Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday.

1. Cuddle babies. I love to snuggle with Gracie Lou while the big kids play. 

2. Movies with Matthew McConaugheyheyhey. Yup I said it. Sometimes you just have to be thankful for a handsome actor in decent movies. I hear he doesn't wear deodorant, so I'm fine to appreciate his talent from afar. 

3. Long pants and cozy sweaters. If you know me, you know I'd prefer summer over anything else, but as I'm getting older, I'm finding fall is a close second for me. We've had a good summer, and that makes it easier to look forward to some cooler, crisp weather. 

4. Potty training. Elliott is mostly motivated, and trying, and interested in the potty. I can feel the diaper freedom on the horizon. Yay!

5. Bubbles. More for the kids than for me, but man do they love bubbles. So does Echo. We had at least 45 minutes of entertainment with everyone playing. 

6. FaceTime. I have a few friends who live far away, that I don't get to see, and with this I can see them, catch up, visit. It's wonderful. It curbs the ache of missing them. 

7. Fall nail polish colors. Every season brings new nail trends, oooooo it makes me giddy. I love nail polish. I always feel appropriately dressed when wearing the right nail polish. Yes it's vain, but sometimes you just wanna feel a little more put together.

8. Peanut Butter. Yum. 'Nuff said.

9. Apple sauce in "drink pouches". So much less messy than apple sauce in a cup. The boys love the novelty of eating it from the pouch, and I love that it doesn't get spread all over the kitchen table like paint. 

10. Fabricland being sooooo close. It's bad, but it's good. I could wander fabricland happily for hours. Might even wander a bit today with the kiddies. 

Thankful Thursday

What a week it's been! Thankful Thursday time already!

This week, I'm Thankful For:

1. Thomas not losing an eye yesterday. He bailed hard on some bricks surrounding the garden in the back yard, and got a nice goose egg just above his eye to prove it. I'm so glad he didn't trip just 1 inch closer, because it would've been his eye!

2. The wind. We've had a few windy days here, and I'm just always so amazed at the wind. I like to think of where it's come from. The wind also makes the boys giggle a ton, and I love to see them hold their arms out while the wind passes around them.

3. Sweaters. Brr! It's been a little chilly here, what with the wind. (Sorry Alberta folks, I know we don't have it nearly as cold as you do!)

4. Tylenol. I've had quite a few bad headaches the last couple weeks, and tylenol is really the only way I can get through them. It doesn't completely get rid of them, but it takes the edge off of them for a little while.

5. My Husband. Today is our 4th wedding anniversary. He works hard for us, makes us all laugh, and loves us completely. He is my very best friend, and I adore him. And I'm so glad he puts up with me when I'm unreasonable, or hard headed.

6. Eggs. Everyone in our family LOVES eggs. Omlets, scrambled, frittata, you name it, we love it.

7. Thomas being old enough to help with things around the house. With my headaches (it hurts to bend over with the blood rushing to my head), Thomas has taken on the roll of feeding the dog his breakfast and his dinner.

8. The boys getting more adventurous with different foods. Thomas has always been pretty picky, but Elliott used to eat anything and everything we put on his highchair tray, but for about the past 6-9 months, he's been more picky that Thomas. For some reason, they've both gotten better with eating their dinners in the past couple of weeks or so. It makes meal planning so much easier, not having to consider what I'll make the boys vs what I'll make for Josh and I.

9. "Full" preschool. By full, I mean 2.5 hours. It's not really long enough to accomplish any great task, but it does the trick for getting a few little things done before I head off and pick Hannah and Thomas up.

10. free-tv-video-online.me We don't have cable, and not everything I like to watch ends up on Netflix, so I watch some stuff off of ProjectFreeTV. It has basically every show ever made, and its awesome. A bit of a learning curve at first, but once you figure out how to use it, it's great.

Thankful Thursday

It doesn't quite feel like 7 days between each Thursday, but I guess we're back here again aren't we!

This week I'm thankful for:

1. Preschool not being affected by the strikes happening. I fully support the teachers, but I'm really glad Thomas and Hannah's preschools aren't cancelled for the foreseeable future. It'll be really nice to have some 1 on 1 time with Elliott (while Gracie Lou naps). 

2. That it isn't quite fall yet. Last week was pretty chilly weather wise, and I'm super happy that it's warmed back up again. I feel like we've had a great summer for sunshine, but I'm just not quite ready to let it go.

3. My brave, confident boy, Thomas. While sometimes I wished he have more stranger aversion, it's really nice that I don't have to worry about him getting upset when I drop him off at preschool. 

4. The freedom to do church at the park. Last Sunday our church service was at a local park instead of our church building. If was great to be out in the community, letting people know we were there. It was a fun time. 

5. Sunglasses. The sun is nice and all, but sunglasses make a gorgeous day even better. Also helpful if your eyes are very sensitive when you get migraines. 

6. The Fray. One of my favorite bands, I can listen to them all day, any day. One of my all time favorite songs of theirs is Be Still.

7. The Bible App (for kids!) The boys and I like to go through a bible story before bedtime a few times a week. They're still a little young to fully follow a story, so The Bible App really comes through for them. It's cute, interactive, and asks questions along the way that are easy to understand, and to answer. They LOVE it.

