~ Hem Your Blessings With Thankfullness So They Don't Unravel~

Tuesday night I thought I was going to have a heart attack! I was cooking dinner and after two hours the meal was still not through. And I realized my oven went out! No longer working! And I was just getting ready to bake some pies! Umm time to panic. So at almost 8pm I made my sweet husband hop in the car and drive me to Lowes to look for a new one! We drove like mad and raced through the store. I wanted one on clearance so we ended up going to 4 different stores! Yeah, we were hauling butt! But we found one I liked and I was able to set up delivery for the next day. Just in time to do my baking!

It was delivered and I stayed up after everyone went to bed to get ready for our Thanksgiving. The house was so quiet and as I was getting ready to turn out the lights after finishing up in the kitchen I turned around to glance around and see if I had missed anything. And I saw that new stove. And I was almost in tears thinking about how fortunate we are. You see, a few years ago we were really struggling. Tony had lost his job and the holidays were looking really, really bleak. That year for Thanksgiving I actually pawned a few items to have money for the food. Humiliating I know. Only added to that white trash feeling! I was so worried about Christmas coming. I was pawning items just so I could buy our Thanksgiving dinner so how in the heck was I going to be able to buy Christmas for my kids!

Well, I shouldn't have worried. We were taken care of. Our sweet neighbors did they twelve days of Christmas for us. Gave us food, money, and fun little treats with it!It made it possible for us to provide some sort of Christmas for our family! it was delightful and helped us keep our spirits up during a hard time! I hope my kids will remember when they are older what a gift that Christmas was.

Somehow, somehow we survived. We survived and we thrived. And we were blessed through the kindness of others.

Tony was able to find a great job and we have been able to get on our feet again.I feel so grateful that when my kitchen stove went out, I was able to go buy a new one!

Today Grace spent almost a hour sitting at the table. Just waiting! She was so excited for dinner. The feast she called it! And Ethan kept sneaking olives. And Tony and the teens were joking about who gets his diaper after all of those (Sick). And my sweet Rachelle was so helpful. Spent so much time in the kitchen asking what Else can I do for you mom. Then there was Hannah holding my sweet Adie so I could cook! My kids made fun of me at the table tonight as we sat together eating turkey and drinking our special "Shirley Temples"(the little ones think that is what makes the holiday meals so special!) cause I was a little emotional~ Thinking again about how blessed I am. When times have been tough we have still been blessed. I have known that my Heavenly Father was aware of me and the struggles I was going through. And now~We have enough to meet our needs. We are healthy. I have a husband that loves me and tries so hard to make me happy. I have amazing kids. They are what makes this life such a fun journey!

I just feel such a great feeling of contentment and gratitude tonight. I know that I will be thanking my Heavenly Father tonight for the rich blessings I have been given!

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It can turn a house into a home,a stranger into a friend.Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow ~Melody Beattie

Bailey's Kindergarten Thanksgiving Program!

Wednesday was Bailey's preschool Thanksgiving program. It was pretty fun to watch her. They sang songs and recited poems. And she was really, really into it!




Ethan was being such a pain in the butt though. It was outside so I had Adelynn in the stroller on the hill above the grass watching and he kept running down the hill to the stage. He got on the stage a few times and tried singing with them. Then the principal gave him one of the hats the kids were wearing and he then thought he was a part of the program! It was really embarrassing! People were cracking up but you know they were talking about "that" kid!




After the program we followed the kids back to their class where we had some refreshments. Bailey read some books to Ethan and made sure all her friends were able to see her baby sister!And she was so cute showing Grace around her class room. They would hold hands as they walked around looking at the different stations in the class. I remember when I had Grace 18 months after Bailey and I worried it would be so hard to have them so close together. It has been hard but seeing them now, such good friends, it makes my heart melt! I love their friendship! I love my sisters so much and it makes me feel good knowing they are establishing a friendship that will last them a lifetime! Getting three kids and myself dressed and out the door by eight was such a chore and I kept telling myself I really didn't want to go but I am so grateful that I did! It was a fun program and I really enjoyed my sweet kids!

52 Blessings Project~ Week 48

This Week I Am Grateful For~ Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving.I love the gathering of our family.I love the food. There is something comforting when you prepare and eat the same foods that you grew up having at each holiday. It bridges the gap and helps me to feel a little more connected to my family even if we aren't together that year.

I love sitting around the table and having each of my children tell me about the things they are thankful for. It is always a good reminder for us to recognize how blessed we are.

I loved that the weather was cooled off for the day! It actually felt fall-ish! It was fantastic!

I felt very thankful for so much that day.

here are a few things that struck me throughout the day that I was thankful for~

Tony's job. Tony is opening a new store in Tempe. They had a job fair to fill some positions. They needed to fill 37 positions in the store. They had over 500 people show up to interview for it! Time and time again he heard people tell him that they were laid off from their jobs and are desperate to find some work. Tony has a very good job that pays well and gives us some stability in our lives. Yes we have had to move several times but we have been blessed knowing that our family will be taken care of.

My health! Our families have had a heck of a year with health issues! It has been very difficult with all the trials that have come their way. I have been so impressed with the resolve and spirit in which Maria has handled her health difficulties. I admire her courage and strength.

Rosemary, Isabelle, Adam, and Angie have also had health issues or injuries! Crazy year I swear!

My sister has just had a stroke last week and the Dr's are still trying to figure it all out. She has been so calm throughout the whole ordeal.I can't imagine how scared she must be feeling. I am worried for her. She is young and it is wild to think of her going through this right now!

Know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers! And..I can promise you I won't take good health for granted again!

My kids! Whoa did I just say that? Well yes! I enjoy the good and great times. It was fun to sit around the table Thanksgiving and laugh with them and listen to the stories.They are smart and funny and difficult and strong willed and loving and kind. They are my hardest trial and my greatest joy! I need to chill and enjoy them more!

Willing helpers! This year after dinner Tony got up and cleared off the table. Then Zachary got up and started doing dishes. And he washed the things that wouldn't fit into the dishwasher by hand. Wow..he doesn't do that often! It was nice! And Rachelle and Hannah helped put away food. I think this was the first year that I wasn't freaking out and angry that no one would help and I had been working my tail off! It was delightful and relaxing!

Living in the best country in the world. Even though the elections took a few years off of my life and I don't always agree with the politics of this country I recognize how blessed I am to be free to express it. We have a abundance in our lives. We have great medical care. We have religious freedom. We have amazing soldiers and their families supporting them as they bravely stand up for us and fight for our freedom!

I love, love this country!

I could go on and on .There was so much I have been blessed with and I love that we take the time every year on Thanksgiving to acknowledge all the blessings in our lives!