Gratitude Challenge: Day 30

Hey, I didn't know it was supposed to snow today. How did I miss that forecast? But, hey, I"m grateful that I had boots, gloves and coats that fit...not just for my boys but for the friend that was over as well. And, I'm even more grateful for the hill right there in the back yard so I didn't have to take them sledding. This of course left me with time to uh...tend to domestic duties. Assuming domestic duties include watching Season 1 of Weeds. How come I never knew about this show? Funny stuff...but yeah, you better have the headphones on or else your Things will get a crash course in profanity 101 (and sex ed, and drug use ...along with an assortment of other mature themed content).

Well, this post brings an end to my Gratitude Challenge. The challenge wasn't so much in finding things to be grateful for...that's easy, as I have these 30 things and countless other things to be so very grateful for. Nope, the challenge for me was to blog daily. To take my gratitude and put it into words that entertain, amuse and still get the point across. There in lies the challenge of blogging.......be it for a gratitude challenge or other entry.

Thanks again to Sherry for hosting this fun challenge. It's been fun reading others entries and thinking, yeah, me too! I feel like I've made some new friends this month as well. Oh look, yet another thing to be grateful for! :)

yeah yeah...I'll stop...for now!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 29

Thing Two: he makes me laugh, he makes me proud, he makes me happy. Our family would not be complete without his presence. I'm so grateful that he joined our family when we needed him most. He's the perfect sibling for Thing One: he is a patient brother with just enough annoyance factor to keep everyone on their toes. And while I know he looks just like his papa, I'm telling you, he's so much like me it's scary...

Which of course means that right now, he's not the most pleasant child around. He had a friend over for most of the day. They played hard, creating their own fun in the fresh fallen snow. But now, he's over tired and perhaps a bit hungry.

Nothing that a good night's rest won't cure...tomorrow he'll be his happy, helpful self. And he's most eager to get those Christmas decorations up (see I told you, he's a mini-me!) Oh, my bonus gratitude: he's old enough finally to be a Holiday helper...instead of, well you know, until they get to a certain age/stage...their help is not always in the form that we can benefit from! (heavy sigh...grateful to be past that stage. Oh wow, it's a 3:1 gratitude post. I'm on a roll tonight! Better than the war path I was on yesterday. snicker snicker).

Gratitude Challenge: Day 28

I've spent the day cleaning up the financial information on Quicken.
I realize yet again I'm a people person, NOT a number cruncher... (need that smiley with the head spinning, eyes popping because that is how I'm feeling right now!)

I'm grateful, that while I know I have become very lax on recording information accurately (and let's not even talk about how poor the budget has been followed), there is still money to be saved, loop holes to be closed, and belt tightening that can easily occur.

I know I'm very lucky as many families have already done all these things and still find themselves short at the end of the month.

So, yep, I'm grateful that my hubby is a good provider and a patient man when it comes to his wife getting a bee in her bonnet....

Gratitude Challenge: Day 27

I ate too much, maybe drank too much (I'll plead the fifth on that one) to write something truly thought provoking and deep. I'm just grateful for the medicine cabinet and the contents contained within it!

Happy Thanksgiving....and may the frenzy of Christmas preparations begin!!!!!!!!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 26...merges again with WW

Grateful (as is my entire family I must add) that I"m not cooking tomorrow.

Gratitude Challenge: Day 25

Today, I'm grateful that I don't live over there. I had some errands that I wanted to do on the west side of town where a large planned community is located. Supposedly it is considered one of "the" more desirable communities to live in. Yet, as I was driving around I just didn't get it. Traffic was a mess, parking lots were filled, pedestrians don't seem to have the right of way, the clerks were rude and construction seemed to be found at every major intersection. I can only imagine what it must be like at rush hour when everyone is out and about, not just the housewives/retirees.

Yep, be it ever so humble, I'm ever so happy and grateful to be living on this side of the city...it's where I belong and where I'm happy (not to mention, my house payments are considerably less and my minivan blends in much better than it did over there in the land of Beemers and Benz').

Gratitude Challenge: Day 24

I'm ever so grateful that it is a short week this week. What's not to love? Only one night (and hopefully not even that) of supervising homework, making sure that we get everything done in a timely manner and that the Things make it to bed on time. Plus, only two mornings of dealing with the morning "rush hour" (nobody is in a rush to make it out the door, which of course is a frustration in and of itself).

