Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful.....

...thankful to live in a home where dogs wear cowboy hats...

(although somewhat unwillingly;)

....I'm thankful for a little girl who takes mothering seriously...

...bossing the animals, brothers, and dollies as any good little mother would...

...sharing her food with man and beast and doll alike...

...and giving them lots of love, too.

(isn't that what good mothering is all about... protecting, nurturing, and loving?)

...I'm thankful for a VERY creative little boy...

...who spends hours a day cutting, gluing, coloring, painting, stamping, and more cutting...

...and like any highly creative spirit... leaves a HUGE mess in his wake...

...I'm thankful for big boys who find pleasure in helping (most days)...

(either that or motivation for getting time on the Wii;)

...but usually, they love to have a job to do, especially helping Dad...

...even if it means going out in the cold, cold, cold....

...and last but not least...

...I'm thankful for big boys that take protecting their little sister seriously....can't you tell?

(at first I was about to scold them until I saw what a tight grip Reid had on Nona...he's a warrior worrier like his Momma)

And there you have it.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful....

Are you thankful today?
Are you?

I am .....
I am thankful for this muddy little boy even though he makes lots of laundry for me...

I am thankful for these two boys who like to have their summer mohawks spiked...
and love to laugh....
and love to sneakily accentuate their muscles....
(I wonder who taught them that one?)

I'm thankful for this little girl turned fashionista in rubber boots....
who loves the mud as much as her brothers....
the white shirt is now fashionably spotted...

Yes.... I'm even thankful that we live in the country with lots of mud...
muddy boys with fun summer memories...
like chasing Mom and throwing mudballs.... RUN!!!!

But most of all, I'm thankful for this man...
who works so hard...
who loves all his children...
and his crazy wife and all her harebrained ideas.

I hope you have many things to be thankful for today.....
this makes me think of the children's worship song....
"Count your many blessings, name them one by one....see what God hath done."

Thankful.....

Today I'm feeling thankful.....

.... thankful for T-ball...
....thankful for the eagerness and anticipation that I see in the eyes of my boys as each game approaches...
....thankful for this big slugger, he can really knock the ball a good one....

....thankful for this little slugger who makes up for his littleness with hustle...
....thankful that these boys have such a great coaching team that takes the time to make each child feel like they are the "bestest" (as Wyatt says)...
....thankful that T-ball is more about everyone getting a turn and less about the number of outs...

....thankful for the discipline and sharing that my boys are learning...
....thankful for the friends they get to hang out with, friends they may have for a lifetime...

....thankful for the time spent in the great outdoors...

....thankful for my boys.

What do you have to be thankful for today?

Thankful......

Today I am feeling thankful.....
maybe it's because the weather is starting to look a little like spring....
maybe it's because yesterday was a wonderful day.....
maybe it's because I'm just high on life today....

Today I am thankful for this boy-becoming-man who is changing everyday--- who loves school, loves his friends, and loves his Mom (but just this morning told her that hugs were OK, but kisses not so much......) Sometimes I look at my first born and think..... weren't you just the little babe in my arms? ...... the little babe that broke this mother into motherhood? ...... the little babe that was so serious I thought you would never smile? Well, young man, I have some news for you -- I am still going to steal kisses from you.... like it or not (but I won't do it in front of your friends).

Today I'm thankful for this little girl and her love for life..... her smiles, her hugs, her dances and jives, her fly-away bed-head-hair, her love for animals, her love for her Daddy, and her effervescence. A little girl that pronounces "apple" and "drink of water" with such good diction that it would make Henry Higgins proud. (BTW apple means anything foodwise) She makes me happy everyday because she is so happy everyday..... she is my ray of sunshine.

Today I'm thankful for this little boy..... my cuddly little boy whose head is full of dreams and stories.... my little boy that plays for hours by himself, talking to and re-arranging his tractors and animals.... my little boy with the curly head (who needs a haircut!) -- I LOVE your curls, I love your quiet ways (you remind me of your Daddy), I love to watch you dance (you and Nona together dancing -- I could watch you all day).

Today I am thankful for this big boy --- the caretaker, the tenderhearted, the sensitive one. You take notice of the little things in life -- ant hills, tiny sprouting garbanzos, little spiders, discarded Robin eggshells. (you get that from your Mother, I am afraid). You follow me around with your little camera, snapping away at the things I am taking pictures of. You will be heading to Kindergarten next fall..... and that makes me sad..... because right now you are mine..... your heart is still here at home..... but next year your whole world will change and your heart will be split between home and all your new friends (much like your big brother is right now). But I will be happy for you because I know how much you will love Kindergarten.

