{30 Days of Thanks~Day 6}

Today I am thankful for:

 

 time with my sister Shannon--shown here with her youngest, Nathan at Caitlin's wedding.

She is here on business and visiting for a few days. She's staying with me tonight and I can't wait to have some time with just her! This is a rare and beautiful thing! She is a dear friend, sister, soulmate. We have LOTS of memories---one of my favorites involves a can of bug spray and a hole in her bedroom door.......I'm sure you can figure out WHO put said hole in the door....but I'll never tell! Off to enjoy some time with her~I am blessed. Tomorrow she is running the half in the City of Oaks marathon, so we can't stay up late....of course, she's ALWAYS been an early riser, so we couldn't stay up late anyway. There are more "teenage years" stories attached to the early riser thing, but I'll spare you.....for now. They will all be in my salacious memoir someday!

{30 Days of Thanks~Day5}

Today I'm in thankful for a quiet evening and simple entertainment.
Joshua and I watched this tonight:

We went to see it with Hannah when it came out in the theater. NOT the movie you want to see right after your child graduates! But I DO love these characters! Joshua and I would have loved for our entire family to be together tonight, but it was just the two of us. In spite of that, we really had a fun evening laughing and talking. God is good to give me this child to love! Sometimes the little things in life are the sweetest. I hope you make some sweet memories this weekend and you are thankful!

{30 Days of Thanks~Day 4}

Today I'm thankful for this:

OK, he's not really a "this"---he's a young man---my son-in-law. I haven't said that very often---it's strange to be an inlaw. You know, that's what your parents are---NOT YOU, right?

BUT, I am so grateful for him--Carson. Ever since Caitlin came into this world I have prayed for her mate.

• I prayed that he would love her, and show her the kindness that everyone needs. 
• I prayed that he would love the Lord---with his whole heart, that he would lead his wife to love him more and teach his children to do the same.
• I prayed that he would be a motivated worker in whatever job he wanted to do. 
• I prayed that he would be a loving and active father in his kid's lives.
• I prayed that his parents would stay together and love each other.

OH MY--did the Father answer my prayers! It was just over a year ago that Caitlin and Carson were engaged---that's unbelieveable to me---SOOOO much has changed in this last year. In that one year I have started to get to know this gift to our family and he's such a great fit. You know how inlaws need to "fit" right? :) He's everything I prayed for. I'm so grateful to the Lord for his provision to Caitlin and our whole family.

 My heart is full of gratitude for his parents who loved him and raised him to love the Father. What a gift this is to MY family. We are all so happy to have a larger family now! AND, a sweet little granddaugther to fight over....uh, love! ;D But, that's another thing I'm thankful for, and that's for another day!

This is what I'm thankful for today~

{30 Days of Thanks~Day 3}

WOW---so much to be thankful for. It sounds crazy with all of God's blessings, family, amazing friends, that I would be so thankful for this---but TECHNOLOGY has been a blessing in my life---and I can say, especially today!

• I'm thankful that I can get an email from my child who is traveling the world within a minute of her sending it.
• I'm thankful for the same technology to be able to email with my husband who is overseas on business. (and can I say I'm grateful that he doesn't travel all that often---I like it when he's home!)
• I'm thankful for Skype-the fact that I can talk to people here in Raleigh or on the other side of the world as long as I have internet access---oh, and can you say FREE!!!???
• Even MORE crazy---I have skype on MY PHONE---insane!
• I'm thankful that I can catch up with old friends---via facebook---'nuff said about that. Oh,---that's on my phone, too--more crazy!
• I am thankful that I can sit on my bed and have mindless television playing while I type this blog post==uh, that there are such things as BLOGS---and "the interweb"---;-D I'm thankful for that, too!

Again, I know in light of eternity, these things aren't that significant---but it certainly makes life easier when your loved ones are overseas (or just out of town) and you can have instant access to them. I think of the missionaries I would hear of when I was growing up who went overseas and would RARELY talk to their family members---much less anyone else. Now, they are able to still be a part of their lives with the aid of such advanced technology---WOW! Technology keeps me in touch with my family---at least for today---for this, I'm grateful.

{30 Days of Thanks~Day 2}

Today I am thankful for my job---I work at a smallish Classical Christian School here in Raleigh, Trinity Academy of Raleigh. I've posted about numerous activities there, about my children's acheivements there, but I'm not sure I've posted about my job there. I teach music in the Lower School---besides my natural desire to be a wife and mom, this is what God created me to do---seriously, I'm quite happy doing it. Now, anyone who really knows me woudln't be surprised to hear me say I'd rather be a full time wife and mom, but this job blesses my family by giving me some income to help us pay for our children (now only ONE) to attend there.

So, why am I thankful for my job?

