Gratitude Day #9

Although this day wasn't as awesome as the day before, I am grateful for people who make a bad experience better, even when they can't do anything about it.

Explanation:

We took the girls to the daycare again, then went out to breakfast. Then we just lounged around again and went to the hot tub. From there, the plan was to wait for Bree to fall asleep at the daycare, then get Emma and take her swimming (Bree would be MAD if Emma left and she didn't, and since Bree was having some pretty "bad" diapers, it wasn't smart for her to be in a pool). And while Dave and Emma were swimming, I would pack up the car and get ready to go. On my first trip to load luggage I saw it:

I saw it from a distance and was just PRAYING it was just the way the sun was reflecting on the car, then thought-wait, what sun? So, first reaction was punch to the gut. Second reaction was to look on the windshield for a note. NONE. I unlocked the car to open the door and see if there was a note under the snow. Oh wait, the DOOR WON'T OPEN! That's how bad it was smashed. It also cracked and bent the mudflap type area (whatever it's called) so when the wheels turn they rub against it. And this wasn't a small car either-it had to be a huge truck with how high up the damage went. Luggage went into the back and I was on my way to the front desk.

The manager and security guard came and took a report, then called the Sheriff's department to come so I could have a report for insurance. This all took place over a few hours of time, but during it all, I couldn't have asked for friendlier, more sympathetic people. The guard and manager drove around the entire resort to look for cars with a high back end, red paint on their bumper, etc. Not a thing. And they brought out their mechanic to see if he could pop anything out in order to make the door open, but it couldn't be done without causing more damage. So, while I lost some respect for humanity (RUDE not to leave a note-RUDE), I appreciated being treated the way I was by those who were helping me. Customer service is SOOOO different outside of Cleveland!

Good thing I didn't raise my deductible a couple weeks ago!

Gratitude Day #8

We were out of town, but now we're back! We decided that we wanted to start a tradition of doing something fun together as a family for our Christmas present instead of doing a ton of gifts. We'll still have a few things for the girls to open, but this is where our Christmas budget went to. We planned a little ski trip to this ski resort called Peek 'n' Peak. Since it's considered "early" season, we got all these deals. We booked a room and got our lifts tickets for free. And the room was CHEAP (cheaper than the price of 2 lift tickets)...and it had separate sleeping areas for the girls and us. It gets better. They have an indoor pool, indoor kiddie pool, indoor/outdoor hot tub, sauna, fitness room, and a HUGE play space for kids with 3 huge jungle gym/swingsets, pool table, ping pong table, and arcade games. AND they had a spa (like a massage/facial type of place). AND...they had daycare. So, on Tuesday we were SOOOOOOOO grateful for BABY-SITTING!!

Dave and I took the girls to the daycare center, and to be honest-I had a few reservations about taking them. I was worried about the quality of it, etc. We walked in and loved it right away. The girls took off and started playing with the toys, no problem. Dave and I were trying to figure out who would leave skiing to come pick up the girls, get them lunch and take Bree back to the room for a nap. Then we had to discuss whether or not it woould be worth it to get back onto the lifts if Bree didn't wake up until late, blah blah blah. Then the lady pipes in "we have cribs and a quiet room for naps." WHA????? HALLELUAH!!!! (or however you spell that) AND they feed them lunch. WAHOO!!!! They seriously had an awesome set-up in there. So we left them (no crying!) and looked at ourselves like a couple of kids in a candy store. What should we do with a whole day without kids????

Off we went to ski! It took a while for me to get the hang of it again-it's been at LEAST 6 years since I've gone. My knees were starting to hurt pretty bad (story for another day), so I decided to be done after a little while. Dave went off on his own and I went...to the spa for my very first massage EVER! Oh man, that was AWESOME. It was so nice to feel like I was asleep but not really asleep. I don't think I drooled :) It was a really nice spa and I totally felt pampered and relaxed!

After I was done there Dave met me back at the room-he had done all the runs a few times already! Let's just say, it's no Utah :) But they do a good job with what they have to work with. So we relaxed, watched tv, read. Then we picked up the girls around 3-ish. And this is where it rocks even more. Every Tuesday is Ladies Day, and you get FREE baby-sitting!!!! We were expecting to shell out money for this and it was FREE! You usually have to book it as a Ladies Day thing, but when I went to make the reservation the lady told me it didn't start until January. I was a little bummed, but we got all the other deals so it was okay. Then the lady at the baby-sitting said that it was going on now and she arranged it so we got it for free! Everyone that worked there was so awesome. They sent the girls home with all their art projects, and Emma was sad to leave. But then we took them to the indoor pool and they were in heaven again. Emma kept telling us she wanted to live there. After the pool we went to dinner, then came back to play in the big playzone. The girls slept well that night!

So if anything, the baby-sitting alone made that place worth every penny! We're going to try to go back again during Spring Break if they're running those same deals :)

Ahhhh...that was awesome.