8. That I finished my kitchen window curtain project. I'll show off the finished product tomorrow, when there's better lighting to take a picture. It took me longer than I'm happy with, but life just gets in the way sometimes. Next project -- Recovering and painting the dining chairs!

9. Our giant bedroom. Seriously, our "master" bedroom is huge. We're *cough* fixing *cough* the closet storage system we may have broken, and it's a good thing our room is as big as it is or we'd have clothing in the living room... We also keep the dogs humongous crate in there, a dresser, a night table, a side table and a queen size bed. It's intense.

10. Ideas. I'm only just becoming a "creative" person, gearing my "creativity" to making our home beautiful, but I'm really enjoying this whole creative process. Obviously Pinterest helps me come up with A LOT of ideas, but even today, I perused Value Village for a couple minutes and saw some hideously ugly table lamps, but instantaneously wanted to buy them, paint them, get some cool shades and put them in our bedroom.


What are you thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday -- Camping Edition

Oh, what a wonderful, fast week it's been! Even faster because we took off for a few nights to go camping with some great friends. This Thankful Thursday will  be camping themed, so let's get started!
This week I'm thankful for:


1. Campfires. The smell. The ambiance. The feeling of community around the fire. The treats! All of it. I love it. And I'm especially thankful that the campfire ban at the provincial park we camped at was lifted! It still would've been a fun trip, but way more lame without a campfire.

2. Our GIANT tent (thanks Dana). I called it our condominium a few times. It's huge, and definitely fit the 4 occupants with plenty of space.

3. Good sleepers. Thomas and Elliott had never been camping before, and for their first time I'd say they did great sleeping in the tent. They were both pretty resistant to the sleeping bags (too confining?), but by the second night had resolved to just get used to it or be cold. Elliott wouldn't sleep on his own, and demanded to sleep in my bed with me, which was okay, since Josh couldn't stay the nights (he had to work).

4. Camping Food. Marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers. Yum.

5. Helping hands. Altogether we were a group of 10. It was great to be able to spread the kids between us all. 4 kids between 6 adults is a great ratio.

6. Puppy friends. Echo would've had a good time camping with us without a friend, but he had a great time since his pal Lily was there with us. So much puppy cuteness.

7. Bug spray. I think because we were super far from the water it probably reduced the amount of mosquitos we encountered, and the bug spray held off the rest. I only got 1 mosquito bite. Thats a record for me. They usually eat me alive.

8. Dollar store crafts. I picked up a craft for the kids to occupy themselves when we weren't off exploring, and they all had a great time making their own animal puppets. They had a choice between a lion, a monkey, or a hippo. I'm pretty sure each kid make all 3, and proceeded to play "jungle" in the trees between campsites.

9. No rain. We had excellent weather. Not too hot, not too cold. It was great.

10. The "White Noise Machine" app I have on my phone. I forgot I had it the first night there, and I really wish I'd remembered it. We had some neighbors on a different site that were up until 2am. Rude. I was pretty ready to go over and tell them to knock it off by the time they'd started to wind down. The second night I remembered I had the app and was happy to turn it on when I went to bed. If the neighbors were noisy, I wouldn't have known. White Noise for the win.

Thankful Thursday - late night edition

It's late, again. Ugh. It's been a long day, and I'm exhausted. So tonight I am thankful for music. I could probably find 10 reasons why I'm thankful for music, but for tonight just one thing. It makes me happy. And a music video that makes me smile. And dance.

"And I feel Love, inside my heaaarrrrtt" :D

Thankful Thursday

               

Now that we're getting more settled in our new place, I reflected on a few things about our old place we didn't really like, and they're making up some of my Thankful Thursday list.


1. No more solicitors at our door. I no longer have to peek out the window to see if someone is going to be trying to sell something to me, or to attempt to convince me to convert to their religion. *sigh of relief*

2. No more noisy, inconsiderate, foul smelling neighbors. Best. Part. Of. Moving.

3. A whole new space to decorate. I am by no means an interior decorator, but I'm pretty excited to put our "touch" on this space. I put up a mini "gallery wall", and will add more to it as time goes on, I'm sure.

4. A self cleaning oven. Obviously this is a TOP priority, and I really could not have gotten more excited when I realized it. I haven't had the pleasure of using the feature yet (you know, summer heat waves and such), but once it's cold outside, it's ON. (I shouldn't be this excited about not having to physically clean my oven... but it's the little things, people ;) )

And other than things pertaining to our old place:

5. The rain. I know I'm always super thankful for the sun, but it has been HOT this past week and I am enjoying the break. It's been 2 days, so I'm pretty much ready for the sun again :)

6. Parks and Rec. Thomas has expressed an interest in Soccer, so we'll be enrolling him in a "season" this fall. I googled and googled, and everything seemed so expensive for the amount of time he'd be on the field, until I checked out the Abbotsford Parks and Rec online -- soooooo much more affordable. And a nice amount of time to see if he likes it or not - 6 weeks. Very doable for us.

