25 Days of Thanks - Day Twenty-Four

My Friends

I have a lot of friends for whom I am thankful.  They have been with me through the hard times and the good. And they continually go out of their way to show they care.  I am continually thankful for their presence in my life.  But there are two people who continually teach me what friendship means, Lydia and Lynn.

Lydia

We have been best friends since we met in college.  We met on a building tour our freshman year and then we instantly became best friends when we moved into Cloudman the next year.  She has been a great friend and a source of strength for me many times.  She helps me to be a better person.  We have had some very funny times together that included a manager at Wendys stuffing us silly with extra fries.  It was a good thing that place burned down before we got even fatter.  We have lived through thunder thighs, heart attacks, and weddings together and throughout it all and despite the distance we get closer all the time.  For that I am incredibly thankful.

Lynn C.

Lynn is the most beautiful person, both inside and out, I have ever met.  She has the most contagious laughter and I am continually amazed at her ability to not judge people.  She and I can go a long time without talking and we just pick up where we left off.  Lynn also single handedly keeps the Hallmark stock prices high with her love for sending cards.  I mean who would have known you could mail Cinco de Mayo cards.  I love Lynn and all of her traditions - like her annual tea party.  Lynn - I am truly thankful for you and for our friendship. 

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Twenty-Three

My In-Laws

When it came to in-laws I definitely won the jackpot.  John and Jean are incredible people who love their kids with everything they have.  And when I joined the family they passed that love onto me.  And for that I am incredibly blessed.  And now that Grayson is here their hearts have grown tenfold.  Jean loves that little man more than I ever could have guessed and you can hear her voice light up whenever she talks about him.  I also gained a brother in Brian.  We absolutely love every minute that we get to spend with him.  Brian brings so much laughter to any situation and shows us that you can be serious while still being incredibly laid back.  So today I am thankful for the incredible gift of a second set of parents. 

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Twenty-Two

My Daddy

Doing the Chicken Dance at my Wedding

This day I am thankful for my Daddy.  Daddy is a good man and is usually up for almost anything.  He is fun to be around and I love it when we are together.  When he moved to North Carolina it was a hard transition because I was so used to seeing him all the time.  However, through the years we have grown closer despite the distance.  He is always excited to hear about what's going on with Grayson and to see pictures of our growing bundle.  Daddy and I have a lot of fun together and love to do different things (hence the chicken dance at my wedding!)  As the years have trudged on Daddy has grown softer there is now a gentle side that I love about him.  I definitely miss him constantly and wish we lived closer but for now I will just be thankful for the times we do get to spend together.  But if you ever run into him remember to have a fire extinguisher nearby!

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Twenty-One

Phew!  Thanksgiving week was very busy so now to catch up!

My Extended Family

My extended family isn't all together large - we aren't a small group, but we aren't huge either.  However, despite our small size we are very spread out.  While this makes it challenging to see each other, we always make an effort to get together and for that I am very thankful.  We always have a good time together and truly appreciate our limited time. 

This year my Aunt Tricia and Uncle David were able to come to our house for Thanksgiving.  We had a great time sharing Grayson's first Thanksgiving.  We played a lot of hands of Balderdash. It was a great time.  The David's friend our Thanksgiving turkey.  It was great seeing them work through the challenges of a giant bird in a pot, and it was especially nice to not watch my house burn down!

When I married David, I also married his extended family.  They all live "over the pond" but I love them all.  They are so much fun.  I honestly don't know that I have ever laughed as hard as I do when I am with Auntie Jean. (By the way Heath says hi) And Katie trying to teach me to somersault is one of the greatest memories of my trip to England.  It's amazing when you can say you love your in-laws but when you can honestly say that you treasure each and everyone of your husband's family it truly is a gift from God. 

I am thankful for all of my extended family and what each of them to means to me.  I can't wait to see everyone again.

