Thankful #27

I have saved this Thankful post for today, Thanksgiving day. I think about it every day and I don't know if I will ever feel like I am able to give enough thanks to this person. I am thankful for my cousin Kris, who was willing to carry a baby for us through gestational surrogacy. Unfortunately, we did two attempts at IVF with our embryos and it was just not meant to be. If you would like to read more about when we were going through this process, you can click here. The site has not been updated since we found out our second attempt was not successful, because it hurts my heart too much to write about it.
I wish so much that it would have worked out for us. Not just for the fact of we had a chance to have another baby, but for the bond it would have created with Kris and her family. We had so much family, friends, and strangers that were supporting, helping, and praying for us. I am still blown away that she was willing to give so much of herself to try to help us have another baby. I just want her to know that we are going to be forever greatful, even though the results were not what we all had hoped for.

Thankful #26

Begin sarcasm here- I am thankful for the extra weight I have because it means I have not been hungry this past year. Sarcasm over- Seriously, I might not be happy and thankful about the weight, but we do not suffer and have to go hungry. My heart is thinking a lot about those who will not get to enjoy the Thanksgiving meals with friends and family and a warm house.
This Thanksgiving Day, we are celebrating for the first time with just the 3 of us. Here is our menu for the day:
Cream Cheese Braid for breakfast that we purchased from a fundraiser

Lunch will consist of Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravey, rolls, cranberry sauce, corn, grape salad, and pumpkin pie. All of our favorites and none of the things we don't like! Tonight I made the grape salad and pumpkin pie. I also washed the turkey so it would be easier for me tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, I hope you lots to be thankful for.

Thankful #24

I am thankful for the Google Reader. My friend Laura introduced me to this handy little tool and it has enhanced my blog reading habit. I don't think I could follow so many if it was not for my reader. If you have not heard of this and you are a blog addict like me, I suggest you look into it! Each morning it is so fun to come to the computer and see how many blogs I have to check up on that have updates! Handy!

Thankful #23

I am SO thankful for the price of gas! In our area I'm not sure the exact number, but it was very close to $4 per gallon. I never thought it would come down as much as it has again. It just made me sick when I would have to fill up my van. I am thankful that hubby and I don't have a drive to work like we have previously. I obviously don't have to drive to work and hubby works only a mile away. The travel during the upcoming holidays and wrestling season to watch the team will definately be easier with the lower cost of gas!

Thankful #21

TGIF! This is my post for today. Friday is my favorite day of the week! The kids were so good today too! After work, I went with my mom and B to Plattsmouth for a little Christmas thingy. BTW- I like that word. Thingy. You can use it any place you can't think of the real word you want to use. Try it. You will like it.

Tomorrow whoopdidoo is Saturday, my second favorite day of the week. I am going to Kohl's when I get up and going to buy a few Christmas ornaments. I might even stop at our storage unit and dig out a few of the Christmas boxes to get ready for Thu. when we put our tree up. Tomorrow night hubby and I are going to the Thanksgiving Dinner at the Fire Station and then out with a few couples from there. Last year was Matt's first year as a volunteer fireman, so our first year to go to the Turkey dinner. Good food- but you have to dress up. Not really my thing, expecially the past few years of daycare. I am a jean capri, barefoot or flip flop wearin' wrestling t-shirt kind of girl. But I can probaly find a pair of black pants somewhere in my closet to get through the night. Especially since I don't have to cook.

It's late, this post is going no where, I'm tired. Good Night! Have a GREAT weekend everyone!

Thankful #20

2006

I am thankful for all of the traditions we have in our family. One in particular that we are getting ready for is going to the Holiday Lights Festival in Omaha. We have gone to this since I was pregnant, maybe even the year before. Each year hubby, B, and I meet up with my mom and her boyfriend on Thanksgiving night for the official lighting ceremony. We love to do the countdown with the crowd as they get ready to flip the switch to over a million lights. We have been there on freezing cold nights as well as some that have not been too bad. I can't wait to go again this year! We always have lots of fun walking around the GeneLahey Mall and the Old Market.

2006

Thankful #19

I am thankful for all of the wonderful teachers out there! Teachers are under-paid, over-worked, under-appreciated, and over-loaded! There is one teacher in particular today I want to call your attention to.... Mrs. Wendelin Miller- recipient of the Charles E. Lakin Outstanding Teacher Award.

