What will today bring?

Sleep

The kids are sleeping in this morning. It's going to be a great day!

Employment

Today I'm grateful my husband is employed, working a job he enjoys.  

The Kitchen

Last night I had the opportunity to host a pizza/video game party for my 9 year old son and some of his friends. It was loud. It was silly. No blood or broken bones resulted from the evening. Overall, it was a success. 

My favorite part came an hour before when I was running around the kitchen like a crazy woman and my oldest daughter was helping me. We had a moment carved out of the craziness to talk, laugh, and get a little teary. Life is good. I love that girl and the amazing young woman that she is. 

Open Adoption

Yesterday our family increased by one. But, also opened the door to loving a new family. Little Man A is now officially apart of our forever family. His two sweet aunties are too. 

Trying to write the feelings of my heart is difficult for me. This experience has been complex and filled with emotions I didn't even know existed. Someday I may be able to sort it out and write it down. But for now, it's coming out a piece at a time. 

I had never witnessed true selflessness until mediation day. I watched someone who truly loved Little A give him the very best option to keep him safe. She didn't really know the type of family she was giving him too. She didn't know if they would shut the door on her as soon as the adoption was finalized. But, she took the leap of faith. 

And I am so, so grateful to have the honor of knowing her and raising her amazing nephew. Thank you Alicia. 

Sisters from another mother

One of the unique (and awesome) things about my husband's family is the traditional generational lines are a little blurry. Two of my favorite people happen to be my sister-in-law and her oldest daughter. I think of both of them as my sisters, since one is 11 years older and the other is 10 years younger. 

Both of these lovely ladies have had a HUGE impact on my life. I would not be living the good life in Texas without them. They are an inspiration to me to live happier, love more, and laugh often. Plus they have mad cooking and baking skills. Mad skills. It really is futile to try and fight the deliciousness these ladies produce. 

I love you guys and am so grateful we get to hang out in Texas together!!

Today

I am thankful for job interviews. Prayers and happy thoughts for my hubby today. 

Texas Sky

Because no matter how big my problems appear to be, I can look outside my window and see a sky that is much bigger. 

Hallothanksmas

This is the most wonderful time of the year! You can usually start hearing Christmas carols in our house around mid-September, I bring out the cinnamon-scented candles and hot chocolate, and shopping takes a little (or a lot) longer than normal. So much to look at. 

I love that I can walk down one aisle and be engulfed in warm orange, brown, and all things pumpkin, then turn the corner and be engulfed in a peppermint forest of reds and greens (or silvers, purples, or blues - whatever the latest color trend is - *gag*). Bring it on! I'm grateful for the seasonal holiday mashup.

Happy Hallothanksmas!

Ariel and Iron Man

When these two have time alone with my phone, I never know what to expect when I get the phone back. 

They are best buds and their constant laughter puts a smile on my face. I can't imagine my life without my miracle babies. 

Home

26 moves in 39 years. Today I am thankful for the places I've seen and the many wonderful people I've met. 

But I'm mostly thankful for where I am now. 

We've been in our current house for 22 months. I love the kitchen, the upstairs playroom, the bedroom layout, the fenced backyard with a play set. 

But, I mostly love the fact my kids call it home. 

Thankful Countdown

The first two days of November have given me cause to reflect on things (or people or experiences) I feel grateful for. This year has presented challenges in all areas of my life: personal, mental, emotional, physical, and family. I have spent the majority of days focusing on just making it through the moment. 

My hope is to pull myself out of the moment and focus beyond the fleeting feelings of inadequacy, identify the good experiences, and move forward with faith. 

So, today (at this moment) I am grateful that my husband is unemployed. He has been around to lean on, help take the kids to their activities, he's volunteered at the kid's schools, and we've had a chance to re-evaluate where we are headed as a couple and as a family. Both of us have had some health issues that we've had time to work on. 

Which brings me to the 2nd thing I'm grateful for: good doctors. 

Mountains

I forgot how much I love the mountains. 

Out and About

I took the kids to the McKenna Children's Museum in New Braunfels. Super fun day!

 

The kids spent the most time outside at the water works. (I'm sure that had nothing to do with the Texas summer heat.)

Next they headed to the construction zone.

And there was also random cuteness involved.

 



Enchanted Rock

  

For Father's Day, the hubby wanted to spend the afternoon at Enchanted Rock. It's a great spot to do a little hiking, exploring, and let the little peeps enjoy some rocky fun. We took the Summit Trail. It's just over a half mile, 425 foot ascent from the valley floor to the peak. Little A was able to walk the entire trail and J was using his amazing spider-man climbing abilities to leave the rest of us in the dust. If you're into bird watching, be sure to ask for the bird checklist when you pay the entrance fee. (I love a good checklist!) And if you're into overcoming childhood fears of heights and steep slopes, it's a great place to do that too!



Photo from Enchanted Rock State Natural Area website. Doesn't that look like a lovely, cool day?

Meanwhile, a year later...

Wow! 1 year since the last post. Nice!

Where to even begin????

In the words of Inigo Montoya...

Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up...

Our family has increased by one adorable little boy, Little Man A. He came to us through foster care and we will be officially adopting him no later than September. He is a feisty, active, adorable 2 year old and we can't imagine life without him. It would certainly be boring. The other little peeps are a year older, wiser, and funnier. The oldest peep is looking forward to the last 2 years of high school.

Time is racing forward and with high hopes of being faithful to my little blog, I take up the cause again of documenting some of our family's favorite recipes, adventures, and overall awesomeness. I hope at some point to fill you in on the happenings of the past year - it's been a crazy roller-coaster ride.

The Day After Perfect

Do you ever have one of those days where everything falls into place? The day is a perfect balance of fun, relaxation, and purpose. That was yesterday for me. Today, not so much. So, here's a picture from yesterday to remind myself that those days do exist and will come around again.