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Twenty

My Step Family

When my parents divorced I didn't know who would be coming into our lives but in the end I got a new family.  I do treasure the time I get to spend with my stepsister and her family and my stepmother.  They have given me experiences I would not have had if they weren't there and for that I am very grateful.  My neices have expanded my heart and provided hours of laughter.  I am very grateful for this group of family and am excited about our futures together. 

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Nineteen

My Little Brother, Alex

Today I am thankful for my little brother, Alex.  We have not always been close but we are definitely working to close that gap.  Having our children so close together is giving us a common ground in our path.  I pray that we continue to grow closer and share in our life experiences.  I hope that our children grow up together and learn to call each other friends.  So today I am thankful for my little brother, his son, and his beautiful fiancee.

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Eighteen

My Rapist

This is not a part of my life that I talk much about so writing about it is hard, but it is a very important part of my life and one that has made me who I am. My senior year of high school I dated a guy who sexually assaulted me on multiple occasions. I have had many years to think back on this time in my life, to be haunted by it, and most importantly to move past it. Saying that I am thankful for the man who stole so much might seem odd to a lot of people, but I can say now 11 years later that I very thankful for him. He taught me an incredible amount about myself and about life. The assaults finally ended when I realized that I deserved more and took back control. I finally stood up for myself. I put all of my self doubt over looks, my weight, my fear of sounding dumb, and decided that I was worth more than the situation I was in. From that moment he was no longer in my life (and may still be suffering from the bruises I left trying to get away!). That was one of the first things I ever did that was purely for my benefit and at the expense of someone else. Over the years since then I have slowly gained a confidence that I cherish. I definitely still struggle with self confidence but there is a difference and a base confidence that was never there before.



There is one other thing I have learned from that situation; the gift of forgiveness. Forgiveness is a very hard thing for a lot of people, and when the thing you have to forgive is something as real and painful as this, it is very difficult. In fact some women and men are never able to forgive. But through the forgiveness I had for him and for others who used this situation for their own amusement, I have gained a peace that can not be taken away. I believe that there is a huge difference between forgiveness and forgetting and I don’t ascribe to forgetting. If I forgot I could easily end up in that situation again, and I wouldn’t feel the peace I feel today. Without forgetting I have moved on and I have become a strong person and a woman who can stand up for herself in any situation.


The other blessing in this situation is that I had a daddy who chose to insist that all men were not that way and who pressed me to continue to trust other men. David fit that bill. He has worked with me and cried with me through all the times this has come to haunt me. I still have occasional flash backs to those days and there are times that I have mistaken other men as him. When this happens David is there to comfort me and remind me that he is not that person. But he also will stay away when the fear is hard to escape. And in those times the rage can still come back and can only be tamed by someone who truly loves me and wants to help me through them. David is that person. However I can always do a little soul searching and reforgive. That is the other thing I have learned, forgiveness is a process.


I do not understand why people do these things, and when I think of something like this happening to Grayson I get sick to my stomach. I have heard that people do these things for control, personally I think that’s complete bularky. But it is not my job to judge them and not my job to find revenge. However it is my job to forgive them and learn from their actions in a way that will positively impact my life and the lives of those around me. So today a week from Thanksgiving I am thankful for the man who raped me, for the lessons I have learned, and for the person it has made me.

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Seventeen

First Presbyterian Church of DuPage

When we decided to find a church in our area, we started out by going to the local Episcopalian and Baptist churches.  See, David grew up Episcopalian and I grew up Southern Baptist, which are two completely opposite takes on worship.  Neither one of us was comfortable in the other's church and this stalled our searched for a number of years.  Finally I felt desperate to get back into church and we started searching in earnest.  We decided to attend FPCD on a whim and then we went back at Christmas.  After those two visits, we had decided that was where we belonged.  It was a great middle ground between our two faiths and provided many opportunities for spiritual growth.  Since that time we have joined the church and I have become an Elder.  It has been a very humbling experience to see all the good things the church does.  I am incredibly thankful to have such an active place to call my church home. 

