Thankful Thursday

Today's Thankful Thursday post is a no-brainer,

because today is a special day.

Today, my darling husband turns the big 2-6!

Today, I am thankful for my amazing husband

because he is a provider.

He works hard and without question,

and he does things he doesn't always like.

When I need encouragement,

he's right there with a hug and a silly smile.

I am thankful for my husband

because he makes the best sweet tea ever,

and because he knows all the words

to every Boyz II Men song ever recorded.

I am thankful for my husband

because he calls me funny nicknames

and because he waits the extra few minutes

to get half cheese, half pepperoni

on our $5 Little Caesar's pizza.

For all these things and more,

I am so thankful.

I love you, sweetie. Happy Birthday!

The end of an era

Man, I'm really going to miss these guys...

Six years have come to an end.

That's a pretty long time to be involved in anything,

if you ask me!

Now, I will admit: Lost did start to get a bit confusing

for a while there at the end.

There were so many plot lines and characters

to keep up with,

that even I, someone who had seen every episode,

had a little trouble keeping up.

I also know that many people

had mixed feelings about the finale.

But, I am not ashamed to admit that I liked it.

It was strangely satisfying for me,

and I thought the last scene was really beautiful.

This is only the second series finale ever

to move me to tears

(the first being Friends...

oh man, that was a good one!).

I actually had to pull out the tissues more than once.

I'm such a sap!

Seriously though, I will miss the show,

but I am a bit relieved that it's all over now.

It was great while it lasted,

but I think I would have lost my mind

if I had to keep up with the mystery and confusion

for a whole other season. :)

I wonder what she's thinking?

Sometimes I wonder

what Daisy is thinking

when she gets that dreamy look

on her little doggy face.

Maybe she's thinking of treats,

or of playing outside,

or maybe she's imagining

what it would be like

to curl up in front of a cozy fire.

Until I learn to speak her language,

I guess I'll never know.

Thankful Thursday

Tomorrow is Friday.

Don't you just love Fridays?

But we can't wish our Thursdays away,

now can we?

Let's take today to be thankful!

Today, I am thankful for my health.

Remember that bloodwork I had done

last week when I was sick

with a random high fever

for the second time in four weeks?

Well, the results are in,

and everything came back negative.

Praise the Lord!

The only point of concern

was that my white blood cell count

was a bit low,

but the nurse didn't seem very worried.

She said that the doctor wanted me to come back

after a couple weeks had passed

to test again and make sure

that everything has returned to normal.

What I do know

is that I'm feeling much, much better

than I was last week,

and for that, I am thankful.

***

Today, I am thankful

that my dear husband

has been working a lot more lately,

but that he hasn't had to leave town yet

and we are still able to sleep in the same bed,

even if it's only for a few hours each night.

I am so very lucky

to have such a sweet, loving, hard working man

to call my husband.

What are you thankful for

on this Thankful Thursday?

A sneak peek...

...at my stargazer lilies...

...that are getting so tall and green!

Do you see the little spider?

I found some teeny, tiny little buds today.

I can't wait to see these guys bloom!

Not Me My Spouse Monday

Yesterday morning,

I was scheduled to be in the church nursery

with my sister-in-law, Shannon.

When she said she couldn't make it,

Justin stepped in to help me out.

I was very impressed

with his helpfulness

as we put in a DVD,

let the kids color with crayons

(they ended up coloring on the table

more than on the paper,

thank goodness for wet wipes),

gave out goldfish crackers at snacktime,

and tried to keep the nursery

from becoming a huge mess of toys.

There was, however,

one particular moment

that made me laugh (and still does).

One little three year old boy

is completely potty trained,

except for the fact that

he needs help wiping

after going #2 on the potty.

As I held a very sad,

and very sleepy 15 month old,

the little three year old boy

ran up to me and announced

that he "had to go stinky."

I asked if he needed any help

and he said he didn't,

so off to the bathroom he went.

Shortly after the 15-month old

fell asleep in my arms,

the three year old yelled,

"I'M DONE!!!"

Justin looked at me,

and then down at the sleeping child

in my arms,

and then back up at me,

and said "Nope. Not Me. Nuh uh. I don't DO that."

I laughed, took the little one to the baby room

to lay him down in a crib,

and ran to the bathroom

to wipe the bottom

of the stinky little three year old.

***

Of course, that couldn't have been my hubby

who left me stranded like that

and expected me to be

in two places at once.

Nope, not him!

