Thankful

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."

2009 Oh what a year...

2009 is a year I will remember for some blessings, some sadness and a bit of frustration. Yes, all 3 rolled into one year.

Frustration: For most of 2009, I have been battling some 'illness'. I basically consider myself a doctor so I have been frustrated with the profession and the time it is taking to find a diagnosis. I can say that my husband has been absolutely amazing. Skip allows me time to sleep when I need to sleep. He does most of the laundry and cooking. He even put the lights on the Christmas Tree and decorated the mantle this year. Waverly, Kendall and Grant has been very cooperative and understanding.

Blessings: Where to start? My dad and step mom, Martha, treated all of us to an incredible cruise to Alaska in June. It was more beautiful than I imagined. I recommend everyone go to Alaska at least once during their lifetime. It was great to spend time with our family.

A Fresh Hope has been such a blessing. We participated in quite a few outreach projects this year that kept us very busy. We did an Egg Hunt with Cedarcrest Church in April, Community Makeover at Compton Elementary in July, Back to School Celebration in August, Flood relief effort in September then October - December was geared towards the Hope for Christmas event.

Sadness: My step grandmother died this year, Mary Kaney. She was a dear sweet lady who loved her son, my mom, her husband, grandchildren and great grandchildren very much. She was my kids' step grandmother but loved just the same. My uncle Clayton died this fall. He was a man that supported me my whole life. I look back at all that I went through in my 42 years and he ALWAYS supported (maybe not agreed) but supported me. That means more than someone that just says what you want them to say. Uncle Clayton was a Godly man who loved the Lord and his family dearly. He is missed by many.

I also saw sadness with people that have lost jobs and suffered from the economy. I am a fixer and get obsessed with fixing things. I can't fix this issue and it is frustrating. I feel guilty because we are so blessed so I try to give to others as if it were Gods (and we know it is).

I was also sad because this illness has taken something from me. I used to be up and dressed by 6;00 AM every day. I never napped and was able to work 30 hours, be room mom, deal with doctor's appointments, drive car pools, etc. Now, I struggle getting what needs to be done accomplished.

So, what for 2010.. First and foremost, I am going to find out what is making me feel bad and tackle it head-on. I want to eliminate some things on my 'to-do' list and really be strategic in my day. I know i want to keep working with Liberty Mutual and am so blessed to have this opportunity for almost 19 years. I will keep volunteering with A Fresh Hope with more delegating. I will eliminate 'unnecessary' To-do's and learn to say NO. I use free time to rest, eat healthier and just be with my family. My incredible husband and family deserve my undivided time.

Odd post, especially after 6 months with no posting. Just a few things on my mind from this year and plans going forward.

Sappy story about Skip

Skip and I celebrated our 14 year anniversary last Tuesday. When I say celebrated, I mean the day came and went as we drove 3 whiny children home from the beach. We usually choose to go to dinner or something nice for our anniversary but timing wasn't on our side this year. Anyway.. what has the last 14 years meant.. Everything!!! Yes, I would do it all over again.

Things I love about Skip:
* Whistling.. he always whistles.
* He ties is cough drop wrappers in a neat little knot.
* He can talk in almost any accent. It always makes me laugh.
* Skip juggles
* He makes yummy noises when he eats wasabi.
* He brings me a large sweet tea (1/2 and 1/2) from Mickey's D's most every day.
* He brings my coffee upstairs for me in the morning.
* He takes really long cold showers. How in the world can he take cold showers?
* He let us get a dog even though he didn't really want one.
* Skip is so darn incredibly smart. He reads history books all the time. I do make fun of him because I don't understand the need to know about the wars I have never heard of. But, I admire his desire to learn more and more. He has has photographic memory which is amazing! He graduated from college 1 month after turning 20 because he clept so many courses.
* Skip sings and plays drums in the car all the time. Caught a good rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody in from a 'butt' call one time.
* He loves British humor. Frankly, I can't understand what they are saying. Maybe it is my southern upbringing.
* He is handy around the house. He has built a sun room, installed hard wood floors, built shelving, you name it.. he can do it.
* Skip loves his children more than anything. He is an absolutely amazing father. He is more consistent with discipline and boundaries.
* He reads to the kids every night.
* He is 43 and his iPod is full of hard rock, alternative and classic rock.
* Skip will ride his bike with the kids to Publix. He will take a back pack for the groceries he buys.
* Skip's closet is insanely organized.. Collars, colors, you name it.. they are in order. I used to find humor in hanging things up backwards.
* Skip gets embarrassed when other people make mistakes. Example: He will blush if an ice skater falls in a competition.
* He loves chapstick. I mean he is addicted to the stuff. He calls it Chappy. He even keeps tube in his jammie pants pocket.
* Skip loves the Lord. He has a very clear and pointed relationship with Jesus. I am in awe.
* Skip is one sexy dude! That's all I will say about that~
* Skip takes care of me and the kids. He would do anything (anything!) to keep us safe and make us happy. We are always #1 to him.
* Skip calls me several times through the day to chat or check in.
The list could go on and on....... He is more than I deserve!
I love you Skip!

