#9 Little Girls

We found out today that baby #2 is a GIRL!! I'm so excited and blessed. I'm overcome with emotions.
I'm totally a girl mom. I can rock barbie, baby dolls, hair bows, house, pigtails, and anything pink. Honestly I had wanted a boy for Tyler to do all of the "guy" stuff. But, deep down girls suit me best (that's a little selfish huh??). I love that Annagrace gets to have a little sister to play dress up and have tea parties with. She is going to be an excellent big sister!
Tyler was beaming from ear to ear when he saw the Mounds bar in his hand today. He will have two Daddy's girls now! He is such a good Daddy, so patient and kind. OH, and he can totally rock an awesome tea party himself!

#8 WOW

I can't believe how blessed my life is. Heavenly Father knows me best and what is best for me. I need to remember and trust.

#7 - Normal Life

I realized today that I haven't posted a blessing in a while. On the upside - it means I haven't had such an awful day that I feel the need to blab it all out on here. On the downside - I should not wait until I'm so upset to count my blessings!! How silly of me.
So I'm just flat-out thankful for a normal, calm, easy going life. Things are flowing normally, busy, but normal. I like being busy, I love having people over, I love throwing parties, I love crafting . . . and when I can do it all at one time . . . HEAVENLY!!
Come to think of it . . . I may have been a little too busy lately. Last night, while reading to Annagrace, I realized I couldn't remember the last time that I sat down and read to her!?! That made me a little sad and worried! I don't ever want our lives to become so busy with our own personal priorities, wants, and needs that I forget to do the things that I need and want to do with and for HER! She is only getting bigger, smarter, funnier, and more demanding of my attention. I shouldn't push that aside with my selfishness. She can be a big helper and I need to remember this more often. She loves to help with cleaning and cooking. I get a little overwhelmed sometimes preparing for company and just try to "busy" her while I get the cleaning done. No one cared if my hardwood floors were mopped clean of footprints. Or that the crystal on the shelves were completely dust free. Don't get me wrong Annagrace certainly didn't mind watching Cars, or Mickey, or whatever her pick was at that minute. The point is: She is more important than the footprints and the dust. And if they are so important then she should be there with me having fun by helping me. I love that little stinker (and a stinker she is!!) she is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I need to appreciate her and her enthusiasm as much as I can!

See there, I didn't think I had anything to blab about! And just so I don't win the selfish mother of the year award . . . I did make up for the alone cleaning time.

#6

Wow today has been a really bad day for me . . . it is really hard for me to find the "blessing" in the day. It all boils down to - I'm a neat freak who married a very messy person. It is the instigator to the majority of our fights. But, today . . . today I just didn't have the fight in me . . . I just ended up really depressed. Now I can't snap out of it so, now . . . today, more than ever I NEED to write in my blessings journal/blog.
So . . . .(fingers tapping on keyboard not knowing what to type) . . . I'm thankful for my home. I may get upset over the cleanliness and who's job it is to clean it, but it is there and it is mine. It is a wonderful house - sturdy, stable, beautiful, spacious. It serves it's purpose and then some. It is a house we could live in for the rest of our lives and be happy with. It is the house I grew up in - it holds the memories of my childhood, adolescence, and adult life. And now it holds the memories of my little Annagrace.
I'm thankful that our payment is affordable and we have stable incomes to cover it. So many people are currently losing their homes - it makes me really appreciate my house, my roof over my head - even if it does have dirty dishes, toys, and clothes everywhere!

#5

I absolutely LOVE how much Annagrace LOVES her Daddy. At times it makes me a little sad when she chooses him over me but deep down I am thankful that she loves him so much that sometimes . . . Daddy is the only one that can make it better. When we put her down at night, if she isn't already sound asleep, she needs her Daddy to lay on the floor next to her, her companion, her comforter, her protector. I hope she always has a close bond with her Daddy. He is a wonderful man and Daddy.

#4

I am thankful I live in the south!! Today we got snow . . . a lot of snow for GA. And it was plenty for me. After being in it for all of 15 minutes, I was done, ready for it to melt away. If living in Utah for a year taught me anything - I am not a snow person. I have a great love of warmth. It is pretty, I like to look at it, I like to visit it in Utah. But, I don't want to live in a snowy place.

#3

A well rounded NORMAL life. I watch these stupid Wife Swap and Supernanny shows and wonder - "Where did these people come from?" Are they for real?" Seriously, they are the most extreme people. I am so happy that I was raised in a level headed normal household. I'm thankful that I am able to do the same for my daughter. I don't think we are extreme on anything, neither are we completely oblivious to anything either. (Well, maybe somethings?!?) But, Family, Religion, Education, Fun- all are important and need to be in every one's life. But, equally.

Blessing #2

Okay, so I guess this isn't going to be a DAILY thing, but I'll do the best I can.

I am very thankful for Insurance! Long story short - Annagrace turned on the kitchen stove eye - Pyrex exploded - burn marks on the counter and burned holes in the vinyl floor. We called the insurance company - adjuster came - we now have a check. A check large enough to cover the expenses of finishing the 4th bedroom, tile the kitchen and laundry room floors, and tile the counter tops (with granite tiles that I purchased almost 4 years ago). I am so excited. The explosion could have been much worse - causing physical injuries to one or all of us. But, thankfully it was just the counters and floor - things that I've been wanting to replace since we moved in!

Getting Started

Oh, I am so thankful for so many things. I have been incredibly blessed in my life. But, there are some days that I forget to remember that ALL of the good far out weights the little bit of bad. So, today I am starting a gratitude journal. And what better place than a blog. I'm writing this for myself, more than anyone else. A blog gives me access to jot down my blessing no matter where I am without having one more thing to keep track of and carry around with me.
So, I'll start off the new year with

BLESSING #1 - FAMILY!

I have a wonderful family. Starting from my hilarious little Annagrace and wonderful Tyler, to my parents, to my siblings, to my parents-in-law, to my siblings-in-law. I love them all! I was very blessed to be the doted upon, baby by 13 years, daughter to a set of wonderful parents who have always shown me love beyond belief. And a bother and sister, so much my elder, that they were more like another set of parents than siblings. But, as we have aged, the age gap seems to have shortened and I have found friends.
THEN I was blessed to fall in love with . . . Tyler . . . my heart melts, my stomach flips, my eyes tear up just at the thought of the moment I realized I loved this man. His kind eyes, his gentle hands, his humongous heart. He is perfect for me in every single way. He is my opposite, my same, my everything. AND to top it all off he came packaged with a wonderful set of parents and siblings as well. Four brothers to be exact. All similar but so different in their own unique ways. They all make me laugh until my sides hurt.
AND IN THE END, at the very center of my life, family, and universe . . . is Annagrace. The glorious product and unbelievable gift from my Heavenly Father. It took over six years for this bundle of joy to arrive and she was/is undeniably worth the wait.
I am unbelievably blessed and can't wait to count my blessings everyday on this journey of gratitude.