Thursday, June 28, 2012

Random

So, today was a little of this and a little of that. It was kind of a random day. I was gone all morning by myself (!!) and I got a lot done. I'm feeling pretty good about myself tonight- I got the kids' "big" Christmas gifts put on layaway as well as some stuff for school in the fall. I like being ahead of the game in both those areas. I will continue to pick up stuff for school as I find it, over the summer. And the same goes for Christmas. I have my gift list written out and now I'm in the shopping and making part of the whole deal. I love giving gifts so I'm super excited!
While I was out I also got an oil change. I need to be better about that. I got spoiled when I was married because not only did I have a man around to make sure it got done, but he also did it all at our house. So many things to remember when it's just you! I think I can handle it. Maybe.
This afternoon I took the kids up to the public pool and we met up with friends. It was a fun outing! It was pretty hot out there and I'm glad we only stayed an hour and a half or so. We may need to go to the morning open swim next time. I had on SPF 70 and still got a little brown. Even Claire got a tan. That's what we get for going swimming outside. :)
Tonight, I'm thankful for this kind of day...days where I get a lot accomplished but still manage to have fun and spend time with the kids. We all enjoyed the day. They went to bed a bit ago and were out right away just about. I love it!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Fish lips

Zane said we needed to take a picture with fish lips. Here it is. I think Zane looks more duck face than fish face but, either way, he is entirely too cute. Love this picture and had to share it.

Life

Life is busy. Still. But really really good. I like good and I like busy.
As weird as I think it is that Claire is still in school til the end of July, I'm really thankful for it. She loves going to school and is enjoying that she gets to go and Zane is "stuck" with me. I'm thankful she has time away from Zane and me, time that is special for her and a class she loves going to. Zane and I spent an hour and a half there today with her and that was fun. She is so cute in her own element.
We had friends over yesterday and we enjoyed time with them. The weather was beautiful so we took a walk through the orchards and then down to the river beach. I'm so thankful for simple but entertaining and fun ways to spend time. I'm thankful that my kids love going for walks and exploring.
The last half of our week is full of school, library visit, garage sales, and meeting friends at the pool. Im thankful to have such a well rounded group of friends and acquaintances to spend time with. It's so fun to know so many people with kids similar ages now. I guess our summer won't be lazy and I think I'm ok with it. I'm still hoping for a zoo visit soon, though.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Summer nights

Tonight I'm thankful for a super great weekend. There was good food, good church, late bed times, mommy time out for a whole day, movies, books, etc. This was the first time I have felt like we are really on summer vacation. Yay!
I pushed the kids' bed time back an hour tonight. It felt good! Normally I keep them on a consistent schedule but I couldn't resist tonight. The weather was beautiful and the sun was shining. The kids were outside playing all afternoon and evening- no whining or complaining or tired meltdowns. It was wonderful!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Community

About five months ago, after much prayer and thought, I made the decision to start attending a church in town and start putting down roots in our community. Today I had the best realization- we truly are part of this community! It's wonderful!
The kids and I went to the library to watch a puppet show. It was packed in that gathering room and I noticed as I looked around that I knew almost all the people in the room. It was a great visual realization for me. It was like God was saying, "you listened to my guidance and here is the fruit of that." It was just amazing. I love how the kids and I have fallen into our own place in the town and how we know so many people from church, work, school or mutual activities. It's so nice to feel like we belong somewhere.
So tonight I am very thankful for my community and the people in it. I'm just so blessed to live here.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Blur

Supposedly it's summer vacation. I'm still so busy that I haven't had time to enjoy the vacation part of this whole deal. Maybe next week.
Tonight I am thankful for friends to text with when I crave "company". It's nice to have people to talk to, even of it is just about what you're eating after a stressful day. LOL
I'm also thankful for some great weather this week. We have all gotten the chance to be outside more and it's been so nice. The kids are loving all the outdoor time and space they have now. It's also wearing them out and they are sleeping in later each day...bonus!
Sleep. I'm thankful for a good nights sleep...on my new ginormous and extremely comfortable bed!! I haven't woken up with any body aches or pain all week since I got this new bed. It's awesome! No pain makes me a happy person which makes me a happy mom and that makes my kids happy. :) It's a wonderful chain to be part of.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Family

Today I'm thankful for spending time as a family. My parents, the kids and myself all went to see Madagascar 3 in 3D today. It was so much fun!! I love when we all go and do fun stuff together. The kids loved the outing and the movie. We all loved the movie, actually. It's hilarious and worth going to the theater to see. :)

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Dad

Today (and every day) I am thankful for my dad. I can't think of a better dad to have while growing up and also now. I also can't think of a better Papa for my kids to have. We all love him so much and all that he does for us.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Saturday

Tonight I am thankful for Saturdays! Today was a day of cleaning, organizing, de-cluttering, etc. We had such a productive day and I'm so thankful we got so much done! Feels so good!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Summer Vacation!!