7. The boys enthusiasm to help me in the kitchen. Sometimes they're not helpful one bit, but a lot of the time they are both very good at doing the tasks I put out for them. It's so fun to have them helping me, and it makes it more fun for them to eat their dinner because they know exactly what went into.

8. Amazon. I recently got a new phone, and with a new phone comes a new case. Do you know how ridiculous the cost for a cell phone case can be? I saw a few that were $50 +. Obviously, they've got all sorts of bells and whistles, but holy cow! Amazon, however, has some pretty solid cases for very good prices. My new case should be here any day now, and I can stop worrying (as much) about killing me phone by dropping it. :D

9. Ginger Ale. I get upset stomach's quite often, and most of the time the fastest solution is a cup of flat ginger ale. It really saves me from hours of discomfort, and I always appreciate it more when I haven't had it in the house for awhile.

10. Echo obeying us when we say "go to bed". It took a couple nights of struggle to get him there, but now he'll go when we ask, with little resistance. He's really training up well. Love him.

Thankful Thursday

Hey everyone! It's that time again! 

This week I'm thankful for:

1. Cereal. We don't often indulge and buy something like fruit loops, but sometimes you just need to shake up snack foods (I won't say breakfast because we don't eat cereal for breakfast). The boys have loved the treat!

2. Walmart. I know I should buy local, or make it myself, but sometimes you just want a good deal and don't want to work for it. Enter Walmart. I found this super cute throw pillow and couldn't resist it. The price didn't hurt. I'll be going back and getting a few coordinating throw pillows another time, but thought I'd start with this one. I love yellow and am tying it in with a rug I have in my kitchen. (Our kitchen is visible from the couch, so I'm doing the same cour scheme throughout.) 

3. That my boys and the girls I take care of all get along really well. They play for hours in the yard. It's great!

4. Our friends who got married over the weekend. Congrats Christine and Tony! Your wedding was such a fun time, with some great memories! We were so honoured to be a part of your special day! Xoxo

5. A new iPhone. I didn't need a new phone, but I had a ton of fido dollars and decided to get the iPhone 5c. It's really light, so I'm terrified I'm going to drop it, haha. 

6. My bike. My parents brought over the bike we've had in the family since I was a kid (maybe even before that?). I remember my mom riding it when I was a kid, anyhow. I took it for a quick spin yesterday, and am proud to say I didn't bail! It probably needs a tune up, since it's been in storage for years, but I'm glad I have it to use when I choose to. 

  Pretty, isn't it? ;)

7. The mobile bandit app. Wow! So many great deals!!  I thought groupon was great but mobile bandit is awesome!

8. All the vitamin d we've been getting. Sunshine is sooooo good! I'm thankful for it all summer long because I know it will be gone in the fall and I will miss it so.

9. Influenster -- remember awhile ago when I did an imPress manicure review? Well apparently I did such a good job that I won a prize! Yay! So I'll probably review that in a few weeks! 

10. The boys growing friendship. It really means a lot to me that the boys get along 80% of the time, and we've been doing some "team building" with them too. Elliott has even started to help with the toy clean up! Progress :)

Thankful Thursday

A blogging mom I follow recently added a Thankful Thursday banner to her thursday posts, and I loved the idea so much I made my own. Thanks for the idea, Louise!

Last week was my birthday, so I sort of dropped the ball on writing a Thankful Thursday post, my apologies!

This week I am very thankful for:

1. my "job" letting me stay home with my little people and care for 2 little girls I adore. (I put job in "" because I often don't feel like it's really a job at all. It's kind of just my life.)

2. Extended Family. We see my extended family (on my mom's side) for the major holidays of the year (Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving), but between Easter and Thanksgiving there is quite a gap, so we've started to have a big family picnic every summer. I can honestly say getting together with this clan is always a highlight for me. I look forward to it every season. We're 3 generations of parents and kids altogether, and it's a good time had by all (I'm pretty sure!)

3. Highchairs. Elliott hasn't sat in a highchair in probably a year, unless it was a punishment spot for him to eat his dinner. Well tonight, after seeing Gracie-lou sit in it for the last three days, asked to sit in the highchair for dinner. He also proceeded to complete his dinner, without a single argument, and without dismantling his entire chicken salad wrap. Who knew high chairs were magic?!

4. Puppies!!! It would appear there is a bit of a "puppy boom" at our church, and I'm so excited for puppy play dates!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5. Weddings. We're going to a wedding this weekend, and I'm so excited to watch two friends get married and also party like it's 1999. (To be fair, I'll probably party like it's 2007 because that would be when I was 19 years old...)

6. A smart, mostly obedient puppy. Echo has done a few things that aren't appreciated, but overall, he's learned his lesson from those incidents.

7. Elliott learning to play nicely with other kids. It's been a long tough road of violence at the hands of Elliott, but he's finally learning not to hit other kids. I'm very impressed with how he's been playing with our friend Hannah, and delightfully surprised he's been so sweet on Gracie. Babies aren't usually Elliott's favorite, but he's been very nice and gentle with Gracie.

8. Flexible boys. Not as in physically, but they're very flexible with the changes that have happened over the past month. One I'm particularly happy they haven't fought (too hard) is that they have to shower now; we no longer have a bathtub. Thomas complained the first night, and ever since he's been the one to ask for a shower. Elliott asks occasionally, but doesn't want to stay in very long.

