Day #31 Friends [Part IV] When You Need Someone to Take Care of You

Yesterday, I was sick... sicker than I ever have been before in my life.  I'll spare you the details.  I am so thankful that my ex could take my son for the night, as I couldn't take care of myself so how on Earth could i have taken care of him too? I had a friend bring me some Powerade with a straw and after I didn't feel the need to rush to the bathroom every few minutes, I vegged out on the couch for a while and ate a little bit of crackers.  Then, I went to bed early. I slept in a little bit (like an hour longer than usual). I feel better now.

Day #30 Friends [Part III] Birthday Parties

Today was my friend's daughter's birthday! She turned two.  So the babe and I went over for some pizza and ice cream.  He seems to finally be catching up in size to his little buddies. The birthday girl seemed to have a great time, so did my son. :)

Day #29 Friends [Part II] Going to the Carnival

Today, my son and I went to the carnival.  He took a long nap so he could stay up later. Since he is so young, he wasn't big enough to go on any rides but between us three adults we managed to take turns and go on a couple of rides. It was a lot of fun! Every once in a while you need to scream your head off and laugh. :)

Day #28 Leftovers

     I LOVE LEFTOVERS.  You save money from NOT going out to get fast food and have a wonderful meal AGAIN. Some of the best leftovers are: steak and mash potatoes, grilled chicken, lasagna, fettucini alfredo, Christmas ham, and Thanksgiving turkey. Can you tell that I LOVE food? haha

Day #27 Online Bill Paying

     I realized today that “oh no!” I have a bill that is due TOMORROW!  Thankfully there is a website written  on the bill.  I get to the website and it says that I not only can I pay the bill online (and not pay a fee) but that I can set up an autopay on it. That way I can forget about paying it and everything will still run smoothly. How cool?!

Day #26 Breakfast Taco Tuesday

     On Tuesdays, my boss get breakfast tacos for the office. We usually pool our money for them and such. Well, it just so happens that on Tuesdays I’m usually a forgetful mess.  I always somehow forget my breakfast or my juice and end up STARVING at the office.  Then comes the Chief with the tacos… YUM!

Day #25 The Morning Walk to the Car

    On the drive to work, listening to K-Love (a Christian radio station), the morning topic was about the 60 second period that makes or breaks your day.  For married people it is usually the 60 seconds when you first see your spouse after work. If you are happy to see them, listen to them, hug or kiss them, then generally your day will turn out to have been good overall.  If you, however, start off with a “You forgot the trash this morning.”  “When are you going to mow the lawn?” etc then chances are it will be bad. 

     The 60 seconds of my day that are the MOST important to me would be the morning walk to the car.  It’s a bit chilly here in the morning, so I get everything out to the car before waking up my son.  After I get him ready, my son and I get to the door to lock up and get going. I generally carry him to the car since he’s sleepy still.  He puts his arms around me and snuggles his head to my neck.  This is the best part of my day.  If everything else in my day is awful, THIS ALONE will make it all worth while. 

Day #24 Back-Up

     Today I had a friend come over after work to hang out. However, watching a baby, having my son running around AND trying to make dinner, things get kinda hectic.  It was nice to have an extra pair of hands and another imagination. We all had a lot of fun.

Day #23 Long Distance Phone Calls

   Today I had a phone call from an Army buddy that is serving in Afghanistan. We didn’t talk very long, nor did we discuss anything really important.  The quality of the call was ATROCIOUS! But it was so nice to hear from him and just laugh at dumb stuff… and another good thing is that I didn’t have to pay for the call… but I won’t tell him that.

Day #22 DVR's

   We all seem to have such busy lives! We have work, child- raising, school, etc.  I’d like to say that as a child, I WISHED I could hit the pause button on tv so I could go to the bathroom and not miss my favorite show, or even worse to go do homework.:)

     Now, we are able to pause the tv, rewind and record without the hassel of VHS. I’m so happy that I can set something to record for an entire series. Of course, I forget about it while I’m at work or chasing the little one around before bedtime.  Then when he’s in bed I pick up my crocheting and turn on the recorded stuff. It’s the best!

Day #21 Snuggling

    Snuggling makes your heart swell.  Nothing is better when you’ve had a hard day than snuggling. Today my son was sick and I had to call out of work. One good thing from it was snuggling! He hasn’t left me alone. I like that part.

Day #20 Cookies

    Of all things, cookies are my vice.  They are just so good! When I’m happy “let’s make cookies.” When I’m sad “I need cookies.”  And oh what fun the many varieties of cookies there are : Oatmeal, oatmeal and chocolate chips, chocolate chip, sugar, peanut butter, etc. Gosh! YUM!

Day #19 Music

    Music brightens your day. It captures you mood.  It lets you express your feelings and beliefs.  Helps you send praises.  It brings people closer througha common bond and interest… man the list just goes on and on.

