First snow

Our first snow of the season was back in October.  Which is not that unusual, but what is unusual is that since then we haven't had any.  It's actually been pretty warm, in the upper 50's or low 60's most of the time.  When it's winter, and especially around the holidays, I want it cold and snowy.  If it wants to be 60 and sunny, then please save that for after Christmas, like in January and February.  Oh, it doesn't work like that?  Bummer!  I guess I'll just have to take the mild weather while I can then.

But anyway, back to the first snow.  This was the first snow that Ashten actually got to go outside and experience.  And she loved it.  After taking the boys to school, we came home and Preston really wanted to go outside and play in it.  So we got all bundled up, which took like, I don't know, 2 hours (haha!), and ventured out.  Preston got cold when some snow fell off a tree and down his back and wanted to go inside, but Ashten wanted to stay out.  She walked all around in the snow and wanted to touch it.  It took a lot of convincing to get her to go back inside when I was getting cold later.   

A Tale of 3 Trees

We have 3 huge trees in our yard.  Two in the front and one in the back.  I enjoy them for about 3 months out of the year.  In the spring, when the buds start forming on the branches, it will get windy or it will snow and then we have buds EVERYWHERE.  When the leaves finally come in, I love it.  The trees provide shade for the house and the deck out back.  We can be on the deck in the middle of the day and not feel too hot.  The trees actually protect our house a little from the hail storms we seem to get on a semi-yearly basis.  But then fall comes and our nice, mature trees drop an insane amount of leaves.  And they are EVERWHERE.  They are in the gutters and in the yard and in the rocks and on the cars and then every time we open a door, the leaves blow in.  It's crazy and messy.  I have to remind myself that not having the shade in the hot, hot summer sun would be much worse than having to clean up leaves and buds, but at this time of the year, I'm not so convinced.  At least the kids love playing in the leaves.  To them, it's not work, it's like a big play mat outside!  Watching them enjoy the leaves and have so much fun in them makes them almost (almost!) bearable.

24 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 24

I'm thankful for Thanksgiving

More specifically, I'm thankful for the first Thanksgiving that started as a celebration of thanks to God for his protection and provision for the Pilgrims during their first winter in the new country.  I'm thankful that the tradition has stuck all these years, even though the original meaning may be lost on many.  I'm thankful that the founders of our country were Christian and knew where their help came from (Psalm 121:1-2).  I'm thankful that our country is rooted in Christianity, a fact that no matter how hard some people try to disguise, will still be a fact nonethless.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to reflect on all the things I am thankful for. 

This little, unofficial "24 Days of Thanksgiving" exercise has been really fun.  This is by no means a comprehensive list, I could go on for the rest of my life and never fully enumerate my blessings.  But, I think thankfulness is a lifestyle and should not be relegated to one holiday once a year.  I hope that this exercise is just a springboard for an attitude of gratitude in my life!  Thank you for reading along, and for those of you who participated on facebook, I hope you were all as blessed as I was by it.

24 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 23

I'm thankful for my family

I am beyond blessed.  God intentionally placed 6, imperfect individuals together in one family that we call ours.  We grew from a family of two in 2000 to a family of six in less than 10 years. That's what I call blessing!  We support each other, encourage each other, sacrifice for each other and most importantly, love each other.  I'm so proud to be part of my family.

24 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 22

I'm thankful for the Bible

I know it is God's word to me.  I know it is alive and active.  I couldn't begin to tell you all the times I feel like I am being directly spoken to by a verse or passage in the Bible.  Usually it is a verse I have read over and over and am really familiar with, but then one day, it takes on a whole new meaning and really comes alive for my life.  I love it when that happens, it's just proof that the Bible isn't just a collection of stories written 2000+ years ago.  It was God's word back then and it is still God's word now, and it is one of the ways that God uses to speak to people.  Praise God that we have a letter from Him, how awesome is that? 

24 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 21

I'm thankful that Chris and the boys have this whole week off!

