Day 16: Target

Today I am thankful for Target, aka my Vacation Home.  I love Target.  What's not to love about Target?  You can get everything there! Food, books, movies, bicycles, toys, toiletries, diapers, prescriptions, dishes, small appliances, garden tools.  It's an amazing place! I could spend hours there every day.

Ahhh, Target.  Thank you for being you!

Day 15: Sunshine

Today we went to the park to play, and I realized how thankful I am for sunshine.  Especially this time of year, when the sun starts shining at 6:30 am and doesn't stop until after 9:00pm- that's quite a bit of sunshine, vitamin D, and happiness!

Thanks, God, for the sunshine!

Day 14: Three-Year-Old Soccer

Ben had his first soccer game today, and it was absolutely hilarious to watch.  Between the kids just all kind of congregating around the ball and kicking each others' shins, and the few who were just picking up grass and throwing it, and my own child who was pretending to trip and just throwing himself on the ground periodically, there was no shortage of laughter from the sidelines!

I'm thankful for three year old preschool not only for the great laughs I got from it (and trust me, the laughs were GREAT), but also for the confidence it has given Ben.  I'm not sure he understands the whole "teamwork" idea, but he is getting lots of interaction with other kids, and is having an absolute blast on the field.  That's all a mama can ask for.

Thank you, three-year-old soccer!

Day 13: My House

As I sit here, listening to the storm that is raging outside, I am thinking about how thankful I am for my house.  I am very lucky to have a strong house, with four walls and a roof, to protect me from the worst of what nature has to offer.  There are so many people in this world who are not fortunate enough to have a home to run inside when the weather turns rough.

Today, I am thankful for my house.

Day 12: Hy-Vee

About nine months ago, a friend of mine came to me with a job opportunity.  It sounded almost too good to be true: I'd work from home on the weekends, every other weekend, for  Hy-Vee (a regional grocery store chain) in the fuel department.  I'd pretty much make sure their gas stations had enough gas in them. What a perfect job for a stay at home  mom!  I went for the interview, not expecting too much.  The next day I got a call: I'd gotten the job!

Today I'm thankful for my job at Hy-Vee.  Every weekend that I work, I roll out of bed, make a cup of coffee, and head down to my basement office in my pajamas.  I work for a couple of hours, come back up to spend time with my family, and head back down a few other times in the day.  Perfect!  Thank you, Hy-Vee, for giving my family a bit of extra spending money and for helping me feel like more than just a mom!

Day 11: My Marriage

*Note: I realize I missed a few days.  I'll catch up now :)

On June 24, 2006, I married this guy:

Today, five years later, I am thankful for my marriage (I was already thankful for Scott on Father's Day).  Over the last five years, Scott and I have had quite the journey: we moved from Florida to Iowa, got married in Michigan, bought a house, had a baby, changed jobs (both of us), had a baby, considered moving (a few times).  And through it all, we've managed to stay as much in love as we were the day we got married.  I realize we're still relatively new at this marriage thing, but I know that in fifty years we'll still be sitting on the couch holding hands and telling each other we love each other all day long. 

I am so thankful that God has given me a partner to spend the rest of my life with, who loves me unconditionally and works hard to provide for me and our family.   I'm thankful I was given a man of integrity and character, who is honest and caring and gentle and loving.  I'm thankful that I don't have to go through life alone, and for the two beautiful children our marriage has produced.

I am thankful for my marriage.

Day 10: Seeds

Today I am thankful for having had the opportunity to plant seeds that will one day grow into food that I can use to feed my family.

After quiet time today, Ben and I went outside to (finally) plant two bean varieties and some carrots.  We had already purchased at the Farmer's Market a tomato plant and a bell pepper plant as well.  By Fall, we will  have (hopefully) a nice little container garden full of vegetables!  I can't wait to harvest with Ben; I think he'll be quite excited!

Day 9: My Grandma

Today I had the pleasure of talking to my grandma on the phone for a while.  She and I have a very close relationship, and we talk at least once a week, usually.  She babysat me regularly when I was a child (actually, we lived with my grandparents for a while, so she more than just "babysat" me!), and we developed a very close bond.

When I was a little girl, Grandma would play dolls or Little House on the Prairie with me.  We'd color, she'd tell stories, and we'd bake cookies together.  We were best buds, and that has never changed.  Now that I'm older, we don't play together anymore, but we talk.  A lot.

