Be Thankful.

Be Thankful
~ Author Unknown ~

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to.

Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made the effort.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

Karter Quotes today....

Conversation between Karter and Scott tonight

Karter- "I want to go to bed in a pattern. mommy lay with me, daddy lay
with me, its an AB pattern...

scott-"How about mommy, daddy and then you lay by yourself and make
that a pattern"

Karter- "then that would be an ABC pattern.... so No."

and....

"Mommy do you know I am going to have a concert on a really big stage for my christmas program.... do you think you will come to it?"

Last weekend....

Scotts step-grandpa died last week. We attended the funeral in South Dakota over the weekend.

While funerals in general stink, I am really glad we got to go, and it gave our family a little time away with each other.

Its hard to explain death and funerals to small children. I think older people dont remember that. We did our best to explain to the boys about the similarities between this funeral and my grandpas funeral this past summer. Despite our best efforts some things were left unexplained.... until Gav pointed them out. Just a few funny quotes from Gav, my child who sometimes doesnt have a filter.
I few I dont want to forget.....

• • (about the burial) "did they already dig the hole guys?? Because I
    could help, but I forgot my shovel"

  • (still talking about the whole) "I think there would be some good
    rocks for my rock collection in the bottom of that hole, I better go investigate
    that" (yes he uses the word "investigates"

  • "Oh look, there are ghosts on the wall" Talking about the sun shining
    off the water onto the wall in the swimming pool.

  • "oh no the ghost ate daddy" (as scott was standing in front of the
    "ghosts")

Friday!

I am sooooo very thankful that today is Friday!
This weekend's activities include hosting a Tastefully Simple/Norwex/Bonfire, party at our home! I love getting together with all of our friends. There is something so fun about hanging out by the fire, freezing your tail off, relaxing, telling stories, just being together. I love my friends (who doesn't love their friends right???) I love getting them all together. I am lucky that all my little groups of friends get along well as a whole group. My house is a wreck right now tho, so I am a little stressed out about getting it company ready by tomorrow night.

more catch up....

This week, I am thankful for Philippians 4:6. That I can share this verse with a friend who needs it, that this verse pops in my head when I need it..

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what
you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 If you do this, you will
experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can
understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live

Day 18, I am thankful for 30 days of thankful, its nice to have a reminder of all the little things we should all be thankful for


Day 17, I am thankful for Karter's neurologist, Dr Narawong (and her staff) she has been an amazing gift to our family, with her help we PRASE GOD that we are at 4 and 1/2 years of being seizure free!

Day 16. I am thankful for my boys's teachers.... they are great!

30 days of Thankful catch up!

• On day 11, I am thankful for my Grandpa who was an amazing example of how to love your country. I am also thankful for all of the military members, past and present who sacrifice to keep us safe, and I pray for all their family members at home who hold things together while they are gone.

• Day 12, Thankful for a safe trip to South Dakota and that our kids are good travelers,

• Day 13, Thankful for a safe trip home and that we get to sleep in our own beds tonight.

• Day 14.) I am thankful for a great small group!!!!

• day 15, I am thankful that, as my sign that hangs in my hall says, "we may not have it all together, but together we have it all."

I think Karter has his first crush...

I think Karter has his first crush... I shouldn't have to worry about this girl though, because I am 110% sure that Karter's first crush is on Taylor Swift. (probably a good thing too, we wouldn't want to ever have to have her write a song about my Karter)

CMA's are on tonight, Karter loves music and was dancing and singing to every song he knew (he knew most of them) He fell asleep in the middle of Reba's song... funny, not that many years ago I remember begging my parents to let me stay up late to watch the great Reba, and my child falls asleep in the middle of her song.

Another funny, every time someone gets ready to announce the winner in a category karter crosses his fingers and makes his hands like he is praying and when they say "and the award goes to..." he shouts "TAYLOR SWIFT"

• "Mommy, I think I love Taylor Swift almost like I love you"

• "I really love her hair mommy" (talking about Taylor Swift)

• "I just cant wait till I am 10, so I can drive a car"

• "I wish you could record this so I can listen to Stuck like Blue (glue) over and over and over again"

• "who's that lady?" ("that lady" was Reba--lol)

Thirty Days of Thankful- Day 9, wise little old men.

On a side note, please pray for Scott's step dad(the only father-in-law I know-- Scott's dad died many years ago) James' father past away yesterday evening. Please pray for his family as they make arrangements, his mother, for strength as she mourns the loss of her husband, their safety as they (and we) travel from all over the mid west for the services.

*****

I like to only take one child to the story at a time. There isn't the "chasing" factor that comes into play as when you take 2 children anywhere. With Scott working a million hours these days this task is nearly impossible. I took both boys to the store last night, they were not "walking while holding on to the cart" I must have had my best "mom look" on in the cracker isle because a little old man stopped me to say...

"Hunny, they are boys, and they are healthy boys, that's all that really matters."