Catch up....

My purpose in blogging was to document me our family activities for prosperity sakes. I am not a scrap booker. It is not that I have anything about scrap booking but I can't bear to cut photographs. I guess it is the photographer in me. As you can see, I have been rather slack in updating the blog. So.. here is an update of things going on in our crazy house in 2009.

February: It was a crazy month. We went to Disney for a long weekend. We only had 3 days of fun but it was a nice break. We went to Magic Kingdom, Epcot and then downtown Disney one day. We had a great time. I think it was the first time I have been to Disney without a stroller or bag of some sort. I just went with my purse. I have to admit that I missed having a stroller as a 'carry-all' for stuff.

My friends, Angela and Tandy, came over for a wonderful day of cooking.. We cooked weeks worth of food for all 3 families. It was so fun! We gathered recipes that are great to freeze. We all purchased items for the big cooking day. Not only did this save time, it saved money. PLUS.. the food was fabulous.


Waverly has been growing her hair long for quite some time. She decided she wanted to donate her hair to Locks of Love. So.. when her hair was long enough, we went to Tru at the Avenues and had her hair cut. They have to cut at least 10" to send to Locks of Love. This was a neat experience. Here is the before and after...



A Fresh Hope partnered with Cedarcrest Church to host an Easter Celebration in April. It was such a wonderful community outreach event. Skip even dressed up as the bunny.. Kendall was so embarrassed....




We had some friends over for an Easter Cookout and the bunny showed up again...


My sister-in-law, nieces, nephews and friends came for a visit. It is always wonderful to visit with the Doug/Steph Gilcrease family. If our kids grow up with 1/2 the manners and love of God as these kids, I will be one happy momma!

Genesis.... In the beginning...

Waverly and Kendall are participating in a Tech Fair tomorrow. We were really sweating on what to do for this project. Waverly and Kendall then came up with the idea to do it on Genesis, the first 7 days. So, they put photos we took and some photos (without copyright) and made a slide show. They then put Amazing Grace music in the back ground. The girls then took turns reading Genesis. I don't know if we did the project correct but it turned out to be a sweet project anyway. There is something so sweet about a child reading scripture. Enjoy....

2 degree changes...

The pastor at our church gave a message on making 2 degree changes. If you make small changes, then you are more likely to stick to your goal. Example, if you do not drink water but your goal is to drink 10 glasses a day, start with just 2 a day until you have accomplished that goal, add 2 more glasses, etc.

I want our kids to be goal oriented. I want them to think about their goals and ways to accomplish goals. Being reasonably goal oriented can help in your schooling, personal life, work life, family life, personal growth, walk in faith, etc. I gave everyone a piece of paper at dinner. The paper had the following:

2 Degree changes:
Home:
1.
2.
Health:
1.
2.
Heart:
1.
2.
What would you like to do in 2009?
What are 2 of your goals for the year?
1.
2.

I gave everyone 4 days to complete their sheet in privacy after much thought. We then all brought the papers back to the table and shared our goals, 2 degree changes and ways to accomplish our goals. It was interesting to see everyone's thoughts. I won't tell you Skip's goals or the kids' goals as that would invade their privacy. But.. I will tell you my goals to keep with my desire to be transparent on this blog. By the way, any suggestions on meeting the goals are welcome.

2 Degree changes:
Home:
1. Better bedtime routine- smoother, structured, nurturing
2. Plan meals ahead of time to cook more nutritious meals, more family meals, save money, healthier meals...
Health:
1. Cut back on Diet Coke- 2 or less a day
2. Lose 5 lbs.
Heart:
1. More dates with Skip
2. More prayerful family

What would you like to do in 2009?
Go to the Laser Show at Stone Mountain, Rent a boat on Allatoona (annual tradition)

What are 2 of your goals for the year?
1. ~Successfully make tuition payments~
2. Fix up the Laundry Room

So far... I am doing pretty good with my 2 degree changes except for the 5 lbs. change. I haven't put forth any effort on that change so it will remain. I am down to 2 or less Diet Cokes a day. We will bring out our sheets in a month or two for a goal check. For goals reached, we will replace it with a new 2 degree change. I'll post an update in a month or two on my goals. Wish us luck!

Waverly and Kendall were Grand Marshalls

Friday was Mt. Paran Christian School's Homecoming Parade. Waverly and Kendall had the privilege of being the Student Grand Marshalls in the parade. A wonderful mom from Mt. Paran (and our church) won the position in an auction. She turned the opportunity over to Waverly and Kendall for their service with A Fresh Hope. It was so neat that Kendall was recognized. She does so much of the grunt work for A Fresh Hope but is very behind scenes. She stuffed back packs for hours and hours this summer. Waverly and Kendall got to ride on the back of a car and wave at everyone on the parade route. They seemed to be okay until they reached their own classes. They were then embarrassed a little but still smiling from ear to ear. It is neat to be in a school with graes K-12 where the younger students get to participate in the spirit type of activities. All high school grades created the neatest floats. Fun day!