We are officially on summer vacation! Well, except Claire...she has class two days a week until the end of July. It's so weird. But, Zane and I can enjoy our time off now! Today was such a fun, happy, exciting, sad and tiring day! The day was filled with lots of hugs from kids on the playground and tears as I said goodbye to Zane's wonderful teacher. It was also filled with excitement and wonder about what next year will hold for Zane. He can hardly wait for first grade to start! I had to show him on his calendar how long it's going to be. Good thing we have plenty to keep us busy this summer!! I'm thankful that Zane loves school and does very well there. He is such a smart boy. I'm thankful that I have a job that allows me to see him everyday and also to get to know the teachers. :)
My favorite part of today happened just a few minutes ago when I was tucking the kids in bed and saying our prayers. Zane said, "Mom, the whole time I was in kindergarten I was like a caterpillar. Now that I'm done with kindergarten and going to first grade, I'm like a butterfly." So true, Zane. I cannot imagine a sweeter way to end the day than that.
Please enjoy the picture of my big first grade boy. :)

Thursday, June 14, 2012

People

I am feeling all kinds of emotions tonight, the last night my son is a kindergartner. How did we get to this day so fast?! I know I will be crying a lot tomorrow. Not just over my son moving up to first grade, but also because it means we will say goodbye to his teacher who we both love. I am sure that his teacher next year will be great, I think all the teachers at our school are pretty great, but I know this years teacher will hold a special place in both our hearts.
I am also sad to see so many fourth graders move to the middle school. I never imagined I would get so attached to these kids after only 4.5 months. (I'm already dreading saying goodbye next year after working with the next group of fourth graders for a full year) I am sad that I won't see these kids everyday but it's fun to see them excited for the next chapter in their lives.
So, tonight I'm thankful for my favorite kindergarten teacher and all that she did for her class this year. I can only tell you the impact she has had on Zane and its just wonderful. She is such a warm and loving person.
I'm also thankful tonight for my co-workers. I know I have been thankful for them before but they need to be mentioned again. I could not ask for a better group of women to work with everyday. How awesome is it to go to work and love the people there and have fun with them? I am just so blessed by each one of them for so many reasons. I can't wait to spend another year with them!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Yogurt

What am I thankful for today? I am thankful for yogurt. I love it and so do my kids so it's a winner all around. I'm thankful I had plenty on hand the past day or two when my sick daughter didn't want anything and tried mine and liked it. Normally they like slurping go-gurt, but now I think I have them hooked on vanilla yogurt. There are worse things for a child to like. I went and stocked up on more after work today. :) Good times here.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Thoughts