When we have little ones of our own,

I'm sure he will always step up

and wipe our babies' stinky bottoms

with a smile.

Of course, I'm only teasing...

he really is awesome with kids.

The man just knows his limits,

and I can't blame him for that.

I can do all things...

through Christ who gives me strength...

...but a good cup of coffee sure doesn't hurt, either.

Thankful Thursday

There is a lot to be thankful for

on this Thankful Thursday!

Today, I am thankful

that I'm feeling much better

after a random day of fever

and having some blood drawn

at the doctor's office.

I am thankful

that after a long dry spell,

my hubby finally got some work.

Work gives us money,

and money allows us

to pay the bills.

So for that, we are both

very thankful!

Today, I am thankful

that the weekend is almost here

and with the weekend

comes rest and relaxation.

And possibly a much needed

date night with my favorite person.

What are you thankful for?

Nifty Fifty

Nifty, nifty. look who...

has 50 followers!

I think this occasion calls for a cupcake.

But then, is there any occasion that doesn't?

Mmm... now I want something sweet.

But, I digress.

I really don't think

that I'm interesting enough

to have fifty followers,

but I am so honored

that you, dear reader,

have chosen to read my blog.

I promise

that I will try

to be a little more entertaining

in the future. :)

Today, I'm a little

under the weather

(again)

so I've spent the better part of the day

on the couch.

I did go to the doctor, though,

and had some blood drawn

to possibly find out why

I keep getting these random fevers.

It has happened twice

in a span of about four weeks,

and I am getting pretty tired

of whatever this is.

Maybe to make myself feel better,

I'll redesign the blog once more

because I don't know about you,

but for me,

there's something about

getting those creative juices flowing

that's just plain good for the soul.

More to come!

A Prayer in Spring

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
To which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends he will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.

Robert Frost

Today, in Pictures

[Our niece, Emily Grace, getting ready to go swimming!]

[Family fun in the pool!]

[Fun in the sun!]

[Hanging out with my love]

[Getting dried off and ready for dinner]

[Painting with Uncle Jus Jus]

[My Father-in-Law's knockout roses.. so beautiful!]

***

I wish I had taken pictures

of my amazing dinner...

a marinated & grilled ribeye steak,

baked potato with sour cream,

salad with homemade buttermilk ranch,

and yeasty dinner rolls.

Not to mention my dessert plate

which consisted of banana pudding

and yellow cake with cream and strawberries.

Holy moly.

What a fun day!

Today's To Do List

Get swimwear ready: check.

Wear cute sundress: check.

Grab a pair of flip flops: check.

Make banana pudding: check.

Charge camera: check.

Looks like I'm all ready to go!

In a little while,

the hubby and I

will be heading out

to his parents' house

for a Mother's Day cookout

and pool party.

The weather today is perfect

and the pool is 85 degrees.

Sounds like the perfect recipe

for some fun in the sun!

Pictures to come...

Thankful Thursday

Today is Thursday.

Do you know what that means?

That's right.... it's Thankful Thursday!

On Thursdays, I like to take some time

to share what I'm thankful for.

I love it when you share, too,

so feel free to grab the button

on the right side of my page,

and do a Thankful Thursday post

of your very own!



Today, I am thankful for

the little baby birds

who were born and took up residence

in the birdhouse in our backyard,

and who suddenly

grew up and flew away

sometime during the week.

I have no idea why,

but I felt some sort of silly connection

to those baby birds.

I loved sitting on the back patio

and watching the momma bird

feed her babies,

and listen to those teeny little tweets.

***
Today, I am thankful for delicious burgers

made on our cheap little grill,

and for the time spent with my husband

on a lovely spring day.

I am thankful for laughter,

and tickle fights,

and impromptu trips

to the ice cream store.

I am thankful for the willpower

to get low fat sherbet

instead of ice cream

on those impromptu trips, too. ;)

***

I am thankful for the Mother's Day cookout

we'll be attending this Saturday,

for my lovely mother-in-law

and my sweetheart of a sister-in-law

who are both awesome moms.

And last but not least,

I am thankful for MY mom,

without whom I most certainly

would not be who I am today.

Momma, I love you.

I am so very thankful for you.


What are you thankful for, dear reader?

A little about me

What kind of car do you drive? A red Mercury Mountaineer.

Have you ever had a garage sale? Not since I've been married.

What color is your iPod? I have an iPhone, and it's white.

What kind of dog do you have? Daisy is a chihuahua and Ellie is a golden mix.

