Thankful for my husband...

Linking up with my friend Aurie's Counting My Blessings blog.... http://www.ourgoodfamily.org/2013/12/counting-my-blessings-one-at-a-time-2/


During this season of hustle and bustle it can get quite stressful to get it all done!

Add in a big family wedding, an unexpected loss and a long weekend trip to Disney with my sister-in-law and well... you guessed it.... I'm a little bit behind! 

Last weekend I went to Disney for 5 days with my awesome sister-in-law. It was just the two of us and I think it was actually my husband's idea for us to go together.  I am incredibly thankful for this trip and the time that I got to spend with my sister-in-law.  I count myself very blessed to have gained an additional sister from my marriage and even more blessed that she and I have become the best of friends in recent years. 

I am thankful that my husband got the kids excited for my trip by making fun plans to keep them busy at home, but also by having them make pictures of their favorite ride in Disney that they wanted me to do.  I was surprised that they were so very excited for me to go on my trip and have fun! 

I am thankful that he drove us to and from the airport... even when our flight home got delayed and that meant picking us up around midnight. 

I am thankful that while I was gone he not only got a tree but got all of the decorations from the storage unit and decorated it with the kids!

I am thankful that he sent these incredible gifts to our hotel room that were waiting for us when we arrived.  The Christmas ears got us much attention in the parks as they were SOLD OUT! 

I am thankful that he made lots of plans to keep the kids busy while I was gone including going out to dinner, seeing a movie and going to Chuck E Cheese.  Plus my parents took them to a play so they were booked solid while I was gone.  They were so excited for their jam packed weekend with Daddy that they told me not to worry that I was missing it.... they were sure that I'd have plenty of my own fun with Aunt Chele. 

But most of all I am thankful that he and the kids had a wonderful opportunity to bond with each other and enjoy each other.  They don't always get that chance when I am home.  I love them with all my heart, but it was very nice to have a girls' weekend away. 

Thankful thoughts during a hectic week

It's been a bit of a bumpy week in more ways than one, but we still have plenty to be thankful for...


http://www.ourgoodfamily.org/2013/11/counting-blessings-in-the-midst-of-sickness-and-stress/

• I'm thankful that I found an amazing and easy recipe for lemon bars and that I was able to cheer up a few people who needed cheering up this week with said lemon bars
• I'm thankful that I found an entire pack of pink pencils that I was able to have personalized for Summer Lou... I think she might have a heart attack when she finds them in her stocking Christmas morning.  (there will be some blue ones for Cole too)
• I'm thankful that I got a great deal on Cole's main Christmas gift
• I'm thankful for the Cheryl & Co cookies that were delivered to my friend at work when I was having a rough day and that she knows to run to my office with them first whenever she gets them.... best cookies ever!
• I'm thankful that my husband (whose been rather sick this week) got my a pumpkin spice latte as a surprise one night this week when he knew I had a rough day at work
• I'm thankful that my new orthopedic doctor was so accommodating of my schedule. The office called to tell me that the doctor was needed for a surgery and wouldn't be able to keep my 1:50pm appointment and could I come earlier since he'd only be in the office until noon.  I explained that I worked 35 miles away and that it would be difficult to come earlier unless they had something first thing in the morning.  She asked if she could call me back after she checked to see if the doctor would come in at 7:45am before his first scheduled patient to see me.... and he agreed! 
• I'm thankful that even though I was hoping to be out of this immobilizer boot much sooner (so far I've been in it a week and really it's not so bad) than a couple of MONTHS.... that I am fortunate enough to have wonderful medical coverage through my employer and that the doctor thinks that this non-invasive treatment will work.  I'm hopeful that we are on the right path even though it is going to take much longer than I anticipated.  Now in addition to my boot for the day time.... I have a night splint to sleep with.  Aren't they just beautiful!  

• I'm thankful for the fantastic report cards that both kids received today... Here are some excerpts... "Cole is an enthusiastic learner who loves to participate.  He makes good choices and consistently used his personal best effort on a daily basis." and "Summer is a wonderful student.  She seems to really enjoy school and shows an interest in learning.  Summer also participates often and puts forth her best effort."   
• I'm thankful that the kids love school so much and that this is what my sliding glass door looks like.  It was a little hard to capture, but I'll try to point out the highlights...
• I love you mom
• Miss Summer & Miss Cole (can you tell we haven't had any guy teachers yet for them to understand that he would be Mr. Cole?)
• tally marks in groups of 5
• counting to 100 by 10s
• a clock
• The cat sat on the mat (this sentence was written without any help at all)
• 10+11 = 21
• 5+5 = 10
• Do you eat turkey on thanksgiving (I did help her spell this sentence, but she came up with it as her "question of the day")

Another week to be thankful for....

Looking ahead our schedule is about to get incredibly hectic, but part of the reason is why because we are very blessed to live near to so many of our friends and family.  It always makes for a busy holiday season and while it can be stressful.... I absolutely love having so many people we love nearby! 


http://www.ourgoodfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CountingBlessings.jpg

Here are some of my top blessings that I'm counting this week...