Can you say family time?!?!  We don't have a lot planned, but I'm looking forward to just being able to spend some down time together as a family.  No specific plan, just no homework, no planning, no schedule, just time.  It will be wonderful!

24 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 20

I'm thankful for our jobs

Chris and I are blessed to be able to do what we love, and what we feel God is calling us to do.  Chris, unfortunately has to work a lot of long hours and do a lot of extra work for me to be able to stay at home with our kids, but since it's something we both value very highly, he is selflessly willing to do it for our family.  I won't say it's not hard and there aren't times we wish we had more money or more time together, but we are extremely grateful for the jobs God has provided for us and ways that He has provided for us outside of our jobs.

Obviously my main job is full-time mommy.  As I have stated many, many times, this is a dream come true for me and I love my job.  And it is a job, that's for sure.  Not a paying job, but a job nonetheless.  Many of you may not know, but I also have a little part-time job.  I work at our old church as the bookkeeper.  I go in one morning a week for a couple of hours and bring the kids with me.  They eat snacks, play in the nursery or draw pictures while I do the deposit and pay the bills.  It really is a great job for a stay-at-home mom like me - flexible and kid-friendly.  Chris is in his 10th year of teaching and he also coaches girls basketball.  As we look back on our married years, we can see God's hand in each and every job, either well before He knew we'd need it, or right at the time we needed the extra income. 

Working is part of life, enjoying your work is a gift from God (Ecclesiates 5:19).

24 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 19

I'm thankful for our home

When we found out we were pregnant with Brayden, we knew we needed something bigger than our already-too-small apartment.  We searched and searched and almost bought a town house, but it just never felt right.  Everything in our price range was either too small, too far away or needed way too much work.  We ended up giving up looking and just resigned ourselves to apartment living with a baby.  Then, out of the blue, a couple of weeks later, an elderly man from our church called us.  He said he had heard we were house hunting and said he was wanting to sell his house. to us.  Wow!  Talk about a God thing.  I'm so glad we didn't buy one of those townhouses we had looked at (we'd probably still be stuck with that thing!).  He sold it to us "as is" for a great price.  One of his neighbors was a realtor and offered to do all the paperwork for free.  We didn't have to pay anything down or any closing costs, a real blessing to us in our first year out of college.  God really came through providing a house for us.  At the time it was way too big for us, but as we have grown our family, our house has been able to accomadate all of us. 

We have been in our house for 8 and a half years now!  It seems hard to believe sometimes.  We have redone a lot of it and it feels like ours.  There are days we think we'll be in this house forever and days we look forward to someday moving into another house.  But this house is home right now, and for that reason I love it!  It is the house we brought all 4 children home from the hospital to.  It is the house where we have spent countless hours painting, renovating and remodeling to make it our own.  It is the house where we spend most of our time together as a family.  Sure, it's not perfect, sure it needs some work, but it's much more than a house to me, it is our home.

24 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 18

I'm thankful for my phone

Up until a few months ago, we didn't have fancy phones.  We had the basic, flip phones with a prepaid plan.  And it suited our needs plenty well.  However, as we were evaluating our costs to have a home phone and our needs, we decided to get rid of our home phone and both get a better cell phone plan.  I love having a nice phone.  I have found so many uses for it and it has, in some ways, made my life a little easier.  I know having a phone is a luxury, one that I don't take for granted.  Thank you God, for allowing me to enjoy some of the frivolous things in life!  I pray that I would use it for Your glory.

24 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 17

I'm thankful for this blog

I am able to get so many of my thoughts out of my head and vent or make sense of what I'm thinking through this blog.  I love that I can update lots of family at the same time with one post (if they take the time to check in).  I love having a journal of sorts that I can look back on when the kids are all grown and remember back to this time.  I am thankful for opportunities like this, documenting what I'm thankful for and giving God glory for all He has done in my life.  It's awesome to have access to such powerful technology, I am thankful that God placed me in a time like this.