Gratitude

Okay.. I've kind of been in this funk lately. And I'm not really sure just why. I think it started around Christmas time. I just kind of feel like I focus too much on the things I don't have and really want and not on all the wonderful things I have in my life. It's not so much the monetary things I just really missed my family during the holidays. Kind of thought of all the Christmas' I spent with my siblings and took for granted. Now that most of us have children of our own I want more than anything to have everyone together and well that's just not going to happen very easily. I remember years ago I was having a rough time and Oprah was encouraging a gratitude journal. I found a small journal and started one. Some days there was only one thing listed other days pages, but it helped me so much to keep my focus on the things I already had and not the everyday "life happens" stuff that can bring you down... so I am going to start one of those gratitude journals again. So to pull myself out of this blue funk I am in, I will list 10 things that I am grateful for and that make me happy!

The knowledge that I have all the following things that make me happy in my life because my Heavenly Father and my Eldest brother Jesus Christ want me to be happy, love me and think I am worthy to have them.

My daughter's artwork. This is a sidewalk chalk masterpiece. She insisted on my taking a picture and then wanted 4 copies of the picture for her friends. Then she came running up to me with such a serious look and tone in her voice saying no, she needed 5 copies because daddy needed one... because you know daddy he just loves my picture. I swear sometimes she talks so grown up and sophisticated I have to remind myself she's only six.

My Christmas tree... I love Christmas trees and nativities. I think the tree represents all the magic, love and family to me. Where do you gather on Christmas morning with your family?... around the Christmas tree, the lights sparkle to remind me of the light of Christ in our lives. If I could get away with it I would leave my Christmas tree up all year. But unfortunately hubby won't go for that. He likes to have all the Christmas stuff put away by the day after New Years. However I sure do love him for never ever complaining about my new ornament additions each year. I think I have enough ornaments to decorate about 10 trees. I just can't stop collecting them.

My nieces and nephew. They are so sweet and their parents are really doing a wonderful job raising them to be good kids. They are full of mischief but they are so loving and kind. How could you not fall in love with these sweet little faces?

Nature in general.. I love the outdoors... I love the animals.. I love the smell of the air after a spring rain. This was taken at the wildflower farm in Fredericksburg TX. Katherine was so excited because she got a butterfly to land on her finger. I think we might make this a yearly event.

My husband... he is the only person in the world that would put up with me sometimes. He is a wonderful father to our daughter and he always tries his best to make us happy.

My daughter's sense of style... okay it's in the development phase. But her unconditional love and her great sense of humor is the highlight to my day. She is a little drama queen and can fool the best with her on the spot bawling full blown tears cascading down her little cheeks at her whimsy... but within minutes she's laughing and giggling.

My daughters smile

The dogs... and seeing Katherine play with them and love them.

The Beach... it's so relaxing to me. I love this photo so much.

Unofficial New Years Resolution

For those of you that have not heard of Dave Ramsey I highly recommend him. This year our family decided unofficially to have a new year's resolution the become debt free. Now we are not swimming in debt by any means, however we had a little credit card debt and two vehicles to pay off. Well Dave Ramsey really has some great common sense advice on how to live within your means. Not that's it's easy or anything but we are looking forward to being able to buy a car with cash instead of having to finance. We want to get into a larger house and not live paycheck to paycheck so to speak. So if you want to get a grip on spending and get some good advice to avoid some financial pitfalls I highly recommend this book. Thanks to my darling husband for finding Dave's show on the fox business channel and helping get us on the right track.