     Music is one of those things that I simply can not do without.  On my way to work, I listen to K-Love (a Christian radio station that is broadcasted all around the world). It lifts my spirit and brightens my day.  Sometimes on the way home, my son and I listen to Veggie tales version on classic children songs.  He gets very excited and kicks his little feet. Sometimes, at a red light I could actually feel him shake the car (and remember he weighs a mere 22 pounds. Haha)

     I love dancing with him at home.  We bounce around to his little kid shows and salsa dance.  I’m so glad that he loves music.

Day #18 Friends Who Love Me No Matter What

Today, I found it hard to find something to be thankful for.  I guess I'm just feeling a bit down. I was about to resort to something practical like "I'm thankful for indoor plumbing." haha Then I was reminded that I really am loved by my friends. I'm truly thankful for you who inspire me and make me feel better when life isn't so kind to me. The sun might come out tomorrow and even if it doesn't, I have some sweet friends. :) Thank you. Goodnight.

Day #17 Days off from Work

Today is a federal holiday, aka a day off. YAY!! It was been nice to sleep in a few hours later and yes take a nap in the afternoon, just because I felt like it.

I ran an errand and just sat around crocheting and catching up on some DVR'd shows. I think my little man enjoyed having me to play with today. Though I am glad that I work, a day off here and there is nice. Hope you enjoyed your day like I did.

Day #16 Washing Machine

There have been times when I used a line dryer and it was great... however, I could never imagine washing all my clothes by hand!! I am sooo thankful for washing machines :) The first patent for the washing machine was given to a woman. haha She knew her stuff! The following, more advanced machines were designed by men who must have seriously loved their wives, or didn't want them to complain anymore about doing their laundry. haha

Day #15 Rain

San Antonio drivers are absolutely awful... and yes rain makes them worse. However, the sound of rain in the morning and for the afternoon nap is great!! It's nice and relaxing.

Day #14 Variety

How boring would life be without a little variety.We see variety in everything: people, food, smells, colors, shape, etc. My favorite thing of variety today would have to be bagels.  mmm a cinnamon bagel with honey walnut and also hazelnut cream cheese. Last time I had a bagel it was asiago cheese with a veggie cream cheese spread. YUM!!

Day #13 Personal Time

No matter how much you love your family, having time to yourself to get things done is always a good thing. I really enjoy going grocery shopping and running errands without my little guy, though it  RARELY happens. That way, I don't have to worry about stuffing him with snacks and finding little things to play with while shopping and I don't have to hear him get annoyed with being in the car a little too long. lol There is just so much to do in a day and it never gets done completely with little man all over the place. So, having a couple hours to myself is really nice and VERY productive.

Day #12 Heaters

You never quite realize how much you appreciate, miss or take something for granted until it is taken away. 

 

It has gotten pretty cold here in Tejas! 35 ish today.  The Army chose this day to be the perfect time to go to the weapons qualifying range. YAY! I had a great time but, Man, was it cold?! While I was firing I took my glove off (technically you are allowed to wear them while firing, but I can't shoot as accurately with them on) needless to say my fingers really started to hurt. Being outside for three hours like that really chills you to the bone. That is why I am extremely thankful for heaters. :)

Day #11 Kindness

I've been told that my kindness is the first thing others have noticed about me. Kindness is very important to me. Growing up, I was taught to "be nice," help others, and be like Jesus. 

 

In fact, Jesus is a wonderful example of kindness, the best one actually. No one has done more for mankiond out of pure love, shown through kindness, than he.  After his great example, how can I be so selfish as to NOT give my time to help others? It's not too much to ask for us to let peetty things go without causing a scene/ drama, to hold the door for someone, babysit, smile at someone, call a friend in need, etc.

 

I'm so glad I can see this quality in my son. I know I have already talked a lot about him on here, but I do spend a majority of my time with him. haha We've been watching a little baby girl recently.  Every time she cries he comes running.  If he sees her bottle, he picks it up and tries to feed her.  He pats her back or tummy (like I do to him) to comforrt her.  He even lays down by her as to make her not feel lonely or he holds her hand. I hope he'll always possess this kindness towards others.

 

I'm so happy when others are kind to me.  I get a little lonely and feel left out a lot, lately.  The other day a friend called to invite Dallyn and I to go to the Children's Museum out here. It made my day, really. :) At work he have these 5 gallon jugs of water delivered and if you want to drink it you pay a monthly fee of $3. And today, I was surprised to find out that my boss paid my dues for a couple of months for no other reason but to be nice. It really made me feel good.

Day #10 Internet

Since my computer is down (at home), I'm really noticing how much I am thankful for the internet.

 

It is great for me, who lives away from all my family, to be able to stay in touch with everyone and share photos and adventures with them still.  I also LOVE being able to get help from my sisters on craft projects, do school work without having to be in a classroom, buy things that are unavailable in stores, talk to friends that are deployed, etc. 

Day #9 Naps

I never have nor will I ever NOT appreciate a nap, whether it is me taking it or my son taking it.  When he naps, I get things down that I have been meaning to do: laundry, dishes, homework, etc.  And, of course, my favorite things to do while he is  napping is sneak one in myself.

