Day 21 - Siblings

As an only child I always wished I'd had siblings. I didn't have anyone with which to share all things, good and bad. And so the thing today that I am thankful for is that my children each have a sibling. They already enjoy playing together. Reagan thinks Hayden is the coolest and he already seems protective of her.

Day 20 - My Horses

This is my baby Splash. He's really pretty and just the sweetest horse around. I am so thankful to have these beautiful creatures right in my own front yard. I absolutely love sitting on the front porch and just watching him and the others graze. Watching them is just so calming and peaceful.

Day 19 - Marriage

I am so thankful for my marriage. My husband has been my best friend for 8 years and it just keeps getting better. God has blessed me more than I could ever imagine with this union.

Day 18 - Bryson

Ok, I know I'm very behind. Family reunions and such. And as you can tell I don't have a pic today. This day I am thankful for the birth of a new little guy. My best friend, Holly, had her sweet baby boy Friday November 12th. He was 7 pounds and 6 ounces and has made his mommy and daddy so proud. I don't have a pic because I haven't met him yet, but I have seen pictures and he's pretty darn precious. I'm a proud "Aunt". Congrats Jeff and Holly.

Day 17 - Family

I didn't take this picture seeing as how it was taken WAY before my time (note the stylish clothing). But it's of my Uncle Jerry. I miss him so very much. It's hard to believe it's been 9.5 years since he passed. Where has the time gone? Tomorrow we have a family reunion. It's always sad that he is not here anymore. He was the best story teller. He loved getting together with our distant relatives and catching up as well as reliving old times. So tonight I am thankful for two things. I am thankful that I had the most wonderful Uncle, who was much like a father. And I am thankful for the family that I do still have.

Day 15 - The Girl

For as long as I can remember I have wanted a little girl and her name would be Elizabeth. As it turns out my Mother-in-law's middle name is Elizabeth, so it was meant to be that Reagan would share her middle name. From day 1 of my pregnancy, I knew this was the little girl I had been waiting for. She will be 10 months tomorrow and she makes me smile everyday. I can't wait for days of playing tea party and house. Who knows? She might be a little tomboy and want to get just as dirty as her brother does. Either way, I am so very thankful that she has come into our lives.

Day 14 - Matthew

Matthew is my youngest nephew. He became my nephew when I married Craig. He won my heart over at the age of 6 when he called me Aunt Christie before I was even married to Craig. And how can I forget that he proposed to me before Craig did? Today is his birthday and he's a teenager today. It's hard to believe that's he's 13 now. Happy Birthday Matthew! We love you!

Day 13 - Premier Designs

I am so thankful to have an opportunity like Premier Designs. I know God put this company in my path for a reason. I have met many wonderful people and had so much fun in the process. I have also been able to contribute money to the family bank account. Having worked since I was 16 it was hard for me to get used to staying home and not making a paycheck. I know my "job" of raising kids is the most important work I can do and I am so very thankful to be able to do it. But I am glad that I am able to do my job with Premier Designs around our family schedule.

Day 12- Salvation

What more can I say? I'm just so thankful for the gift that Jesus Christ gave when He died on the cross.

Day 11 - The Boy

I never knew how much my life would be changed when I had children. It has been the best experience ever and having a son has been just the icing on the cake. My days are filled with dump trucks and cars. I knew that little boys love their mommies, and that is so the case. I also told him the day that he was born that no girl would ever be good enough for him. He makes me laugh every day and although he is a challenge at times, I am thankful for every moment I have with him.

Day 10 - Against All Odds

It shouldn't make sense, but my Mom and Step mom are here spending the weekend with me and we are having a blast! I am so thankful that they get along. Most families could never dream that this would happen. What a joy to get to spend time with Mimi and Gigi!

Day 9 - The view from my front porch

I am so thankful to live in the country and get to see a view like this from my very own front porch. The stars are always so beautiful. It's just not a scene you get when you live under city lights.