Gratitude Day #7

Today I'm grateful for Emma. She's such a good little girl, and sometimes I'm not so patient with her, which gives me a huge guilty complex. I'm working on it! I got off the phone a little bit ago with her teacher-we weren't in town for parent/teacher conferences, so we just did it over the phone. She began by saying that this wouldn't take long because they don't have any problems with her! She quickly went through her list of all the assessments they do and she excels in all of them. And while I'm glad that she knows her letters and shapes and math, I'm mostly glad that her teacher told me that she does such a great job socially-she is polite, she accepts discipline (though they have rarely had to use it), she solves problems with her classmates, and her classmates all love her. She communicates well with everyone and just is a pleasure to have in their class!

I think I'm hard on her because she has always talked so well that I assume she's older than she is. It's hard to remember that she's only 4! Sometimes she seems like such an old soul in that little body. But when I expect too much from her is when we both get frustrated. So we're both working on that, and I think it's going well! I'm learning that I need to give her more clear, specific instructions on things, and she's learning that whining isn't okay :)

She loves to be a helper, which is hard for me since I'm such a control freak. But I've learned that she actually does a good job when she helps and I'm learning to let go of some things. She definitely "mothers" most things around her-Bree, her dolls and stuffed animals, other kids, her food (when she plays with it). I can tell how I've been disciplining by listening to her. She has used the phrases, "Mom, look at my eyes" or "Are you listening to my words?" when she's trying to get my attention. That makes me laugh.

One of my most favorite times of the day is when Dave is home, Bree is in bed, Emma is in her jammies, and she's hanging out with me and Dave on our bed. All Dave has to do is ask one innocent question about some silly thing and we get a great story or explanation from her about it. From there she just talks and talks and talks. Even though she appears more reserved and quiet, she's actually pretty chatty...I don't know where she gets that from :) And I love how Dave likes to explain "life" things to Emma. She has been very interested in Elizabeth's recently missing tooth. Last night Dave told her that when she was a baby and she was sleeping, the Tooth Fairy came to her and planted little tooth seeds in her mouth. Then her teeth grew in. And when they get too old they will fall out and Emma will put the tooth under her pillow, the Tooth Fairy will come and take the tooth, leave some money, and plant a new tooth seed in it's place so she can have big Mommy and Daddy teeth. From her expression I think she was a little concerned at the thought of someone crawling in her mouth and putting something in there. But she accepted it! Dave has all sorts of explanations for "life" things. She thinks there are bunnies in her tummy, mice in her toes, and frogs in her throat. The best is when she gives Dave's explanations to someone else. She's also really into fairies and princesses. Quite a few times I've caught her moping and asked what's wrong, only to hear a cry of "I'm not a fairy princess yet! Look, there aren't ANY sparklies on my arms!" And the other day she put her wings on, then proceeded to flap her arms up and down, then fall to the ground in dramatic despair because "I can't fly! It just WON'T WORK!"

I love this sweet little girl and I know there are wonderful things in store for her. She's a quietly stubborn little thing, but I know it's because Heavenly Father needs His children to be strong and have conviction. I'm so grateful to be her mommy!

this is Dave being artistic :)

Gratitude Day #6

This should also have been one of the first ones, but I'm grateful for Dave. I know I've written ALL about why I love him so much, so I won't bore you with all that again. But TODAY I'm grateful that he got to go to church. I know that sounds lame, but between his weekends away for the implants course, travel, stake and general conference, and kids being sick, it's been hit or miss getting to church for him. And because of my calling, if the girls are sick I usually have to go b/c I'm in charge of sharing time or something else, so he misses out. Add that to the fact that it wasn't until recently that Bree would finally go to nursery, so he spent most of church walking the halls with her. So, the fact that he got to go today was awesome. And today I'm grateful for all the help he gives me with the girls. He's a hands-on dad. He put Bree and Emma to bed tonight. AND he made dinner. See what I mean? He rocks. I was talking to my sister about how we rely on our husbands, and how our weekends away from them have been hard (her husband has been doing an ortho course), and how they've been hard not just because we rely on their help with the kids, but mostly because we rely on their physical presence to keep us solid. The kids can be driving me crazy during the day or be just fine-either way, I still feel this rush of peace and calm when Dave walks through the door. And I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful that we're a team. And I love him TONS!!!!

Gratitude Day #5

I went to the mall today, and let's just say that I'm SO THANKFUL that as a young couple with a small child we did NOT decide that it would be a FABULOUS idea to make a tradition of taking our children, all dressed up, to see Santa and get a picture with him (and pay an exorbitant amount for said picture). That will SO not be happening at our house...EVER.

Those poor poor kids in that long long long long line. If we ever did that, the picture would end up looking like this. Why would anyone in their right mind make that a tradition!!??

Gratitude Day #4

Midnight on the dot!! k-this will be quick :)

I'm grateful to continue a long lost family tradition of homemade suckers for Christmas. The first batch didn't take the raspberry flavor too well. I added the same amount of cinnamon flavor to the next batch and HOLY COW!! Has anyone ever stood over smoking cinnamon flavoring? I thought my head was going to burn off of my body! The flavor took on that batch :) And the house and my hands and hair still smell like cinnamon.

