Giving Thanks Day 30 ~ Experiences of Life

Today I am thankful, and truly grateful, for all the experiences of life. ~ Marianne Williamson wrote "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel unsure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Being thankful for this experience, seeing that I have so many things to be thankful for, and so many things I may have overlooked, and even seeing that some painful experiences also helped me to learn and grow has been so rewarding. It's easy to be thankful for the good things. It's easy to think about all the things that bring you joy and happiness, but what about our troubles? How can we turn the stressful, heartache, setbacks in life as a blessing? The sad moments, the ones we don't talk about, the ones that can be overwhelming...these are life experiences that help to shape us and make us who we are. To see so many in pain, with the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, a home...it's hard to give thanks when times are hard. It is sometimes in the most difficult times of our life that we grow. To also be thankful for the "random moments" the "ordinary" moments, the ones that we overlook or never paid as much attention to as we should. My so called not so perfect life, where at first the focus was on the prize, the goal, what will I achieve in life, was transformed into realizing that the little moments along the way the good, and the bad were trials and tests, and allowing me to become. Become what? I am still on the is journey, one where " when we walk to the edge of all the light we have, and we take that step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen... there will be something for us to stand on or we will be taught to fly." At the beginning of this year my family participated in a Pay if Forward, Random Act of Kindness experience. It started off a fun, joyful act of giving to others in hopes that they to would pay it forward and a chain reaction would become a wave of kindness that never ended. It ended up being one that gave so much more than we could have imagined over the 40 days of Lent. And here at the end of the year, participating in the 30 days of Giving Thanks has put things even more into perspective. Discovering that there are so many things to be thankful for, that 30 days is not nearly long enough. In writing about what has touched my life or random things I was thankful for, this simple opportunity to give "Thanks" has taught me so much...reflecting on my life's experiences and reigniting a spark from within. I set out at the beginning of the year in hopes our random acts of kindness could "change the world" and in the end reflecting on what I was thankful for all these moments have changed me. Little did I know that this was the frame work that would help me when life's obstacles were thrown my way. These experiences of this past year came full circle, you can't plan for life's moments, you just get to experience them. Reminds me of a quote from Gilda Radner "I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity." I am grateful to those of you that have been shared in my experiences from this year, and even commented, shared your thoughts or memories and allowed me to let my light shine as I posted these past 30 days of being thankful. This ordinary experience was anything but---it was extraordinary. I look forward to unwrapping this gift of my life, giving thanks for all the blessings, and treasuring all experiences and the extra "ordinary" moments that have passed and are yet to come! ♥

What are you doing with your light?

“Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.”  ― Anne Frank

(turn off the music at the bottom of my blog in order to watch this video)

Giving Thanks Day 29 ~ Those who Reignite the Flame Within Me

Today I am thankful, and truly grateful for those that have lit my flame. Albert Schweitzer wrote "At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” I can look back on my life and think of certain people who have sparked or reignited the flame within me, those that give you back your sight and guide you back to your path when you've become lost. Those individuals that saw potential when I wasn't focused, those that pushed me to go further when I felt I was doing all that I could, those that saw my light and could see my flame was about to go out. My life has been forever enriched by the support that has come from friends, family, teachers, pastors, and even complete strangers. It takes a very special person who realizes when someone is at a vulnerable time in their life that reaches out to help when there are so many out there that would welcome in kicking you when you are down. I couldn't even begin to thank all these people in my life, but today I think of times where my life could have gone in so many different directions. Some have touched my life briefly, yet their words echo on. Some have touched my life many times over the years, each time helping my flame to grow brighter. There have been some that were protectors, whether someone tried to fan the flame, or that could see when my flame was in danger of being snuffed out and shielded my light. When I look back on my life, these are the people who believed in me, made me feel special, or have helped me grow and learn....those are my flame lighters and igniters....people that touch your life in such a way that you are never, ever the same...Those that you will never forget. Maybe they gave you self confidence, a compliment, listened, celebrated your joys, encouraged you, picked you up, eased your pain, turned you around, or joined in locking arms with you as you went along your path. It makes me think about my favorite movie of all time...The Wizard of Oz. How many times in life have we felt like Dorothy....where are life has literally felt displaced and we are somewhere we've never been and lost, just trying to find "home". When along comes some very special people that are on our path that help guide us, or just join us along the way. They may be needing to find their way too. And together you set off on this quest together. They share in your journey along the way, they keep you company, and they keep you on your path. There are dangers along the way, those that set out to keep you from getting there, and sometimes we may not even see them, but our "igniters" are there and they protect us, they fight for us. Sometimes we are locked away and they come in to rescue us. And in the end we also share in protecting them from the very same dangers. These are the special people along our life's path that help us when we need a "brain", or a "heart", or need "courage", and these are the special people that help us find our "home". And once we get to see "The Wizard" (our Faith) we discover that along the way our light has been in us all along, and we recognize that there are those that have made this possible along the way. People that you've felt you've known your whole life, no matter when they joined you along your life's path. People that when they are gone, you long for just one more moment, one more conversation, or wish they never had to go. The part when Dorothy is saying goodbye to all her friends as she is going home, and she looks at Scarecrow and says "I think I'll miss you most of all" (makes me cry each and every time)....that's when Dorothy realizes she may have been lost but without all of them she would not be able to see that she has had the power in her all the time to go home, that along her path, they were all lost, and they found her just as much as she found them.......sometimes you have to be lost in order to be found ♥ Today I am thankful for those who have "found" me and I thank God that our paths crossed, or intertwined, your spark has ignited my flame and made it what it is today ♥

Giving Thanks Day 28 ~ Keep Your Dreams Alive

Today I am thankful, and truly grateful for Dreams. Not just the ones that we wake from and remember the details of...but the dreams we have in our hearts. The inspiring dream of something we have always wanted to do or try. Maybe it's a hobby, maybe it's something you enjoy, a trip you want to take, a job you've always wanted, a gift you've been longing for, sometimes forever chasing them, whatever it maybe...your hopes your dreams, never give up on them. We not only have dreams for ourselves, but for our children. The key is to keep our dreams alive. Too often life, crazy, chaotic, stressful life, chips away at our dreams or leaves little to no time for our dreams. Some of us put them on a shelf, pulling them down from time to time, blowing the dust off of them and we hold them for a moment and remember and say "One day" and we place them back up on the shelf. There are some that seem to live a dream, I get this one often about spending our summers and weekends at the beach. It is a dream, and something I am very thankful for and blessed with. It's one of those dreams come true, one of those dreams that sat on a shelf for years. We toyed with the idea of getting a beach crash pad, from time to time we looked with a realtor, sat on beach vacations dreaming at the Homes catalogs and the houses that were for sale. Oh yes, my dream was a big beach house, you know the kind like in Nights of Rodanthe....shabby chic with a bed and breakfast cottage like feel to it. Of course it would have lots of rooms so I could have guests come to stay at any given notice. Then one day we took that dream off the shelf and said "let's do this". No we didn't end up with the Big House on the beach....but a small studio condo on the ocean. We took the chance, at first thinking we'd rent the condo out and get a bigger place in the coming years...we thought of it as an investment. We rented it out a few times (as we were required to because we purchased a rental property and it had already been rented prior to our purchase), then that fall we started going down and spending weekends there. Wow, it is amazing that crossing that bridge on a Friday and spending just two days felt like spending a week there. It was beyond refreshing. The kids had so much fun that by the following summer we decided to see if they would like an entire summer down there. At first we thought it might get "old" or they'd get "bored". Nothing could be further from the truth. We have met wonderful families that come back year after year, and we've had many wonderful memories with them. We've had friends and family who have come to stay or visit at our condo (sometimes we all squish into our condo, and other times they get their own place here). We've built sandcastles with knights, pirates and army men. We've watched countless sunrises and sunsets. We've found thousand of shells, and even started an Auger collection (it is usually a race each year to see who finds the first Auger of the summer). We've enjoyed hours of fun in the sun and surf...boogie boarding, skim boarding, jumping waves, riding rafts, and surfing. We've visited nearby places and small towns, touring the aquarium, reenactments at the Fort, chartering sailboats, seeing wild mustangs. We've enjoyed early morning and late night swims in the pool, had pizza pool parties, and ice cream socials. We've ridden our bikes on the bike trail to the pier, and through neighborhoods spotting deer along the way. We have enjoyed surf fishing and watching fishermen reel in their catches (we have yet to catch anything). We've watched dolphin jumping and playing in the waves. We've spent countless nights under the stars on a blanket at turtle nests.  We've watched loggerhead and green hatchlings boil out of their nest and scamper down to the ocean. After that first summer on the beach, I said "we could have rented out our condo and made money...but I'd rather make memories". That is exactly what we did. It is a dream and one that came with hard work and sacrifice. I never could have imagined that something so small would have such a huge impact on my family's life, it was an investment of a different sort.  No it's not the multi-million dollar dream home we would drool over in the Homes Magazines...but it is worth far more...our condo is tiny, cozy but packed with so many memories, so much joy, happiness, excitement and fun that I could never put a price tag on it. Henry David Thoreau wrote "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler." Anything is possible, if you just believe...Never give up on your dreams, don't wait any longer, take one off the shelf, dust it off and make it come alive ♥

Giving Thanks Day 27 ~ Forgiveness

Today I am thankful and truly grateful for forgiveness. Such a powerful gift, to forgive and be forgiven. I have struggled so many times with this, to truly forgive....the forgetting part was what kept me tangled in the emotional cobwebs of the past. I have struggled and continue to struggle at times with this.....with not being able to understand, or compartmentalize things, or feel that I was being understood....to be able to receive it...to truly let it go. Forgiveness is to let go of the hurt, to stop "feeding the beast" so to speak, you take responsibility for your "stuff" and you don't take ownership of what is not. Forgiveness is not something that you do for the other person. Forgiveness is something that you do for you. There are many times the words I'm sorry are spoken, it takes a strong person to say those words, and even a stronger person to forgive. Releasing the past and embracing forgiveness, you become refreshed and renewed. Forgiveness is one word with so much weight, it has the power to transform and change whatever you are going through. It means so much whether you are giving it or receiving it. Sometimes forgiveness can come too late, maybe on a deathbed, or not at all...is the pain you are holding onto worth more than the freedom of forgiveness? I am not saying it is easy, I am just saying it is possible....we all have the power to forgive. But no one comes close to the kind of forgiveness that comes from God......the greatest Forgiver. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all loved and forgave the way He does? The song lyrics "I Loved You at Your Darkest".....so powerful, to be forgiven for the words we say, the things we do, or wrong doings, the unthinkable, when you feel broken, or unloved, or your world is out of control, and you think you are undeserving...I am most thankful for HIS gift, I did not earn it, I did not deserve it, I surrendered all...He loves me not matter what, His forgiveness is a gift that I cherish. I have always loved this poem “People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” ♥ This Season of being Thankful, and in the spirit of Giving, may we also keep Forgiveness in our Hearts ♥

Giving Thanks Day 26 ~ Being Happy

Today I am Thankful, and truly Grateful for being happy. It's one of the most important thing in the world, to enjoy your life and just to be happy. Being happy doesn't mean that life is perfect, it just means you have decided to look past the imperfections...that you have all you need to choose joy inside you. No matter what I am going through in life, I hold onto and focus on what makes me happy. Sometimes there are smiles through the tears and hurt, sometimes there are memories and moments that make you happy just thinking about them, I always try to choose joy because life is just to short to be anything less than happy. I post uplifting, positive messages here on facebook as much as I can. They inspire me, lift me up, and keeping me going and I hope they spread positive vibes to others who may need a smile or to be lifted up in times of need. Almost two years ago, facebook had a fun "survey" going around where you wrote down a list of 25 things you were most happy for. This is what I wrote: 
1. The laughter and special moments shared with my boys I could fill up all 25 of these with happiness I have just with them! 
2. Just being silly, the kind of silly where you are laughing so hard and cannot stop! 
3. going to church....devotional time and prayer...the peaceful feeling always makes me happy. 
4. A sunrise at the beach 
5. Being with my family 
6. Hanging out with my best gal pals anywhere at anytime..the laughter, the fun...priceless. 
7. Painting on canvas 
8. Capturing a memory in a photograph....I am seldom without my camera (I think it could be my security blanket) I love pictures...looking at old ones in an album and taking new ones! 
9. Krispy Kremes Hot Fresh Now Sign....because it is followed by squeals of delight (usually from me, and at least a dozen doughnuts)....sheer bliss. 
10. And...I'll just say it....an orgasim...not just any kind...but the Meg Ryan with Billy Crystal in the restaurant scene from "When Harry Met Sally"...the kind that makes you want to smoke a cigarette afterwards...and you don't even smoke....I seriously can't believe all of you made a list without listing that LMAO 
11. Gardening...planting flowers and plants...which is why my hands are always in distress....I love playing in the dirt! I seriously love watching a rose bud unfold and the smell of a jasmine vine..... 
12. My fish tank....I love all my cichlids 
13. Poetry.....I love it 
14. Building sandcastles on the beach with the boys.....the water, fun in the sun....pure happiness. 
15. Watching loggerhead turtles hatch on the beach with a starlit sky....miraculous moments! 
16. A bubble bath. 
17. A great conversation. 
18. Hot chocolate....oh who am I kidding here...any kind of chocolate...as long as it is quality chocolate...there is a difference (again I am surprised no one said this either lol) 
19. Trips to Walt Disney World 
20. Christmas....everything about it, from decorating, to get togethers, the shopping, the baking....everything! 
21. Rain on a tin roof. 
22. Hearing my favorite songs...and listening to acoustic music. 
23. A glass or two of a really great wine 
24. The smell of a a baby after a bath...I love the smell of Johnson and Johnson's No More Tears....
25. Love, simple and pure love :) 

John Lennon sums this up best with one of my favorite quotes: “When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” Think about what makes you happy...you can make a list, or say one thing you are grateful or that makes you happy each night before you go to bed. How often in our busy lives do we take time to pause and be thankful for what we appreciate in our life? I am definitely going to add to my list and making this a priority to focus on what makes me happy. It really is the key to life ♥

Giving Thanks Day 25 ~ Being Comfortable In My Own Skin

I am thankful, and truly grateful for being comfortable in my own skin. Yes, even my weathered, laugh lines, sun kissed, brow lines, crows feet skin. I am talking about being blissfully content in your own skin. At various times in my life I thought was happy in the skin I was in. As, I grow older I realize that I am becoming more comfortable and more aware of what contentment feels like. In my thirties, I began to see things so much more differently. Then in my forties, I had a moment of self actualization, where I realized who I was and what I was really about. Not that I haven't had this before, but you will know it when you feel that moment.....serendipity. You turn off the autopilot, the one where you've been going through life like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, and you turn on your authentic self. You turn off the insecurities, the intolerance, the self doubt, unhealthy habits...and you turn on positive self talk, take chances, challenge your self and begin to love yourself in a way you have never had in the past. You begin to live life out loud, with real joy, celebrating the moments and realizing your true potential. You get to know yourself, truly know yourself, in ways that most will never realize, and you begin to live your life differently, because you see things so much different than you have in the past. You find your inner peace and serenity. You begin to live a life filled with passion, seeing the positive even when there is no light to be found. You cultivate your spirit, start taking care of you, and loving the skin you are in. You become aware of your dreams, you tap into your inner child and you take on life in a zen like fashion. You have a zest for life, you see what is really important, and begin a journey of self discovery. You become increasingly aware of what you are all about, the you that you were always meant to be. You take responsibility, start making changes, through trial and error you keep going, never giving up.... and you become self empowered, content in life...You may feel at this moment you are done...but it is only the beginning ♥ Natalie Goldberg's thoughts on this compared to that of baking a cake "When you bake a cake, you have ingredients: sugar, flour, butter, baking soda, eggs, milk. You put them in a bowl and mix them up, but this does not make a cake. This makes goop. You have all these ingredients, the details of your life, but just to list them is not enough. You must add the heat and energy of your heart. You can't just mix the ingredients in a bowl; they have no life. You must become one with the details in love or hate...Ovens can be very cantankerous sometimes, and you might have to learn ways to turn your heat on. And you are never sure once the heat begins whether you will get a devil's food or an angel food cake" ♥ The ingredients are the different parts of your life, the good, bad, past, present, hopes, dreams, etc. Putting them all into a bowl, makes a gooey mess...It's up to you to turning on the intense heat and passion, and energy that transforms your life ingredients into cake. Then you turn your life into a life worth living, you start seeing and living with your whole heart and soul...blissfully content in your own skin.

Giving Thanks Day 24 ~ Footprints in the Sand

Today I am thankful, and truly grateful for Footprints in the Sand. You know the beautiful poem...about a dream of walking on the beach with the Lord. I am thankful for the Grace of God, and for my Faith for that is what everything that I am thankful for is intertwined with. For some, this may come as a surprise and I feel my southern Steel Magnolia inner self channeling Ouiser when she hugs M’Lynne and tells her, “you’re in my prayers”. Annelle looks at her with a surprised expression. “Yes Annelle, I pray – there, I said it, I hope you’re satisfied!” To which Annelle responds, “I have suspected this all along.” “Well, don’t expect me to come to one of your churches or one of those tent-revivals with all those Bible-beaters doin’ God-only-knows-what! They’d probably make me eat a live chicken!” “Not on your first visit!” My life has not always been perfect, there are scenes I am sure I will look back at and see one set of footprints in the sand, scenes that were difficult and at time unbearable, and I'll smile knowing that I wasn't alone. Today I am forgiven; His grace is why I'm living....that I cast myself like a footprint into the sand, and He washes away my sin, smoothing the sand out as if to say "Go ahead take another step, I am here with you." I am going to try and live my life so that when the scenes flash by at the end they'll be worth watching ♥ 

Footprints

One night I had a dream--

I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord 

and across the sky flashed scenes from my life. 

For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints, 

one belonged to me and the other to the Lord. 

When the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that many times along the path of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest

and saddest times in my life. 

This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it. 

"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,

you would walk with me all the way,

but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life

there is only one set of footprints. 

"I don't understand why in times when I needed you most,

you should leave me." 

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child,

I love you and I would never, never leave you

during your times of trial and suffering. 

"When you saw only one set of footprints,

it was then that I carried you."

........Mary Stevenson

Giving Thanks Day 23 ~ Comfort Food

Today I am thankful, and truly grateful for Comfort Food. Yes, the day after Thanksgiving, I wake up still feeling stuffed...but I think the love of being around family and friends yesterday was made even greater by the wonderful meal we enjoyed. Good ole comfort food, the dishes we grew up with, homemade, made from scratch, sinfully deliciousness that not only stretches the comforts of our waistline but fills our soul. Southern side dishes with recipes handed down and recreated by relatives, so that even though, our loved ones have passed, their presence is still felt with the loving hands that prepared them exactly the way they did. I love to try new recipes, and always tend to look for ones that sound so good they make your mouth water. And if I go back for seconds or thirds....I will ask "who made this...and I would love the recipe" will surely follow. Yesterday was no exception, lots of wonderful dishes prepared, the first time I had a Turducken, which was cajun inspired and "oooh it's so good". There were side dishes galore (all made from scratch) desserts that required an entire table to be dedicated to the food induced coma that was to follow. I made two new recipes, Paula Deens Tomato pie (just saying Paula Deen gives the dish the comfort food seal of approval doesn't it?) and roasted brussel sprouts with portabella mushrooms and onions (not deep fried, but olive oil and roasted with sea salt) I'll admit the brussel sprouts did not provide comfort to the smell they left behind while roasting them, but I'll overlook that due to the wonderful taste this simple dish left behind. I made one of the dishes my mother has always made, the 7 layer salad. Well mine ended up with 8 layers but I guess that would fall under extra comfort food as a side dish, hahaha. My mother always makes it for almost every family function, and it is the most requested food dish in our family (with peanut butter/chocolate fudge ranking a close second). I never realized until I made it the night before Thanksgiving how much work goes into it. Lots of prep work and layering of, trying not to vary from the original recipe...talking on the phone with my mom, playfully teasing that I was messing up and was putting the ingredients in the wrong order. We each took a photo of our dishes and compared, them....mine didn't look anything like hers...but in the end I'll have to admit it did taste good. I think that is what makes comfort food so good, it's that ingredient that is never listed on the recipe, it's the love in the hands that prepared it knowing that it will be enjoyed by many. That and I've come to realize over the years, many dishes just tastes better when someone else makes it for you. I have been known for my infamous Nestle Toll House cookies, I follow the recipe just like everyone else...but I don't skimp on the chips..always adding extra, then taking them out of the oven just before they are "done" so the center stays gooey. I make them bite sized on purpose, so that you can just pop on after another into your mouth, and although they are best served warm, the double batches I make do not survive longer than a day or two. Even my postal carrier looks forward to the holidays with anticipation for her treat of chocolate chip cookies that will come! I love food, all food, I am an equal opportunity connoisseur when it comes to dining....but comfort food is a whole entire other food group. Comfort food, it's there when you need it, late night raids of the refrigerator, eating ice cream out of the cartons with a spoon, bringing people together, and keeping us company when we are alone, sometimes we eat excess of it, and sometimes our comfort food can make our waistlines feel, well...discomfort. It's deep fried, it's casserole sized, it calls for real butter and lots of it,requires heavy cream, lots of preparation, it's food we grew up, ones that take us home with each bite....it's more than just food, it's more than just comfort...it's a bite sized memory of a place in time that you just keep going back too, bite after bite, until you are satisfied. We make the comfort food...but in the end, it actually makes us ♥

Thankful for My Girlfriends

Time passes

Life happens

Distance separates

Children grow up

Jobs come and go

Love waxes and wanes

Men and Women don't do

What they're supposed to do

Hearts break

Parents die

Careers end

But....Our Sisters are there

No matter how much time

and how many miles are between you

A Girlfriend is never farther away

Than needing her can reach

When you have to walk

That lonesome valley

And you have to walk it by yourself

The women in your life

Will be on the valley's rim

Cheering you on

Praying for you

Pulling for you

Intervening on your behalf

And waiting with open arms

At the valley's end

Sometimes they will even

Break the rules

And walk beside you

Or come in and carry you out

The world wouldn't be

The same without women

When we began this adventure

Called womanhood

We had no idea of the incredible

Joys or sorrows that lay ahead

Nor did we know how much we

Would need each other

Every day

We need each other still

Author Unknown

Thanksgiving 2012 Sunrise

Giving Thanks Day 22 ~ What Matters Most

Today I am thankful, and truly grateful for every day I live, for the warmth and kindness that you give, Thankful that in God's design, He planned it so your path crossed mine.  ~ 

At first, I was a bit reluctant, I wasn't going to join in on the thankful bandwagon but I have really enjoyed it, posting about people, things, memories that I am thankful for...has been a reflection of sorts. Made me focus on what is really important in life, what matters most that is what I am most thankful for! Like this morning, waking up to two little boys searching the condo to find Jingles and Kringles (our Elf on Shelf), their excitement as they began their hunt to find where the elves were hiding. It is such a joy to wake up in a child like wonder that I will be holding onto it throughout the day....Racing down to the beach to watch the sunrise hide behind a sheer curtain-like veil of clouds while dolphin were jumping and riding the waves...Coming in and cuddling (to get warm, brrr it was cold this morning) and talking about the fun we are going to have today. The excitement over breakfast about watching the parade and our Thanksgiving meal at the Clubhouse with our Beach Family....talking about how much fun it will be to be hanging out and enjoying a delicious home cooked meal with tasty side dishes, playing football on the beach, eating scrumptious desserts, watching a sunset. These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive, it's all about the moments ♥ “It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these things never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life is on a stroll. This is how God does things.” Donald Miller ♥ Happy Thanksgiving ♥

Giving Thanks Day 21 ~ Thanksgiving Day Parade

Today I am thankful and truly grateful for The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Yes, I know it is not until tomorrow, but I've always loved getting up on Thanksgiving morning, eating breakfast, laying around in my pj's and watching the parade....seeing the Rockette's dance and their infamous high kicks, the marching bands from high schools all over the country wearing their band uniforms with colorful plumes on their hats in a sea of pageantry, the Balloons from the oldest to the newest hoisted high up in the air making the tallest buildings in NY seem so small, the floats decorated to the hilt with amazing detail, the performers singing to the crowds all leading up to the big finale....the arrival of Santa sitting high on his sled pulled by his 8 reindeer, and the Christmas Season starts. I think about the city all hustled and bustled becoming still, in awe of the holiday parade on the streets of Broadway. I love seeing the TV crews pan the crowd and the looks on the little ones faces, the smiles on their parents as they point to what is coming up next. It's on my bucket list of things to do! Something about the parade feels like the start of the holidays to me. At my parents house, during the parade we'd be setting up tables and chairs in anticipation for all of our relatives to come over and enjoy a feast that afternoon. Nowadays, I can enjoy the parade cuddled up with my little men and watch until we wave to Santa at the end (because we are Believers and he really can see us and is waving back). To me this parade is a ceremony of sorts, kicking off the Holiday Season full of traditions. Mike Ditka once said "If you're not in the parade, you watch the parade. That's life". I say it doesn't matter if you are in the parade or watching it....Just Enjoy It, each and every pomp and circumstance ♥

Giving Thanks Day 20 ~ Bonds of Spiritual Inspiration

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” ― C.S. Lewis ♥ Today I am thankful, and truly grateful, for the beautifully ladies that I've come to know because of loss and infertility. I never knew so much love or support that would come from what started off as a Ladies in Waiting email group and evolved into a wonderful ministry of Hannah's Prayer, branching out into PAI Ministries, Family Blogs, and fun groups on Facebook. I never knew the heartache of losing a child could have ever been comforted without the help of these amazing women I've come to know through these groups. Infertility and loss have changed me in so many ways, and had I not experience them, I would have missed out on the sisterhood and friendships with all of you. The bonds we share are so very special to me...Friendships that span the test of time (and time zones), bonded in ways that are unexplainable...even though we have never met in real life (which I know one day we will), I feel so connected to you because of our struggles, our loss, the emotional roller coaster of emotions and the unconditional love, compassion and prayers that helped me to feel like I was a Phoenix rising out of the ashes. You became a surrogate family for me in so many ways as we went through years of loss and fertility issues and I treasure you all as my extended family. I am so blessed to have shared in your joys over the years, the babies born, to watch your families grow, to pray for adoptions, pray for those on bed rest, pray for our children with special needs, pray for those experiencing a loss, and pray for those who's arms are still waiting. This journey of infertility and loss has taken me to so many emotional places....and throughout it all you were my Rock. Your unwavering faith, your prayers, your testimonies, your inspiration,challenging me in ways when I needed it, your silly fun and sense of humor (VORTEX, POAS, chats that never end)....all of that and more has kept me going in more ways than you may ever know. I couldn't have asked for a greater group of women to be in my life and to be a part of my family. You've seen me through my highest highs and my lowest lows....and as time goes on, I know we will always be apart of each others lives. I am so thankful to each of you and the love you have shown me and my family over the years. I wish the circumstances that brought us all together would not have been so painful, but I have no doubt that God had our paths cross for a reason, spiritual inspiration. I don't know if I can ever thank you enough for all you do for me and my family...You are such a blessing to us, your friendship is a gift I truly treasure♥ “The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Giving Thanks Day 19 ~ Mini Masterpieces

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. Pablo Picasso ♥ Today I am thankful for, and truly grateful for mini masterpieces. I love art, I love to paint, I have favorite artists and certain pieces in my home....but the ones I treasure the most, and value above all others...are the mini masterpieces my children have created. The chubby hand colored self portraits with one head and two arms with a googly eyed face, the hand prints over the years (some made into various animals), the finger paints landscapes of flowers and suns, the detailed drawings of battle scenes (the boys love to make British soldiers), the ink blot paintings that take the shape of beautiful butterflies, rainbows, kid crafted projects of pasta glued onto construction paper, pine cones scattered with glue and glitter...My favorite room in all the house is the boys "art wall", it proudly displays some of their mini masterpieces they have made over the years, placed on tiles or canvas, and framed proudly displayed in a museum like fashion. We love going to Accidental Artist, to paint figurines, tiles, and ornaments. Our newest tradition is to paint an ornament for the Christmas tree each year. Last year, we took my parents and we all painted an ornament, it is something I highly recommend! I hope my boys never lose their sense of wonder....especially their expression and love of the arts. I truly am thankful for these treasure mementos of a time gone by, telling a story in a way pictures and home movies cannot ♥ "Go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possible can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something." by Kurt Vonnegut

Giving Thanks Day 18 ~ Puppy Love

“A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.” ― John Grogan, Marley and Me ~ Today, I am thankful and truly grateful for our dog Harley. Two years ago, a dog was dropped off in our neighborhood. The family that found him attempted for two months to locate his owner, took him to the SPCA and shelter, posted flyers, and sent out messages via our HOA newsletter. One evening while we were eating dinner, we get a knock on our door. There was a man with this gorgeous reddish golden haired dog on a leash asking us did we know who the owner was, he was attempting to go door to door at this point. We instantly fell in love with this dog, and said if no one claims him we will take him. We asked why they weren't keeping the dog and he said they have 5 rescue dogs now and his wife said "no more". Later that evening we get a phone call saying would be willing to take the dog, and that they would take the dog to be cleared that he would be good with children. We left to go to the beach later that night. All along the drive we thought of names for our dog. This beautiful dog, with no name, we didn't even know how old he was! We passed a Harley Davidson Shop and the first name we thought of was Harley. We posted on facebook to help us name our dog. There were lots of creative and great names....and with us not knowing what his previous name once was, we decided that the name should end on and "e" sound in hopes that we wouldn't confuse him. When we got home from the beach we waited but no phone call about the dog came. Elliott was saddened as he was hoping for a dog from Santa. Our Yorkie, Bailey, was not in the best health....blind, deaf and only a few teeth...she was 12 years and dramatically showing her age. We didn't know if the dog did not pass the clearance for being around kids or if the people that found her decided to keep her. We were looking forward to having this dog.........when finally a call came in and Harley was brought to our house. We were not prepared for him, our little dog had little leashes, little dishes, and a little dog bed. Bailey quickly established she was the the boss and Harley clearly thought she was just a new toy for him. We bought him a huge dish to eat out of, and Bailey quickly claimed it...making Harley eat out of her little porcelain dish. We introduced Harley to the wireless fence and bought him a leash. We took him on his first walk...and tug of war experience where to this day I think one of my arms is slightly longer than the other! We've had holes dug, lots of jumping up, flower beds destroyed, dog beds shredded, dog toys demolished...We joke all the time that we have the dog that acts just like Marley in the movie Marley and Me. All in all, our family received a wonderful pet that is now a part of our family....He gave our family new life in many ways, the kids an added responsibility, and even Bailey perked up and bless her little furry self she is still with us and going strong for a 14 year old! So today not only are we thankful for Harley, but all our pets our family has known over the years. There are certain pets that we have owned that have infused themselves into our lives and have become and extension of our being. The pet that we recall with a deep fondness, ones we grew up with, helped us to grow, and taught us far more than anything we could have taught them....for Cooper and Elliott, Harley is that kind of pet ♥

Giving Thanks Day 17 ~ Living Life Outloud

“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...”― Marcus Aurelius....Today I am thankful, and truly grateful to be alive. I want to live, not just survive.....So today I share some instructions on living life outloud ♥ Enjoy ♥

Life's Little Instructions by William Snell
95 years old - Circa 1993
Sing in the shower.
Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
Watch a sunrise at least once a year.
Never refuse homemade brownies.
Strive for excellence, not perfection.
Plant a tree on your birthday.
Learn three clean jokes.
Returned borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full.
Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
Leave everything a little better than you found it.
Keep it simple.
Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.
Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
Be forgiving on yourself and others.
Say "thank you" a lot.
Say "please" a lot.
Avoid negative people.
Wear polished shoes.
Remember other people's birthdays.
Commit yourself to constant improvement.
Have a firm handshake.
Send lots of valentines cards, sign them.
Look people in the eye.
Be the first to say "hello".
Return all things you borrow.
Make new friends but cherish the old ones.
Keep secrets.
Plant flowers every spring.
Have a dog.
Always accept an outstretched hand.
Stop blaming others.
Take responsibility for every area of your life.
Wave at kids in school buses.
Be there when people need you.
Don't expect life to be fair.
Never underestimate the power of love.
Drink champagne for no reason at all.
Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation.
Don't be afraid to say, "I made a mistake".
Don't be afraid to say, "I don't know".
Compliment even small improvements.
Keep your promises no matter what.
Marry only for love.
Rekindle old friendships.
Count your blessings.
Call your mother.
And your father too, if they happen to be alive.

Giving Thanks Day 16th ~ Home is Where Our Story Begins

Today I am thankful for, and truly grateful for....having my parents here visiting for the weekend. The boys were so excited to wake up and see their Memaw and PawPaw when they came down to eat breakfast. The look on Elliott's face was priceless this morning. We drove to school and they are excited that we are coming back to eat lunch with them. Tonight we'll have a Pizza Party, go to ECU to see a play "Martha Speaks" and afterwards to Krispy Kreme to get sugared up! We had planned to go to the beach but the Nor'Easter will keep the weather damp and windy starting tomorrow. Looks like I will be decorating the house with some help (hahaha). No matter what we do, it will be treasured just being together. Having my parents here is like bringing a little bit of Home here...and Home is where Our Story Begins ♥ Today I am thankful for having my parents here visiting, I'm everything I am because they loved me. This is for them (it's the lyrics to a song I danced with my daddy to on my wedding day):
For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I'll be forever thankful
You're the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the one who saw me through through it all
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love I had it all
I'm grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe I don't know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you
You were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You've been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

Giving Thanks Day 15 ~ Unexpected Joys

Today, I am thankful, and truly grateful for those who understand Autism and the array of colors that are on the spectrum.  I am so grateful for the wonderful people God has placed in my life that has given me support, advice, understanding, empathy, information and most importantly just "get it".  From the moment Elliott was diagnosed, countless people reached out to help us and led us in the directions of multiple therapies.  I remember telling them "I don't want to try and figure this out on my own, what has worked for you, because we were making up for lost time."  I remember thinking that there is nothing Elliott couldn't do, we just have to find a way that his mind will learn things.  I also remember early on, that there was no right or wrong way to work with a child on the spectrum.  What works for one, may not work for another...and I felt that some battles were worth fighting, many times more than necessary.  I never considered Elliott as "labeled", I saw his abilities, and I am a "pushy" parent when a challenge arises....I know that not everyone understands what raising a child on the spectrum is like, and truthfully, I don't think I could ever fully explain it myself.  I often describe life here like a jack in the box, everything going along in a beautiful melody then POP out of nowhere a surprise comes out of nowhere (sometimes it's a meltdown, sometimes it is a new challenge, and sometimes it is an unexpected joy)....I have said that like a Jack in the Box, we never really know what the day will bring...each one is vastly different.  I realize society will not care if Elliott has a diagnosis or not, in fact, many do not even notice his day to day struggles, and it is my job as his mother to advocate for him, to get supports in place for him, and to help him grow so that he can do anything he sets his mind to.  I couldn't do any of this if not for the love and support of countless angels.  One in particular, Anji Bauder Budzynski gave me an immediate comfort after Elliott's diagnosis.  We reconnected on Facebook and in one phone call talking about my son and his diagnosis...it was a comfort hearing someone else saying "I get it" I remember not feeling so alone, and comforted with the "you too? I thought I was the only one" conversations. Then she packed up a box of books, and a DVD and sent them off to me.  One book, An Unexpected Joy....was exactly that.  Altered forever my view of how life would be.   It was a book that I laughed, cried, and connected with.We all have hopes and dreams for our children, and one day something happens that makes you see things as you never had before.....there are unexpected joys.  Elliott's diagnosis has transformed our lives in ways we never thought possible, we've had miracle moments, challenges, lots of reprioritizing, progress, trials and errors, indescribable moments filled with so many unexpected joys that even to this day I cannot completely wrap my heart around them all!  And then, countless others crossed our paths over the years, family supports, therapists, teachers, doctors, friends as we continue on this journey.  So today I thank my support network, the many lives that have reached out to our family offering hope, love, help and understanding....you all have been an unexpected joy and we are truly blessed to have you in our lives.  Joy is truly greater when it comes unexpected <3

Giving Thanks Day 14 ~ Let the Music of Your Life Play On

Today I am thankful, and truly grateful for music. Shakespeare wrote "If music be the food of love, play on. Give me excess of it". I truly feel that at times my life is a musical, a series of one song interconnecting with another to a time, a place, an event...there has always been a melody that coincides with each scene. I joke about it all the time, that I have theme songs running through my head throughout the day. I can clearly remember, down to the exact details, certain events or moments when I hear a certain song played on the radio. You know the kind of song that takes you back in time the instant that you hear it, and you recall the time when the song was first released, and the memories that seem to surface as effortlessly as the lyrics you are singing along to it. And then there are songs that you hear and the words and melody seem to tell the story of your life, haunting lyrics that capture a feeling, speaks to your very soul, or in such a way that you related to each word as it is sung. There are songs that are empowering, some that make you smile, songs that you instantly crank up the volume, and if you are like me, you sing wildly and way off key. There are songs that make you want to move, maybe slightly toe tapping to all out on the dance floor dancing. There are songs you learn all the words to and love to sing, and then if you are like me, you create new words to songs and sing a sometimes comical version to the melody (something I seemed to have passed along to my boys, the art of being silly with song). I was raised on old school country music, Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker, Lynn Anderson, Patsy Cline, George Jones, Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, etc...their albums I remember playing over and over singing into a pine cone weight that detached from my mothers cuckoo clock in the formal living room. I didn't really listen to a lot of mainstream music until high school and can remember spending tons of money on records and tapes just because I loved one song by an artist. And in college, I took the required music appreciation course and fell in love with classical melodies, the kind of music that just moves you in ways words cannot. Today, I have a pretty eclectic taste and enjoy a wide variety of music....with the exception of rap (unless it is old school). If I hear a song that I connect with I instantly fall in love with it. I love acoustic versions the most, I love a song with a great hook, a melody that stays with you throughout the day. We all have our favorites, songs that have special meaning to us, ones that we choose to hear over and over, and even songs that we do not ever want to listen to again. To me, music is the outburst of my soul and what feelings sound like. I am thankful for the music in my life, each and every beat along the way...may it play on ♥

Giving Thanks Day 13 ~ Reel Moments, Real Treasures

Today I am thankful, and truly grateful for home videos. Last year I surprised my parents with a gift of transferring several of our old 8mm film onto a DVD. I had once attempted it before years ago, by purchasing a kit for them to send off their reels of film for transferring but it never transpired (I suspect that sending off the precious film fearing something could happen to it was the culprit). So last year I found a company that would keep the film in house and transfer them onsite. They did an amazing job, handling the delicate film, which was getting more and more frail and brittle over the years. It had been over 12 years since any of us had watched them (our projector bulb died and finding a replacement for it was unsuccessful). It was one present that I "opened" and used before giving...I had them make a copy for our family, so technically it wasn't the one I gave my parents. When I picked up the DVD, the cover had three pictures on it, one of my brother, one of me, and one of my sister....the person who created it had no idea out of all the film footage he transferred that we were the three kids in our family! The first DVD of the older films was solely dedicated to Christmas footage....and as I sat and watched the film for the first time, my eyes flooded with tears. So many wonderful memories, laughing at how funny it is to watch film without hearing our voices (and we'd would talk to the camera as if someone could hear us), the faces of those that have passed on, seeing our old house, our Christmas trees, playing in the snow, visits from friends from New Orleans, visiting my Aunt Carol's house during Christmas, Holiday dinners, and of course the morning of Christmas with Santa's gifts strewn through our living room in a volcanic explosion of paper, ribbons and bows. Even with the soft music they had selected to play as our home movies were shown, could not drown out the sounds I replayed in my head of those magical times. Though I will admit I missed the sound of the projector clicking away when watching, the quality of the film had been slightly touched up with lighting but still captured the nostalgia of how the film would "roll" along while you watched. This holiday, we are transferring all the vacation home movies onto a DVD for my parents. I can't wait to watch them and see what memories are unlocked from a long ago treasure. It makes me more dedicated to get my children's home movies onto DVD's. If you think I took a lot of pictures, well then, home videos of my boys first few years were a close second! I do regret not taking more videos, and am going to make it a point to capture more video in the coming years. My kids home movies are easier to transfer and can be done in my house, and each time I watch one...another treasure is found. Laughter of my grandmother who has passed, hearing baby coo's and first words, the toddling of a little one, reading a book for the first time, hearing the "I wub you" over and over with "bye bye bye bye" waving at the camera.....precious memories. I am thankful for the moments captured on film and in movies....the pictures tell a story, the movie replays memories. I am thankful to have so many great ones, these "reel" moments are "real" treasures ♥

Sunrise ~ November 12th

Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others

 cannot keep it from themselves.”

 James Matthew Barrie

Giving Thanks Day 12 ~ Power of Prayer

 Today I am thankful, and truly grateful for prayer...the answered and the unanswered. Watching the sunrise this morning and praying for my niece Adalynn, who is going into surgery this morning to have her tonsils removed...I knew instantly what I was thankful for most today. What a powerful thing prayer is, consoles us when we are weary, brings us peace when we need comfort....and in abundance when we ask others to pray for us or a situation. And in  this time of "Thankful posts" spreading over Facebook, with everyone sharing what they are thankful for, and seeing the quote "what if we woke up today and only had what we thanked God for yesterday?" makes me step back and really think about prayer and giving thanks for the blessings in my life. Everyone prays in their own unique way, some quoting scripture, some with learned prayers, and some in a child like manner as if having a conversation with God. However you may pray, I now I am guilty of seeking prayer when times are hardest, or the struggles are to much to bear; and I want to thank God more for the joys and the good times. Maybe that is why I stay in a positive state of mind, it's not that I wear rose colored glasses, or that life here is pollyanna-ish....I choose to focus on the positive and praise Him for these moments for they far outweigh the rough times. I am thankful for unanswered prayers, the ones you think you know what you are praying for, but God has other plans...so at first you think when things are not what you asked for, and you wonder if God hears you....only later to see that He had heard you and that something far greater was in the works, we just couldn't see it for the moment we were in. I thank God for the answered prayers...the ones on our hearts that we bare our souls and just "Give it to Him" and we really let it go, not holding on to it and trying to do it on our own. I am thankful for the family and friends who lift me and my family up in prayer, through times of joy and sorrow, lifting me up in times of despair, praying for our needs as if you were praying for your own. Asking and receiving your prayers provides me such comfort and peace during times when things are at their hardest....and brings me indescribable joy to know that there are prayers of joy when we share our happier times. I covet those prayers and I too pray for my loved ones wholeheartedly. I am blessed beyond measure for the power of prayer. C.L. Lewis said it best when writing "Letters for Malcom" a book about his correspondence in Latin with an Italian priest living in Verona, Don Giovanni Calabria ...."Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done." In the movie "Shadowlands" about C.L. Lewis and is time spent with the American poet Joy Gresham and her son Douglas "That's not why I pray, Harry. I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God, it changes me." AMEN ♥

Giving Thanks Day 11 ~ Sunny Side Up Breakfast

Today I am thankful, and truly grateful for Big Morning Breakfasts on the weekends. The kind where you make a Thanksgiving type spread of breakfast type fixings, pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, doughnuts....the works. The special kind of breakfast that has to almost be orchestrated to get everything to the table hot, and special syrups, jellies, honey and powdered sugar are on the table. The kind of breakfast that brings everyone to the table and you are so stuffed after that you sit and have sleepy-eyed food coma induced conversations. I always enjoyed them as a child, waking up to the smells of cinnamon rolls, pancakes on the griddle, and bacon frying up in a pan...My Dad always wakes up early (and is sure to wake us all up too, with the sounds of the kitchen clanking, cabinet doors shutting, and dishes clinking) and we knew to get up and get our day started with a yummy hot meal. No cold cereal, no fast eat on the go type of breakfast, the kind of breakfast that lingers in the air filling the entire house and keeps you full until way past lunch...and usually the morning that Mom had "off" from fixing breakfast. We'd enjoy our breakfast, go to church and then head over to my Grandmothers house to sit around her kitchen table, where there were always bacon and biscuits on the table....and no matter how stuffed you may have been we always gobbled up more. She made the flaky, peel the layers off of buttery goodness type of biscuits....still a favorite of mine to this day! We'd sit around the table as we'd hear the door "bell" ring as the bells hanging on it would sound when each new person entered. We'd all try to guess who was coming before they opened the door to the kitchen. Then one by one, we'd all play musical chairs to allow for more room. Mornings filled with stories of what had happened all week, listening to the sounds of the scanner and trying to figure out where the rescue vehicles were going to next, then one by one we'd all head out to visit other grandparents that lived nearby. I am thankful for big breakfast times...even when the mess of mountain high dishes is left behind...the memories live on...Sunny Side Up ♥

