Happy Thanksgiving!

Well friends, we survived the Great Stomach Virus of ’12.

Turkey tasted so good today after 24 hours of nothing. We had to take it easy but we did get to see family. Poor K still has an allergy cough and didn’t eat much but played well. I was very happy to get my baby E back today.

She enjoyed her food too…

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Snapshots of Thanksgiving- Day 21

Day 21:

I know this is called Snapshots of Thanks, but trust me when I say, you do not want a picture of anything going on in my house today…

The stomach virus that E had Sunday night finally made its rounds to the rest of us. It hit K at 10pm last night and woke Andy up at 3am. Not much sleep over here.

My mother-in-law agreed to some quality time with E so I could take care of the guys. My father-in-law noticed that someone had stollen our license plates. I had to file a police report (in case our plates are used in a crime) and go to the courthouse to get news ones. We also went to Home Depot to get new screws…

Yes, they even stole the bleeping screws!

It was at Home Depot that the stomach bug finally caught up to me. Not pleasant.

For a while I felt sorry for myself and wondered what I had to be thankful for today. God gave me the answer… Everything!

We are ill on Thanksgiving but we have enough food (when we can eat it), two working bathrooms, AC, Sprite, saltine crackers, DVDs to keep the sick 3 year old entertained, family that cares about us, and a God who has promised to never leave us.

Yes, I would probably trade today for another, but I can’t truly complain. The new tags were only $7. E is spending the night with Nana and Poppy. K is sleeping peacefully. And I have kept a few crackers and a banana down for about an hour now. Woo!

I guess I will leave you with a picture my father-in-law just sent us to cheer us up:

I miss her little face but I am glad she is healthy, safe, and not climbing on me tonight.

Travel safely and have a great holiday tomorrow!

Snapshots of Thanksgiving- Day 20

Day 20:

I am so thankful for my sweet nieces and nephews- both those from family and my friends’ kids that have become honoraries. My children are so blessed to have amazing aunts, uncles, and cousins! Blood ties aren’t the only things that make a family.

As a bonus, her are my nephew kitties:

While I do think my little sister will make beautiful babies, I am glad she is going to school first. I am pretty fond of my rotten nephew kitties too!

Snapshots of Thanksgiving- Days 18 & 19

E got sickly last night I ended up washing many loads of yucky laundry. She is stuffy but doing much better today. I’m catching up on my SOT posts.

Day 18:

The pic isn’t that great but this is K and J chowing down on our church Thanksgiving meal. I seriously have the best church ever. I am so thankful that my kids are learning about and being shown love by a truly amazing group of individuals.

Day 19:

On Friday we were getting things for our Family Night at church. I picked up a box of mini candy canes to go with our hot coco bar. At check-out K told me he wanted to share his candy canes. He gave out candy canes to all the cashiers.

I am so thankful for small kindnesses and humbled by my son’s thoughtfulness. I’ve read a few stories from friends about strangers paying for their groceries and other charitable acts. If everyone did at least one kind, unexpected act this holiday season it would be amazing.

I hope everyone participating in Black Friday shopping remembers to be kind. Retail workers are people. They have families and lives and feelings. Getting a good deal on “stuff” is not worth losing your temper or integrity over. A super deluxe iPad 5000 or Barbie Dream House with Jacuzzi aren’t worth being a jerk to other people. (People being the key word here.)

Be kind. Choose love.

Snapshots of Thanksgiving- Day 17

Day 17:

After trying to keep E from climbing things all day I started to go stir crazy. Daddy worked a short shift but went to work on the “Old House”. I love staying with my kids but I was beginning to feel isolated and was getting truly tired of vacuuming constant messes. I finally decided we had to get away for a bit.

I took the kids to the park I used to go to as a kid. It was a little farther than our usual parks but worth it. The old rickety wooden play ground has been replaced with a newer metal/plastic play ground but the bike trails were still there. I have many fond memories of riding my bike, wading in the creek, and hiding secret notes for friends in that park.

*taking a moment to marinate in nostalgia*

I am so thankful for public parks and play areas. I am glad that kids can have a place to go be kids.

Here is E riding a chicken:

E has no fear. She gladly climbed to the very tallest slide by herself. She makes me nervous and proud at the same time.

K is much more cautious than E. I was surprised and excited when he decided to climb the rock wall. He fell once, but tried again.

He also sat on a hanging tree branch.

He collected “treasures” while we walked. He gathered leaves, acorns, and rocks in his fireman hat. He poured them out in his bin to show Daddy when we got home.

My stellar parenting move of the day was leaving E’s shoes in the truck, which Daddy was driving. I decided E would be fine in socks on the play ground and could ride in the car wagon while we walked. When we got back to the car I realized she had been dragging her feet in the wagon and her socks looked like this:

We are tough on socks.

I’m just glad that my kids are able to get dirty, run, fall, climb, try again, slide, swing, collect treasures, enjoy nature, and just be kids!

Snapshots of Thanksgiving- Day 16

Day 16:

This is my beautiful little sister wearing K’s jacket. She is amazing and I am so thankful for having her in my life. We went to lunch with her and my mom today. It was great. K told her he loved her and she said her heart melted and sat in a puddle in her shoe.

We also have two big brothers and a big sister, but (despite being 8 years apart) I have always been closest to her. She is working hard at two jobs, going to college for nursing, and in her first apartment. She is also a great aunt. I am so proud of her!

Snapshots of Thanksgiving- Day 15

Day 15:

Today is a twofer.

K was over-tired last night and passed out in front of his dinner at 5:30pm. We tried to wake him up but he curled up on the living room floor. E was crawling all over him, kissing him, trying to give him his juice cup… Nothing. He was out.

He had to have been a special type of tired to sleep through E sitting on his head…

This did not bode well for mommy. He slept through the night and was up at 4am. I finally put on Toy Story 2 for him and climbed back into bed but he was soon snuggled into my back and talking a million miles an hour. It was a long morning.

Today I am thankful for naps!

K finally ran out of steam and passed out with Skippy John Jones. E wouldn’t let me hold her but played till she dropped- all snoodled up with her baby doll and brother’s Optimus Prime. They were cute. I snapped a picture of each, covered them, and snuggled up on the couch for my own nap!

The kids napping at the same time is a rare and beautiful occurrence. Sometimes it is used to catch up on housework, but many times it is my rare chance to be still. Moms need to occasionally be still or take a nap.

The nap refreshed my body and God refreshed my soul.

Snapshots of Thanksgiving- Day 14

Day 14:

I am so thankful for Fall! I love the colors, the food, the reprieve from sweltering Texas Summer days.

Snapshots of Thanksgiving- Day 13

Day 13:

Despite feeling like a slave to this machine, I am thankful for laundry. It means my family has enough clothes and clean water in which to wash them. I’m also grateful that we have our own washer and dryer and our dark days of hauling everything to laundry mat are behind us. We are lucky.

Now I am going to remember this when I am elbow deep in little socks and underpants.

Snapshots of Thanksgiving- Day 12

Day 12:

I am subbing for 6th grade band today! It has been a blast. I did the math in my head and I started playing clarinet in 6th grade band 16 years ago… Wow. It made me feel even older when I told the percussion class that their director started when I was a freshmen in high school in 1999 and they told me that they weren’t even born yet.

I am so thankful for the new crop of young people taking an interest in music. I am also grateful to the dedicated band directors that put up with crazy band kid antics. It really does form a little family and somehow that “band hall smell” will also hold a sentimental place in my heart.