Usually, now, it's me asking for parenting advice.  My grandma raised seven children- 6 boys and one girl (my mom), and has 15 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, so I figure she knows a thing or two about kids (especially boys).  Whenever I'm having a particularly rough day with the boys, I'll call her and she always has just the right answer for me.  I love just chatting with my grandma, and I'm thankful for my relationship with her.

Thank you, Grandma, for being you!

Day 8: Packing Peanuts

I got a rather large shipment from Mary Kay today, and in the boxes were piles and piles of packing peanuts.  Normally, I hate these things because they are made of styrofoam and anyone who knows me knows how much I hate styrofoam.  However, these neat little things are made of some biodegradable rice product, and today were a source of entertainment for my boys for quite a while.

 

As you can see, Ben had quite a good time playing in the packing peanuts.  Caleb enjoyed himself as well, but by the time I thought to get out the camera he had been banished to his high chair for eating the peanuts. 

Pure joy.

Thank you, Packing Peanuts!

Day 7: Weather Radios

Ever since I was a little girl, I've been terrified of severe weather.  Really, it's strong wind that scares me, especially tornadoes.  Maybe it's because The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie.  I don't know.  But I do know that it was not uncommon for me to spend most of my summers in the basement hiding from tornadoes as a child.  I grew up in Michigan.  Not exactly tornado alley.

Now, I live in Iowa.  If I was certain I'd die in a tornado in Michigan, imagine how I feel here.  Add to that the fact that now I'm a mother and I have two little lives to protect, and that makes for many sleepless nights.  Last night, for example, I didn't trust our old weather radio (and for good reason; its alarm didn't go off when there was a big storm last night), and I spent most of the night awake, waiting to hear the sirens.

My amazing husband knew I would not survive the summer/tornado season this way, and came home with a new weather radio for me this afternoon.  I'm so relieved and thankful that I'm going to be able to sleep well tonight, knowing this device will wake me up if there is a tornado warning.  I truly don't know what people did before these amazing devices.  I guess I should add Doppler Radar to my list of things for which to be grateful as well.

Amazing weather-predicting-and-warning technology.  Good stuff. Thank you, scientists!

Day 6: Scott

Today I'm thankful for this guy: 

In honor of Father's Day, it is only natural that I choose the best father I know to be thankful for today.  Scott is absolutely amazing as a dad.  Every day, he gets home from work and is instantly in "dad" mode.  He can usually be found on the playroom floor, reading stories to the boys or chugging the trains along their train table, or in the backyard, pushing kids on swings or kicking a ball around with Ben.

It's amazing to me how well he knows our kids.  He knows their likes and dislikes, what a certain whine means when produced in a certain tone at a certain time, and when it's time to just sit quietly with them instead of insisting on rough play.  He knows just how to make them laugh when they're cranky, or console them when they're sad.  Both boys look up to him, and it's clear he adores them as well.

Scott, you are the best father I know.  Thank you so much for our beautiful boys and for the boundless love you give them.  I love you! 

Day 5: Farmer's Market

This morning, my three year old and I took a trip to the Des Moines farmers market for the first time this season.  What an exciting place to be! Ben got to watch some dancers in the street and listen to African drums.  He tried homemade ice cream and beef sticks, and was enthralled by all the dogs walking around with their owners.  It was amazing, cheap (free, actually) entertainment for him, and I got to do some shopping as well.

I recently watched a documentary called Food, Inc.  If you don't eat locally grown food, I don't recommend that you watch this, unless you want to change the way you eat.  I watched it, and therefore want to change the way I eat.  The farmer's market allows me to do that.  I'm not sure what I'll do in the winter, but for now I'm thankful for the farmer's market for providing locally grown, organic food for me to feed to my family!

Day 4: Driver's License Renewal Station

After five years of living in Iowa, I finally had to renew my driver's license today.  I went there armed with a new book,  expecting to wait at least an hour or two to renew my license.  Isn't that how it works?  Truthfully, I've never lived in a state long enough to have to renew my license in person (I had to renew in Michigan once, but they let you do it by mail the first time), so I didn't really know what to expect.  I only went by the stories other people have told me and what I've seen in the movies and on TV. 

Wow, was I wrong!

I spent a total of 15 minutes at the DOT today.  FIFTEEN MINUTES!!  Apparently this was a building specifically for driver's license renewals.  This was the most genius idea I'd ever heard of!  All of the nine people there besides me were there just to renew their licenses, which only took about two minutes by the time we got to the counter.