I am also thankful beyond words for our Pastor, Mark.  Pastor Mark brings such a real passion to the church and most importantly a compassion for people I have never seen in another Pastor.  He can talk on nearly any subject in very theological terms and then easily break it down for those of us who aren't as well equipped as him.  When Grayson was born and staying in the NICU (what a horrible horrible time and I still feel panic every time I think of those horrific few days) I called Pastor Mark and let him know what was going on.  He immediately put Grayson on the church prayer request list.  The next day he came to the hospital to be with us and to pray over Grayson.  I'm not sure what he said since David escorted him to NICU but I know it was beautiful.  I am forever grateful that he came and was there to bring God's grace to Grayson.  Thank you Pastor Mark. 

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Sixteen

Our Home

In the master bathtub while we were looking at the house

Tucked safely behind my favorite tree is our home.  While it's not fancy, to us it is a beautiful place.  We have put a lot of love and sweat into our home.  We have finished the basement, replaced the siding and shutters, painted, done a lot of yardwork, and currently we are working on replacing the banisters on the stairs.  But most importantly we have created many many many wonderful memories here.  This house has been a wonderful place to build our lives together.  When we do envitably leave this house for a different one (hopefully somewhere much farther south) it will be a very sad thing.  This is the house we were in when we got married, we learned how to be pet parents, and ultimately brought our son home to.  I love that over time we have made our house into our home.  I love constantly trying to make an even better home for us.  My hope is that this house and any house we live in is a place where our family and friends feel safe, welcome and at home and free to be themselves.   

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Thirteen

Sorry day thirteen got out of order - but then it is thirteen!

Hand-Me-Downs

Grayson playing in clothes and with toys from Jonah and Papa

Sometimes not being the first to have a baby pays off! Our little Jonah is six weeks older than Grayson and, as such, grows out of clothes just in time to pass them off to Grayson. Another woman in my office, Lynn, had a baby born about the same time as Jonah and, there again, grows out of clothes just in time for Grayson to grow into them. I feel so blessed that both Kalen and Lynn make it a priority to send their gently used clothes to us. I am always excited to see the clothes and to be able to make seriously cute outfits for Grayson without ever having paid for them. I will definitely live this up until Grayson is old enough to desire picking out his own clothes,which I completely understand and will indulge. For now though Grayson is simply happy to rock his hand-me-downs and for that I am very thankful.

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Fifteen

Safe Flights

David and I looking frazzled from our long flight as we landed in England (hence the shaky picture!)

I travel a lot for work and that means a lot of airplanes and car trips. While I have never been keen to die, since Grayson's arrival traveling makes me much more nervous.  I have always said a little prayer for God to take care of my family should something happen, but now I realize how much Grayson having a loving caring mom means to me - whether that person is me or not.  I know that God would choose a woman for David to marry that would love Grayson as I do and would raise him to be a good person and that reassurance is humbling.  However, I am truly thankful for every safe take-off and landing and every time I pull into my destination because I know that each day with my family is a precious day.  Thank you to all the pilots and people who strive to make our airways and highways safe. 

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Fourteen

Breakfast in Bed

Sunday morning, David went downstairs to let George out.  When he came back upstairs he surprised me with breakfast in bed!  We have never had breakfast in bed so it was a total shock and super sweet.  It was a very fun way to spend the morning.  David, Grayson, George, Charlie, and I were all piled in the bed laughing and playing.  It was so much fun and a very special treat.  We have been so busy lately with home improvement projects and trying to dig out from under the clutter that we haven't had much fun but this weekend we turned the tables.  We still did a ton of work but Friday night we went out for pizza.  Saturday we were able to attend the Bolingbrook tree lighting festival and Sunday we had our breakfast in bed fun day.  It was a blast and a great way to relieve stress.  I can't wait to share even more beautiful moments with my family and for these special times I am eternally grateful.

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Twelve

Middle of the Night Feedings

I admit that I am just starting to really appreciate my time with Grayson at either 2 or 4am.  With me not seeing Grayson during the day and time in the evenings so short, these precious moments during the night have started to mean so much to me.  He is so cuddly and sleepy; it just melts my heart.  These feedings don't take long.  They give me a chance to cuddle with him.  And he is always in a good mood!  He was starting to sleep through the night before I came back to work and I was so thankful for that.  But as soon as I started back, he reverted to waking up.  I was not a happy camper about it.  But now I am definitely seeing the benefits of those special times.  And so today I am remembering hugging and praying for sweet dreams over my little guy last night and anticipating being in those moments again tonight. 

Read more...

Sleeping Handsomes

 

This is what I walked into the other night.  Sometimes being up in the middle of the night has its precious moments!

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Eleven

Stolen Moments and Flexible Work Schedules

Wow, as I am doing this project, I am realizing just how much I value about my job!  Today I am very thankful for the flexible work schedule that I have.  I have caught a cold and obviously needed sleep this morning since I woke up and hour and half late!  I literally woke up 7 minutes before I should have been leaving.  There was no way I was going to be able to get out the door on time, so I decided to text my boss tell him I would be late and to take advantage of the situation and take over "Daddy Duties" this morning.  David dresses Grayson and takes him to and picks him up from "school" every day.  But today I decided to handle it.  I loved the intimate moments with Grayson and am so thankful that I was able to have them.  The pictures above were taken during these stolen moments.  What allowed all of this are the facts that 1) I have the most awesome boss in the world and 2) Pepsi has a huge committment to Work Life Balance.  I made it to work a full hour after I was supposed to be here and it was fine.  Nobody said a word.  I am so thankful for that blessing.  I definitely try not to take advantage and with my travel schedule I make up the time.  But I am eternally grateful that I can take the precious moments when they present themselves and do it with a happy heart. 

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Ten

The Ability to Exercise

I hate running. I don't even know that the word hate can accurately describe my feelings for running.  Add to the mix running on a treadmill and my hate level skyrockets.  However, I really do enjoy working out in just about any other way possible.  I love to walk on a treadmill.  I absolutely adore times in a Jazzercise class.  And I am always game to try other forms of working out.  Although I have come to terms with the fact that my tendons and muscles were not designed for yoga and pilates. 

The people who read this blog who knew me in highschool and college, know I was not exactly skinny.  But through careful diet and a lot of exercise I did lose 80 pounds.  Of course now with the baby weight I have to lose pounds again.  This time though I have a lot more realistic approach to the weight loss and realize that whatever happens, happens.  Because no matter what my tummy and thighs look like, that beautiful little baby and my wonderful husband still love me. 

I have found exercise buddies in Ruth and Shannon, two coworkers.  We have joined a fitness challenge here at the office and are "Racing to the New Year."  The goals are 100 miles on a treadmill, 350 miles on the bike, 200 flights of stairs, 15,000 meters on the rower, and 10,000 jumps with the jump rope.  I have realized that the treadmill and the bike will be the hardest goals to acheive as they simply take the longest time.  Ruth and I have worked out twice this week and have already made good progress on our goals.  I am super thankful for the ability to move my body like this as a lot of people do not have such abilities.  I am thankful that I work in a environment where exercise is encouraged and we can take the time we need to head up to our well equiped gym.  (Working for Gatorade does have its advantages!)

So, for Day 10, here's to losing those baby pounds and loving a healthier lifestyle!

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Nine

Today I have so many things to be thankful for and I can't pick just one so I am going to write about three! 

Three Month Birthdays!

It's been exactly three months since Grayson has blessed our household.  The last three months have been full of tears, joy, fear and excitement.  I am continually amazed at this little life that we have made.  I realize just how incredibly lucky we were in getting pregnant, having a successful pregnancy, and then having a healthy baby.  This amazing time in our lives has taught me two things: 1) It is a miracle, in itself, to see how God granted a miracle when I finally stopped asking and excepted His plan and 2) If I ever decide to plan out my life, God is going to change that plan in a heartbeat!  Grayson has shown me things I never knew I couldn't see and opened my heart when I didn't know it was closed.  I love that little man and I can't wait to see him grow and change for the rest of my days.  So today I am grateful for the life that we were able to give and for the lessons God has already taught me and will continue to teach me through that little bundle of joy. 

Tonight I think we will have cupcakes to celebrate this milestone - or maybe just a quarter of a cake!

New Recipes

We have a motto in our house "there is always Chinese," well except for Monday's when they're closed, but I digress.  We developed this motto after a particularly bad cooking episode where I was trying to cook a meatloaf and mixed the sugar into the meat instead of the topping.  So we ended up with a pound of candied meat.  Naturally, after about two bites we opted for chinese food!

But with this motto in mind, we like to try new recipes.  David really likes to cook and is definitely the lead recipe hunter.  Generally, I prepare the more complicated meals, but then, honestly, the most complicated thing I have cooked recently is a casserole (which we all know doesn't take an Iron Chef)!  However, David does pick out some doosies to try and when they work, which they generally do, they become "his" meals.  Seriously there is one that I couldn't prepare if my life depended on it, because he does every last step of it and always has. 

Well yesterday he picked out a pasta dish that had red peppers and sweet potatoes shredded into it.  It also used goat cheese.  I loved the meal (minus the goat cheese) so it is definitely a keeper but with a different cheese!  However what I loved most was the care and thoughtfulness he showed in searching it out, buying the ingredients, and then chopping and chopping and more chopping in order to present a beautiful meal to me.  I really appreciate all of his efforts to go out of his way to make me happy.  Thank you!

Healthy Weight Checks

Everyone says my little sweetie is big.  "Oh he's so big!" Maybe it's because he has a large head, yay for big brains!, but everyone thinks he is large.  However, the truth of the matter, he is a little guy.  He is currently (as of yesterday), 12 pounds and 1 ounce.  This puts him somewhere around the 15th percentile.  In fact two weeks ago, I took him to the doctor and he had lost weight.  David took his to the doctor yesterday for an official weight check and he had gained around 6 ounces in the two week interval!  Not very much but at least in the correct direction.  Now, heaven knows, he did not get low weight and unexpected weight loss from me!, but I am glad that he is not a huge baby as that can lead to other problems later on.  I love that he is small but continuing to grow.  We don't have to take him again until he reaches 4 months and so for now I just have the knowledge that he is growing, if on his own scale, to be thankful for.

I don't have the best pictures with me so I will upload them soon!

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Eight

The Metra Train

Most days I ride the BNSF Metra train to work, leaving from Naperville and arriving at Chicago Union Station.  I value the time on the train because it allows me a chance to decompress from the day or a little snooze on the way in to work.  Although there are definitely days when I don't enjoy riding it, like when its freezing outside!, it has provided me so much benefit.  With the snow coming soon, I am definitely thankful that it provides me a safe and consistent passage to work without having to be on the interstates.  Thank you Metra!

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Seven

Village of Bolingbrook

We live in the suburb of Bolingbrook, which is a wonderful medium sized town.  We have incredible services and the town is kept very pretty.  Our taxes are incredibly high but it is amazing what we get for them.  Most every part of the town is connected via sidewalks, the trash and recycling are collected weekly, the main streets are routinely plowed, and we have a community center with a water park.  There is so much going on here and we have just about every store you can think of.  It really is a wonderful place to live and I am constantly thankful for the safe, clean, and happy environment that we were able to bring our child home to.  Now if only we could move it several hundred miles south!

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Six

Edward Cradle Talk

Grayson was born at Edward Hospital in Naperville, IL.  We love Edward.  One of the offerings that Edward hosts is a support group for new moms, Cradle Talk.  Cradle Talk has two groups, 0-3 months and 3-6 months, and they meet weekly.  Once I had clearance to drive Cradle Talk was one of the first places we went.  I loved it.  It was an incredible experience to be in a room with 30-40 other people who were going through the exact same things I was going through at exactly the same time.  I was going through horrible baby blues and had no idea if I was doing anything even remotely correctly.  But through the Cradle Talk groups, I learned that everything I was experiencing was completely normal.  Every horrible feeling I had was being felt by every other mom in that room.  I was able to use that knowledge to move past those moments and into the deliriously happy moments of motherhood.   I have learned that life with an infant is very difficult for everyone! but it is also a joy like none other.  I wish these moments for anyone who wants to be a parent.  I have also met some wonderful people through the group, and I pray that we continue to be friends.  While I can't go to the group anymore because of work, the fondness I feel for Cradle Talk remains and for that I am thankful.

Read more...

Poem

My Aunt Tricia sent me this poem soon after I had Grayson.  It is a beautiful poem and I loved it.  I thought I would share:

And he who gives a child a treat

Makes joy-bells ring in Heaven's street,

And he who gives a child a home

Builds palaces in Kingdom come,

And she who gives a baby birth

Brings Saviour Christ again to Earth.

John Masefield (1878 - 1967)

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day Five

Our Tree

Fall 2009

Today I am thankful for the tree in our front yard.  I am sure that is a random thing to be thankful for but I love that tree.  It is the first thing I see when I pull up, and its when I know I am home.  I love to watch the tree.  It is always evolving and changing yet it is the picture of consistency.  It is always there to greet us and to stand between us and the road.  It is a beautiful tree. 

Last fall while working from home, I saw a grandmother walking with her grandson.  When they got to our house, they stopped to look at and admire the tree.  And then the grandmother did something that quite shocked me, she stopped and put the child in the fall colored tree and did a whole little photo shoot.  The child was posing and smiling so big.  The grandmother was loving it.  I thought it was precious, and I still feel so proud that our tree was able to be the stage for that Norman Rockwell moment.  I hope that they always remember the special moment they shared at the tree; I know I will and for that I am thankful.   

Fall 2010

Read more...

25 Days of Thanks - Day One, Two, Three and Four

I have decided to take on Heather Lowery's challenge of blogging about something you are thankful for everyday leading up to Thanksgiving.  I love this as it is forcing me to think about the blessings in my life and what they mean to me.  I have quite a list of things to blog about and pray that more things will come into my mind.  Since it's already November 4th I am going to catch up with one post about 4 topics.  I invite everyone to join me on this venture and come up with something you are thankful for everyday!

Day One - Pepsi and Caterpillar

 

We both came into our jobs in different ways.  David's was fairly direct and mine was definitely circular and worked into.  However, we have both ended up in jobs that we excel at (I always was good at being bossy!).  Of course there are days that we don't love our jobs and there are even more days that we don't like each other's job, but overall they are wonderful.  They provide us a life that is beyond my wildest dreams and I am thankful everyday for that.  I see people who are struggling to find jobs and opportunity and I am reminded again how wonderful we have it.  I am thankful for blessed talents that we both have and the possibilities they allow us.

Day Two - Moving Away

When accepting his job with Caterpillar it also meant us accepting a transfer to the Chicago area.  Now anyone who knows me knows that I do not like Chicago nor being so far away.  But the soul-searching introspective part of me (this is the part that doesn't usually come out in my loud boisterous manner) knows that the move away from friends and family was the best thing that could have happened for David and I.  We were forced to rely on ourselves and turn to God alone when things were bad.  We have faced incredible goodness and incredible difficulties in our time in Chicagoland, and while we were able to do with phone calls back home, and visits from family and friends, mostly we got through it all alone.   We learned to trust each other with everything including our deepest secrets, our most true selves, and, as it turned out, our lives.  We have learned to fight and learned to make up, we have learned to love unyieldingly and unconditionally, since we literally had nowhere to go when things got tough.  One time we broke up (okay moms - breathe- it was for about an hour) and I gave back my ring and started to pack.  As I was packing my stuff, I realized I honestly had nowhere to go. I have never been in that position before.   And we realized this is real life and we are stuck.  Through everything we are together because we have to be.  We are an incredibly strong, close, loving, and respectful couple because we had to be.  I won't see we learned easily, but we learned.  I truly believe that moving to Chicago was God's plan for us and His way to teach us what all we needed before we tied the knot and for that I am eternally grateful.  We have had an incredible time here and now I just wish I could go back home!

