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Thursday, November 24, 2011

happy thanksgiving

i was inspired by something i heard in a recent church service.

"anything you are thankful for appreciates in value and anything you complain about depreciates in value."

i think this statement is so true.

when we focus on what we are thankful for, then we cherish it. it becomes very valuable to us. 

this is true for the material things in life such as our home, car, clothes, and the rest of our stuff.

but it is also true in our relationships.

the divorce rate in our country would be lower if we would focus more on the positive things we love about our spouses and not complain so much about what we dislike.

children would feel more valued and friendships would last a lifetime if we would practice having a grateful heart and not spend so much time on our own wants and needs. children are a gift and time spent with them is the greatest gift we could ever give them.

parents would be cared for more and grandparents would never be forgotten.

this thanksgiving is a great time for us all to start focusing on what God has blessed us with 
and recognize the worth of the people around us.
in doing so, i think we would all realize that we lead a very rich life full of value and worth.

happy thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

thanksgiving eve bloopers

this morning, i gaze out my kitchen window and begin to soak in the beauty of the day when -

...i happened to notice this!!!
i think our tomato plant exploded in the herb garden!
it looks terrible and my husband keeps trying to reposition it, but it obviously has a mind of it's own. 
he wants to pull it out, but it is covered in tomatoes!!!
(i will be picking them today)


then, i start to make my pie for thanksgiving and i am just loving the morning.
i'm feeling so thankful to have the day off to bake, do laundry, and pack when...

 

my pie nearly falls on the floor as i take it out of the oven to place it on the cooling rack.
my adrenaline kicked in and saved the pie. i was willing to grab the hot glass if need be.
so, my pie is a little funny looking from the trauma, but it is all in one piece!
(i will post this recipe later - it's awesome)


i made the chex mix last night, but didn't buy enough cereal for both batches, so i raided the pantry 
and used up the rest of the kid's cereal to have just enough for the puppy chow. 
they were a little surprised and annoyed with me this morning when they found no more cereal left.
i'm sure they will forgive me in the car while they are eating this deliciousness.
(this was my first time making them both...really yummy. found recipes online)


today was a clear reminder for me to be thankful even in the small things.

i'm thankful for ugly tomato plants that actually produce, 
pies that don't end up on the floor, 
and that golden grahams and crispix taste good with powdered sugar on them!

book of thankfulness


i started this thanksgiving book the first thanksgiving that camille (our first-born) was at home with us.
she just turned 9 so this makes our little family book 9 years old this year.

(i question my color choices back then...oh well :)


 this was cami's first hand print in our book.


this was when cari made her first appearance.

this was the year we lived in colorado and cari had a "mummy hand" after her first visit to the er. 
(good times)


 this was the following year back in texas.


our first trip to the sweet berry farm.

every year we list things we are thankful for throughout the year and 
it is so fun to look back and see all that God has done for us. 

challenges we faced many years ago seem so little, 
but were big to us at the time.


 and this leads me to 2009 - 2011...ooops!


this is a result of life getting busy and me starting to work ;)
i don't want to ever lose my focus and attitude of thankfulness.
we will get caught up because i plan on handing over some of the responsibility 
of decorating these pages to my eager girls.

i look forward to many more pages filled with all that we are thankful for.


Monday, November 21, 2011

party in the nail salon


this past thursday was my daughter's birthday party.


we packed out the nail salon and every girl got a manicure (except mom).


we invited all the girls from her class, but one little girl didn't make it.


 she loved all her gifts!!


she gets her silliness from her father :)


many of the girls said it was the best party they had ever gone to :)

 

happy birthday cami!!
you sure are growing up so fast.
enjoy your last year being a single digit number!!!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

the story about this turkey



nine years ago, on november 21 at 10:03 a.m., i gave birth to my first child by an emergency c-section.

she had the cord wrapped around her neck twice and there was a knot in the cord which had blocked oxygen to her brain and caused her to have infantile seizures (which looks different than your typical seizure). on top of that, she was suffering from meconium aspiration as a result from all the stress she had endured in the womb. 

i didn't get to hold my baby after she was born. to make things worse, in the middle of the night they woke me up to have me sign a piece of paper allowing them to transport my baby girl to a different hospital. she was now considered a high risk baby that they couldn't properly treat in their hospital. they gave me some polaroid pictures of her and then they took my baby away.
*
that leads us to the story of this turkey...

she didn't spend her first thanksgiving at home with us. she spent it with this little turkey. a volunteer placed this sweet guy in her incubator. i have cherished it ever since. it now serves as a reminder of how precious every thanksgiving is with her at home.
 *
it wasn't 'til a few weeks later, december 5th, that we finally had our baby girl home with us where she belonged. she continued on seizure medication for the first year of her life and she has a small scar on her ankle from medicine burning her skin. we had many visits to a plastic surgeon, neurologist, and had too many eeg tests done. but i do realize that this is nothing compared to many parents who have endured worse things with their own children and my heart goes out to them.
*
so, she is now turning 9 and she is brilliant, sweet, smart, athletic, creative, and kind. you would never know that she was covered in tubes and needles once in her life. you would never know the doctors told us that if another day had gone by with a lack of oxygen she wouldn't have made it.
*
with every passing birthday, i thank god for the gift of my daughter. i remember to be thankful for the mere fact that she is alive and at home with us. i squeeze her tight and hold her close. 

she is... and always will be... a reminder of god's love.




Thursday, November 17, 2011

birthday girl


my oldest daughter, camille, is having a special birthday party today. i thought she looked so sweet preparing her cards. these invites were sent out last week and all of her friends are really excited about it.

it is hard to believe she only has one more year being a single digit number.
i have been busy scrambling to make everything just right before then.
the party is at our favorite nail salon where all the girls will get their fingernails painted.
afterward, we plan on having cupcakes and watching the birthday girl open her gifts.
(carefully of course - not to damage the paint job)

i am hoping everything goes as planned.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

50 rules for dads of daughters

my husband is one of the best dads i know
and he does an amazing job with our two daughters.
i thought of him when a friend posted
this on facebook awhile back and it was so precious i had to share it!

you can follow the author's blog here.
his name is michael mitchell and he is an (almost) thirty-something
dad who blogs daily tips and life lessons for dads of daughters.

you might want to get a kleenex handy if you are a softy :)

1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she’ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is. I’d prefer good.

2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she add years to her… add life to her years.

3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.

4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.

5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.

6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.

7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.

8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.

9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.

10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.

11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”

12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.

13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.

14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.


Photo Credit :: Danielle Rocke Toews
15. Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait ‘til her wedding day.

16. Take her fishing. She will probably squirm more than the worm on your hook. That’s OK.

17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.

18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.

19. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She’ll still call you crying the first time it happens.

20. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.

21. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive.

22. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.

23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.

24. Knowing how to eat sunflower seeds correctly will not help her get into a good college. Teach her anyway.

25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.

26. It is in her nature to make music. It’s up to you to introduce her to the joy of socks on a wooden floor.

27. If there’s a splash park near your home, take her there often. She will be drawn to the water like a duck to a puddle.

28. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don’t be late.

29. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.

30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.

31. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.

32. Let her roll around in the grass. It’s good for her soul. It’s not bad for yours either.

33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don’t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.

34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.

35. She’ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.

36. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father’s hand. Never forget this.

37. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.

38. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.

39. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.

40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It’s OK to rent one though.

41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together.

42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.

43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.

44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.

45. Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.

46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.

47. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.

49. This day is coming soon. There’s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.

50. Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she’s going off to college. Don’t blink.