Back to the Rat Race

Having 5 days off from work and school was soooo nice! So nice, in fact, we're counting the days until Christmas break.

Nineteen!

We spent the last few days decorating for Christmas, eating, watching movies and resting. Definitely what we needed.

I am going to try my dead-level best to not get stressed out this month. Although a very rare thing has happened ..... I have not bought one Christmas gift. I'm the type of person that has most of my Christmas bought before Thanksgiving, but not this year. If I let myself, I could panic, but I keep talking myself out of it.

It will all come together :)

In other news, Emma did pull her tooth yesterday :) She waited up for a very long time last night to catch the tooth fairy. Oh, and she wrote her a note asking specifically for $5.00.

Inflation.

Olivia walked into my room before church yesterday and I had to catch my breath.

She looked ten.

But, oh so beautiful!

Okay, time to start the week ....

Sunday Letters

Dear Emma,

Your loose tooth. Today is the day, honey. Just pull it already! I keep telling you you're going to swallow it in your sleep. This, finally, has made you cry so I stop. Pulling your teeth has always brought 'the drama' to this house.

Your present obsession .... Casting Crowns' song I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. Your class is singing this version in the school Christmas play and you love it. I can't wait to hear you sing it at school.

A few nights this week, Olivia and I went to bed and you stayed up late with your Daddy. You're so grown up. I know I say that so much, but when you become a parent yourself, you will look at your children one day and wonder how on earth life is passing so quickly. Trust me. It will take you by surprise.

Dear Olivia,

Okay, something very strange is going on with you this week. You have now decided you are highly offended if any of us laugh at you. In fact, you become quite angry. This is going to be a big problem because you are so stinkin' hilarious. Please, don't lose your sense of humor.

My favorite thing this week was watching you decorate the Christmas tree. You enjoyed that very much and I enjoyed watching you. In 4 days, you have watched every Christmas movie we have and beg for more. These are the things I love about Christmas. Traditions make me happy.

Dear Eric,

When you travel, I will miss you just like I always do. But, maybe I have never known to what depths I could miss you than at 6:00 AM walking our new puppy. Yuck! I will not be a fan of this - especially now that it's 27 degrees at that time. Ugh.

Oh, and how cool that we snuck in another date night this week! It was last minute, but still neat to sneak off to Starbucks and a movie (quick shout-out to Peppermint Mocha Latte!). I could get used to a weekly date, couldn't you?

I have had a great 5 days off with you! I wish it could last another week. I love you!

Dear Emma and Olivia,

Mommy must go because, as I type this, Emma is singing I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day to the top of her lungs and Olivia is shouting, "If you do not stop singing that song, I am never ever never speaking to you again!"

Christmas cheer. We may need to work on it.

A Fight for Thanksgiving

This will probably be the most real I have been on my blog. But, my palms are itching and my heart pounding every time my feelings well up within me and I realize I need to get them out.

Thanksgiving.

Just like every year since I married, we celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday by having lunch at my parent's house. (Except for the year Eric and I decided to go to Disney World instead - pre-children - because I didn't want to look at my family on that day).

When you first get married, there's a war going on. Where are you going to spend Thanksgiving? Are you giving both sides of the family equal time?

Traditions have to change since there's another family involved and people become territorial .... possessive.

Atleast in my family.

I think everyone forgets our hearts' desire is to hang on to any tradition we can, while embracing new ones with our new lives. (That is, until the war becomes too brutal and then you throw your hands up and run off to Disney World :)

And then there's the very unique family dynamics. I mean, I love my brothers probably more than I'll ever be able to express. But, what about the people we bring into the dynamic? As if there aren't enough opinions battling for relevance, we bring in other people, raised by different parents with an entirely different perspective and background.

Spouses.

What are we suppose to do with that?

Once we all have children, therein lies another set of issues.

The truth is, we don't always get along with each other. I'm inclined to believe that no other family does either, but in the midst of your own life, you feel like surely yours is worse. I feel like we fight tooth and nail just to like each other on most days. I mean if a friend treated us the way family does at times, we wouldn't be friends anymore, would we? It's hard and yet we keep up the fight. We continue on though feelings get trampled on throughout the year and you wonder "what's the point?".

So, what is the point?

As I sat before the Lord Thanksgiving morning, I had one prayer pertaining to our plans for the day. For God to help me want to be there and enjoy being there.

Truth be known, these are the people I love deeply .... more than anyone else.