Yep...I'm grateful for this short week of work and school...and I"ll be even more grateful if my level of productivity continues and that more than just the basement gets cleaned before I have my guys home for the rest of the week.

I know...sort of the why bother cleaning if they are going to be around all week messing things up. But, I'm a Martha in that I do function better when things are closer to order than chaos (but really, happiest when things are just right in the middle).

Better get going...look whose stalling this morning during rush hour? Oh those Things have learned from the master that is indeed true! (where is a blushing smiley when you need one?)

Gratitude Challenge: Day 23

Today...I'm grateful for my dyson, and for finally having the motivation/inspiration to use it. The basement is now clean (yeah baby: I even moved the couch and vacuumed back there. My momma would be proud!). Order has been restored to the place I call my craft shack. Now if I can just muster a little bit of creative/crafty mojo I"ll be in a mighty fine mood indeed!

From the where does he come up with this file:

I just told Thing One that I'm not feeling so great today (I have been fighting off a flu bug for the past couple days, today was actually better than the past two days, but still not up to playing video games with him and his brother)..to which he says "Woman, tell me your troubles...I've just declared myself a doctor! The LUV doctor that is..."

he cracks.me.up!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 22

A cooperative husband and children...yep, that's what I"m thankful for today.
They not only agreed to wear the matching shirts I'd bought, but they packed their good attitudes and their smiles and I"m very pleased with the Holiday pictures we were able to take today.

And no...I'm not posting them here...yet...first let me get them mailed out so I don't spoil any one's snail mail surprises!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 21

"We'll always have Thing One"...this has become a recent and frequent remark made by either myself or Hubby. And so while the younger Thing is starting to seek more independence , and has started to question traditional practices (yeah, he recently questioned the validity of the man in the red suit. Sheesh, next thing he'll be asking is where do babies come from...I'm so not ready for any of this), there sits the older Thing. His only real worry seems to be whether it is his turn on the laptop or not.

And so yes, these days it is rather obvious that younger brother has passed older brother in many ways...both physically and emotionally. Does this make me sad? I won't lie: of course I have my moments. But most of the time I remain ever so grateful for the progress he has made. When you are told your child is somewhere on the autism spectrum, you have no idea what to expect in terms of the progress he will make. We're lucky: he's made a remarkable amount of progress through the years. Yes, he still has some hurdles to cross, some skills to master...but I hang onto the hope and the belief that he'll keep plugging along...at his own pace on his own terms. He has to...because I"m way too selfish to give up my basement craft space so my adult child can live in the family basement! (giggle giggle...)

Gratitude Challenge: Day 20

It's hard to feel grateful when you're feeling blah, your laptop has a virus and your sunshine has moved over and made room for clouds and freezing rain.

But, proving I can stick with this challenge, here are my glass half full answers to the problems that plague me. I'm grateful for Advil Sinus that will soon clear up this stuffy head, very grateful for a Hubby who is skilled at fixin' computers. Last word was that the virus had been contained and minimal damage occurred. Go Dom!!!!

But as for the missing sunshine, the weathermen tell me I just better suck it up and accept the fact that today's forecast is lousy. I guess even that is OK...we are pretty lucky with the amount of sunshine we enjoy every year. An occasional cloudy day just helps me appreciate the sun all that more. Besides, I really should stay close to home and work on some of the chores that I've procrastinated on doing all week since the weather has been so unseasonably nice.

Yep, I've got that glass half full concept mastered...and that too is something to be grateful for!

PS: yes, I took this picture, but it was from one of our summer storms that rolled in. I thought that day that the clouds looked rather impressive. So even though I prefer a sunny day, I do appreciate the beauty of rolling clouds and the gifts they bring (moisture in a state that really needs water!)

Wordless Wednesday/Gratitude Challenge: Day 19

Today I'm grateful that I always review my kids homework before it gets turned it. I"m also grateful that it wasn't my Things that drew such a picture of their mom working. And I'd also like to believe that they would have found a better way to show a mother selling shovels at Home Depot than the way this unknown child opted to picture her mom's profession!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 18

Today, I'm grateful for Tuesdays.

OK, before you think I've just run out of ideas, that is so not the case (granted, it is getting harder not to repeat myself or cross over into the total sap zone but I"m still trying).