• I'm thankful that 12 years ago on November 9, 2001 that Jim and I went on our first date and that we hit it off from the start and although we've had our ups and downs we're still going strong! 
• I'm thankful for being invited to the kids' friend's house for the Eagles game last week we all had a blast! 
• I'm thankful that Summer & Cole's teachers are thoughtful enough to coordinate things to be easier for me without me even having to ask.  This week that had already coordinated with each other to make themselves available on the same day for me to come in for both kindergarten conferences on the same day even though they were assigned different days for their classes. 
• I'm thankful that I was able to get into an orthopedic doctor the day after my primary doctor referred me to one so that I could start healing my foot/ankle for my very busy holiday season... fingers crossed! 
• I am thankful that I was able to go to my twin moms' convention and catch up with my friends and thankful that I was able to represent my club as member of the year.
  
   

• I am thankful that Cole had a big cheering section for his last soccer game, especially since I couldn't be there and that Uncle Chris was able to take a team shot with their trophies to send to me!  Did I mention how awesome it is to live near so much of our family?

• I am thankful that as I went through Cole's folder from school that I turned over one of his worksheets and found this!  He was told to write sentences or sight words on the back of his worksheet and this is what he wrote.  I'm not going to lie... I balled my eyes out! 

Giving thanks for Halloween and beyond...

I'm linking up with my friend Aurie's Counting your Blessings Link up.... I missed last week, but had started a draft so this week I'll be incorporating two weeks of thankful thoughts into this post...



http://www.ourgoodfamily.org/2013/11/blessings-in-the-mess-counting-blessings-link-up/


Here is my last week's list...
I know it may seems strange to be thankful for Halloween.... a holiday that is based around candy!  But that is what I'm thankful for this week among other things.

• I'm thankful that I got the opportunity to jump on the soccer field and coach Cole's game last Saturday.  It was really fun!
• I'm thankful that New Katie, Uncle Kevin and Allie were able to make it to see the game
• I'm thankful that my MIL was able to take Cole to the dentist for me when his appointment needed to be rescheduled because our dentist is having surgery (and I'll be praying hard that she does well because she is the best dentist ever!)
• I'm thankful that I have a great boss who tells me that my family comes first and I was able to take Halloween off to make great memories with my kids
• I'm thankful that not only was a chosen to be a parent helper in Cole's classroom for his party, but also that both kids' teachers went above and beyond to let me be involved with both S & C (not only letting me visit Summer's class as well, but actually suggesting that I get Cole from his class to take a picture with me and the kids together)

 

 

• I'm thankful for the technology that allowed me to participate in a conference call for work in between the "big school" party and the afternoon daycare party
• I'm thankful that my neighbor is home on maternity leave and always seems to have that one thing that I forgot I didn't have which in this case was a lemon during my conference call to keep my banana ghosts from browning! And I have to mention that Summer was SO excited about these treats from me that she ate it first before any of the other treats!
  
• I'm thankful that they were SO excited to start trick or treating as soon as they got home from their party at daycare and that since we finished so early (due to being the first trick or treaters) they were equally excited to hand out treats on the front steps

 

Now for this week....

 

• I'm thankful that my mother in law was willing to come over and help me empty all of my kitchen cabinets while I fixed shelves, purged unneeded items, wiped everything down and found nice new homes for everything.  I'm not really good with sticking with a task until it is completed and she really helped with get so much done! 
• I'm thankful for the internet that helped me to find an amazing recipe for beef brisket and that it turned out absolutely delicious and I got 2 thumbs up from my kids!  They ate so much and even ate vegetables which are a major struggle lately. 
• I'm thankful that my mother in law was also able to watch the kids 3 days this week while they were off of school which was such a huge help!
• I'm thankful that I was able to take another day off this week and that living social had an amazing deal on the Please Touch Museum during the summer.  I was able to plan ahead with a friend to get together during teacher conventions this week and take our kids for a fun day out!  We had a really great day!
• I'm thankful for getting to see my SJMOMS friends this month
• I'm thankful that Cole decided that he was going to really play soccer today and run and try his hardest!  He did such a great job and was so excited that Grandma & Grandpa were there to cheer him on. 
• I'm thankful that we were able to get together with some friends and their kids tonight for the kids to play and for the grown-ups to catch up and eat dinner. 
• I'm thankful that I got a 50% off coupon when I rented Cole's suit for Aunt Kate's wedding that we were able to use for Jim to get a much needed new suit today!  

Another week that I'm linking up with my friend Aurie's Counting Our Blessings blog.... I'm really loving recapping the week while recounting the great things that we were blessed to do!  I hope you are enjoying reading what we've been up to. 



http://www.ourgoodfamily.org/2013/10/on-not-giving-up-counting-blessings-link-up/

• We were able to see 2 of my aunts and 1 of my cousins from Long Island at my sister's housewarming party.  It was a great day.  The kids had a great time running around my sister's yard and we had a good time chatting and catching up with everyone. 
• Cole scored 4 goals at his soccer game on Saturday!  And he had a huge cheering section!