I walked into my parent's home, the home where I grew up and my Mom had a beautiful table set with candles lit. The smells were intoxicating ..... sweet candle scents mixed with Daddy's turkey and Mom's dressing. It's the pheremones that make me want to head straight for the sofa, snuggle under a blanket and just .... be.

It's the atmosphere that takes me back to my childhood, sitting in a dark den, watching movies and eating the best food. It's comfort at it's best. Happiness.

Within minutes, my little brother, John Patrick, walks out and my girls go wild. Olivia is a fixture on his side, whether he likes it or not. She adores him. She'll sit and stare at him while he watches TV. He is BIG in her eyes. I love that.

My big brother, Todd, comes in next with his family and I remember that, around him, I am Olivia. I think he is brilliant and have always looked up to him. He is BIG in my eyes.

So, why the fighting?

I am convinced the fighting is when the 'old' pushes back the 'new' and when the 'new' pushes back the 'old'. Everyone is fighting for 'places'. Everyone just wants to matter to each other.

My parents just want to matter to their kids after all these years.

I just want to matter to my brothers, and certainly to Todd's wife, April.

John Patrick wants to matter to all of us and has to know we all still believe in him.

Eric wants to matter to my parents as their son-in-law and to anyone I see BIG in my eyes ... which would mean he wants to matter to my brothers.

Our kids want to matter to each other .... knowing, maybe not fully yet, that cousins form a special bond when allowed to.

So, we fight.

We fight to stay together. We fight over a legacy my parents have passed down.

Kind of like when Todd and I fought as kids. My Mom would make us sit on the sofa, hug each other and sit that way until we both told the other one, "I love you".

Life is rough. It gets in the way of what's important and when you're tired of being intentional about staying together, you have to force yourself to sit on the sofa and don't get up until you remember "I love you".

That is Thanksgiving.

Highlights from my day:

** My Mom's table.

** Laughing with John Patrick.

** Playing games.

** Playing bananagrams with April and feeling happy.

** Desserts and more desserts.

** Lying on the sofa and enjoying being around the people I love.

** Seeing my Daddy feel well and laugh.

** Hearing my kids play with Todd's kids and have the best time together.

** Seeing our girls come out of my old bedroom with the brightest red lipstick you can imagine.

** Going back for seconds.

** Being shocked it's 10:00pm and I really do not want to leave.

Before life gets busy and overwhelming again, I wish I could bottle up that feeling and all that love and use it to remind all of us throughout the year that each other is all we have.

I adore my family.

John Patrick's college graduation - 2009

A Thanksgiving List

"The Lord has done great things for us,

and we are filled with Joy."

Psalm 126:3

Today, I am thankful for ...

** My family. Our good health. My parents and extended family. My in-laws. My mother-in-law's health today. Our new sweet puppy. My children laughing. Peppermint Mocha Hot Chocolate. My friends. My church. Pastors that preach the Word. My job. Our school. Mint Chocolate M&Ms. Long hot baths. My Mom's potato salad. My Daddy's turkey. Playing games. God's provision. God's pursuit of me. God's grace. God's Word.

Day 24: Thankful

I don't think our pace could be any slower today. No school. No work. I'm cleaning out my closet, but even that is going slow. It will no doubt be an all-day task.

I'm thankful for a day to lay in bed until I felt like getting up. Seeing my girls in their pajamas at 10:00 in the morning does my heart good this morning. We can rest.

Emma has been outside playing with our new puppy, Sadie Mae (whom we LOVE, by the way). She is so sweet!

Olivia doesn't really know what to do with herself. I have music playing and no TV, so several times I've caught her just staring at the ceiling or doing this .....

Lying on the kitchen table?

She is so relaxed :)

It could be because I have preached to my family and time or twelve that we need to slow down and enjoy the day. I think they're getting the message cause Emma just drew me this ....

I only wish I was at the spa! Ha!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Day 23: Thankful

I am thankful for my kid's school.

We get busy and overwhelmed with homework and all the 'noise' makes it easy to take our eyes off of the blessings we have. But, honestly, our school is one of the biggest blessings my family has. What a special place.

I appreciated it before, but not half as much as I do now that I am on staff there. Last night we had a special prayer time for the staff and board members. Each person present individually calls on the Lord on behalf of the parents, students and faculty. To hear so many people pray about the hearts and future of each child just humbles me and motivates me to do a better job investing in, not only my own kid's lives, but others around me.

The next generation has obstacles we never imagined would be possible, but with prayer, they can be more bold for Christ when it really matters.