9. A "new" haircolour. I decided a change was due for my hair (even though I only just got it cut, I was still kind of bored with it), so I went out and bought some hair dye and went to town. My hair is now a red that almost matches Thomas and Elliott's, and underneath I put in some lavender. :D I've wanted to do purple in my hair for awhile, and I'm glad I finally did.

10. Our VCR. You read right, we still have a VCR. And we love it! We have a ton of veggie tales on VHS, and we just scored some great movies from a local thrift store that I can't wait to watch with Thomas. So much fun!

Thankful Thursday after the hiatus

Hey! Wow! It's been 3 weeks! That went by so fast!

Now that we're all moved, it feels like we've been here for a month. We feel so at home here. It's perfect. And the boys can't get enough of our backyard. So great. The commute for hubby isn't the most awesome, but it could certainly be worse. Here's my thankful thursday post:

I am thankful for:

1. Living in a basement suite! SO cool! (Not as in, cool dude, but as in not hot in temperature.) It is so refreshing down here!  We can spend the day in the hot sun, and come inside and be cool as a cucumber. Perfect.

2. Our new neighborhood. It is SOOOOOO quiet. 

3. 

Our puppy! Echo joined our family  almost 2 weeks ago. He is a Lab x Rhodesian Ridgeback. He has the sweetest, calm demeanor, but also plays really well. He is very laid back, and really only gets "frisky" in the evening. He really likes our cat, who in turn is mostly accepting of Echo. He is great with his house training. We've had a few pee accidents, but those were probably a combo of me not knowing his que's yet and not being fast enough when I do notice them. He sleeps well in the crate in our bedroom, and even though he wakes up between 5 and 630 in the morning to go pee, he settles back down in his crate so mommy can get another hour or so of shut eye. He knows "come" and "sit". We're working on "stay". He makes the cutest sucking noise when he's asleep, as though he's got a soother in his mouth. Adorable. We love him.

4. Our move going smoothly. We had some friends and family join us (thanks again!!) in helping load the truck, and unload the truck. It went surprisingly fast. We definitely had a lot more stuff (crap) than I thought we had, so we had to load up additional vehicles, but all in all it went quite well. 

5. 

The ability to go away for a weekend with my bestie! We went down to Lynnwood, Washington and did some shopping. We ate at the Cheesecake Factory! I had never been there before -- it was AWESOME! Totally worth the 30 minute wait. We shared Crispy Cuban Rolls (seriously delicious!),  Warm Crab and Artichoke dip, and got our own cheesecakes, which we waited til we were back at our hotel room to enjoy with a bottle of wine. YUM! We went and got Echo on our second day. We got to do some exploring because neither of us had ever gone to the Peninsula. We picked up Echo in Sequim, Washington. What a super adorable little town! I'd love to go back for a vacation! Next time I think we'll try to get to Port Angeles and Forks. All in all, what a super FAB trip that was. Ange is the best road trip buddy!

6. 

My darling Husband! He turned 29 the other week. We celebrated at the Keg (yay for gift cards!) with our old neighbors who were in town visiting. It was a delightful evening.

7. Our new backyard! Fully fenced, so I don't have to worry about the kids wandering off, and it has some pretty awesome shade because of the deck upstairs. The boys LOVE IT. And I do too!

8. Our awesome craigslist find for Echo -- his new super huge crate. He's going to be a really big dog, so having a big crate for him to grow into was really important. I didn't want to be buying a new crate every time he grew, and through craigslist we found a great deal on a practically brand new one. Yay!

9. Thomas liking his new bunk bed. I had fears that he'd be afraid of the top bunk, and afraid to climb down the ladder, but he's actually loving it!

10. The boys are so good with the new rules for where toys are allowed. We don't want Echo to get into any of the boys toys and get sick, so the toys are only allowed in the boys room, and they're abiding the rules very well. Yay! They're such good kids :)

All in all, I'm extremely thankful that our transition to the new house went smooth, and that we're all feeling quite comfortable here. 

Thankful Thursday

The closer we get to moving, the more irritating our downstairs neighbors are becoming. Do they have to listen to music at ridiculous volumes all the time? Do they have to stink up our house with smoke ALL THE TIME?! UGH!

Enough of that whininess, it's time to be thankful!

This week I'm thankful for:

1.Haircuts. Oh glorious, glorious freedom! Less hair = less work! yay!

2. Tape Guns. So useful! One handed box taping is my favorite!

3. Awesome landlords who tell the downstairs neighbors to get rid of the snake they're "babysitting" for a friend. ICK

4. Sunshine forecasted for this weekend. It's softball weekend, and it would suck in the rain! I'm so excited for the weekend, I just LOVE softball!

5. Pinterest. I learnt how to curl my hair without any heat, and I'm pretty happy with it! I love being able to have variety in hairstyles. I learn so much from pinterest.

As a side note, the lighting in the bathroom makes me look jaundice...

6. Sunday school at our church. I love hearing Thomas talk about God and Jesus. He has such a heart of Love, I know he'll do great things.

7. Pingu. Thomas just loves pingu, and I just love to hear him belly laugh at all the antics that little penguin gets up to.

