A month of being thankful, Day 14, 15 and 16

Oh geez...I haven't kept this up as good as planned!  I am going to work on catching this up some.

Day 14:
I am so very thankful for my coworker and her sweet surprises.  She surprised me this week with clothes for Garrett.  She gives without asking and just puts a smile on my face when I need it.

Day 15:
I am thankful for a growing healthy boy!  He asks for me to measure him a lot and so we keep the chart on this door frame.  I noticed recently that all of a sudden his ankles were hanging out of his pants...every single one of them!  Gah.  I hated sending him to school looking like he doesn't own proper clothes, but what can you do the morning you send him to school?  Nothing!  So we went and measured him.  He has grown ONE INCH in about 6 weeks!  No wonder why he has been starving lately!  SO we went and purchased a couple of pairs of pants.  He went from 2T to 4T in a blink of an eye!  I swear he will be taller than Josh anyday yet!

Day 16:
I am thankful for this sweet little boy.  This was picture day and I could just SQUEEZE HIM!

I mean seriously!!!!!

A month of being thankful, Days 12 & 13

Man...I was doing so well doing my blog daily and then I forgot about it last night! 

Day 12:
Yesterday I was thankful for a quiet day at the office.  Most people I know were off work yesterday due to Veterans Day, but I had to work.  We only have 3 people in my office and one was out yesterday.  Also most of the phone calls I receive are from government agencies and they were all closed!  My boss was there but left right after lunch.  I had the entire office to myself!  It is amazing how much work you can get done when you are by yourself!!  It was wonderful.

Day 13:
Today I am thankful for heated seats!!  Holla!  I've always had an older car and this year I got a "new to me car".  I got a 2010 Toyota Camry early this year and have fallen IN LOVE!  I have been so excited each morning to turn on my heated seats.  Fabulous!!! 

A month of being thankful, Day 11

Today I am thankful for all of our Veterns.   Happy Veterns Day. 

A month of being thankful, Day 10

Today I am so thankful for unexpected surprises and gifts from God.  Today Josh had to work so our plan was to go to breakfast together and then he would go to work and Garrett and I would hang out until Josh came home.  No real plans, just hang out.
We went to breakfast which was hosted by Rotary here in Greenville.  My dad is the President so it was a lot of fun to go, plus wonderful pancakes and sausage!  My mom ended up being there too and we decided to go to the library together with Garrett.  The only problem was that it was 8:20 and the library opened at 9:00.  What to do??  We walked outside and there were BEAUTIFUL fall leaves on the ground that Garrett started to pick up.  My dad came out and helped Garrett find some gorgeous leaves.  Mom and I decided to go back to their house and make place mats out of the leaves by ironing them between wax paper.  We used to do this when I was a little girl and it was on my bucket list of things to do this fall.  Well it didn't turn out quite like I remember.  It worked enough though and was a fun memory.
After that we went to the library and picked out about 25 books.  I love the library!  Where else can you bring as many books home as you want and don't have to pay a thing!  We get so bored reading the same old books so we are excited to have some new reading material.  If they had a sanitize section to clean the books that would be amazing.  I just feel as though they are covered in germs!
There happened to be a BMX show going on next to the library (perfect)!  Garrett was amazed.  We sat there and watched them do their amazing stunts.  I think he wants to be a BMX rider now.  Let me tell you this mama needed a xanax was about to have a nervous breakdown and they weren't my children! 
We ate lunch at a yummy pizza place.  We were the only people there and Garrett found a dime on the table next to us.  So my mom gave it to our waiter and told him Garrett had found it on the table next to us (remember we were the first customers of the day).  He came back to give us our check and asked if we had really found that dime on the table next to us.  We told him yes and he told us that his wife's grandfather passed away not too long ago and ever since then she has been finding dimes all around (apparently that was something he gave her a lot or something?).  Anyway it gave me goosebumps to think we were the first customers there (clearly the tables had been cleaned the night before) and there was that dime there for our waiter.  LOVE it when stuff like that happens, it's like a hug from God!
After that we went to Catalog Connection which is a store that has discounted name brand clothing.  I had a $25 dollar gift certificate that was going to expire next month so I went to see what I could find.  Well nothing fit (hello exercise) so I decided to look at their coats.  I have been wanting a nice coat for a while.  I found a red J. Crew wool coat that was originally $330 dollars on sale for $65 dollars!!!  So it made it $48 dollars after my gift certificate!!  I felt like a million dollars with it on!  Yay for the small things!!
Josh and I volunteered in the 3 year old class tonight at church.  Luckily there were only 6 children so it was small.  One of the little girls that was there is one of my college roommates niece.  She is such a sweet little girl and so much fun.  There happened to be another little boy in the class and his last name is unusual.  I went to school with a girl with that same last name and we lived on the same hall freshman year at college.  Turns out that is his Aunt!  What a small world! 
IT was a great day and one of those that you look back on and just think how thankful you are.  If Josh could have been there with me that would have just been the icing on the cake!!  Oh and the weather was absolutely beautiful today too!

