#4 - Minivan

After a particularly crazy day, I was having a hard time deciding what stood out to me as something I was grateful for.  Don't get me wrong, I have TONS to be grateful for.  I just didn't feel passionate about posting about anything.

Then it hit me!  I grew up swearing I would never drive one!  I married Patrick making him promise me I would never have to drive one!  Now after 5 years of understanding what true luxury really is, I am in love with my minivan!  I spent more time in it today than I spent in my house!  I'm pretty sure a woman invented the Honda Odyssey.

One of the places the minivan went today was to take this cutie to her first day of indoor soccer.

This is a picture of her with Coach Sue from her fall season of soccer.

#3 - Music

Today it hit me over and over how grateful I am for music and the love of music that has been instilled into who I am.

I started thinking about it today while I was innocently sweeping my kitchen floor.  Katelyn and Jake were at school, Ty was napping, my house was calm and still except for me scurrying around trying to get my cleaning done in my two free hours.  This song came on my iPod (you must listen!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHfSaPse0jY

There is something about this song that makes me teary eyed every time I listen to it.  It made me just stop in my tracks today and remember that all the dried leaves that had been tracked in, all the toys that were cluttered around, and all of the laundry that needed folded was largely in part to my three little butterflies.  Somehow it didn't seem like such a chore anymore.

When I went to pick Jake up from preschool, the song "Thank God for Kids" by the Oak Ridge Boys came on the radio.  Are you serious?  I grew up listening to that song and hadn't heard it in years!  It reminded me that my mom always has music playing throughout her house and I have followed in her footsteps.  That song is on an old Oak Ridge Boys Christmas album so I was also reminded that listening to Christmas music is right around the corner.

I spent the afternoon teaching piano lessons and thought again about what a gift the piano has been in my life.  I am grateful for the years of lessons that my parents made great sacrifices to pay for.  I even remember my mom sewing Barbie doll clothes to earn money to buy our piano.  It has been the greatest gift they have ever given me.

Tonight as I was trying to hurry Katelyn to get ready for bed, she asked me not to interrupt her concert. She was singing so loudly in the shower that I thought she was going to pass out.  I love that she still "sings like no one is listening".  I hope she never grows out of it!

Here's one of her latest performances!

30 Days of Gratitude (& trying the blogging world again!)

After only a year and a half of absence, I'm going to try this blogging thing out again. Imagine how flattered I was when I ran into someone who I adore and haven't seen in at least a decade (you know who you are, Jeanette Weaver) this summer and found out that she had been checking my blog and didn't even know I had 3 kids. I told myself right then that I would get back to blogging and here I am. How did it get to be November already?

I thought it would be a good way to get back into blogging by having a goal, SO. . . I'm going to try to document my 30 days of gratitude.

#1 - Sunshine

Today I'm grateful for sunshine. It was unseasonably warm today and the kiddos and I enjoyed a nice afternoon at the park. Sunshine makes me a better person! I smile easier and complain less when I can see the sun. Kind of makes me wonder why I live in Chicago, but for right now I'm going to soak in this beautiful fall and its sunny days!

#2 - My Dear Mother

Today one of my friends suddenly lost her mother who was way too young. It made me remember that life is short and unpredictable and I have taken my own mother for granted.  I think it took becoming a mother myself to fully appreciate the sacrifices she has been making for the past 34 years!  In fact, my mom and I are closer now than we probably ever have been.  Living so far away has only made me appreciate her more.  I talk to her at least once (ok, maybe twice - or multiple times) a day and have been known to panic like a school child who left her lunch at home when I can't get a hold of her.

I'm grateful for a mother who is who she is and makes no apologies for it! She is full of life, creativity, kindness, energy, spunk, and generosity. I love that she stays young by golfing as much as she can. I love that she is humble enough to take nothing for granted. I love that she loves my dad. I love that she raised us to be independent.  I love that she loves birthdays and Christmas and makes them special.  I could go on and on.

As much as I love the mother that she is, I have been completely overwhelmed by the grandma she is. My kids are truly blessed to have her as a grandma!

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR GRANDMA LAURIE!

KATELYN IS 5!!!

Words can't express. . .

. . .nor do they need to - why I am SO in love with this little guy! Always smiling, always polite, always excited to hang out and talk my ear off!

(You can click on the 12x12 page to view pictures larger!)

Grandma Nielson

I am very grateful that I was able to attend my Grandma Nielson's funeral this week. It was a very fast and exhausting trip, but I would have felt so bad if I would have missed it. My dad and his brothers were very sincere and emotional as they paid tribute to a beautiful woman! It was also great to see cousins I hadn't seen in years (even decades).

I'm grateful to know that after 20 years, my grandparents are reunited. How awesome that must be for them!

Valentine's Day

Desperate for Summer!

Can you tell how desperate we are for summer?

Snow Much Fun!

In Memory

I realize it has been nearly a year since I have posted anything to this blog, but I have found a new way to blog and I am going to try to be better! I am creating these 12x12 pages on Heritage Makers and then will be able to print them out for my family to see and enjoy as well as post them to my blog.

Here is my first page and my 12x12 blog debut. My grandfather recently passed away and I wanted to be able to remember the day and the feelings so I quickly put this page together.