Nope, Tuesdays are different and I so appreciate and enjoy my Tuesday mornings. It starts with coffee with some friends at a locally owned coffee shop. The conversation flows freely, and the coffee is brewed to perfection. Where as Judy is probably my first Colorado friend, these ladies are my newest friends. We met last year when our boys were all in fourth grade together. And we quickly formed a bond and connection that doesn't happen as often as you might think it should. We made a plan to meet for coffee every Tuesday morning after we drop the kids off. It never seems to fail that when I'm with these ladies, the conversation turns "heavy"...from what is heaven like to how we all cope with loss of a loved one in different ways. As a stay at home mom, I don't often get to use that side of my brain: the deep thinking, stimulating conversation side that I use when having coffee with these ladies. Next year, our kids are all heading off to different middle schools and I hope with all my heart that we continue our Tuesdays at Carinos coffee date!

Around 9, we finish up our coffee, say our goodbyes and I head off to the school for my weekly volunteer time. I'm grateful that Thing Two's teacher still welcomes parent volunteers and always has a basketful of projects for me to tackle.

From there, I head out and do the errands for the week.

So you see, Tuesdays just has an order and a predictable plan to it that I often wish the rest of the week had. OK, maybe I don't wish every day was as orderly...because well, that would get boring. But at least on Tuesday, I know where I"ll be and what I'll be doing and for that I am most grateful!

We interupt this challenge

to bring you funnies courtesy of the Things.

Thing One: when slow to get up and get moving this morning, tells me to "quit pressurizing me, Mom! A boy can only take so much!"

Thing Two: while dunking his Oreo in a cup of milk, he drops said cookie. He comments, as if no one else is in the room, "Oh no, my cookie has gone Titanic!"

Gratitude Challenge: Day 17

Payday! YEAH-day!!

Today, I'm grateful for the fact that the current customers Hubby has pay their invoices on time with minimal (if any) chasing required on our part. When we first ventured into the world of being self employed (has it really been 3 years? wow...) I was suprised to realize that even in the white collar world of network engineering, we had to "chase the check". I am not sure what I was thinking, but this was a real eye opening reality for me (Hubby, being the deligent guy that he is , was not as surprised as I was since he'd done a fair amount of researching before making the change to self employed).

Then about 1.5yrs ago, Hubby switched to a different contract, with a new organization serving as the middle men. OMG: these folks are awesome! They answer emails, they pay the invoices when we send them and they are just all around nice people to deal with.

So, later today, I"ll go to the mailbox, and that check will no doubt be there. Which is a good thing indeed...because well, I'm still one of those types that likes to pay their bills on time and in full (I know, a dying breed I suspect, what can I say?).

Gratitude Challenge: Day 16

Grateful for a quiet Sunday. If all goes well, I might even try to sneak in that precious yet seldom enjoyed treat: the Sunday snooze on the couch! But then again, I'm half way through a really good book (Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner...a suspense thriller) so I might skip the nap in favor of some reading.

Matters not...we've got nothing special to do today, and all day to do it. Does life get any better than this? Yeah...didn't think so...

Gratitude Challenge: Day 15

Today, I'm grateful for my health. Later today, many of the staff and teachers of the Things' school will gather to celebrate the life of Miss Sue. Miss Sue lost her 10 year battle with breast cancer last week. She was an incredibly talented teacher. She worked with one of the hardest group of kids to teach: the struggling reader. She faced her battle with strength and grace. Many only learned of her health issues this Fall when she quietly stepped down from her teaching duties to spend some remaining months with her family. Miss Sue: we will miss your bright smile and encouraging words!

Now, for my PSA...get that mammogram done NOW. The hardest day of the year for me is each May when I walk in to get the "girls" checked. The anxiety, the fear, the thought that "maybe it's better to just not think about it" And of course, one of my happier days each year is getting the "all clear" postcard. Don't let fear and anxiety keep you from taking care of your own health. Do it for your family, yourself and do it in memory and celebration of the many warriors that have passed away from this dreaded disease!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 14

Today, I'm grateful for finally reaching the bottom of the laundry basket. Yeah, it has taken me all week to get caught up. And yep, sadly, it doesn't stay empty for long. But today, it's a good feeling to have a laundry free day.