8. White Noise (ie, our fans). Elliott ended up sleeping with me for a good portion of the morning, and the only way that is even sort of possible is the fan being on. He still uses a soother, and the squeaking it does over his teeth when he sucks on it is enough to drive me crazy. Enter the white noise, and I no longer hear it. Now if only he didn't have to have his hands in my hair...

9. The way the boys interact. Sure, they fight sometimes, but when they aren't fighting, I just love to listen to them talk to eachother. They're conversations are hilarious. "Ell-it, you're my best friend, you need to help me!". "Tonas, I'm a ghost, I chase you." If the other is doing something, they always ask where they've gone. Sweet boys. I love them.

10. That we're in the final countdown!! It's almost moving time!! Just a little over a week and we're outa here! Yippee!!!!!

Thankful Thursday

That was one very quick week!


Here's what I'm thankful this time around:


1. Yogurt. I could eat yogurt all day, every day, if that wouldn't be excessive. The boys are totally on the same page as me. We like to get most of our dairy products from the States, but lately I've been picking up yogurt at Superstore, and man, they're really got their greek yogurt down! It's incredible.

2. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. For whatever reason (perhaps I psyched myself out), but that last 2 nights I've ridiculously terrible sleeps. I've known for probably 2 weeks that yesterday and today Emma would be coming earlier (6:30am), and I went to bed SUPER early both nights before, but had awful sleeps. What's up with that?! I even took a melatonin last night, and I think it made things worse. So I'm thankful for Coffee today, because surely I'd be a cranky blob on the couch without it. (I just reached for my coffee cup only to realize it was empty. :( Better brew some more!)

3. Helpful little boys. This week Thomas has begun helping feed Emma her lunch -- what a sweet boy! And she thinks it's pretty hilarious, so she eats really well

4. The privilege of getting to watch miss Emma. She's my niece, so obviously I'd get to see her at family things and stuff, but I just love having her every day! It's so fun to watch her learn and grow. She's a joy and I adore her. I will be very sad once we've moved and I won't get to have her every day for day care. But like I said, she's my niece, so it's not like it'll be the last time I'll see her.

5. Cherries. I noticed frozen dark cherries at Superstore a few weeks ago, and ever I LOVE THEM. I put them in my smoothies with some greek yogurt, half a frozen banana and some cocoa powder --- YUM!

6. Ipsy. I completely forgot to tell you all what I got in my first ipsy glam bag, which I'll do something this week. But I'm eagerly awaiting my june glam bag, and I'm just so excited. I love ipsy and that it gives me something (small) to look forward to every month.

7. Softball. I'm by no means the star of the team, but I just have so much fun. It's our church league, so it's really just for fun, and I'm perfectly happy with that. I go, I laugh, I play my best, and whether we win or lose, I always have a great time, and try to help my team members to have a great time too. Life's too short to take a game seriously. ;)

8. Hawthorne Park. We like to frequent the parks in our close vacinity, because our yard can get stale for the kids. This morning we met with some friends at Hawthorne park and had a great time. It's like a scaled down version of Bear Creek Park; a little more secluded, a lot less hectic, and still has lots for kids of all ages to do.

9. Knowing that my struggles are not only mine. This week I've read about a few different moms/women who are having similar struggles as I am (in varying areas of life). While we all might not have it figured out, it's really nice to know that I'm not alone, and I can ask for suggestions on how to deal with things from the other women who have also gone through it.

10. A God who is restoring. He knows the struggles of our hearts, and listens when we cry out. During a recent struggle in my life, I had great friends around me, encouraging me to seek God, and with their help and His, I have come to what appears to be the other side of the struggle, and I feel Him restoring what I thought was nearly broken. God is good, friends.

Thankful Thursday

I'm still working this darn cold out of my system, but it is nowhere near as horrible as it was last week, thank goodness!

This week I'm thankful for:

1. Music. I love to sing. I love to dance. The boys love to dance. They love when I sing. I love when they sing. Just love all around music.

2. My dishwasher. I do not like to wash dishes by hand. I will avoid it like the plague. I am so thankful for our dishwasher! Saves me from manual labour, lol

3. My snuggle bugs. Elliott loves to have a good snuggie with his momma at least once a day, and Thomas loves to cuddle up a couple (short) times a day. I am a big fan of cuddling, so the fact that my boys also like it is really great! I hope they always like it!

4. A night out. We went out earlier this week for dinner with my best friend, and it was a delightful evening in White Rock. We all had a great time.

5. Rescue agencies that save dogs from kill shelters. We don't have a dog yet, but the likelihood that the dog we are going to adopt someday will have been saved by a rescue agency. I'm glad to know there are people in the world who think that saving animals is important!

6. Than entertaining the kids is pretty simple. For example, they played with a bucket of water and a few toys for 2+ hours today. Easy.

7. The Internet. Or more specifically, people who have moved a number of times and have figured out the most efficient way to get everything ready, and then have written it down and put it on the internet to help other people who need to move.

8. My norwex cloths. Seriously making cleaning a million times faster, and less chemical filled. Bonus points for them being safe to use for anyone of any age, which means Thomas has been put to work cleaning too.