Remember a couple weeks ago when I wrote about how I am happy being single? Yeah, now I know for sure I am. I had the opportunity to meet a nice guy this past weekend and I enjoyed myself on the "date". But I left feeling unsettled about the whole ordeal. And it wasn't due to him or anything he said or did. I realized later that night what it was. I prayed and prayed about the entire situation and God answered me. In the quiet corners of my heart and mind, in the same subtle voice He always uses. He confirmed what I already thought- There is more growing for me to do before I can be with someone else. Way back in January 2011, God spoke into my life via a friend who delivered this message to me: lean on God as you would a husband and let Him guide you. Hosea 2:19-20 says " I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord." Now, this is not meant in literal terms, but on a much bigger level. The collective church is the bride, but for me, these verses have been such a lifeline. I have learned how to lean on Him and listen for His voice in my heart and when I am making decisions. It's not always easy to hear but He is faithful to answer my prayers in one way or another. All that being said, I am so thankful to serve a faithful and loving God who is always by my side and guiding me.
I am not going to go into detail, but this last two weeks have been somewhat strange for me. But in a good way. I try my best to live a life that is Christ-centered and to let His love shine through me. I am not claiming I am a perfect person because I have plenty of mistakes and lose my way from time to time, like we all do. But I was told on two separate occasions that my faith is admirable or inspiring. I was kinda blown away by those statements. My dad told me back in February when I made the decision to get rooted in our community and started attending a local church that I was going to be a light to this community and I would be a witness. I didn't think much of it other than my dad being super encouraging, the way he always is. But when I talked with him about the past few weeks he simply said "It's good to know the impact you have on lives, from time to time. It can be an encouragement". So, with that in mind, I am thankful tonight for unknowingly acting as a witness to those around me. How awesome to know that I can have a positive impact on other's lives. I am just so humbled and blessed by that.
Because today is my mom's birthday I am going to add that I am super thankful she is my mom, that I get to see her all the time and that we have such a good relationship. I wish all moms and daughters could be this way. Today was not the most fun birthday she ever had, I'm sure. Claire is sick, so we are all trying to get through this whiny, crying, sick girl phase together and on top of that all, my mom started feeling yucky today too. But she managed to get through the day, grocery shopping and all, and was able to enjoy a nice dinner and some ice cream cake before going to bed. I hope it was a fluke with the sick feeling!
And on a final note of thanks....I am thankful this is the last week of school!! Last few days of work for me, til September and last few days of Zane being a Kindergartner! Wow, time flies. I can't believe he will be in first grade next year. My baby is not a baby anymore! Claire still has school, two mornings a week, until the end of July. Early Head Start is weird. But it will give her some time to do things with her little buddies in class and it will give Zane and I time to spend together that we don't get a lot of.

As I was about to post this, I switched over to Facebook to check something out and this popped on my newsfeed. Thank you Joyce Meyer for always having such great tidbits to think on and enjoy!

"God will make all the pieces of your life work together for His purpose, even when you don’t see tomorrow’s provision."

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Prayer

Tonight, I'm thankful for prayer. I'm thankful I always have a way to talk with God and that I always get answers in some form or another. He is so faithful.
I'm also thankful for peace. Peace in my life about who I am in Him, who I am as a mom and who I am as a daughter, sister, and friend. I have prayed and prayed on these matters for so long. And the answers came in such a subtle way. I just knew and was ok with it. Wow. How can you top that?!

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Ladies

Tonight I'm thankful for the ladies in my life. There are a lot. I'm blessed to know so many wonderful, caring, hilarious and loving women. I love my friends and family!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Rainy

Today I'm thankful for my favorite weather...rainy and cool! It's been in the low 60's all day and rainy. I love this weather. Rain is my favorite, always has been. Tomorrow should be the same and I am looking forward to every drop!!

Mom Time

I'm thankful for getting to spend time with my mom. Yesterday we got the chance to leave my kiddos with my dad and go see a movie and have dinner out together. It was a fun evening and I enjoyed one on one time with my mom. We get another day out together this coming weekend. I'm taking her out to our local museum and to lunch as a birthday gift to her. :) I'm really looking forward to that!

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Time

Tonight I'm thankful for friendships that don't change with time and distance. I love my friends!!

Friday, June 1, 2012

Behind

When I get behind, I really do it right! 5 days since my last post?! Yikes! Time for some catching up!
The days have been so great and so full of fun, I don't know where to start. So I guess I will say I'm thankful for the time the kids and I have spent just being together, playing together and hanging out. We have done a little of everything this week- shopped, went to dinner, watched movies, planted some flowers, played outside, read some good books, and laughed a lot. The weather has been beautiful and we have all been taking advantage of it.
The weather- I'm thankful for it. The days of the kids playing from morning to night are here and it rocks! They have so much fun and get so worn out! I have had some great sleepers this week! Yay!!
I'm also thankful for some heart changes I have had the past couple of weeks. I'm moving in a new direction in disciplining my kids and also in just general kid to mom relationship stuff. God has definitely answered my prayers yet again and has guided me to the new choices I'm making. It's wonderful to see positive changes in both myself and the kids and I'm only getting started. I am looking forward to learning new things that will help me be the best mom I can be.
This week has been full of activities and I am looking back wondering how I managed to do everything and then some. So thankful for the energy I had this week! Being a mom, single or not, is a crazy whirlwind sometimes. I love it, though! That being said, I'm so looking forward to summer break. Less driving, less rushing, and less scheduling!
On a final note of thanks...so thankful we have only 10 school days left!! Yay!!! It's so close and we are all feeling it- at home and at work. Boy, those kids get all riled up and crazy towards the end of the year! It's still good though. :) 10 more days....