Day 8 - Portraits

When we looked at buying this house this hallway was full of pictures. When we moved in it was full of holes that I had to fill when I painted. The couple we bought the house from was in their 70's and had a lifetime of pictures on the walls. My lifetime is not as long yet, but I am thankful that I have family portraits to fill these walls. I have my own holes in these walls. I love looking at those smiling faces and watching them grow before my eyes.

Day 7 - The United States

It goes without saying that America is the greatest country around! I am thankful for such a great country where my voiceis heard each election day. And tomorrow is one of those days!

Day 6 - My Handy Man

I am so thankful that I have the BEST husband around. He is so great to put up with me buying a house that I absolutely loved. And then I set out to change EVERYTHING about the house that I originally loved. This includes all new doors and trim. I don't know why he puts up with me, but I am so thankful that he does. I don't know what I would do without him.

Day 4 - Time

I am always obsessing about time. What time is it right now? If I wake up I HAVE to know what time it is. I HAVE to know what time the baby ate. I HAVE to know what time Hayden went to sleep, what time Craig will be home. You get the idea. So today the thing I am thankful for is the fact that my husband is teaching me not to be so worried about time. He covers the clock in an attempt to make it pitch black. I must admit that at first it really bothered me. But now I am learning that it is quite nice to not have to know what time it is. I'm actually sleeping better at night. And if the baby wakes in the middle of the night, she gets herself back to sleep! Maybe he was right all this time that I didn't need to have that darn clock shining so bright. And I don't HAVE to know what time it is all the time.

Day 3 - Apple Blossoms

We have lived in our house a 2.5 years already and one thing I love about this place is my little apple tree. One thing that Mrs. H was proud to point out when were looking at the house was that there were 8 peach trees near the front gate and a lone apple tree in the front yard. She told me that the apple tree had only put out one apple since she planted it, but that the peaches did pretty good. Well, needless to say, I have a brown thumb and know nothing about peaches so they have all quickly died. It doesn't help that the horses like to nibble on them as well. But my apple tree is thriving. In fact, when we fenced around the house I made sure to have the fence encompass the apple tree so that it would not become of victim of the horses as well.





It's not a very tall tree. Maybe twelve feet, but this year the blossoms were beautiful. The bees were swarming all around and I noticed the start of apples! They didn't get very big this year. In fact, they were rather small, but the horses didn't seem to mind when I pitched a few over the fence. I kept waiting to see how big they would get and then realized they were becoming victims of the worms and black birds. But for a few short weeks we had apples. Green apples at that!

Give It A Spin

This picture came to me as soon as I hit post on last night's blog. I'd like to say that I'm thankful for all the money I won on the show, but that's not true. (I have wanted to be on this show for about 25 years). What I'm thankful for is the time that I spent as a little girl watching this show with my Great-Grandmother. We called her Wuh-Wuh. I can remember watching this show in the evenings with her sitting on the bench in front of her fireplace wearing a sweater in July. She always had a Dr. Pepper in her red glass and crunched on ice until it was gone. I tried to solve the puzzle before she did, but I was never as quick. I was so proud when the total number of puzzles I had solved at my young age exceeded ten. I hope that she enjoyed that time with me. I am so thankful that I have that memory, but even more thankful that tonight I got to snuggle on the couch with my son watching this same show. He seems to love it as much as I do.

What I'm Thankful for...

I know it's just a few days away from Halloween, but Thanksgiving is right around the corner. So, right now I am asking myself what am I truly thankful for. The list is long. It includes many simple things. It also is packed full of some things that no words can describe. So for the next month, right up until Thanksgiving, I am going to post a picture a day. It is my attempt to show what I am grateful for and why. I'm sure not every picture will bring a smile. After all, we can't be just grateful for the happy times. We have to learn that the sad times can be treasures too.

As I was mentally sorting through the pictures I have, Hayden came in with the biggest grin on his face. I couldn't resist snapping his goofy smile and decided this was the best shot to start off my challenge. Obviously I could start off by saying that I'm thankful for this child. That goes without saying. But what is in this photo that I am thankful for is that he still laughs at the silliest things. That won't always be the case so I better enjoy it now.