Thursday, December 6, 2012

History

On the drive home from school today, Lukas says "History is just full of dead people.  And that's all.  It's all dead people, all the time."  Then a long silence.  Then "And pretty much every time I open a history book, I hear the souls of dead people."  I said "You don't really though, do you?" (I'm checking to see if my kid is crazy, or what? I don't know. lol).  He looks over  and laughs, "No, that was just a joke."

Sunday, December 2, 2012

days of thanks

People are all over Facebook doing days of thankfulness type deal this month.  I kind of don't like to be all that cliche about it, and be like everyone else, you know, rebel-me and all, so I'm boycotting it, however, I still think it's nice to take time to reflect on being thankful - especially because I know I have so much to be thankful for.  So I started my own list, and then I thought I'd transfer it over here because at least you'd have something to read......

Thursday, November 1:  Totally thankful for coffee.  It's like God's gift to me some days.  You know what I miss though?  I miss sitting with you on the weekends having coffee together and doing our crosswords.  Thankful for coffee, and looking forward to our weekends of coffee again soon.

Friday, November 2:  I am so thankful for my comfortable bed.  Went on a field trip with Adam today to Pioneer Village.  I didn't work out this morning because I had too much to do, and thought I'd run later, but those kids wore me out!  One of the girls had to go potty.  She announced this to me during our picnic lunch.  I told her to wait a minute and we'd all go before we saw the reenactment.  Two seconds later she mumbles (way too loudly) "ohh, man, now I have to poo."  Oh. My. Gosh.  No thank you.  I now know that I would never want to be a teacher.  I told her to wait a couple minutes until the other little girl in my group was done eating so she could go too.  So we went.  And this little girl took forever.  Finally, I sent the second girl back to the table.  The way they announce the beginning of the reenactment is by sounding a cannon.  It was super loud.  As soon as it boomed, the little girl said "oohh, NOOO, I'm going to miss it!!"  I'm like "hurry up, Abby! Can you hurry?"  At this point it's been like ten minutes.  I wait another minute... I'm waiting outside because the door is open and I can see in, so no reason not to.  I step into the bathroom and say "Abby, what is taking so long?  Are you okay?"  She says "Yes, I'm okay, I'm just putting my pants back on now."  WHAT.  NO.  Can.not.be.happening.to.me.  I look down and see that she has no shoes on, NO SOCKS ON, and her pants are on the ground!!  What?  Are you kidding me?  What a nightmare.  "Okay, Abby, HURRY UP!"  I step back outside to just ponder, and wonder why in the world a kid would do this.  Also, I just really need to get away.  Call me a weirdo, but this one just threw me for a loop.  A second cannon booms, and I know we're going to miss half of the reenactment.  Thankfully, another mother took my group over to see it.  I have to make her wash her hands.  Finally, we're on our way to a reenactment of a Revolutionary War fight.  So, I can't help it.  I say "Abby.  Do you take your pants off at school too?"  "Yes, I do."  "Abby.  Don't take your pants off to go to the bathroom.  Just don't do that.  That takes too long."  "Only when I go poo."  "Abby, why did you take your socks off?"  "I had to take my shoes off."  "Okay, just don't do that anymore.  You don't need to do that."  Abby: "Whew.  I feel SO much better now."  This kid wore me out.  I love my bed tonight.  Best place ever.

Saturday, November 3:  Can I have 2 today?  I am thankful for my legs that carried me up the mountain this morning, and that completed 10 repeats at the top, in just barely over an hour.  So completely, hugely thankful for good health; I think it means so much more to me since I have had health issues, not even terribly bad ones....but still,so thankful to be healthy!  Also, I am thankful for spontaneous friends.  I decided I wanted to get out of the house, and Julie and Alan came along for the ride.  I love them peeps.

Sunday, November 4:  I am thankful for being able to be lazy some days.  Lazing around and reading, watching tv, short naps, not cleaning, not cooking, because the house is clean, and there's cold food aplenty - sometimes just helps keep a soul keepin' on.  I was pareeetty lazy today.  The kids were too, and no one complained a thing about it.

Monday, November 5:  Thankful for you men that seem to so easily wield: screwdrivers on curtain rod installs, drills to make holes for the curtain rod going up, hammers on nails for picture hanging, shovels into thousands of pounds of rocks to clear out for grass, paint paraphernalia that freshens walls,  technological wires/equipment on televisions, cable boxes, Wii's, DVD players, surround sound systems, etc., all the tools and motivation it takes to do oil changes. (Thursday: I'm adding toilet plunger-wielding men to this too)

Tuesday, November 6:  Today I am thankful for hot showers.  Can you imagine what it would be like to take cold water showers all the time??

Wednesday, November 7:  Thankful for beautiful, cool weather.

Thursday, November 8:  Thankful that there are people that do good for no other reason than just to do good.  I heard on the radio this morning a story that a man saw a truck parked near his house, and he kept noticing that the tires on the truck were all in awful condition.  He decided to help the person out, and went and put a note on the guys car that said something like: "You don't know me.  But I noticed that your tires need to be replaced.  Here is a receipt to a full set of tires that I purchased for you.  If you go to such and such tire shop, and ask for -name-of-some-guy, he will put the tires on your truck free of any charges.  If you ever feel lead, please do something nice for someone in the future."  Awesome.

