Thankful Day 6

Today is Election Day so lets talk about hair!  Ha!  This is last place you will find any kind of political talk.  Trust me I am thankful I live in a country where I can vote and my vote matters but I feel that politics is personal and its really nonya.  So, with that said I am so thankful for people that cut hair.  Isn't it an amazing feeling to have your hair cut?  I mean what's not to love.  Someone else washes, cuts and styles your hair all while getting some great adult conversation.

Thankful Day 5

I love to laugh.
I love to hear other people laugh.
I love to hear my children laugh.
I love to hear a laugh that is so infectious that you can't help but to join in.
Life is so serious most of the time and it is wonderful to know that we were given the ability to do something that can make you forget about, even for just a second, what is so bad. 

I am thankful for laughter.

 

Thankful Day 4



Picture from Bing Images

Today I am thankful for coffee.  Lots and lots of coffee. 

Thankful Day 3

I'm a day late for Day 3 but yesterday was spent in many places with many different people.

For Day 3, I am Thankful for the Internet.  The Internet allows me to have this blog, keep up with friends and family, research anything, and shop 'till I drop.  The last one I would like to do more often but there are other needs to consider, like heat, electricity and food.  Online shopping is the best.  You don't have to drive anywhere, you can shop in your pajamas with crazy hair and no makeup, there are no annoying sales people to get in your way and the list goes on.  One really good thing about Internet shopping is that people leave reviews on the items they purchase.  I know they are all subjective but when you have to make a large purchase it's nice to know if what you are looking at is a good choice or complete crap. 

Humerously, after my Day 2 post about how thankful I am for my home and all its problems and quirks my oven died.  Just before I put our pizza spirals in the oven I heard a very loud buzzing sound.  I looked around the kitchen and my oven was lit up like the 4th of July.  There were sparks flying everywhere.  I immediately turned off the oven and yelled for my husband. We both just stood and stared at the oven.  The sparks continued to make their way around the heating element so we unplugged it before anything serious happened.  I sent my brother a text, who is an electrician, and asked and answered a series of questions.  It was determined that we needed to get a new oven.  *Sigh*  This was not an expense I had planned on and I knew it wasn't going to be cheap. 

Jef spent sometime looking through various websites to find an oven that will fit and will sort of fit into our budget.  Jef is really good about researching products and reads all the reviews on them so I knew he would find us a good one.  I put in my wants and needs for it and yesterday we purchased a new oven. We will have to wait a few days for it to get here but in the mean time, I will use my crock pot and grill to make sure we have healthy meals to eat at night. Thank you Internet. 

Thankful Day 2

Today I am thankful for my home.  I need to say that again.  Today I am thankful for my home. 

Thankful for my lovely 1970's yellow aluminum sided house.  Thankful for the old windows that have condensation on them every morning where my daughters find delight drawing pictures and my husband leaves special notes for me. Thankful that the we have 2 bathrooms but one shower because the girl's shower needs to be fixed. Thankful for the beautiful trees in the yard that will soon dump their leaves.  Thankful for the clutter and mess that always needs to be cleaned.  Thankful for a constant work in progress.  

I love my home but I find myself some days picking it apart. I find myself envious of things that my home doesn't have and cursing when things don't look perfect. (I've mentioned that crazy lady before).  Worrying that someone will look at me different for the paint that is chipped off of doorways and cabinets or that my ceiling fans need to be cleaned. 

Today as I clean I will remind myself that I have so much to be thankful for in this house.  Thankful that I have this home to get frustrated with, thankful that the roof (no matter how old) covers our heads and gives us shelter, thankful for the clutter that shows that people LIVE here.  Thankful for the memories that happen everyday under this roof.

Change

"People always say that change is a good thing, but what it really means is that something that you didn't want to happen, has happened." (from You've Got Mail) 

I love that movie, I watch it often.  That quote from Meg Ryan's character Kathleen Kelly has been in my head a lot lately.   We found out about a month ago that my husband is deploying and will be leaving this month.  Normally we are given about 6 months notice but this time is very different.  The circumstances surrounding this deployment have been extremely unpleasant (understatement).  My husband is going in place of someone that can not go and has somehow always been able to get out of his deployments.  Anger is not exactly the word I would describe for the emotion I feel towards this person.  I tried very hard in the beginning to be calm and pray for this person.  The more and more I tried the madder I got.  This man has turned my next 6 months upside down, not to mention my children's lives.  My husband has not been home a year yet and is leaving again, during the holidays...again.  This was supposed to be our year with him, this was supposed to be a year of ALL holidays with him.  Giving thanks together at Thanksgiving, shopping for Christmas presents for the girls together, opening presents together (not via Skype) on Christmas morning. A school year that would involve both parents attending conferences and school programs, both of us watching as Hannah steps onto the basketball court for the first time and Kaitlyn shakes her first set of pom poms. Instead I will carry a camera with me at all times to capture all the moments he is missing.  Make sure that my phone is always charged so I don't miss his call and check that my computer is always on so I don't miss a hopeful video chat.

I know I shouldn't complain and trust me nothing irks me more than a whiny military wife but for the first time I just want to stomp my feet and scream "IT'S NOT FAIR!". I know that this will not help the situation in any way but there has to be some kind of outlet for my feelings.  I have an amazing support staff surrounding me.  Friends that are willing to help me in any way, family that is always happy to talk to me on the phone. My mom and dad are always there to talk to me through tears and frustration and be there for me even though we live on opposite sides of the country.  The girls and I will be fine, we always are, but it doesn't give us back the time we are losing.  

All I ask from anyone is that you pray for us.  Pray for safety and wisdom for my husband. Pray for peace for my daughters to help them understand the emotions they are feeling.  Pray for patience for me.  Patience for the days that can become overwhelming while on single parent duty.   And pray for forgiveness, something I have not been able to do.  Forgive this person for turning my world upside down.  

This post has taken me two weeks to write.  I couldn't find the words or maybe I could but just could not bear to see them.  Writing the words down somehow makes things more real and some days floating down the river of denial is a much better place to be than reality.  

 

Thankful Day 1

A very sweet friend of mine, Grace has asked me to join her in 30 Days of Thankfulness.  I think this is a wonderful idea.  I know that I can get caught up in my own world and begin to take for granted all the things that I have. This will be a great reminder for me of  how blessed I truely am.

Today I am thankful for friends.  Friends like Grace and all the other wonderful people I have met in my life.  I am so thankful for everyone I have been so fortunate enough to call friend. 

Picture taken on a recent ladies only beach trip.