I am thankful for such a special place filled with people that love the Lord, who agree to come alongside Eric and myself to teach our children about Him. It's a place filled with grace and encouragement.

Thank you, Lord.

Day 22: Thankful

I am thankful for my parents for many reasons, but at the risk of appearing shallow, I'm most thankful for them today because they kept my girls on Saturday night ..... ALL night .... so Eric and I could go on a date.

What a blessing!

We went out with our friends, Chris and Kristin to the coolest restaurant I believe I have ever been to. It is called T1 Tapas. The table is a touch-screen, interactive computer and each person has their own screen. You choose what you want and click 'send to kitchen'. So cool! Here's a not-so-great picture of what the menu looks like ....Each table/booth has a media connection center where you hook up your own iPod and play your own music at the table. Yes, we were loving us some 80s classics - yeah, baby!

Each booth also has its own flat screen TV. You can watch TV, play games or take pictures of yourselves and email them to your home/phone. See .... here we are ....This was so much fun! The restaurant is in the neatest area with shops and a movie theatre. We even went to the movies. I felt like Eric and I were real grown-ups.

Kristin and Chris have inspired us. They go on a date TWICE a month!! I was floored at that. I know Eric and I need to do a better job of spending time with just the two of us, but TWICE a month seems like a longshot :) It was a great night. I laughed until my stomach hurt :) That's a good indication of a great time!

So, today I am also thankful for good friends.

Sunday Letters

Dear Emma,

It can never be said that we didn't celebrate your 9th Birthday. Good grief. From every Disney employee saying "Happy Birthday, Princess!" as they passed you, to family dinners and class parties and a new puppy, you have welcomed 9 with a bang! I think you are even worn out from it all - ha.

You have worked so hard making up school work, along with homework you were required to do this week. Atleast next week, you'll have a few days to rest and have time to enjoy that new puppy, Sadie Mae.

Dear Olivia,

We were driving home one day this week and I was telling you and Emma to clean your rooms when we got home. You said, "Hold on a minute! Do you mean that literally?" That cracked me up. "Yes, I mean it very literally. Clean.your.room."

I'm also proud of you for how you've handled our new puppy. Because of allergies, you've always been afraid of dogs, but you are having the most fun walking her and playing with her. I'm so relieved!

Dear Eric,

Our anniversary always falls in the middle of craziness. Such is our life. It seems we never get to celebrate like we want. I enjoyed having a night out last night. I didn't have to cut up your food or tell you to sit straight in your chair or stop getting up and down. I felt like we were real grown-ups :) I love you.

Dear Jesus,

What a week! Thank you for walking with me, for the pruning you've done in my life and for the forgiveness you lavish on me when I get things out of whack. My desire is to serve you and put you first in all things. Sometimes, I'm amazed you put up with me. Good thing this relationship is sealed with no take-backs. I love you so much.

Day 20: Thankful

Today, I'm thankful we get to have a party to celebrate Emma's birthday. Actually, I'm not very thankful at this point, but I'm sure I will be when it's over - haha. It's the birthday that goes on and on and on! :)

I'm also thankful that tomorrow I am FINALLY going to teach my Sunday School lesson on Our Secret Names. Whew! A lot of study and trying to cram all that into a 45 minute lesson is challenging, but I have learned so much in the process and feel so blessed to finally pass it on. Your prayers for that are much appreciated!

Most of all, I'm thankful it's Saturday! Yippeee!

Green Eggs and Ham

Like I said, Olivia has learned to read Green Eggs and Ham. She wants to read it all day, everday.

Olivia Reading from Deidre on Vimeo.

I'm so proud of her!

Day 19: Thankful - A List

Goodness, I am beyond thankful that today is Friday. If you read this blog often, you must get tired of me saying that. Believe me, I get tired of saying it, too. It is what it is.

So, on another note .... We had a really good day yesterday celebrating E's birthday. One birthday tradition we have is decorating the house for the birthday girl to find when she wakes up on her birthday. We have the same 2 banners we've used since each girl was born. We always cook a special breakfast as well, so I usually decorate the birthday girl's place at the table. The decorations usually include balloons and streamers, but with a new puppy and reality 're-entry' from vacation, this is what it looked like this year ....

Yes,"E" is Emma. It's not that hard to figure out and I'm a little tired of hiding it :) She looked so grown up to me at breakfast.