Little Things

Once again... little things make me so happy. Sometimes my hubby just doesn't get it. I think he feels he has to make these huge grand gestures for me. I really don't need that. Flowers for no reason are nice, but they die. What he did for me the other night just makes me so darn happy and if your look at it, it's really nothing. We were sleeping and it was probably 3 AM when I woke him up and said "are you cold?" He promptly sat up reached down to the end of the bed and pulled up the extra blanket and covered me up. Now I may be deluding myself, because he is a heavy sleeper and may have done this in his sleep. But it just made me feel so good. I didn't expect him to get the blanket, I just didn't want to put more blankets on if he was going to get too hot. My husband will never be the most romantice (example for our first wedding anniversary he got me a deep fryer which I returned... however he did light a pair of underwear on fire for me too... long story.. ask I might tell you). It's been two days and I still get the warm fuzzies over him covering me up. I've told him repeatedly how good it made me feel. I think he suspects he's married a crazy woman. And you know he probably has :o)

Break is over... Back To School

Katherine came home from school. I asked her how her day went and she said good. But don't be mad... okay? I said well no promises, what is it? I was talking today when I shouldn't and I got a mark by my name. Okay... what does that mean? Just I got a mark by my name on the board. Now having my kindergarten report card 19?? and having my teacher write Jo Lynn has excellent communication skills and does not need any more practise in this area, I can kind of relate to Katherine. So I have no idea if this mark is a bad thing or not. I am going to go with not since there was no note from her teacher. When I asked Katherine to do her homework we had a difference in opinions as to how important homework was. I said do it, she said no I don't want to. I left her to do her homework and when it was a little too quiet I peaked in on her and this is what I found. No wonder she didn't want to do her homework, she was tired. Kindergarten is so different now, I went 1/2 a day and had nap time during that half day. We even got to go to the cafeteria and get milk and cookies. Now there is no milk and cookies, there is no nap time and it's a whole day. By the end of the year she must be reading. I only had to know my alphabet and the sounds the letters made. No wonder my poor princess is so tuckered out. Better her than me!!!

I had to post this just because I think it's too too cute. Katherine loves her dogs. This one is Bandit... and he is the one who will cuddle with you. He just loves getting under the covers and cuddling. Katherine however is not sleeping... she was just pretending. Maybe if I let Bandit sleep with her she'll stay in her bed all night. We are working very hard to get her to stop coming in mommy and daddy's bed in the middle of the night. When it first started I could feel her climb in bed and I could guide her back to her own bed. But now I guess I am just so tired I don't even know she's there until I wake up. Or she smacks me in the face with her arm, or digs her toes into my ribs. She has to sleep in the middle of Danny and I, but never ever messes with him. She just gravitates to my side of the bed and leaves me about 1/16th of the bed to try and sleep on. She claims mommy and daddy's bed is just more comfortable than her bed. IRRR! Considering that the first few months of her life she wouldn't sleep in anything but her car seat I guess we've made some improvement. I guess it's true, once you have kids you never get another full nights rest, at least it's that way in my house.

Katherine's off off off off Broadway premiere!

Here is a picture of Katherine in her Kindergarten Christmas pageant. She is in the front next to the back of someones big head. Behind her is her bestest friend Alana and three rows up on the right is her boyfriend/fiance Benjamin. Benjamin doesn't know they are getting married yet, it's a secret. But he does write her love notes. The Christmas program was so cute... I was pleasantly surprised at how well the kids did. They sang 4 songs and there were motions they had to do for each song. The finale was the 12 days of Christmas and it was just too cute. My usually shy daughter was in the front row and did not miss a beat... she sang her little heart out until she lost her voice. She told me that Miss Hampton the music teacher made her sing so loud she lost her voice. I was so proud.

No Need for Speed Here

My darling daughter who begged and pleaded to get a bike from Santa, and he delivered one to her. She was thrilled when she saw it Christmas morning. However my girly girl doesn't like to go "fast" meaning anything faster than one or two rotations of the wheels per minute. To which her response of going "fast" is to close her eyes and just hang on. If I can figure out how to upload video I have her coasting the her eyes closed oh so tightly. I love my girly girl.. but I just don't know where the girly girl part of her came from. I was a tom boy and her father is anything but feminine. Every day she begs to wear a skirt or dress and is very upset if I tell her she must wear pants. She will always be our little princess.