
** We finally get into the school grove. We kind of flap around aimlessly in August trying to get back into the routine.
** New Hampshire in the fall is breathtaking!!! We lived in NH for 4 years. Our backyard was so incredible. We actually had to close our blinds so our house was not glowing orange inside.
** I loves watching the leaves change colors.
** It is fun to see the pumpkins, hay bails, and scarecrow decorations.
** Fall Festivals
** Apple Cider- YUM
** Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving - Don't you secretly wish the Great Pumpkin showed up? Poor Linus.
** Our whole family gets flu shots to help protect Grant from getting the flu (and ourselves). Good times at the Gilcrease house on those days!
** Church always has great events in the fall. I love the Western Jamboree, Dinner in December, Children of the World, etc.
** I smile knowing the kids from the Back to School Drive are enjoying their new back packs.
** Pumpkin Spice Yankee Candles
** Picking out the Halloween Costumes.. Halloween is fun! The kids love dressing up!
** Sleeping with the windows open
** Shows start up again.. no more reruns
** Thanksgiving... we always visit family for Thanksgiving. I love it!
** We usually get to Tampa at least once in the fall to visit the Gilcreases.
** Fall Weddings.. They are so beautiful!
** Youth Fall Soccer- So much fun
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Ear Piercing and life...
I had to be 13 to get my ears pierced. I don't remember how old I was when I got my
2ND holes. I do know I was 16 when I got the 3rd hole in my left ear... through the cartilage.. Ouch! I remember that one vividly as I proudly wore the earring for 4 hours before my parents demanded it disappear. To be honest... I don't think they liked the 2ND holes anymore than the 3rd.
We had decided that our daughters (not son) had to be 13 to get their ears pierced too. You know.. the ole parenting style of "you can do it when I did it". Well, when Waverly was 9, all she wanted for Christmas was to have her ears pierced. THAT WAS ALL! After much thought.. I agreed. Skip, on the other hand, was very much against it. We finally convinced him that she was old enough to take care of her ears. It turns out, that was not the problem. He viewed ear piercing as a sign of growing up. I didn't see it that way to the same degree.
So.. on 12/26/06, the family loaded in to the van (RIP) and headed to the French boutique, Claire's. For those without tween girls.. Claire's is a money pit. Wish I had part ownership of that place. The very qualified young ladies at Claires (after they finished munching a snack) both got on either side of Waverly to proceed with the minor surgery. Now this is where it gets interesting.. Picture this.. Claire's is packed full of tweens eager to spend their Christmas money. Grant is bored stiff. Kendall is hiding in the furtherest corner because she didn't want to see Waverly get hurt. Skip has tears in his eyes (literally). Waverly is sitting in the chair crying. I am trying to convince the young employees that I am not making her get her ears pierced and that it was completely her decision. Here is a photo of the "HAPPY MOMENT".
Can you see the joy in this child's eyes?
Well, Kendall turned 9 this summer. She proudly announced that she is never getting her ears pierced. We were all a bit relieved. Well, about 2 weeks ago, she came home from school stating she was ready to take the plunge. Here we go again. We load up the car and drive to Claire's. This time, Grant was a bit more interested and watched. Skip was tearing up again. Waverly hid in the corner. Kendall sat in the chair squeezing a teddy bear crying. I was, again, trying to convince the nice employees that we are not making her get her ears pierced. Here is a photo of the happy girl:
Doesn't she look thrilled:
But.. the tears were gone in seconds. They are both now pierced. It should be the last piercing experience for the Gilcreases if all goes as planned. Skip is still a little sad but he is handling it much better. One of the fun memories we will treasure forever in an 'odd' way.
2ND holes. I do know I was 16 when I got the 3rd hole in my left ear... through the cartilage.. Ouch! I remember that one vividly as I proudly wore the earring for 4 hours before my parents demanded it disappear. To be honest... I don't think they liked the 2ND holes anymore than the 3rd.
We had decided that our daughters (not son) had to be 13 to get their ears pierced too. You know.. the ole parenting style of "you can do it when I did it". Well, when Waverly was 9, all she wanted for Christmas was to have her ears pierced. THAT WAS ALL! After much thought.. I agreed. Skip, on the other hand, was very much against it. We finally convinced him that she was old enough to take care of her ears. It turns out, that was not the problem. He viewed ear piercing as a sign of growing up. I didn't see it that way to the same degree.
So.. on 12/26/06, the family loaded in to the van (RIP) and headed to the French boutique, Claire's. For those without tween girls.. Claire's is a money pit. Wish I had part ownership of that place. The very qualified young ladies at Claires (after they finished munching a snack) both got on either side of Waverly to proceed with the minor surgery. Now this is where it gets interesting.. Picture this.. Claire's is packed full of tweens eager to spend their Christmas money. Grant is bored stiff. Kendall is hiding in the furtherest corner because she didn't want to see Waverly get hurt. Skip has tears in his eyes (literally). Waverly is sitting in the chair crying. I am trying to convince the young employees that I am not making her get her ears pierced and that it was completely her decision. Here is a photo of the "HAPPY MOMENT".
Can you see the joy in this child's eyes?
Well, Kendall turned 9 this summer. She proudly announced that she is never getting her ears pierced. We were all a bit relieved. Well, about 2 weeks ago, she came home from school stating she was ready to take the plunge. Here we go again. We load up the car and drive to Claire's. This time, Grant was a bit more interested and watched. Skip was tearing up again. Waverly hid in the corner. Kendall sat in the chair squeezing a teddy bear crying. I was, again, trying to convince the nice employees that we are not making her get her ears pierced. Here is a photo of the happy girl:
Doesn't she look thrilled:
But.. the tears were gone in seconds. They are both now pierced. It should be the last piercing experience for the Gilcreases if all goes as planned. Skip is still a little sad but he is handling it much better. One of the fun memories we will treasure forever in an 'odd' way.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Some photos just make you smile...
After my less than 'warm' post yesterday... I thought I would post something a little light-hearted..
Doesn't this just make you smile:
You can hear Gary say "What cha talkin' 'bout Willis?"
Doesn't this just make you smile:
You can hear Gary say "What cha talkin' 'bout Willis?"
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