Olivia (surely you knew that one :) was a little tired of celebrating Emma's birthday. She heard it for a week straight at Disney and we're still not finished. Her face says it all - ha! Bless her heart. She just can't hide her feelings.

Eric took Emma lunch today at school and then we had dinner with both sets of grandparents and Uncle John Patrick at her favorite restaurant.

We're still not finished (we have a class party on Saturday - yes, I am crazy).

Another thing I am thankful for is Olivia learning to read. She is doing so well and is like a sponge all of a sudden. She has learned to read Green Eggs and Ham and wants to read it all the time.Last night, we played the 'opposite game'. I put words on the side of the cabinet, she had to read them, figure out what the opposite of that word is, then go find it posted around the house somewhere (which means she had to read that word as well). She LOVED this and wanted to play it over and over. I can remember playing this with Emma when she was in Kindergarten. I have more words ready for today that will practice rhyming. Both will help her with reading.

I'm so proud of both my girls today and thankful they love to learn.

November 18th

I'm thankful for November 18, 2001.

It was the day I became a Mommy.

After a 4 year struggle with infertility, my sweet girl was born.

That day changed me forever. We had many sleepless nights, but all the exhaustion was worth it. "Look! I've been walking one week!"

God had given us an extraordinary gift.
I have no doubt He has big plans for this precious girl. 4 years old

She is blessed with a tender, compassionate heart for people.

Halloween 2008 - 6 yrs.old

Our conversation on the way home from church last night:

E: "Mom, I can't wait to see God. Don't you think it will be so exciting to see Him?"

Me: "Yes, it will".

E: "I mean, I think about Him and I think about heaven and I get so anxious to see it all. Think about how beautiful it will all be. I love him so much".

Easter 2008 - 6 yrs. old

She has the sweetest heart.

I love you so, my sweet birthday girl.

Happy 9th Birthday! Or, as you say, "The last year of single digits!"

Vacation is NEVER a bad thing

Wednesday morning. That means I have the morning 'off', which today looks nothing like a morning 'off'.

Part of the reason I love vacation so much is it forces us to slow down. I realize there are so many families in a busier season of life than I am, but mine feels out of control most days. I dislike that very much and am always thinking of ways to make that different. It's tough to figure out.

A lady said to me one time, "Vacations are for people who can't cope with their everyday lives and have to escape". I know she meant it negatively, since she never takes one, but I answered, "Absolutely! And, I'm one of those people!" haha

Who in the world doesn't need a little escape from the everyday mundane routine? Do I know these people? And could we possibly be friends? haha

I want to post about our trip last week, but haven't had time. So, I'll just post a few pictures today to show how fun it is to escape our everyday lives :) Here's proof ...

We met friends we haven't seen in years! Teddy and Eric were college roommates. We love the Reeds and miss them SO much!

O LOVED the Reed's youngest son, Evan. I'm serious. She would NOT keep her hands off of him.

I only have about 540 pictures to go (no exaggeration!), so .... more to come!

Day 16: Thankful

Last night was really fun! We were getting our first puppy in over 8 years! Because of allergies, O has been less-than-thrilled with the idea, but even she has fallen in love with .....

Sadie Mae!

She's a Brittany and is just so sweet. She fell asleep on E almost right away. I'm especially thankful she slept all night without whining. Give the Lord some praise!

The main thing I'm thankful for today is my husband.

We were married 14 years ago today! I remember when the doors opened and I saw him standing at the end of the aisle of the church on that day. I could NOT stop smiling. That was truly one of THE happiest days of my life.

Eric, I don't know where I would be without you. You are one of a kind! I love you so much!

Day 15: Thankful

Today, I am thankful for home.

I love to travel with my family, but I'm always happy to walk in our door and just be home. I especially love crawling into my comfy bed and knowing I'm going to sleep like a baby that first night home.

I'm also thankful today that we're getting a puppy. E has always wanted a dog, but we're so limited because of mine and O's allergies. We've been very patient and finally feel like we've made the right decision. More to come on that. E is so thrilled! I'm a little anxious, but happy she finally gets to have one.

Pictures soon.

It's always tough to get back into the swing of things after vacation, so I'm praying for an uneventful, slow-pace day ending with warm pajamas and homemade soup.

Have a great week!

Sunday Letters

Dear O,

Your humor is what will keep me going forever. You are so stinkin' funny. I loved watching you take in Disney from an entirely different perspective this go around. You are 5, so that's a different kind of world than 3 (the last time you went). You are brutally honest (saying you would NEVER live at Disney because they don't have livermush), take up for yourself at all costs, but then pull out a sweet side at the very last minute that shocks us all (you hugged your Daddy at the end of our trip and said 'thank you' for taking you to Disney). Sweet.

