A Lot of Catchin' Up To Do

I have been unbelievably laaaaazy with my blog over the last few days. I don't know why I'm in a funk, but I'm about to bombard my blog with one GIGANTIC post to try and catch up. Hope you don't mind.

I missed Thankful Thursday, and there are always things to be thankful for. So here's my Thursday post a day late...





Thank you, dear daughter, for getting up at 6:30am. Seriously. You need to sleep in until 8am please.

Thank you, husband. You know what you did.

Thank you, Dish, for sending out our new receiver. Only, the smart card didn't work and I had to figure all of that out over the phone. And I lost everything that had been recorded, including Disney shows we no longer get because we cut our cable back. And why am I missing channels? Not a fan of yours at the moment. Can you tell?

Thank you, self, for the horrible mood you've been in lately. What the hell? I'm not even PMSing - I don't think.

Thank you, weather, for being gorgeous one day and then only in the 40s the next. Love having to explain to my children that it's too cold to play outside when we've been able to enjoy the outside so much lately.

Thank you, kids, for being so much fun to play with. It really is fun when we get to play outside.

Thank you, guy at Home Depot who helped me load hundreds of pounds of sand into my trunk. My kids better know how much I love them. A woman who must keep her house clean AND who buys sand for her children. Those two things do not go together.

Thank you, Mom, for sending the kids the cutest Easter gifts.

Thank you, family, for an amazing Easter weekend. Was that really just last week?

For more Thank Yous, you should go check out Our Imperfect Life and The Daily Dribbles.

And now for today. There is the neatest thing going on. It's the


hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom. You really should go check them out. Join in the party, maybe find some new blogs and people to adore, and quite possibly even win a few prizes along the way.
I'd personally like to win any of the following prizes in no particular order: 15, 23, 31, 32, 37, 39, 49, 52, 55, 61, 70, 71, 73, 74, 87, 88, 100, 107, usc3, usc8, usc15, usc32, usc35, usc36, usc37, usc39, usc40, usc41, usc44. Thank you all for donating such awesome prizes!

Wanna know what I'd like to win? Then go check 'em out! There are AMAZING prizes out there. What a fabulous way to find other blogs to love!

Happy Ultimate Blog Party!

And I can't forget Friday Follow.
sponsored by and hosted by Midday Escapades, One 2 Try, and Hearts Make Families.

To join in this fun, Link up your blog and URL using the MckLinky below. You only need to do this on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops. Them grab the Friday Follow button and put it in your post. Follow those fabulous hostesses mentioned up there, and start finding blogs you want to follow. Please remember to comment on new blogs you find that you are from Friday Follow. And, to be nice, follow your new followers back.







Happy Friday Follow!

Ok. I think that about sums up my post today. I'm looking forward to meeting lots of new bloggers! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Thankful Thursday #4

Thank you, husband, for making my coffee before you left for work a few days this week. It was so nice to come downstairs and smell my yummy goodness waiting for me. You're the best.

Thank you, guitar string, for not damaging my child while he was strumming you. Though, you did leave a mark on his hand, I know it could have been way worse.

Thank you, sunshine. You have to stick around!

Thank you, God, for letting my sister be OK. It was great seeing her and spending time with her, her husband, and her baby in her belly. Thank you for keeping them in your care.

Thank you, son, for constantly turning the t.v. off. Seriously, Samsung, your buttons should not be within the reach of toddlers.

Thank you, kids, for finally starting to sleep in until close to 8am. This completely rocks!

Now go check out Our Imperfect Life and The Daily Dribbles and all their thank yous!
Happy Thursday!

Post It Note Tuesday #10

It's Post It Note Tuesday time, so stop on over at Supah Mommy's place to link up and check out all the excitement!

Happy Birthday to my Wonderful Husband

photo courtesy of wicki_wicki

My wonderful husband had a birthday over the weekend, and I just want to share with you what an amazing man he is. For his birthday weekend, we went on a weekend trip to my sister's house. Isn't he the best?!? I certainly think so. He knows how much it means to me to see my family, especially since I don't see them very often. So, in honor of my husband and his birthday, I am going to gush over him just a bit.

In just 31 years, my husband has turned into a wonderful man. A man who loves me and our family. A man who makes sacrifices for us, who works hard so I can stop working from home and focus more on our kids. He's a man who tries and succeeds in making me happy. So here are just 31 little reasons why I love my husband and truly appreciate him and all he does:

1. He puts the toilet seat down. AND the toilet lid. (I know - he rocks, right?!)
2. He lets me sleep in on the weekends. I have the opportunity to sleep until 9 or 9:30am at least once on the weekends, while he takes the kids for the morning. If you know me, you know I LOVE my sleep. I wish I could do without it, but I just can't.
3. On the weekends, he cooks us breakfast - like omelets, or eggs in a nest, with bacon, etc. And it's always yummy.
4. He takes care of taking the trash out. It's just one of those jobs that I don't like doing, so he does that. And he takes the cans and recycle bins out, too.
5. He will throw laundry in when it needs to get done. He doesn't fold, but he'll wash them for me!
6. He loves to garden and has turned his hobby into something spectacular. Our family really enjoys the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, onions, broccoli, etc. that he grows for us. I love that he has a green thumb, and I'm really looking forward to our fruit trees.
7. He leaves me little surprises, like little notes, a card, or some Dove Dark Chocolate. Or he'll turn the electric blanket on before I get into bed. He's sweet like that.
8. He's willing to buy me tampons. Enough said.
9. He goes to the grocery store, probably at least once a week, after work to pick up one or two items I've forgotten or need for dinner.
10. He takes care of the big things for us - setting up the kids' 529 accounts, our re-fi stuff, insurance stuff, etc. He does those big things so I won't have to. I get all confused anyway.
11. He lets me be in charge of the remote control. Seriously!
12. We go to the park or preschool functions as a family.
13. He'll go to church with me, even though his beliefs don't match mine. He does it for me and the kids.
14. He doesn't hesitate to give the kids a bath. It gives me a little break, so he does it.
15. He's so smart. He knows so much more than I do about so much more stuff than I do. I really look up to him.
16. He's LOYAL, to me, to us, to our kids, to his family, to my family, and to our friends.
17. He supports me, not only financially, but emotionally. He's there when I need him.
18. Every now and then if I'm out all day running errands, I will come home to find that he's vacuumed or done the dishes, or done both.
19. He continues to hang picture frames on our walls, even though he thinks there are too many. I'm pretty sure I'm a chip off the ol' block, Mema.
20. He was there for me in college when I felt that NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD was. I'm pretty sure he kept me alive!
21. He appreciates me and everything I do for our family. He knows I do a lot, and he recognizes me for my efforts.
22. He is half the reason for our two beautiful children. I think it's his greatest work ever.
23. This May he will be graduating from graduate school. He's an extremely hard worker, who's done night classes for the last few years in order to further his education. I'm so proud of him.
24. He doesn't think I'm crazy, and I'm pretty sure I am.
25. He isn't afraid of my past, and he doesn't judge me for it. He knows how far I've come, and he's helped me so much along the way.
26. He lets me spend our money to decorate our house the way I want it to be.
27. He encourages me to go out without the kids to have fun on my own.
28. He supports the decisions I make as a mom. He backs me up on parenting theories and things I try.
29. He doesn't complain when the house is dirty, when dinner is at 9pm, if the new recipe I tried is disgusting, or when I'm PMS-ing.
30. He scoops the cat poop. When I became pregnant and wasn't allowed to do that anymore, he took over. Unfortunately for him, I never really reclaimed that chore.
And finally, reason number 31. He LOVES me for me. I'm a priority to him. He makes me feel important and worthy, and he brings me immense joy. He doesn't see all the flaws in me that I see. And if he does, he loves me anyway.

Thankful Thursday #2

It's Thankful Thursday time again!




Thank you, warmer spring time weather. I love that you have arrived! And thank you, allergies, who have to cling onto spring time and try and ruin a good thing.

Thank you, WC and AZ, for having such an internal clock that no matter what time you go to bed, you are up by 7am on the dot.

Thank you, pbskids.org, for turning my loving 3 & 1/2 year old into a computer hog.

Thank you, Dr. at Urgent Care, who prescribed me an antibiotic that is impossible to take as directed. 4 times a day, but one hour before eating and at least two hours after eating. Really??

Thank you, AZ's new preschool, for not having any morning spots open for her. Hopefully the waiting list will pay off for us.

Thank you, husband, for last week volunteering me, while I was making dinner Friday night, to make a carrot cake from scratch for Saturday afternoon. I didn't mind making it, but really didn't enjoy heading out for carrots and other necessary ingredients at 9:30pm on my Friday night and having to stay up to closet to midnight baking. I know you're just trying to prepare me for when our kids are older, but jeez.

Thank you, Win Wok. Your food is so yummy, and I love having options to order in. Thank you for delivering! And thank you for not writing our credit card number on the menu this time. That's really an AWFUL system you have there.

And, thank you, GOD, for another wonderful week with my family. Thank you for their laughter and our happiness.

Don't forget to check out Our Imperfect Life and The Daily Dribbles who got me started in all these Thank Yous!

Thankful Thursday #1

My first Thankful Thursday. Some Thursdays will be sincere thanks, some will be sarcastic, and some will be a combination of the two. So here goes:

Thank you, God, for me being born in the United States of America. And thank you for all the opportunities that brings to me and my family. Thank you for me being born when I was born. Plumbing, electricity, and modern technology are such blessings. Thank you for allowing me to know what it is to suffer so that I will not take for granted and so that I know what it is to enjoy and delight in everything. Thank you for forgiveness. Thank you for giving your son to us. Thank you for my husband, children, family, and friends. Thank you for my husband's job, our working vehicles, our home, our food, our community. Thank you for our trials and the lessons learned from them. Thank you for music and rainbows and beauty and nature. Thank you for LIFE. Thank you for choices. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you, husband, for loving me and being there for me no matter what. Thank you for the opportunity to stay home with our children. Thank you for bringing me happiness and joy. Thank you for marrying me and giving me two of the most beautiful children on the planet. Thank you for your patience and your hard work. Thank you for your dedication to our family and your loyalty to our lives together. Thank you for being my partner and being on my team.

Thank you, AZ and WC, for loving me every single day and letting me start over each morning. Thank you for quickly forgiving me when I lose my temper or forget that you're just kids. Thank you for being a part of my life. Thank you for your innocence and laughter. Thank you for your existence.

Thank you family for being my family and making me who I am. I love you all down to my core.

Thank you to my close friends. Thank you for being there for me and being so much fun. Thank you for your friendship!

Thank you, William Graham Bell, for the invention of the telephone. My life would suck without your genius!

Thank you to the people who read my blog. I love knowing that I'm 'connecting' with people.

And I have to throw in a sarcastic one (or two) - THANK YOU, son, for getting sick and forcing us to cancel our trip to GA to see Mommy's family - the family I only get to see once or twice a year. Mommy is SO sad. :(

THANK YOU, to moi, for being one of the very lucky few to have Group B Strep.