A month of being thankful, Day 9

Today I am thankful for a good report from the dermatologist today.  I've had a few moles removed from my back.  They usually shave them off, but earlier this year one that was removed grew back.  They wanted me to come back after the summer to have it removed.  I had it cut out last week. 
Garrett thought it was cool with all the stitches.  They told me that they got back the test results and everything was fine with it!
I tell you I get so nervous about skin cancer.  I am a avid sunscreen user and plan to continue.  It makes my skin crawl to see people not wear sunscreen or go to tanning beds. It is just too scary. 
Yay for good reports!

A month of being thankful, Day 8

Today I'm thankful for a sweet little boy who is learning all sorts of new things.  Each week the have a letter that they are focusing on and they are encouraged to bring an item that starts with that letter to school.  They have a letter box and the teacher goes over each thing in the letter box with the kids.  Garrett makes sure to show me every item that every child brought in.  He then tells me about the others that he didn't get to show me.  It is the highlight of his day.
This week is "H" week.  Garrett is obsessed now with a harmonica.  So we went to look for one today.  We found one at Target for 5 dollars.  On the way home he played it in the back seat.  He was so so proud of himself.  It was fun looking back and seeing a HUGE smile as he played away!
Love these sweet moments with him!

A month of being thankful, Day 7

This will be short, I'm tired again!  I am thankful for the ability to be a good cook and  baker.  I enjoy baking for others as well.  Pintrest has been an amazing tool in helping with my cooking/baking addiction.  Here are some of my favorite recipes from pintrest:

Egg and Cheese muffins

 

 

 

hibachi-chicken-and-shrimp YUMMY

 

 

asian-honey-bbq-chicken by far my favorite bbq chicken recipe!

 

 

 

Spaghetti and Meatballs this is healthy and we make these on almost a weekly basis!

 

 

 

Those are just a few, but SO YUMMY!!

A month of being Thankful, Day 6

Today I am thankful for the job that I have.  I used to work for a bank and loved the people I worked with, but it was too stressful for me!  Luckily for me one of my friends knew I didn't enjoy the bank and told me that there was a position open where her husband worked.  I was in the process of going back to school to be a teacher at the time and needed a less stressful job.  He called and I went in and interviewed and got the job!  I would be doing Accounts Payable for a franchisee of Taco Bell.  I really enjoyed this job.  I enjoyed it so much that I stopped going back to school and decided to stay on there full time.
In 2007 they sold the company to another franchise.  Luckily, they kept me on and now I do payroll for 34 restaurants.  We have KFC, Taco Bell and Long John Silvers.  I never in a million years would have thought that I would be doing this job.  It fell into place and has just been the perfect job. 
My boss is a great guy that we've ended up being great friends as well.  We've been though a lot together and just click.  It's nice to click with coworkers! 
I've met great friends there too.  I told you about Susie.  She used to work there too doing Accounts Payable.  I was NOT excited when she decided to work there.  I didn't think we would get along.  Ha!  I was so wrong.  Susie and I are such good friends.  In fact she came by today and had lunch with all of us and it was just like old times.
When Susie's replacement came I was a nervous wreck that we would not get along either.  So far so good.  We have really gotten along great and I think that it will be a great work situation.
I am so very thankful for a workplace that works with me and not against me.  For a job that gives me time off when I need it.  A job that is so very flexible when it comes to my family and looks out for my best interest.  I am very thankful to have this job and my work family.

A month of being thankful, Day 5

Wow I'm tired.  Today I am thankful for our King size bed!  Josh and I got a king size bed about six years ago and there is no turning back!  It is so bad that when we go on vacations that if we have to sleep in a queen we get a little irritated.  We love having the option to snuggle or the option to be so far apart we can't touch!  Ha! 

A month of being Thankful, Day 4

Today I'm thankful for a relaxing weekend!  We have been on the go for way to long and I have been ready for a slow weekend.  It came just in time.  Saturday there was an ECU game and Josh and I decided we would stay home this time.  I went to Harris Teeter and did some shopping by myself because it is Super Double coupon time.You know you are getting old when super double coupons are part of the highlight of your weekend :-)  I did pretty good.  I spent 60 dollars and saved 76 dollars. 