I loved watching you get excited. The highlight of my week was watching you scream and laugh uncontrollably on the Magic Carpet ride and the Philharmagic show. Oh, and the Haunted Mansion - your BIG sister was crying so hard, while you danced like all the ghosts you passed. Hilarious. I love you.

Dear E,

"Happy Birthday, Princess". ha! You were told that no less than 100 times this week by Disney staff and you soaked up all the attention. Maybe there's no better time to go to Disney than your birthday? I loved that you had that experience. You love the spotlight :)

You seemed so grown up to me this week. Maybe it's because this was your first trip you were able to ride some big rides. It hurt my heart to see you holding your Daddy's hand or walking with Uncle JP to ride the roller coasters. What on earth?

I have 2 favorite memories of you this week. 1) When you and I stayed by ourselves at Epcot until the park closed. What a special moment for us! No distractions - just you and me, riding rides and taking the long journey back to the hotel. I'll never forget it. 2) You read books for months to earn money for Disney. You were very careful to spend your money wisely and didn't buy many souvenirs for yourself. Then, on the last day, I watched you in the gift shop give your sister a toy she had been asking for all week. You had spent your own money without us knowing. I thought my heart would melt. You are a gem. You bought your dad something as well and felt bad you had ran out of money and couldn't buy me anything. One day, you'll understand that my gift was seeing you do that. I love you.

Dear Eric,

Whew. What a whirlwind. But, what a blessing. You and I stopped to thank God daily for allowing us to do something so extravagant with our kids, but it still doesn't seem like enough, does it?

I love you more than you know. Thank you for the Daddy and husband you are. We are all blessed to have you.

Dear John Patrick,

I am so glad you decided to come along on this trip with us. I know it was last minute, but God worked it all out. We were anticipating your arrival and sad when you flew out before us. We love you so much! You are a BIG part of our family.

Thankful Catch Up

I thought I had scheduled posts for each day last week telling what I'm thankful for. Obviously, that didn't work out because none of them posted - ha! So, I guess to be more accurate, I'll just post what I know I was thankful for each day last week ....

The 7th: First full day at Disney. We got to spend the day with friends. Teddy and Lara were in our wedding and our very best friends when we lived in Raleigh. We haven't seen each other in 7 years. They now live just outside of Orlando, so we worked it out to spend Sunday with them. We had a blast and our kids fell in love with their kids. It was SO good to see them and laugh so much. But, boy, did it make us miss being able to see them regularly. Good times.

The 8th: My brother, John Patrick joined us on Monday. We decided at the very last minute to have him join us and I'm so glad we did. My girls adore him and it was nice to spend some uninterrupted, quality time with him. He hasn't had a vacation in over a year! So, he was due ...

The 9th: The weather finally warmed up. I was beginning to worry. It was unusually cold, forcing us to wear gloves at night ... brrrrr.

The 10th: We spent the day at Epcot, which is my favorite park. It closed that night at midnight. We were dragging with exhaustion by 9:00, but E wanted so much to ride a few rides. I talked Eric into letting me stay at the park with just her until it closed. I can't believe he agreed to that, but we felt 100% safe. We had the best time being alone together.

The 11th: Dinner. We ate so well all week, but on this night we ate at The Grand Floridian hotel and ate a mouth-watering dinner. We were giddy. Oh, also on this day, I'm thankful O survived a serious blunder on my part. Without thinking, I fed her a few bites of carrot cake and she immediately started complaining about her throat closing. Ugh! I didn't even think about her tree nut allergy. Fortunately, I gave her some medicine and she felt almost instantly better. Whew.

The 12th: Our last full day was a long, but very good one. We started at Animal Kingdom, but then ofcourse, couldn't leave without Magic Kingdom one last day. The parks were decorated for Christmas and they were blowing snow down Main Street. It was beautiful and definitely got me in the Christmas spirit.

Today. The 13th. We were sad to come home, but glad to climb into our own beds tonight.

We are beyond blessed.

Sunday Letters

Dear O,

Bless your heart. You are not a morning person. I know you get this from me, so I try my best to be understanding. You surprised me Wednesday morning when I heard you sweetly say, "E, Happy Thanksgiving to You!". Ha!