9. Accommodating Parents. I think I write about being thankful for my parents on almost every thankful thursday, but really, they're just so awesome. This time I'm specifically thankful that they can take the boys for nights here and there to help us out. Coming up the boys will stay with them while we do this big move, and then again when I go on a shopping trip with my bestie. Just the best parents ever.

10. Police and other emergency crews. There is some terrifying news coming out of New Brunswick, and I can't help but be incredibly thankful for people who put themselves in danger to keep the general public safe. What brave heroes they are! I am so sad to hear that members of the police force in NB have lost their lives, and I am praying for their families and dear ones. Also we are praying for quick resolve for the situation.

Thankful Thursday

This week's Thankful Thursday is brought to you by

Buckley's Cough Syrup.

This is what I am thankful for.

Both boys are over their colds, but mine lingers on. And it's a doozey. I ventured to call it a "man cold" yesterday, which Josh thought was hilarious. I am feeling a lot better today, after a good night sleep. But even at that, I only have the brain-power to be thankful for Buckley's.

Thankful Thursday

This week was fun and busy, and here's what I'm thankful for:


1. That we've had the opportunity to slowly chip away at our "moving" list. I've been able to touch up most of our walls, and get some furniture we don't want/need anymore out of the way. I'm going to go through the toys today and put aside stuff to donate, and take a big load in later this week.

2. Thankful that we have been so blessed that we CAN donate. I don't feel like I need/want to sell most of our stuff, because we've been so blessed to have been able to afford it or have it gifted to us. The Lord has been so consistent in providing for our needs and I am so thankful we can give some of that back.

3. That we don't get seasonal allergies. I only remember a handful of times having allergy symptoms, and neither of the boys have showed any signs they'll have seasonal allergies, so far. Josh is almost always as healthy as a horse, so I don't often have to worry about him. :) I know a lot of our friends suffer from pollen allergies, and I see how awful it can be.

4. Josh's new work schedule. He doesn't work as many graveyard shifts anymore, which is fabulous because we get to see more of him throughout the day, and he gets to get a better rest on the days he only works 6 hours. I was skeptical when he first told me about it, but having just done his first "set" of the schedule, it's really working out better for the whole family.

5. Coffee. I stopped drinking coffee briefly a few months ago, and while I felt really accomplished and happy about "kicking the habit", and also missed it horribly. Coffee is just so delicious, and I think I'm a happier person once my first cup has been drank.

6. New opportunities on our horizon. I think we're the type of people who like change, and I'm excited for a change in almost a month!

7. Aloe Vera Lotion and Coconut oil. I got my self pretty burnt over the weekend, and there ain't nothing like Aloe and Coconut Oil to sooth that pain! And it sort of healed into a very slight tan! Woohoo! (It's hard for pale kids like me to tan, as we reflect the sun, lol).

8. I ate peppers this week and didn't get sick! That's a mighty accomplishment! My stomach is a little lot finicky, so when I can eat something that normally makes me sick, I rejoice!

9. Playdates. They just break the week up really nicely. I like having something to look forward to.

10. My parents who ask to take my big boy for 4 sleeps. (For the record, I don't very often have to ask them to take my children, they offer and they love it. And when they do, I can't deny I don't enjoy the break.) Thanks Mom and Dad!

Thankful Thursday

I can't believe it's already Thursday again! That week went by lightning fast!

This week I'm thankful for:

1. I know I say it all the time, but, the awesome weather. I'm just so thankful that it's been sooooo nice out lately! We've gotten out to enjoy the sun so much already this year! 

2. Youtube. I have a hard time sticking to a workout program, because I get bored really easily, or, if it's too hard when I start and I don't improve as fast as I wish I could, I usually just give up. (Tisk tisk!). That's where Youtube comes in! I found some awesome (short) workouts today, did 2 videos (approx 20 min) and feel like I worked out hard and could actually do the moves. I'm making small-ish goals for myself right now, to go for a 20-45 minute walk during the day and then do a 20-30 minute workout in the evening. I'm hoping to stick to this every other day (walking every day).

3. Ikea. It's almost too much fun for me to handle. I drift aimlessly through the store dreaming of all the items I would place in my home, and where, and how... *sigh* it's safe to say, Ikea is one of my happy places.

4. Fans. With the weather being so awesome the past few days I've had to pull all our fans out to keep the house cooler. Not complaining (!!!!!), just appreciating that our fans can help us enjoy this gorgeous weather by also keeping us cooler.

5. Los Estados Unidos. (The United States of America). *I have no idea why I felt the need to type that in spanish first...* We LOVE shopping in the 'States. I know, we should buy local and stuff, and usually we try to, but you just can't beat the gas prices right now!

6. Good Movies. I had a couple friends over for a movie this week, and we watched Pitch Perfect. Love that movie. I've probably seen 20 times, and I know the lines pretty well. I have to fight myself not laugh before the funny parts happen. 

7. Nature. I know it's not that rare anymore, but I'm always so excited to see an Eagle soaring overhead. Over the past month or so, I've noticed one or two eagles that must have made their homes in our neighborhood somewhere. I just love the opportunity to tell the boys about nature, and encourage them through stories (even ones my dad told me when I was a kid) about how we have to take care of the Earth so that animals like Eagles can live on. 