I had the opportunity to teach with Mrs. Miller for 2 years at Chantry. She was a great role model for me. Miller is full of wonderful ideas and passion for her job. The amount of dedication, heart, work, time, and money she puts into her profession is absolutely immeasurable. She sets her goals high for her students and does everything in her power to help them reach them not only academically but out of the classroom as well. She empowers them to be the best they can be and to know they are valued individuals. Miller loves her students and I have also never seen students who love their teacher as much as children in her room do as well. They are proud to be in her room and a part of her classroom family.

*Mrs. Miller and I were the winners (or losers, however you look at it!) of a kiss the cow contest between the classrooms. Each room had to raise money for something... I can't remember what...I am thinking books, and two teachers had to kiss the cow in the end! The kids loved it and had so much fun watching us do this!

I would be honored to have my son in her room any day! Congratulations Wen! You DESERVE this!

KMA News Story

Thankful #18

Today I am thankful for the 2 blog world awards I have been given. They are my first! The first one Sandy gave me from her blog, Just for Fun on November 1st. I had not been posting for a while, so I had to get my rear in gear before I posted this to my site! Her Just for Fun Blog is full of great ideas for things to do with your kids. She is a creative and inspiring! In order to follow the rules for accepting this award, I have to share the love:

*Note- I don't really have many friends who follow my blog and/ or have a blog so I am giving this award to blogs that I love and / or inspire me!

Gold Blogging Friends Forever.

The Gold Blogging Friends Forever Rules Are:
1. Only five people allowed.
2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog.
3. One has to be someone new, or recently new to your blog, or live in another part of the world. 4. You must link back to whoever gave you the 'Blogging Friends Forever' award.

I am going to pass my Gold BFF award to:
1. Rebekah at Heart Cries

2. Tara at Plan B

3. Karma at She's Having Our Baby

4. Nikki at WhiMSy Love

5. That mom at We are THAT family

The next award is from Sandy again with her other blog, The Adams Family. I think she gave me this one to give me a little nudge to get to passin' on the love since I had not done the first one yet! Either way, Thanks Sandy!

Here is the low down on the second one:

*Once again, there are only a few people who really read this blog, so I am having to pass this award on to the blogs I love most/ and or inspire me the most!

This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships!These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

I now pass this award along to the following:

1. Megan at And Everything Nice

2. Chasing Cheerios

3. Tonya at Currently Crafting

4. Maya Made

5. Laura at My Montessori Journey

6. Nature's Way Learning

7. Allie at No Time for Flashcards

8. Ramblings of a Crazy Woman

Thanks again for the love Sandy!

Thankful #17

B had his first homework assignment. He had to complete a family turkey project. At first I thought we had to draw all of the turkeys in our family, but as I read the directions, I realized that we were supposed to discuss things together that he is thankful for. His list that he came up with was: apples, butterflies, Valentine's Day, Thomas the Train, his house, dad, himself, mom, the zoo, cousins, footballs, and friends. He has to return it to school today and they will have a turn to show their classmates their work and talk about the things they put on their turkey. I drew the pictures so he will have reminders about what he told me and then he colored them and his turkey. It was very cute. My heart feels so happy when I listen to him talk about things that he is thankful for or make him happy.

Thankful #16

There are toys all over my basement floor. It is not as bad as it is some days, but toys all over none the less. Usually I try to get the basement picked up at the end of each daycare day (with help of course) but tonight that just didn't happen. It is okay to have days like that though, don't get me wrong. I just feel better in the mornings when we start fresh and clean again!

Today begins the National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child. If you have not heard about Operation Christmas Child, a division of Samaritan's Purse, I encourage you to click the links and read more about this awesome opportunity where you can begin a wonderful tradition with your family.

Our family tradition is that we select a boy and the same age group as B (age 2-4). In our box this year we included: hard candy, gum, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, croc-style shoes, socks, 4 balls, mini bowling, magna doodle type thing, scratch off rainbow coloring thing, crayolas, colored pens, stickers, notebook, pencils, pencil sharpener, silly wiggly ball, voice echo microphone, book with pictures of animals, yo-yo, and a paddle ball thing.

I talked with B a lot about how we are thankful for all of the toys that we have in our house. We have toys downstairs, upstairs, and in his room. He helped me select the toys to pack in our box for a little boy who does not have any toys like he does. I'm sure he is too young to get this concept, but hopefully he will look forward to this tradition as he get older and will always be thankful for the toys that we have that happen to be scattered all over the floor tonight.