What's for dinner tonight? Burgers on the grill! Is it dinner time yet?

What is the last drink you drank? Water.

Last time you were sick? A few weeks ago.

How long is your hair? Right now it falls slightly above my shoulders.

Are you happy right now? As happy as anyone can be on a Wednesday. :)

What did you say last? I think I laughed at something a coworker said.

Who came over last? Good question. We haven't had many visitors in a while!

Do you drink beer? No, I don't like beer.

Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted? Nope.

What is your favorite key chain on your keys? The little flip-flop that says "I heart Justin"

What is in your pocket? The key to a cabinet at work.

Who is the last person you had a phone conversation with? A customer.

What DVD is in your DVD player? A game Justin has been playing. We use our PS3 as a DVD player.

What's something fun you did today? My lunch break was the most fun I've had all day... I sat in my car and played games on my iPhone. Really exciting, I know!

What do you think of when you hear the word "meow"? Um... cat?

What are you listening to right now? The sounds of the office. It's a quiet afternoon here.

What have you had to drink so far today? Green tea and water.

When is your birthday? November 6th.

Where did you buy the shirt you're wearing now? I bought it on oldnavy.com because I can never find petites in-store.

Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror? No.

How many states in the U.S. have you been to? Probably somewhere between 10 and 15, but I'm not completely sure. We traveled a lot when I was a kid.

What are you going to do after this? Work-related things.

What is something you need to go shopping for? Laundry detergent.

Do you like pickles? No way!

How about olives? Nope, don't like those either! Olive oil is nice, though.

What is your favorite kind of gum? I don't like chewing gum. I'd rather have a mint.

Do you have any tan lines? Yep, I've got tank top tan lines.

Do you remember the name of your kindergarten teacher? Mrs. Lafrate? Something like that.

Who was the last person to call you baby? My hubby.

Has anyone ever sang to you? Justin sings to me all the time!

Has anyone ever given you roses? Yep, but it's been a while ::cough cough:: ;)

If you were abandoned in the wilderness, would you survive? Probably not. I suck at outdoorsy types of things.

What is your favorite color? Pink and green.

What color are your eyes? Greenish hazel.

What is a compliment you receive way too often? "You're so cute!" I think it's a nice way of saying I'm really short.

How tall are you? 5'0".

Who was the last person to say they loved you and when? My husband, via a text earlier today. :)

Do you like your parents? I love them!

Why did your last relationship end? I don't even remember.

Who was the last person you said you loved on the phone? The hubs, of course!

Which do you prefer, to eat or sleep? To eat, I suppose. Sleep just gets in the way sometimes. Know what I mean?

Do you look more like your mom or your dad? Everyone says I look just like my mom.

How long does it take you to shower? 10 minutes, maybe.

Can you do splits? Not since I was a kid!

Can you use the grill? I love to grill!

What movie do you want to see? I'm interested to see "Date Night."

What did you on New Years Eve 2007? Hung out with Justin and toasted (with Dr. Pepper, I believe) at midnight.

Was your mom a cheerleader? Actually, she was!

What is the last letter of your middle name? E.

How many hours of sleep did you get last night? Sevenish.

Do you wear your seatbelt in the car? Yes, always.

Are you scared of flying? Not at all!

What do you sleep in? A tank top and undies, usually. Sometimes I'll wear PJ pants in the winter.

Do you have any tatoos? No.

Have you ever been to Los Angeles? Nope, never been.

What jewelry do you wear all the time? My wedding rings and faux pearl earrings.

What is your favorite song at the moment? "Something Beautiful" by NeedToBreathe is climbing to the top of the chart for me right now.

What song do you HATE? That stupid "I want to be a millionaire" song.

Do you like chocolate? I love chocolate! Why, do you have some?!

Are you easy to get along with? I like to think so, but maybe I'm biased.

Any up coming events you're excited about? I am very much looking forward to a good friend's wedding in July!

Dear Reader: Feel free to copy and paste this survey into your blog so I can learn a little bit more about you, too! Until next time...

A Little Dose of Cuteness

I love my job.

I really do.

But sometimes,

when Justin is out of work

for a little while

(he works contract-to-contract)

I get just a wee bit jealous

that he gets to stay home

and do fun things

like hang out with our

incredibly adorable niece,

Emily Grace.

Today, he recorded this video

on his phone

and e-mailed it to me

while I was at work.

It just melts my heart

the way she says,

"Aunt Tatie!"

I just can't wait

to see that little munchkin again.

:)