• I volunteered to help the coach at soccer practice on Monday night since the assistant wasn't there.  Cole thought this was the coolest thing in the world and I really had a lot of fun.
• Summer was such a good girl just sitting and coloring until Jim got to soccer practice so that I was able to help the coach
• That our daycare listens to me when I have concerns and is willing to help me work through them.  Cole has been having a very rough time adjusting to a small rest time instead of a 2 hour nap each day.  That on top of the busier days at big school has taken a huge toll on my boy.  He's been having trouble listening and last week cried every night about how tired he was.  I was able to make arrangements with the school to take him to his old Pre-K class after lunch to take a nap.  They said the one day he was the last one up and he's been so much better this week!  I'm so thankful they were willing to accommodate us! 
• I'm thankful that the dance teachers are so thoughtful that even though one of Summer's teacher's told me she got kicked in class.... her other teacher called me when I got home to make sure that I knew what happened. 
• I'm thankful for our zoo membership and that we are able to take friends with us and for a beautiful day at Boo at the Zoo with my best friend, her hubby and their baby girl!

 

• I love our mix and match day outfits 
  
• We had a great family night at the book fair this week.... the kids got to dress up in their Halloween costumes and pick the books they wanted with their birthday money that I had stashed away for this occasion.  We were so happy to see that both of their teachers were there... Summer's teacher even had her baby there!  Here are our choices! 

•  Meal planning is still going very well and we have drastically reduced the amount of take-out that we are all consuming.... saving us money and making us healthier.... which I can happily say has contributed to me being 15 lbs lighter! 
• Cole was also the Star of the week and here is his poster
  

I hope you have all had a splendid week and even though we all have rough patches... stopping to smell the roses helps to make the thorns not seem so bad. 

More blessings to count....

I'm really enjoying linking up with my dear friend Aurie's weekly Counting our Blessings meme!   It's been a stressful few months for me with lots of schedule changes for everyone and we're still not quite adjusted, but it's nice to stop and smell the roses that we are blessed with each week. 

 

http://www.ourgoodfamily.org/2013/10/on-not-giving-up-counting-blessings-link-up/

• I'm thankful that my sister-in-law was able to pick up these awesome shoes for Summer to wear as the flower girl in my cousin's wedding

• I'm thankful for how handsome and grown up Cole was when he was fitted for his tuxedo for the wedding
• I'm thankful that I'm getting back on track with working out and although I can't get to the gym as much due to the activity schedule at the moment.... a new Sunday class just got added with one of my favorite instructors and I'm totally psyched to have more options that will work with our new schedule! 
• I'm thankful that my wonderful husband is so supportive of me leaving the house as much as I do to workout and go to my SJMOMS activities, etc. 
• I'm thankful for Jim's awesome aunt who brought us an amazing dinner that was big enough to last 2 nights....which saved me from cooking those nights. 
• I'm thankful that we did not have plans last weekend and were able to have a mostly quiet weekend at home getting some stuff done around the house. 
• I'm thankful for Cole's very understanding soccer coach who was so encouraging when Cole completely lost it at practice on Monday because he is having such a hard time adjusting to no nap and asked him to be the stretching captain at the end (after he sat down for a much needed break)
• I'm thankful for the wonderful relationships that we've built at our daycare that when I found out Cole had an issue at "big school" via email from his teacher.... I was able to send a text and a comforting face was able to give him big hugs and make him feel better. 
• I'm thankful that Summer was able to read almost an entire sentence of a book to me (and not all of them were her sight words)
• And .... I'm thankful for this....

Another week with more blessings to count...

It's been a long stressful week at work... quarterly closes are my least favorite... and this one was especially problematic....

• I am thankful that Jim was given a chance at a different position and so far is liking his placement
• I am thankful that he had a few extra days off and was able to run some errands for me
• I am thankful that Cole scored 2 goals in his soccer game last weekend and that Grandma, Grandpa & Aunt Yiz were there to see it! 
• I am thankful that my in-laws had a great trip to Disney and brought us some amazing gifts back.... I got an awesome Mickey fedora that I'm waiting to sport :)
• I am thankful that Summer and I were able to attend an amazing shower for my dear cousin Kate and spend time catching up with my family.  I was so proud of my little girl who was super shy at the get go, but wound up blossoming into this grown up who was super into all the "pots and pans" that Aunt Kate received
• I am thankful for pumpkin muchkins that someone keeps bringing to my office
• I am thankful that I got back to the gym 2 times this week.... once with my awesome sister-in-law
• I am thankful that I am getting back into cooking, which is not only a huge cost savings but also much healthier for our family

Hope you have plenty to be thankful for this week!