Giving Thanks Day 10 ~ Thankful for morning cuddles with my children

Today I am thankful, and truly grateful for Saturday Morning Cuddles....No matter what time I wake...having the boys come over jumping on our bed to wake us and to cuddle before we get up for breakfast is something I treasure. At times, we joke that we need a bigger bed, but there is something about a queen sized bed makes the snuggle time even better. When my little ones nuzzle up so close beside me, and our morning starts off with Eskimo kisses, the giggles and gentle hugs, and I find myself staring up at their sweet faces...there is no better way to wake up each day! It's the laziness of the morning because we don't have to get up for school or be on a schedule. The silly talk, sweet and innocent, the tender moments of love to start our day...and sometimes falling back to sleep, then watching my little guys sleep...so peacefully. I am thankful for snuggle time...and even when we don't "sleep in" on a Saturday...there is always time to cuddle! Cuddles, Kisses, Snuggles, and Love...that's what mornings are made of ♥

Giving Thanks Day 9 ~ Being a Stay at Home Mommy

Today I am thankful, and truly grateful for being a stay at home mom. All moms are working moms, and I count my blessings that I am able to stay home and be with my kids as much as I possible can. Though one day I will go back to school and get another degree to reenter the workforce, a dear friend reminded me yesterday...there will always be time for that. And she is right, they are only going to be little for a little while and if I can stay at home, that is a blessing. While they will always be my babies no matter what their age is, I am blessed to be here for all the moments and realize how precious they are. I have friends who both stay at home and those that go to work, some who have no choice, and some that have had to return to work after years of staying at home. I do not take this blessing for granted, as life can change in an instant. I don't know how my friends go to work and then come home and do all the things that I know they do, they must have super powers! I have friends that say they don't know how I do all the things I do, having a child with special needs and all that entails. I think as mothers we are equipped to adapt to any situation life throws our way because we are forever thinking of our kids and what we feel is best for them. I know one day I will return to the workforce and my boys will see that a Mom can do it all. I grew up with a mom who worked until I was 7 and then she became a Stay At Home (work from home) mommy. I was able to see the pros and cons of both. I saw the sacrifices both my parents made, we didn't always have the best but we never did without, they made sure we had what we needed and showed us how to make the best of everything. I feel extremely lucky and blessed to be able to stay home, as I know many would love to the same. Those that have been able to stay at home, know that it is not an easy job but one with great rewards and sacrifice (it is not all bonbons and soap operas). Today at awards day, being able to sit and watch the boys get their Principal and Honor Roll Awards, I felt so honored and privileged to be able to be there. Many parents were there and you could see the kids faces lighting up as they panned the crowd searching for their moms and dads. After the awards assembly they kids were treated to a reception in the cafeteria and we were able to go hang out with them. I love Fridays because for the past 4 years I've had a standing lunch date with my little men. I enjoy packing my lunch and sitting at the cafeteria table hearing all the kids sharing their stories and laughter. I felt blessed to be there and thankful that I have seen so many moments of their lives...and look forward to seeing many more! I love this poem from Diana Loomans "If I had my child to raise over again, I'd finger paint more, and point the finger less. I'd do less correcting, and more connecting. I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes. I would care to know less, and know to care more. I'd take more hikes and fly more kites. I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play. I'd run through more fields, and gaze at more stars. I'd do more hugging, and less tugging. I would be firm less often, and affirm much more. I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.I'd teach less about the love of power, And more about the power of love.It matters not whether my child is big or small, From this day forth, I'll cherish it all" ♥

Giving Thanks Day 8 ~Thankful for Traditions

 Today I am thankful, and truly grateful for traditions.  Yesterday I posted a picture of one of our Christmas trees that we left up all year long.  We didn't intend to leave the tree up all year long, it just sort of happened.  It started off innocently enough, we always take our family Christmas photo in front of the Christmas tree each year. We usually take it in January after the hustle and bustle of the season is over and just before we take the tree down.  This year, things were busy with the boys in Cub Scouts, Odyssey of the Mind and dealing with the damage at our beach condo....and each month the tree was up, but no picture.  By March it seemed pointless to take one, the weather was warm, and spring flowers were emerging.  Who wants to put on a Christmas sweater and take a picture then?  I thought about my Grandma Cooper who had left her Christmas tree up all year long...it was a tradition I don't know how or when it started....but she always left her tree up in her formal living room in the front of the house.  So, this year I decided to leave the tree up in her honor.  I wondered if I was going to have to dust the tree, worried if the lights would work, and then there were the puzzled looks and giggles of friends and family when they would see or hear that my tree was still up.  Yesterday I turned the tree on....and know how the tradition may have started for my Grandma.  It's a lot of work getting the trees decorated and the house set up for Christmas.  Especially when you love Christmas so much and with each little thing you put out the kids eyes light up with excitement.  My grandma no doubt tirelessly decorated her home and kept things up so that kids never lost their sense of wonder.  It made me think about traditions, the many we started and some we've continued over the years.  We hang a pickle on the tree each year, the first one to find it gets a surprise.  We have an advent calendar (my mother would buy us one with the chocolate treats in them that we'd open each day)...and now we have a wooden one that has little toy surprises in them.  We have a Christmas Dinner at our house early in December for all our friends and family.  We would get a pink peppermint pig each year to enjoy after dinner with our friends and family.  We go to Disney during the holidays as often as we can, because it's even more magical decorated for Christmas.  We decorate our trees listening to Christmas music (a tradition that started with my mom and I hanging ornaments on her "fragile" tree...scratchy albums dusted off and played on a very old stereo that even had an 8 track tape deck on it), We play CD's of Christmas music now, but I will always be fond of the albums (and may have to search online to find them to play on our record players).  We hang ornaments we've made, ornaments from places we've traveled or visited (recalling our memories as we hang them on the tree), and angel ornaments for those that have passed on (honoring and remembering our treasured memories with each one), and special ornaments that once hung on our parents Christmas trees.  We have themed trees, and the boys love the ornaments that "do things" like play music or have motion.  They look forward to going to Hallmark to pick out a new ornament to hang on our tree. We started a tradition of collecting nutcrackers and add  one or two to our collection each year.   The boys look forward to setting them up (and playing with them).  We set up a train board with trains that Santa has sent the boys when they were little...and put our Polar Express Train under our biggest tree.  There is nothing like the sound of a kid's train and seeing a little ones eyes light up looking at all the houses with their lights glowing of a Norman Rockwell Christmas Scene displayed on the train table.  My dad always had a train out with Christmas houses and he even has a train room, filled with the sounds of Christmas!  We read Twas the Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve and spend the day watching our favorite holiday movies A Christmas Story, It's A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, A Miracle on 34th Street, and ending with the Polar Express.   We bake chocolate chip cookies especially for Santa, and my little "elves".  My mom and I would bake in a frenzy for an entire day to make a box of treats to give our family and friends...the smells of peanut butter/chocolate fudge, mini cheesecakes, snicker doodles, chocolate chip cookies, covered pretzels would fill the house and expand many a waistline!  We decorate the yard with inflatables and light displays....and always a Nativity. My dad has always decorated our yard and makes it a Winter Wonderland that people come from all over to see.  We have purchased things for his yard and I've painted countless Disney Christmas wooden cutouts that he displays with pride.   We look forward to putting something new in our yard and seeing neighbors drive by and stop with their kids to watch the lights, see the displays and hear the music.  And speaking of the Nativity, it is a special moment to bring out the Manger scene and the kids take turns on who places baby Jesus in the manger.  We started the tradition for our family, my parents, brother and sister's families with the Elf on a Shelf....which has brought so much joy to the little ones over the years.   Every year at Thanksgiving our Elves return and provide joy and mischief to all the kids in our family.  We started a tradition of going to the ICE Show at the Gaylord Hotel each year and the boys look forward to seeing the sculptures each year.  We've been going since 2009 and it is something we look forward to when we go home to visit family and friends. We have a tradition of getting pictures taken each Christmas, with Santa and display each years pictures near our fireplace.  We started a tradition of going to historical places over the holidays and we look forward to going to a Candlelight service as the Christmas Story being shared between Christmas Carols.  We started a tradition years ago at my moms house when I wanted the boys and their cousins to make a Gingerbread house and decorate it. We bought a kit and my mom said "they are going to make a huge mess" and I said "that's the point".  I'll never forget their first house they all made and my mom sitting there holding all the walls up tirelessly as the frosting was drying.  And now each year she gets each one their very own Gingerbread house to decorate (and we assemble them first before decorating them, lesson learned from that first comical Gingerbread house).   I am thankful I left my Christmas Tree up all year, it reminds me of traditions started years ago with my Grandmother, traditions my parents started, and ones our family has started.   Each year at Christmastime, as we get our "Totes" of decorations out, we open those traditions filled with nostalgia and unleash a flood of memories and we get wrapped up in happiness of the season.   Especially at this time of the year, we are thankful for our traditions both old and new and we are blessed to have them....Now I want to get out the rest of our decorations, I am in the "spirit" of the season after thinking of our traditions...and I am sure as I open the totes this season there are some I've forgotten to mention, and there will be some that may start this season...and some that will end at some point...but I hope that my little men will cherish them as much as I do!  