8. Health. We have been healthy for almost 2 months now (knock on wood!!!), and I'm ever grateful for it! It just makes the day to day that much easier when nothing is ailing you!

9. A spontaneous husband. I'm learning to be more and more spontaneous as time goes on, but it always thrills me when I can suggest something, on the spot, and Josh will be ready to do it, with little concern for what he's doing right then. It really spices life up to be spontaneous. Of course, my spontaneous ideas are probably not all that exciting... but he indulges me anyways. Our recent spontaneity has included the food truck festival in Cloverdale a few weeks ago, car "shopping", running across the border for groceries. 

10. The Bible app on my phone. I'm not very good at remembering to read my bible, so it's really helpful that the bible app has reminders and reading plans to keep me on track. Though I definitely find, the more I read, the more I want to read, and have a less difficult time remembering. 

What are YOU thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday

It's that time again!!

I'm super duper thankful for:

1. Sunscreen. I was happy to lather the kiddies up in sunscreen a few days this week before we went out and soaked in the vitamin d. Of course I forgot to sunscreen myself, so I have a bit of a red tint, but thankfully nothing too painful.

2. A husband who works hard at his job, even if there are crappy crappy things happening at his workplace.

3. Vitamins. We've been stocking up on our vitamin c and d, zing and b 12's lately, and I've noticed a difference in all of our immune systems.  YAY!

4. My step machine. It's not fancy, and I have no clue how to use the electronic gadgetry thing at the top of it, but it serves it's purpose well and I get a nice workout. Now to remember to actually stretch my legs afterwards... I was pretty darn stiff today.

5. Our double stroller. I took 5 kids to the park yesterday, and it was ever so helpful to have 2 in the stroller. I also carried 1 on my back. It was a good walk up our hill to the park.

6. The sermon series at our church right now. We're talking about Relationships and what the Bible has to say about them. This past week I really took away that God loves us unconditionally, no matter what we do, or how many times we mess up. Now, I know that's not a big epiphany, in fact, I could say I've known that almost all of my life, but I'd never thought very hard about what that meant for me and my relationships with other people. Obviously I want to love my loved ones. But do I always love them unconditionally? Do I always remember that they are a child of God, who He loves? Do I even think that way towards my neighbors, or acquaintances? I'm definitely going to try to now.

7. Speech Therapy. Thomas has made huge leaps and bounds in his speech development, and I'm so thankful. One of the days this week at the park, he was talking to a little girls mother, and she understood 80% of what he was saying. That's HUGE. I'm so excited to see him continue to grow and learn how to speak even better.

8. Our neck massager. We call it Wall-E, because it looks like the character from the movie. This thing is awesome at getting kinks out of my neck. And the boys think it's pretty hilarious when I use it.

9. A working vacuum. Finally, I received the correct part for the vacuum, and it's been up and running almost a week. Yay for clean carpets!

10. Our boys' obedience. They aren't perfect, and I won't hold them to that kind of standard, but most of the time they do listen pretty well and obey. It keeps me hopeful that we're doing a pretty good job in raising them.

Thankful Thursday

Thankful For!!!

1.This made my week :

2.Our big back yard

3.Ponytails in little girls hair

4.The beautiful green ravine behind our house.

5.Friends for the boys to play with and learn from.

6. New makeup and makeup bags. My sister unloaded a bunch of makeup she didn't want anymore, love it! And a purse! Score!

7. Value village -- I got an awesome, huge purse there for 13 bucks!

8. "Nashville" -- the tv show. Don't judge. The characters and interesting and dynamic, and the story line is pretty good. I don't really dig country music very much, but the harmonies of the voices always puts me in my happy place.

9. Water and how the boys love to drink it all the time. They like juice, obviously, who doesn't, but the majority of the time we just drink water, and they're very good about it.

10.Thomas being old enough to do some chores. He swept my kitchen yesterday and did a really good job of it! And he does a bang up job cleaning the toys in the living room! 

Thankful Thursday

It's that time again...

I'm Thankful for:

1. Naps. If Elliott didn't nap, I'd go insane. I'm also really glad miss Emma is a good napper. It really keeps the chaos to a minimum.

2. Trader Joe's. I went there for the first time on monday and I'm in Love. They have everything, and it's awesome and yay. Haha. I'm excited so I can't really form many other thoughts other than yay on this one. Oh, and they have THE VERY BEST greek yogurt EVER. It's so creamy, and velvety, and thick, and yummmmmmmm.

3. Playdates. Best way to wear out your kids and help a day fly by.

4. Doctors who are willing to call in prescription refills when you just don't have the time to go see your doctor. I'm also hoping in a few weeks he'll be willing to call in a requisition for blood work, as I've lost my original one and don't want to wait 3 hours just for a piece of paper.

5. Cars and Trains. Hours of entertainment for the boys. Can't wait to build them their train table (which will now wait until we've made the big move.)

6. Cookie Butter. Have you tried this stuff? No? You should. You can get it at superstore, it's delicious, and I recommend it. I think the brand is Speckaloos. I could be wrong. My memory is foggy other than the wonderful wonderful flavors remaining. Yummy.