Now what to do with all that extra time? Sit on the couch and eat a bon bon perhaps? Nope, more than likely I should think about unpacking my scrapcrap. Hopefully I won't find any laundry stuffed in amongst my crafty stuff!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 13

Today I'm thankful for my friend Judy. She was the first friend I made when we moved to Colorado. We had moved into our new house during the summer of '97. I birthed me a Thing soon after and by Christmas I was feeling rather isolated and lonely. New baby, no friends: yeah, I was just a barrel of laughs back then. So, I baked some cookies and started knocking on doors. Inviting neighbors over for an open house the following week. The day arrives and at first nobody comes...finally, the lady from across the street comes scurrying over and introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Judy"....and well, as the saying goes, the rest is history.

Judy and I are very different...

• She's raising girls, I'm raising Things of the male variety


• She's from California, I'm from the Midwest


• She's not always on time, and I'm frantic if we're even running slightly late


• She's a Go Navy gal, and I'm a Beat Navy gal


• She's over the moon with excitement about our next president...and well..you get the idea, right?

But what I've learned from Judy are things that transcend these differences. From her, I"ve learned the importance of stopping and enjoying the moment. Her girls are just a tad older than my guys (oh yeah, baby, that added perk of handy babysitters is also a blessing indeed). And as I watch her raise those girls, I'm constantly reminded to celebrate the process of parenting. Not every day is perfect, no stage is without heartache, but find the positive and run with it. Judy is the master of this technique and I try hard to follow her lead.

Thank you Judy for always being there! You are indeed one of the best...and my life is richer thanks to you being a part of it!

Wordless Wednesday meets 12 on the 12th...

While i was away...it wasn't all laughter and drinking...a little somethin' crafty was a happenin!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 12

Today's gratitude challenge is another no brainer for me. I married this guy 13 years ago today. I am grateful every day for his love, his patience, his forgiveness, his paycheck (hey it can't be all sappy, or you'll quit reading my blog) and his sense of humor (again, he married me, he'd better be able to laugh now and then).

There are days when he puts up with me. And yeah, there are some days when I'm putting up with him. But in the end, it all works out and we have discovered that we're a pretty good pair. And those Things? They complete the picture! :)

Happy Anniversary, Hubby! You are the best!!!!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 11

Today's gratitude...is really an easy one. As a veteran myself, I am grateful for having had the opportunity to serve my country. I remember very clearly that day so many years ago, when I raised my hand for the first time, reciting this solemn oath

I Martha Louise Granum do solemnly swear
that I will support
and defend the Constitution of the United States against
all enemies, foreign and domestic.

That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that
I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of
evasion and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the
office on which I am about to enter. So help me God

It was truly an honor to serve my country, to care for not only
wounded and sick service members but also their family members. No one can truly appreciate the countless sacrifices that our active duty service members make each and every day. I was fortunate to see first hand how much these brave men and women give up in order to serve our nation. This Veteran's Day, I ask us all to remember the words of Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, chaplain, USMC who wrote

It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us freedom of the press

It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer who has given us the freedom to demonstrate

It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.

now, get off the computer, and go make sure you are flying the colors today, ok?

Gratitude Challenge: Day 10

Today, as I unpack and resume my regular scheduled life, I am taking time to reflect on the gratitude I feel for my online friendships. Thanks to my friends in Texas...I had a great time and it was an honor to be able to meet ya'll!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Gratitude Challenge: Day 9

Today, as I stare at my two over-stuffed bags, I'm grateful for the liberal luggage policy of Southwest Airlines. 'Nuf said...

Homeward bound later today. Have had a most excellent time...and but like most things in life, all good things must come to end...saying goodbye to new friends and old, and heading home to those crazy Things and their dad (who sound like they survived just fine in my absense. Aw man, there goes THAT job security!)

Gratitude Challenge: Day 8

So have you figured out that I've written these in advance? Assuming no disasters occured, I"m deep in the heart of Texas, bonding with some fabulous women I've known for years...but only met for the first time this weekend.

Isn't technology a good thing?

And that my friends is what I"m grateful for today...more specifically the gadgets we take for granted these days...laptops, cell phones...high speed internet, email, blogging. Little gadgets and feautres that make it so much easier to stay in touch when adventures take us away from home and family.

Gratitude Challenge: Day 7

I'm grateful for the gift of a good book.

When this entry posts, I'll be out of town. And one of the things I'll miss is our family routine of reading together. Each night, the Things and I snuggle into our king sized bed, and listen to a story that is of interest to all of us...