I was one proud Mommy Thursday when I had the sweetest conference with your teacher. She talked about how respectful you are, as well as smart and funny. Ofcourse, I know all these things about you (and more), but it's nice to hear others notice it as well. I think you are TOPS! You have been blessed with a wonderful teacher in Kindergarten who understands the importance of focusing on the positive and going to great lengths to encourage you. Teachers like that are a blessing. I love you so.

Dear E,

Monday was the first of November. You broke my heart and thrilled me all at the same time when you ran downstairs and announced, "Seventeen more days until I turn 9!". Last year of single digits. How in the world?

Your daddy and I had a conference with your teacher as well this week. The 3 of us sat there almost twiddling our thumbs. You are doing incredibly well and she had not one negative thing to say about you. Yay! Let's celebrate.

I think often about what your teacher last year (Mrs. Dwyer) said to me about being your mother. It was the first person to speak such truth into my heart about you. She said, "When someone says something negative to you about your child, DON'T YOU DARE receive that information because it will only be from the enemy himself". Wow! So, you know what? I do NOT receive it. You are amazing. I want to always keep things in proper perspective and certainly acknowledge we have to discipline you daily because you are a child and that's all a part of learning. BUT, you are a great kid that brings me untold amounts of joy. Anything other than THAT TRUTH is rejected! :)

Dear Eric,

I am thrilled to be on another vacation with you and the girls. We saved and saved to be able to pull off another trip to Disney and it makes me so happy to be able to do that again. Thank you for working so hard for us! We have you all to ourselves for the coming week and you should know we have really been looking forward to that - no matter where we go. We love it when you are with us! Lest you think we're partying when you're not here .... know that the mood is gloomy and we kick it into 'survival mode' until you come home. I really feel like you need to know you are a very important quarter-part of this family. Without you, there is a definite void. I love you.

Okay, peeps! Let's have the best week.

Day 6: Thankful

Ahhhh .... Saturday ..... so many reasons to be thankful for you!

Reason #1: No school!

Reason #2: Today is my Father-in-law's birthday! Happy Birthday, Johnny! You are one of my favorite people in the world!

Reason #3: As you are reading this, we are either on our way to Disney World, just arrived at Disney World, or already enjoying ourselves at Disney World.

Either way .... happy.

Walt Disney World 2008 - E (6 yrs.) O (3 yrs.)

Day 5: Thankful

We have always prayed for and with our girls on the way to school each morning. I started this the very first day I took E to Mother's Morning Out seven years ago.

Today is no different. I pray first (out loud, while driving), then E, then O. O sometimes doesn't feel like it, but always prays anyway even through her obvious disgust :) I'm thankful for each and every prayer!

But, lately she has had the sweetest prayers. This week, they have all ended the same way ...

"Father, please give us the BEST day!

But, if you don't, just don't give us the WORST day!"

Amen!

Pretty deep for a 5 year old.

May you have the best weekend ..... and certainly not the worst!

Day 4: Thankful

** I'm thankful I was able to renew my driver's license yesterday. You have no idea how touch-and-go it was. When I'm over it, I may tell you about it.

** I'm thankful I have such hard working girls when it comes to school. I am so proud of them.

** I'm also thankful for Krispy Kreme who gives free donuts for every 'A' they earn. Woo hoo! And even more thankful for the guy at Krispy Kreme who understands me when I hand him O's report card. Even though her report card is always great, she doesn't get letter grades yet (but thinks she does). He examines her report card and then congratulates her while letting her pick out her donuts. Then, he refuses money when I secretly try to pay for them.

Such a blessing.

** I'm also extremely thankful for my crock pot. Without her working hard for us, my family would starve most days :) Here she is cooking us some yummy beef stew. Mmmmm mmmm good.

A Month of Thankfulness: Day 3

** I'm thankful for my Bible Study group. We finished up our fall study on Monday night. It went by so fast. This time we studied Faithful, Abundant, True. I learned so much and was encouraged each week. I love spending time with all the women and I love hearing how God's Word has spoken to them.

** I'm thankful for H*lloween candy. The kind my kiddos go door to door for and I secretly raid as soon as they are in bed. My first choices are Snickers, Almond Joys and and Reese's Cups. (I am a fan of chocolate!) By the way, it's NEVER a good idea for H*alloween to fall during a certain time of the month, if you know what I mean. There really is never enough chocolate and the neighbors who felt it 'wise' to hand out coloring books will send you into a raging fit.

Or so I've heard.

** Oh, and I should mention how thankful I am for these. I heart them.