7. The buy/sell/swap pages on facebook. I have been able to get rid of a bunch of my clothing that I don't wear anymore, and alternately, but new stuff for way less than retail prices. Win Win.

8. Extended Family. It's always a delight to see our extended family when there's a holiday. My mom's side of the fam got together for Easter dinner this past sunday, and as always, it was a wonderful gathering. We have a new generation of kids coming up and it's fun to watch them all, too.

9. Living close to everything (for now). I love how close the mall and several different grocery stores are. So convenient to just pick up a few things on the way home from wherever we've been.

10. Our married peers at Redemption Church. I'm super excited to start doing date night things with these folks and get to know them better!

Thankful Thursday

I am so thankful for

1. Rene's Caesar Salad dressing. I haven't bought this dressing in YEARS, but decided to grab a jar during the last grocery shop... OH I HAVE MISSED IT! It's definitely the very best caesar salad dressing ever. So creamy, and thick, and garlic-y. Makes me soooooooooo happy, all I want to do is eat salad. 

2. Flea Treatments. We battled a flea problem with our cat for over a year, and finally I decided to order some super strong stuff (that is only sold in the US) and it's working so well. Poor Little Foot was convinced that the scratching post we have for him was giving him the fleas, but now that they're gone, he's happy to scratch it and climb it like his normal self. He even fell asleep on my lap today, which hasn't happened in years. I'm so glad he's feeling better!

3. Essential oils. Eucalyptus, Lavender, Rosemary... ect. I love them. While the boys and I were sick I used up an entire bottle of Eucalyptus oil in their humidifer and on a damp cloth on my fan. It really helped us recover faster from the cold and I actually didn't catch the cold until I ran out of Eucalyptus. I've used Tea Tree oil with coconut oil to battle diaper rashes. Rosemary and Mint are one of my favorite combo's just for a nice fragrance, and they're helpful in calming anxiety. S'good stuff!

4. Spin Toothbrushes. Specifically with characters on them. Like Thomas the Train and Mario. I picked up some new toothbrushes for the boys and THEY LOVE THEM. They're obsessed. They want to brush their teeth all the time. This is very valuable to me because before they (specifically mr.E) fought me tooth (hah!) and nail. Yay for compliant oral health!!

5. Fashion Blogs. I can honestly say I was never really into fashion before I had kids. I mean, I wanted to look decent, but now I want to look Great. I love clothing. Nothing like a well put together outfit to brighten my day :) (That being said, in my day to day, I usually just wear leggings and a t-shirt, haha)

6.Veggie Tales. Good, cute shows with a great message easy for kids to understand. What's not to like?!

7. Hot showers. We just enjoyed some super nice weather last week, and now it's rainy and cold again. I love to have a nice hot shower after a long day with the little people, it's refreshing and relaxing, and of course, warming. Makes me forget that the sun isn't shining, if only for 15 minutes.

8. Bacon and Eggs. Seriously, I could eat them all day. Obviously I don't, but I sure wish I could! And the boys love them too!

9. A community of other moms in my church/within my friend circle. Love having other mom's to troubleshoot with and empathize with! It really makes this parenting thing a lot easier to know your struggles are often very similar to your peers.

10. I've said it before (I think) and I'll say it again -- Our Van. I love it so much. I can put (if I wanted/needed) 5 kids, a double stroller and groceries all at the same time. Best investment EVER.

Thankful Thursday

Thankful for:


1. Warmer weather. T-shirts and shorts are parts of our wardrobe again. Yay!

2. Coconut oil. I seriously say several times a day to different things "just rub some coconut oil on it, that'll fix it." Diaper rash. Paper cut. Dry Skin. Dry nose. 

3. My handy father. And that he somehow instilled that in me. (And that he totally brags about me being handy!!)

4. Organizing. It helps me declutter my house and my mind. 

5. Praise 106.5 -- I find I turn to that station more often than I ever have and when we listen to it in the van Thomas always exclaims to every song -- oh I love this song!

6. Our churches kids program. Thomas LOVES going to church and learning about God. He surprises me often by telling me how much God loves me. (Which I'm quite aware of, I just love that God is using my son to really reiterating that fact!)

7. Old navy. Yup I love that store. And their plus size stuff online has come a long way. It has room to improve, for sure, but I have to admit 90% of my wardrobe is old navy.

8. Pinterest. (I've probably had it on a Thursday post before, but it gives me so much inspiration! ) it's really helping me plan out our new place, which might need a little creative decorating. We've seen our new place twice now, and while the first time I felt a bit stressed and panicked, upon a second walk through I'm feeling a lot more excited about all the possibilities.

9. Emma. I adore this little girl. Of course, I would anyways because she's my niece, but I am just so thankful that I get to spend so much time with her and watch her grow. She has a hilarious personality. Both easy going and stubborn at the same time. She brings so much joy to our house. I will definitely miss seeing her every day when we move.
10. "Blankey". The things we can get Elliott to accomplish just by letting him have his blanket. He'll eat all of his dinner if Blankey hangs on the back of his chair. He'll take his medicine. He'll snuggle longer.

What are you Thankful For?