Gratituesday ~ When One Goes Out, We All Go Out ~ 12/11/12

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You know the saying about a string of Christmas lights: "When one goes out, they all go out!"  How aggravatingly true this is!  Finally, you figure out to check all the lights before putting them on the tree to make sure they work.  But, then, with all the jostling that happens while stringing them up, inevitably one will work loose and then one by one they all need to be wiggled until the culprit is found.

About two weeks ago, Kaylee had a pretty bad cough and a fever over night.  I can tell she's growing up because she didn't try to get out of going to school even one day.  She didn't want to miss Basketball practice.

Then last Sunday night, about an hour after getting the girls to bed, I heard the pitter patter of little feet coming through the house and into our bedroom.  It was Laken wanting to sleep with us.  She has been doing really well at sleeping either in her bed or in with Kaylee so we gave in for one night.

Sometime during that night, I felt her little foot creep over onto my leg.  I groaned, because it was a little fireball of a foot.  When my girls have fevers, their hands and feet get so hot!  I knew then that we were probably in for a rough couple of days.

My mommy instincts kicked in and I immediately felt her forehead while still half-asleep.  Yes, I confirmed, she had a fever.  I didn't sleep well the rest of the night.  I constantly woke to check to see how warm she was feeling.  Since she was sleeping soundly, I didn't wake her.

For days, we doctored her with Children's Tylenol and fluids.  Doug was on 3rd shift the rest of the week, so Laken slept with me.  I just couldn't tell my sick little girl no.

Most parents know how it goes when their little ones are sick.  They sneeze on you.  They come up and cough right in your face.  They leave dirty Kleenex laying all over.  They drink out of your cup when you're not looking.  The joy!

The next to go out was Daddy.  He pushed through the rest of his work week and then crashed into the weekend.

Friday evening, my throat felt a little scratchy, but I was in denial.  I had too many things to do and no time to get sick!  I forced myself to do the grocery shopping on Saturday afternoon.  Then aches started and the mucous came.  They're still hanging around but I'm on the mend.

I mentioned groaning when I felt that hot little foot hit me the first time.  I knew that meant we would all go down, one by one.  I guess the intelligent thing would have been to quarantine my 5-year-old to her room.

But who can say "No" when your sick little girl wants to sleep with Mommy.  Not me.  I still remember crawling in bed with my Mommy when I was little and sick.  Something about "Mommy's Bed" held comfort.  I knew that my Mom would take care of everything.

I now know that mommies don't have the power to take care of everything, but I can give my babies the comfort of having me close.  Even if that means knowing I'll be sneezed and coughed on and be down for the count long after they are well again.

That is what mommies, and daddies,  are for.

Gratituesday ~ My Body Is A Temple ~ 12/4/12

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I was reminded once again this past week in my Bible study that my body is a temple.

~"Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"  1 Corinthians 3:16 NASB~

I can't say that I've treated my body like temple over the past decade.  I've struggled with my eating habits, keeping an exercise routine and just plain being selfish and lazy.

I've gone through "spurts of determination" to do better and will for a few weeks but without fail, I'll lost my motivation and return to my bad habits of doing nothing but the essentials to take care of my health and body.

I dream of one day feeling strong and athletic as I once did.  I dream of one day being able to say that I'm in a healthy weight range.  I dream, I dream, I dream.

I won't lie and say that I don't also want to look good and feel pretty and buy cute clothes again.  That just wouldn't be true.  I want to go shopping with anticipation and not dread.  But even more than that, I want to be able to RUN!  I want to be able to play basketball and softball with my daughters.  I want to be able to go on bike rides.

 I want to feel like me again.  I want to not be embarrassed to see people I went to school with and think about how different I look.  I want to stand next to my (skinny) husband and not feel huge and frumpy.

Most of all I want to feel HEALTHY!  I want to feel FREE!  Free of the extra weight and burden that it puts on me.

I joined a gym about a month ago and have been really enjoying my time there.  But, I fear that I will once again lose my motivation and determination.

So, I signed up for a "13 in 2013" challenge.  I committed to walk/run 13 - 5k's in the year 2013.  I've joined in the facebook group for this challenge and have been so inspired!  I've signed up for a few virtual 5k's and also have some real life 5k's planned for next year.

I am really looking forward to participating in these events and the supportive community that is being made.  I am so grateful for these new friends and their excitement that is contagious!

So, I'm going to be "in training" and working on my endurance, stamina and speed.  I have a long way to go but am very hopeful!

~"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?  For you have been bought with a price:  therefore glorify God in your body."  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NASB~

Gratituesday ~ November ~ 11/27/12

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November is winding down.  Only 3 more days and it will be December.  Only 34 more days and it will be the year 2013.  Unbelievable!

This month has gone by quickly.  Thanksgiving vacation went by even faster.  Doug is back at work and the girls are back in school leaving me to struggle with trying to get back into MY routine.  But that isn't really what I want to talk about today.