After that I came home and we lounged around the house.  I was going to take Garrett to see my Grandma.  He had been acting whiny most of the morning and turned out he was running a low fever.  So he stayed home and I went and visited her and then went to church.  I was working in Guest Services for the first time and it was a lot of fun.  Then I got to go to church.  I came home and we had Taco Soup thanks to pintrest.  Click here for the yummy recipe!
Today I have just changed out of pajamas into jeans but still am sporting a sweatshirt instead of real clothes.  Josh and Garrett have been doing housework together and working on our dining room.  Josh is making it "fancy"  Here they are working on the sprucing up the dining room:

Josh is also painting the wall white.  Here is what it looks like after. 

Pretty fancy.  Can't wait to see how the rest turns out

Garrett has been working on entertaining himself.  He isn't the best at it and always wants someone to play with him.  So he pulled out letters and decorated our fridge:

All in all it's been a great weekend and we are going to my parents tonight for dinner which means no cooking!!  Wahoo! 









A month of being Thankful, Day 3

Today I am thankful for my grandma Burton.  She is my mom's mom and has just moved here from Greensboro.  My mom went up on October 1st and found out that she was not doing well.  Basically it was very apparent that she needed to live in an assisted living.  Sadly we didn't get to Greensboro very often to visit.  We couldn't stay overnight with her, so it made for a long trip to go and visit for the day.
She moved here two weeks ago and is doing so much better.  She still has a long road ahead of her, but man what a difference a month has made!
Lucky for me her new home is 5 minutes from my work.  I've been going to visit at least once during the work week and once on the weekend. 
We have great talks and I've enjoyed meeting some of the other residents.  It is so sad because when I walk in it is like Christmas.  All the residents are so excited to see anyone come in.  I have a feeling that I will eventually get to know these other residents.
Right now I'm enjoying sweet time with my Grandma. I'm also enjoying her getting to know Garrett better and getting to see him on a regular basis. 

A month of being Thankful, Day 2

Well today I am thankful for a ridiculous thing.  Being a parent is wonderful and challenging thing.  Today I am thankful for The Apple Award.  What might you ask is this award???
It is an award at school for the child that had the best manors, took a nap, listened to their teachers etc. got an apple that hangs from their neck.  When the mention of this award came out I thought no biggie, we got this!  God must have wanted to teach me something because it has been anything but easy for us. 
Garrett was the LAST child to get this freaking wonderful award.  Everyday on the way to pick him up I would get my hopes so high that it would be THE DAY...I think 4 weeks passed.  Today I got a phone call from school.  My first thought was he's sick.  Then I heard the sweet little voice of Garrett calling me to let me know that he had received the apple award!  So I am so very thankful that he finally got it.  If he doesn't get it again I'm OK with it.  He's a good kid and we know that and that's all that matters.  So thankful for my sweet boy and the fact that he got his Apple Award!
For a celebration we went to Moe's.  When we were in line waiting for our food the guy poked his a hole in G's wrap and I didn't worry about it.  Then G went down to check out the brownie situation and when he got to the end he fell.  BUSTED hard!  There was water on the floor.  The two guys that were working there clearly didn't have kids.  They just looked at him.  He stood up and started crying like crazy.  Someone was exhausted!  So the cashier asked me if he wanted a free cookie?  It comes with the meal anyway so no thanks.  Then we had a coupon and my item was to be free, but the did G's meal.  It was just one thing after another.  So glad this apple award is DONE!
Here is a picture of one proud kid:

A month of being Thankful, Day 1

I started seeing posts on facebook about posting each day something you are thankful for.  I thought this was a great idea, but decided to instead do a blog every day of something I am thankful for.  It might be something silly, could be a long post or short post.  I just think it's important to focus on the good.  I find that a lot of times it is much easier to focus on the negative and bad and you can overlook some of the good in your life.  I challenged my friend Susie to do the same.  You can follow her blog by clicking here.  Her latest blog is great and I recommend it for a good laugh.  She is single and could write a book about her many adventures. 

Day 1:

I am going to start this blog with being thankful for God.  I've always been a believer, but until around two years ago I did not have a relationship with Christ.  I am so thankful for the relationship that I have formed with Him.  I have learned so much about what it is like to be a child of God.  The love and grace he has for us is just so amazing.  I am in a much happier place in life with this bond that I have formed. 
Embarrassing, but true story is that growing up while in church when the minister would say "Please listen for the word of God..." I thought that meant count how many times they used the word "God" while doing the sermon.  FOR REAL.  So I would sit there and every time they would say the word "God" I would smile to myself thinking got that one.  Ha!  I think I had a mild touch and still probably have of ADD.
Now church has an entire new meaning to me.  I love the music and the message and look forward to each visit.  The music is a huge way for me to connect with Him and I've downloaded a lot of new music.  It's awesome.
God has provided me with an amazing family, incredible friends, a great job and great life.  I am so forever thankful.