I'll try some other flavors over the next few weeks, so if you want some suckers, give me a call!

...and a tag

De tagged me with the 4th picture in the 4th folder thing, so here you have it! This would be almost a year ago, Emma having a tantrum because Bree was pulling her hair. A common occurrence at our house.

Gratitude Day #3

I know this should have been my day #1, but I'm thankful for a Heavenly Father who watches over us ALWAYS. Even when I'm not doing everything I can to always keep the Spirit with me (I yell at my kids sometimes...), I never have any doubt that He loves me. I guess that's another thing I'm thankful for-a testimony of Him that has never shaken, no matter my circumstances. I know that keeping your testimony of Him can be a struggle for some, so I appreciate that I've been given a gift to always be firm in my testimony.

And I know that He's always watching over us because I've learned how to talk with Him. That's another gift I appreciate. I truly understand the way He communicates with ME. It's different for everyone-for some He communicates in dreams, some through a quiet voice, some get big signs! So when I say my prayers and I really take the time to listen at the end, I always recognize His voice.

I know He loves us all. Through all our different struggles He takes the time to show us love in a way that we will understand, and I hope that you are able to know how He shows His love towards you. And I hope that we all take the time, especially during this special season, to share His love with those around you!

Gratitude Day #2

It's kind of hard trying to pinpoint one thing to express gratitude for. I could say a lot of different things, but then I feel like I have to explain them all. But maybe I don't have to.

So, in chronological order of my day:

I'm thankful that Dave's done with finals and boards-AND HE PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS BY THE WAY!!!!! He ROCKS!
I'm thankful for the baby-sitting at the gym
I'm thankful for the shopping carts that hold TWO children...and straps to keep them from running amok at the store
I'm thankful for the church music in my car that keeps the kids calm (or it might be the DVD player in the car-either way, it's quiet!)
I'm thankful that my garage isn't too packed with junk so my car will fit in it
I'm thankful for lights in my ceiling on these dark cloudy days (if you're scratching your head about that, here's an explanation: the OLD homes here aren't usually wired for lighting, so most of our friends only have lamps in the corners of the rooms, which don't add very much light. but our house has LIGHT-boy does it make a difference for me!)
I'm thankful for strawberry bagels that kept the girls from whining during the whole grocery trip
I'm thankful for fuelperks (but even without them it only cost me $28 to fill up yesterday-and that's in a VAN!!)
I'm thankful for sippy cups
I'm thankful for white noise machines
I'm thankful for preschool carpool
I'm thankful for chocolate chip cookies, a killer recipe for chocolate chip cookies, and a killer mixer to make those chocolate chip cookies in, and a silpat that makes those chocolate chip cookies look PERFECT
I'm thankful that chocolate chip cookies make kids happy when they get home from school
I'm thankful that two little girl bums can fit on one piano bench
I'm thankful for volume control on the piano (can someone invent volume control on a child??)
I'm thankful for a child that will sit still and build a tower with blocks
I'm thankful for a child that won't sit still and build a tower with blocks
I'm thankful for two children who are NOTHING alike
I'm thankful that those two children make me laugh (sometimes not until I'm thinking about them AFTER they're in bed, but still...)
I'm thankful for my bunko sisters-they give me a lot to laugh about
I'm thankful for a husband who empties the dishwasher and then loads the dishes that are in the sink!
I'm thankful for a chance to sit down and think about everything that made me happy today

Hope your day was full of awesome things too!!

Gratitude Day #1

I've seen a lot of people doing the gratitude thing every day for a month, and I think it was centered around Thanksgiving. But I thought it was a good opportunity for me to look beyond the dismal gray cloud cover that has now surrounded our lovely city (ha) and find things to be happy and grateful for each day.

Today is a superficial one. I'm grateful for Southwest Airlines :) First off, GREAT ticket prices, 2 pieces of free luggage, free curbside check-in, and first come, first served seating (or, if you're not fast enough...family boarding). AND you can check carseats for FREE! We have 2 carseat travel bags, and we've figured out a nice trick. The bags are enormous and have room in them even after the carseats are in them. So in order to lighten the load in the rest of our luggage, we throw in snow coats, boots, blankets, hats, gloves, stuffed animals, you name it (and it can't be destroyed if thrown around) and it goes in there!

So my friend Shannon leaves tomorrow for Utah and she's flying on Delta. They've just changed their luggage policy to the 1st bag is $15, the 2nd bag is $35, and carseats aren't free!! And you have to pay EACH WAY!! I had previously told her about our little trick that we do and she came by to pick up a carseat bag to borrow, and that's when she told me about their policy. EVERY OTHER AIRLINE RIPS YOU OFF!! I was angry for her.

So I'm grateful that Southwest made our recent trip to Utah pleasant, cheap, and stress free. From now on, I will only fly on Southwest. ding.