Thankful #14

I am thankful for our 5 generations of family and love. My great grandpa Joe passed away one year ago today. He was 91. He was a B's Great Great Grandpa, making it 5 generations of family. Grandpa lived with us for about two and a half years. It was an experience that Hubby and I would not give back for anything. We were so blessed for the time we had with him and the friendship and bond that B and Grandpa shared. As B grew up some of the things he liked to do with Grandpa were play with the buttons on his watch, the velcro on his shoes, and share a few bites of Grandpa's pudding before he went to bed. As B got older, he liked building towers with blocks with him and playing trains. B was as good for Grandpa as he was for B. There is no way to explain the bond that they shared. They loved each other so much. The time has gone so fast, and there are so many stories we still talk about from our time together with Grandpa that I don't even know where to start to tell you how wonderful our experience was.

Grandpa loved visiting with family, talking to Matt about sports, watching the soap opera at lunch time and helping me with the daycare kids. All of the kids loved him as well. They would crawl right up on his lap for a rock in his chair or ask him to toss them the ball. He would greet the mother's as they came into the house in the morning, often opening the door for them. He ate lunch at the table with all of the daycare kids and dinner with us as a family each night. We still call things around the house "grandpa's chair" or "table" and refer to the spot at the table where Grandpa always ate as "grandpa's spot". We miss him lots and I wish that B could have known him longer, but we are so thankful for the time we were lucky enough to have!

The first time Grandpa met his great-great grandson.

Celebrating Grandpa's 90th birthday at the park

Playing trains together

Watching B open his birthday presents

Enjoying the sunshine outside with the B and a daycare tot

One of the daycare girls, Emily, LOVED grandpa. You could always find her in his lap!

Our family pic~ Grandpa, myself, hubby, and B

We miss you grandpa!

Thankful # 13

I am thankful for the good friends that I have in my life. Last weekend hubby had to go out of town for a coaching clinic and B and I decided to drive to Des Moines to visit some friends. We stayed the night at our friend Hollie and Phil's with their 3 children. They used to live just down the street from us and their littlest one is just a few months older than B. It was so nice to see my friend Hollie again. I miss her so much! We taught together for 2 years, were in MOPS together, and did lots of talking on the phone- pretty much every night- just ask our husbands! Friday night B and I arrived there about 9 PM and they had just finished a bday party for their son. We let the kids stay up a little later than usual to play while we talked and caught up.

Hollie and me on my 29th birthday- look at my long hair!
C and B, best buds!
C, B, O, A- June 2007

Saturday we ate a few powdered doughnuts and scrambled eggs cooked Hollie's wierd way, and got ourselves ready to run to Target. One of the best things about going to Target was that Phil stayed home with the kids (Thanks, Phil!!) I never leave B. I take him everywhere with me! He was having so much fun playing with his old buddies, he didn't even care I was leaving. They fixed us a little walking taco's for lunch and then Hollie and I headed out to my favorite toy store by Jordan Creek, Creative Kidstuff. Hollie was looking for a trumpet that her daughter C had played at my house and was still talking about. She wanted to get it for her for Christmas. It is one of the most popular instruments in our "instrument box".

Once home we let the kids play a while longer and then headed home that evening. It was so nice to be able to spend time with her again! I will be back in Des Moines in December, so hopefully I can see them again then!

Tonight I got to see my friend Susie who also moved to the Des Moines area last year. She was back in town this weekend and I visited her for about an hour and a half. Susie and I used to be neighbors in our old apartment and became very close friends. I also miss her so much! We drank a lot of wine together! I also hope to see her in December when I go to Des Moines, if not over Thanksgiving sometime when she come back to visit some family.

Amber and Susie at a party at the Golf Course
Amber and Susie at Prairie Crossing Vineyard!

I miss both of these good friends so much and for selfish reasons wish that they wouldn't have moved away! They will always be two of my very BFF's.

Thankful #12

I am thankful for the teacher that B has at his preschool. She is such a caring person and is truly dedicated to her profession. You can tell how passionate she is about her program with the answers you get if you ask her any questions regarding Montessori or by taking a peak at her blog. She loves to invite the kids to learn and share so many wonderful experiences with them. Her mind is 24/7 on what she can do for her classroom, and I think we are truly blessed to have B in her room for his first year of preschool. He is just in love with her. He wakes up every morning and says, "do I go to school today". If it is a school day, he wants to eat lunch right after breakfast (he attends the afternoon session) and go outside to wait for the bus at 9 in the morning. I am just amazed at the excitement he has day after day for going to school. Tomorrow is our first (ever!!) parent teacher conference. I am looking forward to hearing more from her on how he is doing at school and some of the things they are working on.