Last month we started the Percy Jackson series...The Lightning Thief. Now, we're enjoying book 2 in this series. It is so much fun to watch the boys get drawn into the story, trying to guess what happens next and amazing me with their ability to "predict" the story. (they must get this from their dad, who has an uncanny ability to predict the story line of even the most complicated t.v. mystery).

Thing Two is our reluctant reader...but I'm grateful he's an eager listener making it possible for us all to enjoy the adventures that a good book takes us on!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 6

Today's gratitude is one I've commented on before...but bears repeating. I'm grateful for the supportive family that God has blessed me with.

Later today I'm heading out on adventure.
My guys will be having a "guys only" weekend.
Thank you guys for keeping the whining to a dull roar as I abandon you for the weekend...
See you all on Sunday...

(traveling without the laptop...how very daring of me, eh? But this way there will be peace in the valley as Thing One and Thing Two and Hubby will all have access to their favs online in my absence. And nobody has to share or wait their turn. I figure I can mooch email time from someone else with a laptop.)

Wordless Wednesday: Hair by Jane

Gratitude Challenge: Day 5

Today, I'm grateful for Jane.
What? You don't know Jane?
Too bad...because she's good...she's really good!
Yesterday, she washed that gray right out of my hair and sent me on my way.

*and if I manage to style it as cute as she did, that might be my wordless Wednesday post later today.

Gratitude Challenge: Day 4

Today's the day...it's finally here. That alone makes me grateful. I mean come on: just think...No more approved messages and annoying phone calls.

Yet, I'm also grateful to live in a country where I am allowed a say in who we elect for president. So, while it remains to be seen as to whether my guy will win, at least I had a chance to vote for the man who best represents my views and concerns.

So just in case you haven't exercised this right, remember the words of Louis L'Amour...

To make democracy work, we must be a notion of participants, not simply
observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain. ~
....Louis L'Amour

Gratitude Back tracking...Days 1 and 2

Ok, so I started the challenge a bit late...and I thought I could accept being late to the dance and missing the first two days. But I can't...you see I'll get all confused on which day I'm in if it doesn't match up with the date on the calendar. I'm a bit of a control freak, what can I say?

so, here it is...belated gratitudes...

November 1st: Grateful for the control I was able to exercise with the plethora of treats that had passed by my way on Friday. I had good news when I checked in for my weekly meeting. Really good news...but I"ll save that for another day. Suffice to say, I'm getting closer to my final goal! Go ME!

November 2nd: Grateful for the liberal return policy at Target. And for those considering buying Guitar Hero World Tour for Wii...might I suggest you wait a bit until they work out the kinks of the drum pad. 'nuf said....

Giving Thanks....all month long

Later this month, we'll all gather with our family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. Chances are good that we'll eat too much, maybe drink too much and hopefully take a moment or two to give Thanks for the many blessings we have.

Yet, one of my bloggin' buddies, Midnite Scrapper in CA suggested a month long challenge. Give thanks every day this month and blog about it. Prizes are being offered. Yep, even us bloggers need a little incentive to take on a challenge. I'm game...I think I can find a little something every day to give thanks for.
Are you up for such a challenge? If so, join in the fun and start bloggin! (and don't fret about the daily part...blogger lets you schedule postings so if one day you are super thankful, you can get your posts ready to post in advance).

Me? Today, I'm thankful for that extra hour of sleep. I'm a morning person and so I didn't spend it sleeping...but I am enjoying the extra time to get the day started.

Why is it...

that what I should be doing, I don't want to do?

The Day After...

Maybe it was all the excitement of the day?

Maybe it was the merlot I had in my coffee cup?

But today? I'm one dragging momma....wondering after the second cup of coffee when the burst of energy will hit...

So instead of being productive, I'll update the blog with photos from yesterday. All in all it was a fun time. The weather was PRIMO...warm. But surprisingly, the activity in the 'hood was rather mellow. It is a sign of the times? It is because it was Friday night, folks were at parties and other such destinations? I'm not sure...but without a doubt, it was a rather quiet celebration.

Thing One was something between a moose boy and a hunter. By the time we finished, he was a boy in a flannel shirt. For a kid that loves his make believe world, he has a real hard time putting himself in that world. I guess that's a good thing, right?

Thing Two was Frankenstein. And I must say, he made quite the cute little Frankie. But shhh...don't tell him that...cute isn't cool when you are 9.

And as for Momma...well, you've got Sharpay meets a Miss Piggy wig. I guess that gives you Sharpig, right?