• I love the people I work with. The Lower School at Trinity is separated into two buildings---my classroom is in Building B. I love the teachers on my Hall---we laugh, and cry, and pray, and rant with each other on a daily basis. I am so blessed to have godly women to work with who encourage me to do the right thing everyday---
• I love the students! Seriously---I have taught for a long time, in several different environments and these are the best children ever. Of course, they aren't perfect---there's plenty of frustration....but I love them and I laugh with them. We have FUN learning and that's what it's about.
• I love the families of these children. Again, I've seen a lot of "parents" in my teaching time and the Trinity Community is a unique place. They are such supporters of their children and all that I do with them. You won't find better parents~
• My job is part-time---:) This is one of the BIG reasons I love it! Honestly, I don't think I could do this full time---I'd fall apart! There's just so much to do and if I worked full time I'd have no time to do any of it! This year, I have a great schedule---working Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday---very sweet!
• I love the community at Trintiy---the entire community is a special place. I wish I could describe it to people---there's something unique and precious about the Trinity community and this makes my job even more enjoyable. 
• I love our Head of School---Robert Littlejohn. He's a great visionary---he loves this institution and what it stands for. I trust him. He's been good for us and I hope he will stay with us for a very long time.

Oh, I could go on---but I DO have thirty days to be thankful, right? I don't have to be grateful for EVERYTHING today! Are you looking for a place in Raleigh to put your child in school? My own children have been at Trinity since 1998 (yes, I'm that old!) and I can truly say, it's a great place. I'd be happy to talk to you about it if you'd like! (and no---no one asked me to do this---you're too cynical)

So, do you like your job? What are you thankful for today?

{30 Days of Thanks~Day 1}

Hello my two faithful readers! I haven't forgotten this blog---I actually have several posts typed up, but I'm waiting to get my pictures on my computer---that's another story!

30 Days of Thanks---WOW---that's hardly enough days to tell all the things I'm thankful for---but I'm going to do my best.

I'm thankful for my family. Life isn't perfect---but it's good. I have a great family---we laugh, we love, we live life together. This year is proving to be our most interesting yet! One wedding, one new job, one child traveling the world, one husband working out of town during the week, one baby on the way, one crazy fourth grade dancing man, two extra people in the house for now, one house in need of some work.....and the list goes on. But in the midst of this insanity, I have learned to treasure my family more than ever---to NEVER take them for granted, and to LOVE any time I get with them---because it is fleeting. Life moves at such a crazy pace that I DO try to stop and enjoy the moments.

Extended family---people always laugh when others talk about extended family---but I'm grateful for mine. OH, Don't get me wrong---there's plenty to laugh about in our family as well---but fortunately we choose to LAUGH about it, instead of scream, or cry!!! MY SIDE: My sisters are precious to me---and my parents, as well. My brother in law and nephews are dear. I need more time with them---again with the insane pace of life......

DAVID'S SIDE--some of my most treasured memories with my own little family have been in the company of these people---hearing Pam and Rick fight---again!, (just kidding---sort of!), watching my nieces and nephews grow up---from afar, much of the time, but watching nonetheless (9 of them!!). Most are grown now---several married, new babies---it has happened. The "Kids"---"us", are now the grandparents and the "children"--"they", are now the parents. Let's all sing "The Circle of Life" and go to bed!

Enjoy your month of Thanks---what are you thankful for today? Let me know---I probably am, too!

{Joshua and our own Catalog Living}

OK---Have you seen Catalog Living? I have had this blog on my reader since the first post---oh. my. gosh--it is laugh out loud funny! The blog is the brainchild of Molly Erdman. She was looking through a catalog one day and thought some of the pictures were ridiculous, so now she blogs about them. Here are a few of my favorite posts: Here, here, and here. There are so many others---you should just look through her archive someday if you need a laugh! They are one sentence and a picture---we all have time for that in a day!

Joshua was dragged along went to the Mall with me today---hey, there's a Lego store AND an Apple store there---he didn't suffer----too much. I still had a significant amount of Pottery Barn money leftover from some teacher gifts I received last year and I wanted some new things for Fall---Pottery Barn has BEAUTIFUL fall decor, so I thought I'd treat myself without having to spend any of my own money! Joshua LOVED this store---he kept picking EVERYTHING up---it was crazy! They have some very odd accessories---like a set of vintage keys that range in length from 4 to 7 inches, or an hour glass that is HUGE and easily is a true "HOUR GLASS", if not longer. Well, I have received Pottery Barn magazines long enough to recognize the pictures and Catalog Living uses their pictures pretty often.

As we were wandering around, Joshua found this  Vintage Wood long Cheese Board. Well, first he tried to figure out what it was and then at the same time, we said, "It's a HUGE Spanking Spoon". Then he decided he needed to pose for pictures---

Here he is "reading the paddle"--aka Vintage Wood Long Cheese Board

 

His crazy parent face----FORTUNATELY he's never seen that at our home---it must have come from TV...

So, in true Catalog Living Style---leave me your best line to capture this photo.....and make it snarky!

This is what we do on a Friday night in Raleigh, NC when no one else is home----do you understand now why we need to move to Winston Salem as soon as possible? My poor son......he needs some other influences in his life!