Today, I am thankful for the Driver's License Renewal Station.  What a great idea!

Day 3: My Neighbor's Flowers

My neighbor, Betsy, has the most amazing flowers.  Her passion is gardening, and her garden is beautiful! 

 Today was a really rough day.  It was so rough that I threw the kids in the van and went for a really, really long ride.  By the time we got home, I was still pretty upset.  However, when we pulled in the driveway, I saw Betsy's flowers, and a calmness came over me.  I marveled at their beauty, and even took the time to talk with Betsy for a while (kids running amok), just so I could stand among the flowers and take in the gorgeous picture before me.  Instantly my mood brightened, and for the rest of the night I was able to take calm breaths and not scream at my three year old.

All because of Betsy's flowers.  Thank you, Betsy!

Day 2: Mary Kay

Today I am thankful for Mary Kay.  Since becoming a consultant three months ago, my life has changed in many ways.  There are the obvious monetary reasons, but there's a deeper reason why I'm so thankful for this job.

I used to be the girl who wore makeup once in a while but not usually, who styled her hair once in a while but not usually, and who wore nice clothes once in a while but not usually.  In fact, as a stay at home mom, most days were spent in sweatpants and a ponytail, without a hint of mascara or foundation.  And you could forget about any kind of skin care.  Good skin care to me was using my Aveeno face wash every couple of days and slathering on my Olay moisturizer with sunscreen.  I truly thought I was doing a great job.

Enter Mary Kay.  Through this business, I learned how to REALLY take care of my skin and how to properly apply makekup.  Because I am a Mary Kay consultant, I feel the need to look nice every day.  At first I thought it was so that people would look at me and say "She looks good. Must be the Mary Kay.  I'll buy some."  But now I know it's not that.

If my skin looks nice, I'll want makeup.  If my makeup looks nice, I'll want to do my hair.  If my hair looks nice, I'll need something cute to wear.  Before I know it, I look put together, polished, cute.  I walk around with my head a little higher, my smile a little brighter, my eyes a little sparklier.  I'm confident. 

Confidence is something I've lacked in my life.  I'm usually the quiet, timid one.  Yet, when I get all dolled up, I feel pretty, and somehow the confidence just oozes.  This has, of course, transferred to other areas of my life as well.  No longer do I avoid eye contact with the check out girl at Target or mumble a shy "thank you" to the bank teller.  I've been known, in recent months, to start conversations with complete strangers and even go so far as to invite them to Mary Kay events.  That would never have happened four months ago!

So, today I am thankful for Mary Kay.  The money is great, I get to get out of the house at least once a week for it, I've made new friends, and my confidence is at an all-time high.

Thank you, Mary Kay!

Day One: I Am Loved!

Today, I am thankful for this:

Those are the 20-something cards that I've received in the last few days from friends and family wishing me a happy birthday.

This is the cake that my husband worked very hard to make for me.

 These are my friends, Amanda (left) and Beth (right), who, along with my husband, threw me a surprise 30th birthday party last Friday. 


All of these things are reminders of just how much I am loved, and for that I am thankful.  There are so many people in this world who've got my back, and I wish I had words to express how much they all mean to me.  I have been just so overwhelmed with how many people have gone out of their way to make sure I had a happy birthday.

So, to my friends and family, THANK YOU!
You'll never know how much you mean to me!

Last Day...

Today is my last day in my twenties.  Tomorrow starts the Thirties.  What will this year have in store for me?  Will I do something amazing, like cure cancer?  Will I win the lottery?  What, if anything, is there to be thankful about turning thirty?

Turning thirty has several negative connotations.  By making a conscious effort to be thankful, I'll shift my focus off the negative and on to the positive, thus making turning 30 quite the positive experience.  Consider this my gratitude journal.

Every day, at the end of the day, my project will be to blog about the positive experiences of the day.  There will be absolutely no negativity of any kind allowed in this journal.  No, "Well, Ben was cranky today so tonight I'm grateful for bedtime".  No, "I'm grateful that my husband went golfing today because I just couldn't stand to be around him."  Only pure, un-marred positivity. 

To go along with the positivity (is that even a word?  Spell-check isn't telling it's wrong, so I think it is), I will only allow positive comments on my blog.  Any hint of negativity will be deleted.  This will be a Not that I don't love those who read this, but I want this to be a good place.  You understand, right?

Ok.  Ready. Set. Go.  Let's be positive!