Day #8 Friends [Part I] coming over

This might not be headed where you think it is. True I love having friends come over and hanging out. HOWEVER, It's nice to feel the "oh crap" sensation when I realize how much of a MESS my place is. haha That happened today. Some plans were changed last minute for a friend to pick up my son and I for a birthday party. The race was on.  I finally folded those clean towels, washed the dishes that were piling up in the sink, cleaned off the table a little, filled milk and juice cups ofor the fridge and a couple other things.  I feel good looking around and seeing the toys put up and everything just a little cleanER. Thank goodness for friends coming over that make you clean up every once in a while. :)

Day #7 Cameras

As I sat at my desk today, I tried to draw one of the pictures I had of my son. After I failed miserably, I realized how thankful I am of my camera. I can just "click" and there he is. captured for all time as my swet and fun little guy. 

It'd be so frustrating to wait, lik ein the past, for someone to paint a family portrait. It is hard enough to have everyone paying attention, looking at the camera, no sneezing or blinking, etc. I'd hate to have to sit there for hours, for a couple of days for the picture.  God bless the man who made the camera. :)

Day #6 Hugs

Sounds like a pretty simple idea, huh? But when you are having a seriously tough time, feeling down, unhappy, a simple hug is the best thing in the entire world!! We hug when we are sad, happy, excited... many many reasons. Hugging is just great! Be thankful, hug someone. :)

Day #5 Tolerance

     We are all well aware that we, as a gloal society, are very different from each other.  This is seen in many areas of life: politics, religion, child raising techniques, views on acceptable social lives, sexual orientation, living green and the list goes on and on. One of the best things that I have encountered in my life is tolerance.
     Let's be very clear that tolerance is not the act of accepting the beliefs and views of others or agreeing with them, but respecting them though they are contrary to your own beliefs. I think tolerance is a hard thing for a lot of our society today.  Maybe I'm a dreamer, because I can see that if we had more people with the ability to be tolerant the entire world could change.
     It wasn't very long ago that racism against African/ Black Americans was prevalent in our country.  Over time, this has become lessened due to tolerance. Those individuals who were tolerant and/or supported the equal rights for our fellow country men and women of darker skin passed this ability to their children, who in turned passed it to their children, and so on.
     After all, we shape the world through our children.  Knowing that, maybe we should each them tolerance.  It may very well be the closest thing we will ever get to world peace.

Day #4 Family [Part I] My Mother

The more I live having to do things on my own, the more I realize I call my mom more and more for help or advice.  I remember moving and going to college and I had to call my mom to see how long to boil eggs for. hahaha

And just today,  my son and I were playing on the bed. He was falling forward onto the bed like a plant of wood and laughing. He was thuroughly enjoying himself.  Then, he got too close to the wall and hit his nose on the window sill. OUCH! That poor little guy! So after getting him calm again and applying ice to his little nose, I called my mom to see what I should do.  Haha. Of course he was bouncy and laughing after a few minutes. It is nice to be able to call Mom when I need "mommy advice." Thanks Mom. :)

Day #3 Laughter

Today on the way home from the babysitter's house, my son, Dallyn, just started cracking up. I have no idea WHAT was so funny, but his laughter was AMAZING! I love that when I have a bad day, or just feel low, he truly brightens my day just by laughing. He finds something so simple and it just gets him going and then he wants to come over and share it with me. He's so sweet and his laughter is my favorite!! Here is him cracking up today when we were in the car. He sounded a little creepy actually. Yes it's safe to download and really is hilarious! I had to hold back my laughter the entire time I was recording. :)

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Day #2 Pioneers

Today at Church we sang this song called, "Come, come ye saints."  It is about the pioneers and their journey out West. Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, you come to appreciate the very first members of the Church and all the troubles they went through. Many of them died on the journey to Utah through the freezing winter.  It's sad to think that some lost everything or had to leave everything they had to get to Utah: possesions, family members a lot of children, even their own lives.  And even with them losing all of that they still thanked God and wrote this song. Here are the words that truly stuck out to me (verses 2-4) especially number 4:

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell —
All is well! All is well!

We'll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the West.
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We'll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we'll tell —
All is well! All is well!

And should we die before our journey's through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain;
Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell —
All is well! All is well!

This makes me feel silly for getting so upset about little things in my life.  My life wouldn't be so full if it wasn't for the pioneers and all they went through. That is why I am soooo thankful for them today.

Day #1 Wal-Mart

I know others have their own take on Wal-Mart (about not liking it)... And that is definitely their call.  I, however, am thankful today for Wal-Mart. Where else can I go to get groceries, toys, clothing AND get my oil changed and brand new tires?? Granted I stayed there about 45 minutes longer than I normally would have, but I'm okay with that.  My car sounds and drives better now. :) I'm definiely thankful for that and who isn't happy about FOOD?!

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