30 Days Of Gratitude............Day 15

Today I am especially thankful that I got to go celebrate Thanksgiving with 2 of my girls at their school.  Even though I didn't partake of the cafeteria cuisine, I still spent quality time with Lily and Georgia. 

I don't say this often  but I am very thankful that I have the choice to stay at home with them.  We may not have lots of extra money but hopefully they will remember the time that I spent being extremely active in their school lives.

Oh, and while we are on the thankful kick.......................

I am especially thankful for my PTO Veep, Tanya (a.k.a Mini-Martha....cause she is a crafty little thing!).  Tanya made these wonderful Thanksgiving signs.  Without her I would surely be locked away in the PTO loony bin by now.



30 Day Gratitude....Days 9-14

Well, I have been a bit absent from my blog. 

Hannah (12 yr. old) has been sick for 6 days.  Yuk!

So today I am grateful that she is feeling better and was able to return to school.

 Cuz, mama needed a little break.  Really.  I am not kidding. 

Gratitude...................Day 8

Today I am grateful that I am not related to this dude......................

Yep.  You read it right.  He is looking for a wife by advertising on his truck.

And in case you are wondering, I took that picture.  Today.  In my town.  With my cell phone.  In my gym parking lot.

I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.

30 Days of Gratitude.................Day 7

Today I am sooooooooooooooooooooo grateful to Mark Z. and the person at FB who invented the "hide" button.  Seriously, you are genius!  I no longer have to read ignorant FB posts (and there are ignorant comments from both sides).

 A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!

30 Days of Gratitude................Day 6

Today I am grateful that we can get all this election business done. 

I have never been so ready to be able to turn on the T.V., radio or log into the Internet without campaign propaganda being thrown at me. 

This election seems to have drug on and on and on and on..............................

30 Days Of Gratitude..............Day 5

I am grateful for my recovery from my VAD/Stroke.

Today at the gym (our gym is also the physical therapy office for the hospital) a lady came in and began to exercise on the cross-trainer next to me.  She had clearly had a stroke.  Her gait was unbalanced and her speech and mannerisms were labored.

And it made me remember all too well those early days of recovery.

When it took every ounce of my energy to walk across the room.  When I felt so frustrated to not remember the correct word I wanted to use.  When I was appalled that I (a 34 yr. old) had to use a walker just to get the bathroom.

I remember that out of control feeling.  The feeling that what I wanted and what my body would physically do did not match. 

And today I am thankful that my recovery (after almost 7 years) has come so far.  It truly is miraculous.

Sure there are days when I feel off.  When I am tired.  When I limp a little.  But I have pushed beyond every obstacle that was thrown my way.  I have overcome what the doctors said was impossible.

I am truly thankful for my recovery and for the journey I have taken.

It has made me stronger, more resilient and I think a more compassionate person than the person I was before my stroke.

30 Days of Gratitude..........Day 4

Today I am very grateful to be the mother of a truly compassionate child.

While out shopping this afternoon, it made Lily (my 10 yr. old) tear up when she noticed someone that was obviously in a far worse position that anyone we know.

She has a heart that is so big and full of love and tenderness that I know she will go on to do wonderful things with her life.

I wish everyone had 1/2 the caring spirit that she does.  In fact, I wish I did!  She makes me want to be a better person.

I wouldn't trade her for anything (even on the days she tries my patience). 

If only we could see people through the eyes of a 10 year old.  Maybe we would be a bit kinder, a bit gentler and a little less critical.

30 Days Of Gratitude.............Day 3

Today I am especially grateful for the roof above my head.

I had to drop a package off at the post office today and when I did I noticed a woman outside the building.  She was talking to herself and pacing back and forth, carrying a large bag that contained a sleeping bag.

It kind of shocked me.

Because I live in a small, quaint, what some would call an idyllic Texas town.

The woman was clearly homeless.

So today, I was reminded how important it is to be thankful for the roof above my head.

Thank you for my home.  I am truly grateful to have a place to shelter my family and keep us safe. A house that I can tuck my babies into bed every night.  It may not be a mansion but it is a house filled with love.

Gratitude.................Day 2

Day 2 of the 30 days of gratitude............

I am grateful that I live in a country that has education available to all genders.

I was watching the news this morning and saw a clip about persecution of girls in the Middle East because they are pursuing education.

It made me think about my 3 girls and how I rarely think twice about their educational opportunities.  In fact, I would have to say I take for granted that education is available to them.

Education is a gift and something I am very grateful for.

On a lighter note, I am thankful that the horse size vitamin I stupidly took this morning has finally dropped into my stomach after lingering above my band for a few hours.

Of course, it finally dropped after making me so nauseous that I couldn't even breathe.  Rookie mistake on my part.  Sometimes I forget that my band is there. 

Anyway, find something (no matter how small) to be grateful for today!!!

Happy Friday.

30 Days Of Gratitude....Day 1

I love this idea.....to each day post something that I am grateful for.  Because let's face it, life with 3 kiddos gets crazy and sometimes it is easy to lose sight of what I am thankful for. 

So here it goes..........day 1.

Today I am especially grateful for Hannah.  She turned 12 today.

I really thought we were destined to not have children.  6 years into our marriage, she was a huge blessing/miracle/surprise.  I had honestly thought that perhaps we were not meant to have our own biological children.  And that was okay with me.  I knew that somewhere there was a child that was meant to be in my arms. 

Then I found out I was pregnant and Kevin and I couldn't have been any happier.

And on Halloween of 2000 she decided she may want to come join us.

After 32 hours of labor and little to no progression Hannah was taken C-section.  She was tiny (just right at 5 lbs.) and perfectly pink.

With her arrival my whole world changed.

So today I celebrate her 12th birthday and remind myself that I am truly grateful for being her mother.

Happy 12th Birthday Hannah Banana!!!!