Yesterday I was able to attend his first field trip with the class. We had a great time visiting Fontenelle Forest Nature Center. This was also the first time that B was able to ride on a big yellow school bus (sniff, sniff, I need a tissue there are so many first going on in his life!) The children enjoyed looking out the windows at we started our journey towards the Nature Center. Once we were there we broke into 2 groups. First, our group played at the indoor activity center. B was able to see some bugs, frogs, snakes, listen to sounds you hear at night, run through a model of a big tree tipped over, and dig through some leaves to see what we could find living under them in our yard. Next, we went to the outdoor area that was just beautiful. I just wish we could have visited about a month earlier when there was still a few leaves on the trees and a bit more color. The woods were still very beautiful. There is a play area and a very large walking area with nice boardwalks through the forest. The weather was cold, but not rainy like it had been the day before. Most of our group stuck together and took a walk along the boardwalk and had some great views. The kids enjoyed running a bit ahead and having fun. When it was time to head back inside, we were treated to a program with some live animals. The kids were able to learn about and touch a box turtle, tiger salamander, bull snake, and a rabbit. B had a great time and I enjoyed taking the day off to experience the joy of a little boy growing up faster than I would like.

Pulling the handle to listen to the night sounds

Running through the tunnel~ One of his favorite things!

The children running ahead on the boardwalk

The leaves were all over~ beautiful!

The woods were so pretty!

B and his good buddy!

Thankful #11

Happy Veterans Day! Have you thanked a Veteran yet today? I am thankful for all of the men and women who have bravely served our country. Both hubby and I have several members of our family who have served in the military. Thank you to all of the veterans out there and their families who have sacrificed so much for America!

Thankful #9

I am thankful for the clean laundry that I have to fold. There are many days when I feel like the laundry never gets down and that you could get burried under the piles of it, clean or dirty. It is something that is very easily taken for granted. We have clothes to wear, and many to choose from at that. We have water, soap, and electricity to wash them with. Next time you feel like complaining about your laundry chores, remember how lucky you really are.

Thankful #7

Today my back is hurting. Lots. It has been hurting for about a week or so but it is especially bad today. I don't really know what is wrong with it, but this happened a few years ago when I was teaching. Even though I have some back pain today, I am thankful for my health and that of my family. We do not suffer on a daily basis with pain or illnesses. We get the occasional cold now and then type stuff, but we are luckier than many. The pain I have today makes me appreciate how good I usually feel.

Thankful #6

I am thankful for my digital camera. I love digital cameras and how you can just snap away and not have to worry about your subjects closing their eyes, moving, or looking away. This is the only way to go when you have little ones in my opinion. There are so many shots that don't turn out when they are little. We purchased our first digital camera about a week before B was born so we could use it during my C-Section delivery. We have since upgraded to a bigger camera, but I don't really know how to use all of the functions on it. One thing I would like for Christmas is to take a class to learn this stuff. I don't want to be a pro or anything, I just want to understand all of the little buttons and get the full use of the camera. By having a digital camera I am able to save a ton of money by not developing pictures that look like this:
Oops, I moved!
Hey where did you go? It was cute when you were looking out the window?!?
Totally missed you going around on the Merry Go Round. Who are those other people?

Closed your eyes!

Thankful #2

Last night I had the opportunity to go to a movie with a few friends. Hubby was away doing a little duck hunting and I needed a babysitter for B for a short while during the overlap time of both of us being gone. I called my grandma. She was going to watch B. Then I thought that I should just take B out to hubby's mom's house since that is by where he was hunting. She said she would watch him. Then hubby's aunt stopped by and wanted to take B to Pizza Hut to eat with her family. That is what he ended up doing and he had a great time. So today I am thankful for all of the family who lives close to us and is always more than willing to watch B when we need a babysitter. Fortunately, we have never needed a "real" babysitter since we have such amazing family. Thank you family- for all you do for us!

Thankful #1

Happy November! I am so thankful for the family that I have. My hubby and B are the most important things in my life. They make me so happy and I cherish each day I have with them. We have so much fun together and make each other laugh every day. They are my world. What are you most thankful about? Enjoy a picture of us on Thanksgiving night last year at the Holiday Lights Festival in Omaha.