Friday, November 9:  Today I am thankful for being able to spend time with my mom.  I spent the day at her house.  She helped me make books for Adam's classroom.  She provided me with coffee, and coffee cake, and conversation.  She drove me to Zales to get my wedding set repaired.  She spent time with the kids while I waited for the paperwork, and while the salesman called me "kiddo" way too many times for my liking - and tried to get me to upgrade my set to something much more beautiful (and way more expensive, don't forget).  She waited while a greek guy at a kiosk tried to sell me a perfect flat iron for my hair, that of course doesn't do any damage, and actually nourishes the hair, for only $150.

Saturday, November 10:  I am so thankful for friends and family and being near them.  I love them all from the tip top of my heart.  I am going to be sad and cry lots when we have to leave here.  But for now, I am very, very thankful to be here to spend time with them while I can.

Sunday, November 11:  Thankful for the courage of men.  Saying "Happy Veteran's Day" sounds kind of odd to me.  But I'm happy there are those with courage to be veterans, so happy day it is.  "Courage is almost a contradiction in terms.  It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die."  - g.k. chesterson

Monday, November 12:  I am thankful for abundance.  I know I have so much more than so many people. Our washer broke last night.  Water is leaking everywhere, and I was starting to get really stressed about it.  But then I remembered that I don't have to wash in a pot of boiling water out in the backyard, with lye and a stick.  I don't have to scrub on a board, or use a wringer.  I don't have to wear dirty clothing for a week just because the wash only gets done once every two.  I have clean clothes to wear.  And most importantly, I really can buy a new washer (no matter that I don't want to).  I have so much!  In fact, I have so much stuff I should really have a yard sale.

Tuesday, November 13:  Thankful for early bedtime!!!!  I ran so hard this morning.  I am exhausted today.  I don't know why some days seem so much harder than others.  I am thankful that I am the mom and I can say it is bedtime whenever I wanna.  Early bedtime tonight, starting: NOW.

Wednesday, November 14:  I am so thankful for Trader Joe's!!!  I love that place so much.  I love how small it is.  I love that when (WHEN!) I forget something, it doesn't take ten minutes to walk to the other side to get it, or I don't just leave it completely because I'm too lazy to walk across a football-field length of store to grab it.  I am so thankful for organic food at a great price, especially their meats.  I am so thankful for their friendly staff.  I am so thankful they help push out my second cart.  I am so thankful that they have little carts for the kids to pile stuff in.  I am thankful for their free coffee.  I am thankful for everything about them.  I love them, and I think when we're back in Kansas we should petition for a Trader Joe's there because I can't live without my Trader Joe's!

Thursday, November 15: Thankful for the internet and phones.  I know I complain when we can't talk for 4 or 5 days, but honestly, I remember when you went to boot camp and we didn't talk for weeks.  I can't imagine having it be like it was for my grandparents - where they only had letters between them for so long....and I am sure they were thankful for that!

Friday, November 16:  I am thankful for health!  For mine, for my husbands', for my kids'.

Saturday, November 17:  I am thankful for friends that you can talk to about *anything* and *everything*.

Sunday, November 18:  Today, I am thankful for happy, cheerful kids, that love to smile, laugh, work and play.  The kids helped me clean the garage up today and they were so helpful.  Luke kept coming and saying "what can I do now, Mommy?"  I am thankful I didn't have to clean it alone, and that the kids were a joy to be with to get it back to clean.

Monday, November 19:  So thankful I have a sister that I can talk to, share with, and laugh and laugh and laugh with.  So thankful we like each other, because we didn't always.  So thankful that she is in my life and that we are together right now.  Love her.

Tuesday, November 20:  I'm thankful for music.  It can soothe the soul.

Wednesday, November 21:  I am thankful for disappointment, because it is a reminder of what matters to me the most.

Thursday, November 22:  I am thankful for family and friends.  I am thankful for our children, all of them.  I am thankful for a husband that works hard for his wife, children and himself.  I am thankful that I breathe, sleep, eat, talk, walk, run, laugh, cry, scowl; for fear, pain, sadness and tears - because it means I am alive.

Friday, November 23:  I am thankful for low days, because it means that I have high ones too.  Today was a low day for me, but they are few and far between, and I am also thankful for that!

Saturday, November 24:  I am thankful for my brothers and sisters and for their children, my nieces and nephews.  Julie, Stevan, David, Misty, and I went and watched Nick's band play tonight.  It was amazing to sit there and watch him playing.  He is an adult.  He is grown.  Time has blown by so quickly.  I am so thankful that I was able to go and see him playing.

Sunday, November 25:  I am thankful for the time that our children can spend with their grandparents.

Monday, November 26:  I am thankful for mistakes in life, because they help us grow and become better people.

Tuesday, November 27:  I am thankful for awesome acts of nature.  This morning as I was driving to go work out I saw the most amazing meteor.  It was, well, I don't know how close it was, but I saw it for about two seconds and then I could see individual sparks as it went out, and I could see the leftover rock, unlit, as it flew through the air.  It was very close.  So cool.

Wednesday, November 28:  I am thankful for my senses.  I am thankful that I can see, hear, feel, taste, and smell.

Thursday, November 29:  So thankful for writers - and books.  It is so nice to get lost in a story.

Friday, November 30:  I am thankful for love; and being loved!  I miss my husband and LOVE him!  I can't wait til I can see him in front of my face!