This is my norm

I was out of town all weekend so I got a little behind….

I am so thankful for rain. Wow, what a summer we had with the biggest drought of my entire life. It is raining right now and I am so so glad for that!

I am really thankful for Lift Strong Run Fast . This last month of working out there has really pushed me to work harder than I have in a long time. I want to take care of my body so that I can live la long healthy life for my children and future. It is a small sacrifice to pay but it is well worth the priceless results.

I am thankful for technology. Although sometimes it drives me crazy and I would much rather have a personal call or lunch date, it is nice to be able to keep in touch with email and texting. Because it is honestly easier to do that than it used to be. I am thankful that I can get online and find great meal ideas for my family, devotions for my children, craft ideas, shop online instead of wrestling crowds and my children and learn just about anything I’d ever want to learn about. The internet is just  rich with knowledge. I’m thankful to have it at my fingertips.

I am thankful for the leadership in our church. Specifically the women that I have been able to learn from lately and be surrounded by. These women are down to earth and show the love of God to others in a way that makes me want to be a better wife, mother, leader and friend. I am thankful for Godly examples all around me.

Today is my mother’s 50th birthday and this post goes to her.

I’m so thankful that God gave me a mother who loves me so much. She has loved me when I was rude back to her, when I pushed her away, when I hurt her. She helped me when I needed her. She encourages me and lifts me up daily. She is my backbone when I have a moment of weakness. She can see through my “everything’s ok” face and knows when its not. I couldn’t have asked for a better mom. She raised me to take care of my family and myself. To be self sufficient and independent. To be strong and hard working. Never to give up. To make do and not “need” things, but instead to be happy with what I have. To make a dollar stretch as far as it would go. To be efficient. To shine for Jesus. To root for the underdog. To strive for the best. She is a warrior. She is a peacemaker. She is a nut 🙂 And I love her to the end of the world and back.

She helped form me into the woman I am today and I hope that when I’m 50 my children can look at me and feel the same way that I do about her.

Today I am thankful that I am not in the hospital. Those weeks spent cooped up were MISERY. The only thing that kept me from losing my mind was that my two babies would be alive because of it. Any time I feel a grumpy day creeping up, I think of how I felt during that time of my life and realize how much I have to be thankful for.

Which bring me also to, I am so thankful that I do not have diabetes. That was also very hard to deal with during then. Some women that come down with gestational diabetes do not ever get rid of it once they deliver and I am thankful that my body returned to a non-diabetic state and I am free of that disease.

I am thankful for the teachers that I had that taught me things then, that I didn’t even realize until now. I never realized the things that were being instilled into me until I had my own children and realized where certain things came from. My parents provided a great foundation and then all of my teachers reinforced and stacked on top of that foundation.

Mrs. & Mrs. G
Mrs. Davidson
Mr. Goodman
Mrs. Broun
Regina Johnson
Mrs. Massie
Ms. Fraaaaazier (Ray)
Mr. Crouse
Ms. Hughes
Mrs. Choate

Just to name a few.

I’m thankful for my grandparents. Each one of them has been so influential in my life. I have so many memories with all of them and those times have really instilled some core values in me that I know will never waiver. I hope that I can pass them to my children in the loving and amazing way that they were passed to me. They each made me feel so special and loved and important. They loved me unconditionally, even when I was going through things or times in my life that were really difficult. I always knew I could count on them for anything at anytime even if it were just a hug or a word of encouragement. They always delivered in the appropriate manner.

I’m so thankful that I have you all in my life and Granny, I miss you every second of every day.

I’m thankful for my Hayden’s school. I was so nervous about her starting K5 this year. I wanted her to be in the right place, have the right teacher, have the greatest friends and thrive. God lead us to a place we had never considered and never knew about. It has been the perfect fit for her, our family, our finances and I know without a doubt that she was meant to be there. That makes sending her off each day so much easier.

I am thankful for my feet. Even though they are constantly hurting and driving me crazy I’m thankful that I have them both. I’m glad I can go out and run and exercise and burn off stress.