Giving Thanks Day 7 ~ Freedom of Speech

♥ Today I am thankful, and truly grateful, for the right to have freedom of speech. I am thankful that I was raised in a manner where you could share how you felt and what you thought even if it wasn't the most popular or what people would want to hear. Not everyone is going to like what you say 100% of the time, but I am thankful that in our country we all can say what is on our minds (even here on Facebook). It would be great if we lived in a world that was respectful of our speech and not judgmental, but I am thankful for the right for all of us to say what we feel. I may not always agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. Each voice deserves the right to be heard, that we can express what we feel, as we feel it without fear or reservation. And when it really comes down to it, it's not so much having the right to say what is on our minds it as it is to be heard. To have someone "hear" what we have to say. I am thankful that I was raised to fight for what I believe in, to stand up for what is right, and to not be afraid to go against the grain. I am thankful I was raised to challenge what I was taught, to question what is presented, and to be compassionate with others as I discover and grow. What you have to say is important and vital, and is real. I was raised with the strength and courage to make difficult choices when an easy option was presented, to speak up in times when no one else will. To talk about the good, the bad, the joys, the sorrows, to not be ashamed to speak up, and that even when things are "unsaid" they are heard.....I am thankful I can speak about them all. I was raised that we all make mistakes and hopefully we learn from them an grow. I was raised to help others in times of need. I was raised to have an open mind and be objective, and to search for answers, and to try to make things work. These are things I hope to instill in my children...♥ Audre Lorde sums this up beautifully “I was going to die, sooner or later, whether or not I had even spoken myself. My silences had not protected me. Your silences will not protect you.... What are the words you do not yet have? What are the tyrannies you swallow day by day and attempt to make your own, until you will sicken and die of them, still in silence? We have been socialized to respect fear more than our own need for language." I began to ask each time: "What's the worst that could happen to me if I tell this truth?" Unlike women in other countries, our breaking silence is unlikely to have us jailed, "disappeared" or run off the road at night. Our speaking out will irritate some people, get us called bitchy or hypersensitive and disrupt some dinner parties. And then our speaking out will permit other women to speak, until laws are changed and lives are saved and the world is altered forever. Next time, ask: What's the worst that will happen? Then push yourself a little further than you dare. Once you start to speak, people will yell at you. They will interrupt you, put you down and suggest it's personal. And the world won't end. And the speaking will get easier and easier. And you will find you have fallen in love with your own vision, which you may never have realized you had. And you will lose some friends and lovers, and realize you don't miss them. And new ones will find you and cherish you. And you will still flirt and paint your nails, dress up and party, because, as I think Emma Goldman said, "If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution." And at last you'll know with surpassing certainty that only one thing is more frightening than speaking your truth. And that is not speaking.”

Giving Thanks Day 6 ~ The Right to Vote

 "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin ♥ Today I am thankful, and truly grateful for the right and the honor, to vote in the USA. Growing up, my parents were hush, hush about who they voted for (and sometimes even to this day still are). They kept their vote "private" and they kept that to themselves even after the election was over. Now, the media, the ads, the debates are exuberant with spending and words bashing one another....friends and family becoming bitter enemies because they do not share the same views, it is clear that the verbal assaults were not limited to just the candidates. Not to mention the amount of money that is spent campaigning could be better spent reducing our debt, helping charities, etc. For this, I am thankful this election will be over, but I feel that the division runs deep and I still predict that one will win the Electoral Vote and the other will win the Popular Vote. This will be a close election which means the division will be there after the polls close and the winner is announced. It is sad to see this great country so filled with bitterness and hate towards their fellow man all because they do not share the same point of view....it's shameful. I respect the right for individuals to exercise their rights to free speech, and everyone is entitled to their opinion, and who they view things presented...I dislike the mean spirited, name calling, the lies, the character assassinations that have seen from both sides, their parties, and their supporters.  "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" ♥ Today is the election at the boys school and Cooper is running for Secretary along with 6 other candidates. They present their campaign speeches this morning and the 3-5 graders will get to view them and then cast their votes. Their speeches were only about who they were and could not be filled with promises like "no homework" or bashing the other candidates. They were allowed to make 2 posters, one speech, and could pass out stickers/candy (only to kids in their class). Our state and national politicians and their campaigns could stand to learn a lot from a simple school wide election and the kids who are running for "office". That is the kind of election I could wholeheartedly stand beside and support. I can honestly say that I would have no problem casting my votes at their Elementary school Election as I do today casting my vote ♥ Maybe they should have elections with a "none of the above" so we can opt not to choose any of the individuals running until someone steps up that can unite ALL Americans in a way that has not been done before. It is our right, and civic duty, to vote....for me, it will be based upon the content of one's character, both mine and the person I am voting for. Henry David Thoreau sums it up best “All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong, with moral questions; and betting naturally accompanies it. The character of the voters is not staked. I cast my vote, perchance, as I think right; but I am not vitally concerned that that right should prevail. I am willing to leave it to the majority. Its obli­gation, therefore, never exceeds that of expediency. Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing to men feebly your desire that it should prevail. A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority.” ♥ Vote for Obama, or Vote for Romney, it's your Civic Duty...Vote for SOMEBODY!!