And last, but not least, I am thankful for my Man -- who encourages me daily to follow my dreams..... who enables me to pursue my love of photography..... and my love of sewing pretty things..... You complete me.... You are my better half.

(Note: all photos today were taken with {my macro lens} -- as you can see it does really well at non-macro things as well. And, just for you Ms. B. all photos are only cropped and sharpened --no other editing ;)

All My Praise....

I really need a Thankful Thursday today.

I have too many things on my plate that need finishing these next couple of weeks and I am feeling overwhelmed and understaffed, overfed and underexercised -- tons of tax paperwork, several sewing projects looming, a kitchen oven on the blitz, sickness going around the fam, home reno projects....... why do things come all together like that?

When I feel this way, I try to remember all the things I have to be thankful for. Blogging has helped me focus on being thankful--forced me to write things down, and then been there for me to read again when I am feeling low.

So what am I thankful for today?

1. A gas stovetop that works without electricity (the control board on our range is toast -- literally -- crispy toast).
2. A little boy that told me (as I was wiping his bottom), "I love you, Mom. You're my friend." What a compliment!
3. A man that surprised me by making our bed and leaving me a note under my coffee -- both of which I found after he left for work this morning.
4. A little girl that loves to smile (esp at herself in the mirror--that cracks me up every time)
   
5. Brothers that actually get along and play cooperatively more often than not -- for this I am very thankful.
6. Little feet and toes -- aren't they beautiful?
7. A contractor that doesn't mind (too much) when I change my mind mid-project.
8. Flower beds blooming -- daffys, hyacinths, violets, forsythia.
   
9. Chocolate (even though I have pledged myself to imbibe sparingly)
   
10. And last but not least -- YOU!!! my blogging friends. Thankful for you.
    

But, because of my many commitments over the next few weeks (and because of spring break next week) my blogging will be a little hit and miss. There will be days I simply won't have time to post......and who knows? Maybe I'll like it that way. I might not go back to every day posting.....or..... maybe I'll miss it so much, I'll hop right back in when things settle down a bit. It's not that I have run out of things to say -- hardly! I just have too much to do right now and something's gotta give (I love the house in that movie) -- and that something is blogging right now.

This song has been running through my head a lot the past couple of days as I have felt the pressure building. And although I am not going through the valley of the shadow of death.....I still need to remember that all my praise goes to Him.
He is the sustainer of me.....thankfully.

For Each New Morning....

Today I am feeling thankful. I don't know why I have such a thankful heart -- because the tax preparation olympics have begun, and as I experience the agony of defeat against the blasted accounting program, I am usually in a notably foul mood.
For this heart of thankfulness -- I am thankful.

Thankful for this old dog of mine, who may be experiencing some of her last days on this earth. Dear Maggie, keep fighting -- spring is coming -- your favorite time of the year.

Thankful for Reid who is growing into such a sensitive and kind big brother -- you are a wonderful helper and son. Thankful for Walter, my little monkey, who just happens to LOVE bananas and who just happens to tell me on an almost hourly basis,
"I wuv you, Mom."

I am thankful for the sun coming up earlier in the morning
-- it makes such a difference in my morning mood and energy.

Thankful for Wyatt who has an especially compassionate heart for his little sister. He is always scheming up ways to make life lively and fun (and he also just happens to be so ready for kindergarten-- I am proud of you!)

Thankful for this little girl who loves to talk on the phone (already!) and loves to pomade her hair with syrup. Syrup does a great job of defining curls or matting curls depending on the moment.

Thankful for this black cat who likes to sit in the kitchen window and bask in the sun as he longingly looks inside (sorry Grizz but I cannot abide cat spray in the house)

Thankful for a husband, father, hard-working man that loves his children (young and old-er) -- and loves his wife even when she is in a foultaxpreparationmood.

And last, but definitely not least -- my Winter Jasmine that is just beginning to bloom.
A real treat this time of year.

It really helps me to think of the many things for which I have to be thankful. So, on Thursdays I will be occasionally posting things I am thankful for. This poem about sums it up:

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson