The ABC's of Thanksgiving

Just some of the things I am THANKFUL for big and small.



Airplanes- They allow for a quicker trip home to see my family that I miss dearly.

Boys- Brian and Jackson bring happiness and joy to my life daily.

Chick-fil-a- Great sandwiches, waffle fries, and makes dinner time so much easier.

Difficult times- They increase my relationship with Jesus and draw me closer to him.

Elliptical machines- My favorite workout machine.

Family and friends- Where would we be without them?

God's grace, forgiveness, and love- I need all of these on a daily basic.

Home- I thankful we have a safe home to live in and raise our family in.

Internet- I can easily keep up with with loved ones far away.

Jackson- He just makes my heart happy.

Kisses- The chocolate and non-chocolate ones.

Laughter- Especially Jackson's

My job- I love what I do and pray I am making a difference.

Naps- Jackson is in such a good mood when he wakes up from one.

Oatmeal- It is my staple for lunch each day and lowers cholesterol.

Pilates- Strengthens my muscles without bulk (according to Denise Austin's DVD).

Quiet time- Time alone with God, I wish I made more time in a day for this one.

Rest and relaxation- AKA vacation from school, extra time with the ones I love!

Sonic's Diet Coke with Vanilla- I think it may me heaven in a cup:)

Target- I love their clearance racks!

Uninterrupted sleep- I take what I can get and Brian is awesome at getting up for me sometimes

Verses- I love scripture, how it speaks to my heart, and encourages at just the right time.

Winter in Houston- No shoveling, scrapping ice off my windows, or temperatures below 32.

X-rays- They allow Brian to have a job and provide for us.

Yams- An easy to prepare and healthy food that Jackson loves to eat.

Zero health problems- Jackson and I have been relatively healthy, and are thankful for good health insurance for Brian.

What are you thankful for?

Party Animal

This weekend Jackson attended his first birthday party. His friend Cadence turned ONE!

Jackson excited to be at the party!

Jackson and the Birthday girl. Isn't she adorable? It is hard to get a picture of two moving babies.

Jackson and Cadence are so cute together. Jackson wanted to be able to walk like her so bad. He would just watch her and take it all in. He also likes to pull her hair and try and bite her fingers. I can't wait till they can run around together.

Not sure what his problem is, but Cadence is happy. I was surprised he kept the hat on.

I have less than 4 months to get ready for Jackson's first birthday! I am excited to start planning for it and can only imagine what he will do with his cake:)

A Special Birthday Message

Happy Birthday Grandma! I can't wait to come home and read to you. I wish I could have some cake with you.

We love you!

Purplicious

The girls in my class love the books Pinkalicious and Purplicious by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann.

Lately I too have had a fetish with purple.



I have bought:

- some purple flats with jewels-- an instant pop of color to any outfit,

- a purple scraf-- again an accent to my outift,


- a dark purple wrap dress with 3/4 quarter rolled sleeves (very cute:),

-this purple turtleneck lightweight sweater (pictured below) and another chunky fun shortsleeved sweater,


-I thought of buying a purple leather purse and I am painting my workout room a shade of purple.

Purple is the new black, right? :)

Goodbye...Hello

Goodbye little bathtub, Hello Big Rubber Ducky!

Now bathtime is even more fun, although Jackson is not quite sure about the noises he makes.

(Thanks Stacy, he loved it!)

Goodbye infant carseat, hello stage 2 carseat!

Jackson has hit the weight limit for the infant carseat. It is nice not hauling the carseat around however when he falls alseep in his new one it is harder to transfer him to the house without waking up.

Goodbye staying in one place, hello crawling!

Jackson has been rolling all over the place, but hasn't really gone anywhere on his belly. Today he has done it a couple of times. He doesn't quite get up on all fours and he only uses his right leg to push himself.

Goodbye wonderful weekend of fun and relaxation, hello work week!

Torn Emotions

I LOVE to bake cookies, pies, bars and cook dinner, but

I DESPISE cleaning up the mess.

I LOVE how much Jackson is learning and growing, but

I CAN'T BELIEVE how fast the time goes by.

I LOVE teaching 1st grade, but

I DISLIKE that there is always something I "could/should" be doing at home for school.

Jackson LOVES playing, smiling, and laughing, but

RESENTS his afternoon nap!

We LOVE taking walks outside, but

LOATHE the mosquitoes and think they should go away!

I LOVE reading but,

I am DISAPPOINTED that I have very little time to indulge in this pleasure.

I LOVE my boys and

There is NO if's, and's, or but's about that!

Getting Over Myself

Lately I have been beating myself up over not keeping the house clean enough, making dinner every night, putting laundry away, etc. I have wasted a bunch of my time wishing I was able to stay home with Jackson. But, you know what I am over it now.

I have decided to bask in the glory of God and claim his promises on my life. He tells us to "rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven." (Matthew 5:12) I have nothing to "pout" about. God has given me a great life here and an even better one to look forward to. He has poured out blessing abundantly on my life and I don't want to miss any of them or not enjoy them to the fullest because I am wishing for something else.

* * *

Jackson Oliver- you bring a smile to face and melt my heart when I see you and especially when you smile or gigfle at me.

I don't want to miss any time with you because I am worried about "the dishes" they will still be there tomorrow.

Thank you for teaching me to be self-less and love more!

Brian- Thank you for trying to teach me to enjoy ALL of life and not be so hard on myself. Thank you for spoiling me and making me feel loved to the core. Thank you for praying with me and for me. You make my heart oh-so happy!

Lord, Thank you for using my family to minister to me. My prayer is the same as David's in Psalm 51, please "create in me a pure and clean heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."