Day Three - Dr. Clark

                                                      

February 26, 2009 I had heart surgery.  This was a minor heart surgery as heart surgeries go and I am fine now.  My cardiologist is Dr. Stanley Clark of the Midwest Heart Specialists.  This man took a seemingly fit and healthy 28 year old and explained how her own lungs were killing her.  He was brutally honest telling me I was going to die by 40.  But he also gave me hope that he could fix the problem.  Even when it turned out the problem was worse than we had first thought the team was able to find a solution that worked without open heart surgery.  Because of him, David and I faced a harsh reality head on and I will see my children grow up.  Since my surgery, I have had a life I didn't know I was missing.  I can run and swim and breathe better than I ever could and I never even knew I had a problem.  Dr. Clark continues to personally know my case and my life story.  He took so much interest in my case even remembering anecdotes about my family.  He is an amazing physician and I thank God continually for his blessing on Dr. Clark and the talents He gave him.

Day Four - My Mom

My mother is a saint - well would be if only we were Catholic.  I love my mom and we are incredibly close.  I can say without a single doubt that we are friends instead of mother/daughter.  We have a bond that goes beyond miles and that leaves others jealous.  I talk to her nearly every day and continually think "oh I need to tell her ..." I am so grateful to have such a tight relationship with her.  I usually don't even have to talk for her to hear me.  She listens when I don't say anything or when I do.  She has been here for the worst and the best moments of my life.  I love you, Momma.  You are an amazing woman and I am incredibly blessed to have you in my life. 

Read more...

More October Pictures

Some more October pictures!



On the hotel bed on our way to GA.  We put the pillows all around him and David said it looked like it was some kind of sacrifice!



Two month footprints

I've got my eye on you



Read more...

Pumpkin Month!

We had a great October.  We started the month off with a drive back home.  We got to see most of our family and friends.  Nana hosted a shower so everyone could meet Grayson and we had a wonderful time.  Grayson did wonderfully on the trip - he really loves his carseat! We also got to see Auntie Jean who came over from England!  It was nice to see her and we are hoping for a trip to England next year (hint hint Susan and/or Helen!)  We had fun at the Big Canoe Octoberfest.  We were able to get a photograph of one of the waterfalls at Big Canoe from a local photographer.  It is beautiful and now we just need to get it framed!

However, the highlight of the trip was meeting Jonah!  He is precious!!!!


We came back and got right into the swing of life. I continued to go walking with a mom that I have recently met, David went back to work, and we continued to take Grayson to music class on Saturdays.  He is really getting into it now and stays awake for the whole class!.  But I quickly had to start thinking about and planning for my return to work.  As much as I am dreading life as a working mom, I am also incredibly thankful that I have a job and am constantly reminded of many people who would kill to be in my position.  We have an incredible daycare Creme de la Creme.  It is a beautiful place and the teachers are wonderful.  I really hope that Grayson will have fun and make friends there.  I am excited for the wonderful education that they provide and I am very excited for him to learn social skills from a young age. 


Just to make things a little more challenging we decided to repaint the kitchen and powder room.  Man, home improvement is a lot harder with an infant around!  But it looks so much better.  The house is still not completely put back together but it will be soon.  We also had a first attempt at fixing the stair to the front porch.  It defintiely still needs work, but that will wait until spring!  At least we can get in the front door without climbing gear!


Lastly we finished off with Halloween!!  Halloween is my favorite holiday.  I love the excitement on the kids faces and it is so true what Pastor Mark said in his sermon: Halloween is about getting out and seeing the neighbors and showing hospitality to them.  These are things we should be doing everyday but, let's be honest, we don't.  But it's great to have a day completely dedicated to showing neighborly love. 


Below are some pictures from the last month. 

We have many more pictures to post but I don't access to them right now so I will do a second post later!!!

Read more...