So on day nine, I am thankful that my boys are indeed healthy, and that really does matter. And also for little old men who remind me of that. :)

Out of the mouths of dads....

I just heard from my computer this statement....

"No! You dont try to pop your pee bubbles"

Scott at 7:03 tonight

Day 8. Bring Out the Lysol.

Karter has pink eye.
ugh.
So today I am thankful for modern day medicine and insurance to pay for said medicine. That the drops that promise to kill any infection living in Karter's eye still cost us 45 dollars, but that is much better then what they would cost without insurance.

30 Days of Thankful, day 7. Church

We just started a new church.
We love our new church.
We love the people at our new church.

Our family, Scott included, are EXCITED to get to church on Sundays. I am so lucky, blessed, thrilled to have found somewhere as great as where we are going. I feel like God is really speaking to me, to Scott, and to our marriage. We are even enrolled in a small group! I have always wanted to be in a small group. We are joining in the 3rd week of a 6 week series about marriage. I am really excited to see how and where it will stretch us.

Another reason why I totally love our church. Today, I was sitting in church watching a veterans day video clip, and was crying because it really made me remember my grandpa, who was such a proud American. Well when the clip was over, I was trying to dry my eyes so that people wouldn't think I was weird (because the clip wasn't sad and I was crying like a lunatic--sidebar-- I am an emotional roller coaster anyway) and my contact slipped into my eye. I shimmied past all the people in my pew and made my way to the bathroom. Once there I was digging in my eye trying to get my contact that had gone AWOL--PS, have you ever had one slip up high behind your eye? This is what happened, and there was NO fishing it out of there. A lady came out of her stall, washed her hands, looked at me and said "Dear Lord, help her with this" I smiled thinking "Dear Lord, who prays for strangers contacts??" I looked back at the mirror and my contact came down right into place! She smiled at me, and said "thank you Lord." I said it too, a little more humble.
Just another reminder that God helps even with the small stuff.

I missed a few days.

I missed a few days of 30 days of Thankful, I did them on facebook but didnt get a chance to write a blog about them. Scott has worked a million hours this week so I have been single parenting.
these will get you caught up!

• Day 4, is thankful for her 10 minute chats with my friend in the mornings on our way to work.

• Day 5.) I am thankful that it is friday, that my husband is home, and that we have no plans tonight, and that we get to spend time just the 4 of us.

• Day 6, I am thankful for dirty dishes in the sink because it means that we have eaten well!

30 days of Thankful--Oh no, He never lets go.

On day three, of thirty days of Thankful- Today I am thankful for God.
We sang a song in church the other day, Karter heard it, and loves it, and as a result has been singing it ALL the time. I mean everywhere, in the tub, on his bike, in the mirror when he thinks I'm not watching. He loves the song. Its kind of been like a public service announcement at our home. I often have to remind my self to stop... and listen to the words.

Here's the chorus:
Oh no, you never let go,

through the calm and through the storm

oh no you never let go

in every high and every low

oh no you never let go

Lord you never let go of me.

One of my favorite quotes is "Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines" I feel like its a pretty good reality of what people do with their walks with God. I often forget to take time out of my day to thank Him, to praise Him, to spend time with Him. But He is the first one I cry out to when I am in need of something. Its like the friend that everyone has that only calls you when she is going through a rough patch in her life, when she needs you. She is still your friend, and you love her anyway. Only in this case, you/i am that crummy friend. While i dont think that is ideal, I think I am learning the entire way on my walk with God, and so I will keep trying to be much better "friend of God" working on spending him with God in the good, as well as in the bad.

God never lets go. We can be going through some rough stuff in life, but He is still there with us, holding us. And that is what I am thankful for today!

30 days of Thankful- Day 2

Day 2.
I am thankful today on Election day, that even though i am so sick of political ads and even though i miss a "normal" commercial like a kid at fat camp misses cake.... I am thankful that I have the right to vote. Both as a women, and as a US citizen, I dont have to risk my life to vote!

30 days of Thankful! Day 1

If you would like to join 30 Days of Thankful-- Click here! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=161566000544265&index=1

Day 1
Its kinda fitting that I would be invited to join this facebook group today. After all, Scott and I were woken up to Karter (who was in our bed) shouting "im dunna frow up" (insert puking noise....here.)
Now, while it is highly possible that he ate way to much Halloween candy yesterday, I wager to guess that he probably has a little bug. I used my first sick day at work to stay home with him.

So what am I thankful for today. I am thankful I have a beautiful home, albeit messy and needing a cleaning lady desperately. Our home is ours, it is an answer to our prayers, it is where we will raise our children. It is where we will have our arguments and make up afterwards. It is where we laugh together, cry together and pray together. It is where our children learn that fairy tales don't make a marriage, the love, and hard work do. It is where they will learn that together as a family, with God we can solve anything. It is where we gather around the table for meals, even though something better is on TV, because in reality, nothing on TV is better.

So today, I am thankful for our home, and that we have a home to "stay home sick" in.