Let me come back to the month of November and, therefore, the "30 Days of Gratitude" that I've been participating in.  I'm actually impressed with myself for sticking it out and not forgetting half-way through like I did last year!  Maybe I'm being a bit premature, seeing that I still have 3 more days to post, but I think I'll make it. :)

Each day, I posted about something I was grateful for.  Then I described or elaborated on that subject with 5 points.  Not only did this challenge help me to stay focused on being grateful and thankful this month but it also made me dig deeper into WHY.  Why was I grateful for that particular person, gift or blessing?

Some were easy.  A few were hard.  Some were funny.  A few were sad.  It ranged from my dear Grandparents who are no longer with me to my favorite foods.  From the new babies in my family to dancing music.  So many things to be thankful for and for so many different reasons.

Digging down deeper and really contemplating my blessings brought emotions to the surface.  I cried and I laughed as I typed.  I loved that I was feeling!  I wasn't just making a list.  I was looking at my life a little closer.  I was looking at my loved ones a little closer.  I was remembering the past, appreciating the present and looking forward to the future .

I guess I could say that I've been blessed by counting my blessings.  One by one.

Gratituesday ~ Thanksgiving ~ 11/20/12

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I've always loved the week of Thanksgiving.  As a child, the excitement of having a short school-week was almost too overwhelming to stay seated in the desk.  Later, during the "working years", that extra long weekend was so very welcomed.  Now, as a SAHM with children in school, I'm back to looking forward to a short school-week and then the hubby being off work for a few days.

For the most part, it is a very relaxing week.  Sleeping in, reading books, watching TV, shopping, staying up late.  Fun, fun, fun.

But my favorite day of all is Thursday.  Thanksgiving.

Even though I now wake up my own home, I know that around 5am my Mom and Dad will be waking up in theirs.  Dad will get the cookstove fire burning and Mom will start prepping the turkey.  The turkey always goes in the cookstove which conveniently leaves the oven open for the pies which will be started the moment the door goes shut on the turkey.

After the pies come out of the oven, there will be a little break to have some breakfast.  By this time, I've usually gotten my family out the door to go to "Pap and Gram's" to help prepare the rest of the feast.  Breakfast is usually pretty simple with scrambled eggs and toast.   But we never forget the cinnamon rolls made out of the left-over pie crust.  Delicious for snacking on throughout the morning.

The side dishes are pretty normal fair for Thanksgiving.  Mashed potatoes, homemade noodles, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, crescent rolls, gravy and Dad's Pheasant Au Gratin.  (Doug and Dad have been harvesting the pheasants for the past few weeks.  I think they are now up to the count of 3 :)  So much food that we can barely fit it all on the table!

Now that my girls are growing, it is so much fun to give them jobs to help in the preparation.  Their jobs usually consist of setting the table and putting out the name cards they made a few years ago.  They are also very good at getting the rolls ready for the oven and sneaking noodles!

When the food is ready and the extended family has arrived, Dad will carve the turkey as everyone is finding their seat.  Once everyone is seated and situated, Dad or Uncle Charlie will say the blessing over the food.

Then we stuff ourselves!  The pie usually has to wait for a bit while our other food settles but that makes it all the more enjoyable.  We spend this waiting time visiting and just being together.

Aunt Donna usually insists on helping with dishes and the men (and some women) will go outside to make sure their guns are "shot in" for the Big Day.  And, yes, our schools and most places of work are closed for the First Day of Deer Season which is next Monday.

After pie, everyone realizes how good the idea of a nap sounds and we, family by family, head back to our own homes.

Do you find it odd that I know exactly how our day will go or is your family the same way with your own traditions.  I find the traditions comforting and soothing and peaceful.

Perfect.

Gratituesday ~ Family ~ 11/6/12

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Participating in the "30 Days of Gratitude" challenge has made me realize how little time I spend being truly thankful for all my blessings.  Today I found this link-up that encourages a blog post each week specifically for being grateful.  I'm now quite sure the direction I'm going to take with this but for this particular week, I'm just going to write.

It has been a very difficult week.  I mentioned Friday that one of my cousins had very unexpectedly passed away last Wednesday.  He was only 27 years old.  It appears that he passed away from Congestive Heart Failure.  Unthinkable!  But not impossible.

The visitation was Sunday afternoon and the funeral was yesterday.  So very difficult.  My poor aunt and uncle are suffering greatly and their younger son, who is a high school senior, is heartbroken as well.  Please pray for them.

What is really bothering me a great deal is that although we were first cousins and lived a total of 6 blocks from each other, we haven't really been around one another since we were young.  I didn't really get to know him as an adult.  This is what is really killing me right now.  Time wasted.  Never to get back.

It seems these days, family gatherings are so few and far between with maybe a yearly reunion at best.  Things always seem to come up and even keep us from gathering then.  I know I have been remiss in this.

Why does it take a tragedy to bring family together?  Why don't we celebrate each other more while we can?

I, for one, hope and pray that I can learn from this lesson.

I love my family.  From my immediate family to my extended family.  I am so grateful for them all.  I hope that I can start taking the time to show them that more often.

I hope that you will also learn from this lesson.  Pick up the phone.  Write that note.  Send that birthday card.  Even better, drop by for a visit.  Face time is so meaningful and important.

Let's try to have more personal relationships with the ones we love and be grateful for every day we are given to be together.