thankful...day 16

Day 16:

Mom:

Today I am thankful for the great friends in my life,

warm weather for spending time outside, 

that my boys helped out the needy at a food bank today with Cub Scouts,

and early bedtime!

{And today was one of those days that a lot of fun happened without a lot of pictures so this is what you get to sum up our day :)}

Avery:

Cub Scouts

Evan:

Kelly

Ellie:

Ice Cream.

thankful...day 15

Day 15:

Mom:

Today I am thankful that Ryan took the boys to donuts with dad {no pictures ever of what Ryan and the boys do...}.

I am also thankful today for Aldi and my little favorite shopper {she is definitely my favorite shopper!}.  I have already pretty much summed up why I love Aldi in my post here so just read that again.  Also, if you need more reasons to shop there here is another blogger telling you why it is great and cheap!  Your welcome, in advance, for improving your grocery shopping experience ;).  Now I have me some Aldi pineapple to eat this weekend...

Avery:

Bella.

Evan:

Ice cream {Amen!}.

Ellie:

Working on Daddy's truck.  {no idea where this came from, no he hasn't done anything on his truck in a long time...crazy girl!}

thankful...day 14

Day 14:

Mom:

I am thankful today for where we live.  I couldn't ask for a better place to raise our kids than here.  We love that there is parks, trails, the "farm", the zoo...all nearby.  One thing we love about our home is the "little park" that is within walking distance from our house.  I have seen my kiddos grow up at his place...it will always be a special place for all of us!

Avery:

Seeing the 5th grader's play at school.

Evan:

Little park.

Ellie:

Little park.

thankful...day 13

Day 13:

Mom:

Today I am thankful for time.  Both having the time and taking the time.  

When I got married and started teaching, both almost 10 years ago, I just thought I would always be a teacher.  I wanted a family, but figured I would not give up being a teacher since I had wanted to be one since third grade!  I thought I would be happy because I would still have breaks and all summer to be off with my kids...but things changed.  I never, ever envisioned myself being a stay at home mom.  As a planner, it was never part of my plan.  I did keep teaching through both of the superheroes being born.  Things were getting harder maintaining everything...the 30 minute drive to and from work with the kids being dropped off at daycare was getting to me, nights were stressful when I was just worn out from teaching all day and still wanted to spend time with my boys, and teaching in itself is just so stressful.  Then out of the blue I was pregnant with our third kiddo...princess Ellie :)...Avery was currently 3 1/2 and Evan was 22 months old so that would mean I would have three kiddos in daycare.  Since teachers aren't really rolling in the big bucks, most of my salary would be going toward daycare.  Ryan & I finally made the decision for me to maybe just take a year off, maybe two, at least until Avery started school and then I would go back to work again once things settled down a bit.  I was pretty scared of the idea of staying home, it wasn't part of the plan.  I knew hardly anyone who was a stay at home mom and just imagined a lot of lonely times with three kids at home all day by ourselves.  Stay at home moms probably don't understand this, but I cried the last day when I picked the boys up from daycare because I knew I was pulling them away from all their friends and all the fun they had there.  That summer before "officially" starting my role as a stay at home mom, I interviewed for a job closer to home because I thought that was maybe all the change I needed...you can guess the result of that interview when someone walks in 8 months pregnant ;).  So on August 2010, when everyone else went back to teaching I say I started the new chapter of my life as a stay at home mom.  The first year was quite an adjustment with new baby and new friends, but I have not looked back.  I have loved the time I now get with my kiddos.  I know it is fleeting and one day {it will be here before I know it} I will be working again, but I will try to savor every second I get with them in the present.  I will have to say I am most thankful to Ryan who works so hard to make my time with the kiddos happen.  This wasn't part of our family plan, but he supports me and my decision!  

Just because I have the time, doesn't always mean I take the time as a stay at home mom.  This time of year can get a little crazy with holiday and birthday planning and prep that sometimes I can get a little caught up in my stuff and don't take the time to just be with my kids.  Today, I am thankful that I stopped what I was doing with planning for Evan's birthday party just to do some stamping with E&E.  Ellie even wrote her very first E because I stopped for a second and took the time with her to teach her how.  I have to remember to do this more!

Avery:

Church at night. {His youth group is on Wednesday nights}

Evan:

Bella not going potty in the house or biting me. {Yes, with a puppy in the house these are BIG things to be thankful for :)}

Ellie:

My super Dora movie.

thankful...day 12

Day 12:

Mom:

Today I am thankful for food.  I love making it...if it weren't for the mess afterwards to clean up.  The best food I have these days comes from MOPS brunch!  These ladies make the best food ever and you pretty much have to sample everything, as you can see from my plate!  Yes, I did eat all of that this morning!!  {If I haven't talked you into loving MOPS by now...I don't know what could :)}

Avery:

Lincoln Logs

Evan:

Lincoln Logs {yes, they were playing with them when I asked and yes, I again asked them at the same time...}

Ellie:

MOPS {See this girl loves it too!}

Mom & Dad {no not Ryan & I...she means playing Mom & Dad her favorite pretend play}

thankful...day 10&11

Day 10:

Mom:

Day 10 makes me thankful for all the wonderful friends I have met in MOPS.  I am not only thankful for the ladies I have found through MOPS, but my kiddos have even met some of their best friends through it too.  Words really can't express how much these friends have met to me for the last four years!  We got to spend the afternoon on a hayride and making s'mores with some of these friends through one of our MOPS table leader gatherings.  It was a lot fun and great weather for it too!

Avery:

S'mores

Evan:

Basketball & Bella {I guess it was B day ;}

Ellie:

Warren & Brooklyn

Day 11:

Mom:

This picture holds a lot of things I am thankful for it in it...I am thankful I get to stay home so that I can go in and volunteer in Avery's classroom {I love being able to do this!}, I am thankful for all the learning Avery has accomplished in his short time in school {I mean he is like a real reader now!}, I am thankful for the awesome elementary school we have and the wonderful teachers {I know good things are going on!}, I am thankful for my hard working Cub Scout who was excited about being able to help present the colors at the veteran's assembly today at school, and of course THANK YOU VETERANS!!!

Avery:

Getting to help out at the assembly today.

Evan:

Watching movies during rest time.

Ellie:

Kendall

thankful...day 8&9

Day 8:

Mom:

On day 8 I was definitely thankful for music in my life!  It has always been a pretty important part of my life and lots of songs remind me of many different things.  Although I don't get to listen to my music very much anymore except for the occasional car ride alone or the times I am running alone, music always makes my day better.  I will have to say it doesn't get any better than to get to go to a concert of a great musician with a great friend while your husband willingly watches the kids for the night!  I usually only go to a concert maybe once a year, but they are definitely one of the highlights always. 

 Country music is my thing these days and if you want to see a terrific show go see Keith Urban he is such a great musician and he really appreciates the crowd {I have actually got to see him twice now}!  I can't wait for my next concert...I hear Garth Brooks is making a comeback!!!

Avery:

Library books.  {He loves get new books to read about animals}

Evan:

Christmas books.  {We put these away for the year until Christmas time so they are "new" and exciting...after much persuasion Evan got me to get them out for him}

Ellie:

The leaves falling off the trees.  {I am not helping her at all on these...she's coming up with them all on her own!}

Day 9:

Mom:

Today I am thankful for beautiful weather, good friends, and that we have a zoo close enough to us that it is easy to go to a lot.  We decided to spend the nice day visiting the new penguin exhibit at the zoo.  The penguins were great and we all enjoyed spending our day there!

Avery:

Zoo.

Evan:

Zoo.

Ellie:

Zoo. {I guess it's unanimous!}