Thankful Thursday

I've been working having something to post about. I'll get back to it soon, I promise. Life is just a bit discombobulated lately, especially with Jason home during the days, though that is working itself out with him sleeping during the day to be on a 3rd shift schedule. On to the Thankfulness!

I'm thankful that I currently have heat because I certainly don't have water! At about 11:30 tonight (still on Wed here folks) I heard a hissing noise from our bathroom. Jason inspected it and thought it was the sink. He then went downstairs and saw our hot water heater gushing water from the hose on top! The only way he could figure out how to shut the water off to it was to turn all the water in the house off!

I'm thankful I don't have to pay the plumber to fix the water heater! Thankfully, ironically, we haven't bought the house yet (and in this market, another good reason to keep renting!) so we have a landlord to call and have him send the guy out to fix it for us, after all, that's what we pay rent for, right?

I'm thankful we get Jason's unemployment tomorrow so that we can give our landlord some money. He always does appreciate those twice weekly (it's easier for us to budget to pay him that way) checks he gets!

I'm thankful my kids are unique and wonderful individuals who don't feel pushed or shaped in to anything they aren't. Though I really do wish Izzy would get over his whole tornado phase. I always thought my previous kids were tornadoes, but trust me, they have NOTHING on Izzy!

I'm thankful Jason has a job, even if it is just 3 nights a week. It's a job and it makes him feel more useful and fulfilling of his "duties". Not to mention him sleeping all day keeps him out of my hair so I can run the heathens as I normally would. Things just go smoother with Mommy in charge.

I'm thankful we had such nice weather this week. I was able to open up the windows for three of the days and really air out the house and help refresh things in here. I wasn't able to open every window as most of them still have plastic over them and I know Michigan and we'll keep getting that wintery weather. However the ones I was able to open, even the front door and screen, was nice and helpful. I even opened one up in the playroom upstairs!

I suppose that is all for now folks. I'm going to try to get back in the habit of posting somewhat regularly. You may get a lot of posts talking about my pregnancy, but it's the big thing for me right now! Prayers and blessings everyone, I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week!

Thankful Thursday

I know I haven't posted this in at least a month. With the stuff that has gone on in the past couple of weeks, I have to wonder what there is to be thankful for. I know there IS stuff, but I wonder what to post here and what NOT to, ya know?

I'm thankful we are all healthy. We may all be getting over a pretty nasty cold, however none of us has cancer or is dying, as far as I know, so at least there is that.

I'm thankful we have a place to live and heat to keep it warm. It's a balmy 17 F out there right now, so a home and heat are good things to be thankful for. By the way, for you Canadian readers (or any who don't use the Farenheit measuring system) 32 F is 0 Celcius so that means that 17 is Negative something or the other to you.

I'm thankful we have food to feed us. Listening to children cry about being hungry and not being able to do anything about it does not appeal to me, so it's nice that I don't have that worry.

I'm thankful that even though it's much more modest than was originally planned, we were able to provide gifts for the kids to unwrap this holiday season. We didn't get Jason's bonus, but we were able to work it out to get them a few things each.

I'm thankful that Izzy is up and running around and acting the terror at the trying age of 2 1/2. When Izzy was 11 days old, he had an episode where he stopped breathing. He then did it again about 15 minutes later. He was rushed to the hospital, where he continued to do this through the night while in the PICU. Izzy was diagnosed with seizures, due to a bleed on his brain from the "trauma" (his head was ROUND as he didn't drop until he was pushed out, and the diameter was 14 1/2 inches) of his birth. His medication had to be increased at least once. He was on very heavy seizure meds until he was 9 months old. When we brought him to the hospital that night, we didn't know what was going on, we had to hope and believe that he would live, that they would fix our boy, but we didn't know that would happen. I have never seen Jason that distraught and worried in all of our life together up to then or since. It still hurts my heart to think of him, sitting in the hallway, while they tried to do a spinal tap on our tiny newly born baby and Jason crying and telling me "I don't want him to die, I just don't want him to die." I had to hope that he would be better because I just couldn't think of it otherwise. That was a very trying week, and I'll write about it all some other time. My point is this, while Izzy is a terror, getting in to things, running amok and creating absolute havoc, I am so thankful that he is here to do so.

OK, on that note, I'm done with this post for now. Prayers and blessings everyone.

Thankful Thursday

This week I'm thankful for Jason.
For the kids.
For the house I live in.
You know, the usual crap.
For my friendship with Jenn.
And with Daisy.
That my parents are healthy and alive.
And Jason's folks too.
That our van still runs.
That we'll have money for Christmas.
That Jason's job gives him a Christmas bonus so I can have money for Christmas.
That everyone who can will be here for a huge Thanksgiving meal.

Prayers and blessings everyone. Remember to be thankful for what you have. Worrying about what you don't won't make it any easier on you.

Thankful Thursday

Today there is a lot to be thankful for.

I'm thankful that America has given a great man to really shine and show us some change for the good. We really need it right now.

I'm thankful for family. No matter if we disagree with them, or don't particularly like them all the time, they make our lives richer and better just for them being a part of our lives.

I'm thankful for Jason. I know, I'm thankful for him every week. I don't think that will ever change, and trust me, he really deserves to be thanked.

I'm thankful we are able to provide for our family.

Prayers and blessings everyone. I know it's short and sweet, but hey, it's better than nothing.

Let's Talk InLaws and Thankful Thursday

Yes, it's Thursday once again here in the Serial Household. The Heathen Horde has caused destruction and chaos as far as the eye can see. Why oh Why is there an IRON on my living room floor? Why oh Why does my darling precocious ever so naughty 2 year old boucing baby boy PERSIST in taking my puzzles OUT of their bags? Why oh Why does my cute adorable ever so drama inclined girly princess 6 year old CONTINUE with the SCREACHING FROM HELL? Why oh Why does my ingenious smart video game obessed never forgets a thing 9 year old so hell bent on terrorizing his younger siblings? As you can see, life continues as it always does around here.

This week I'm thankful I slept, at least a little bit.

I'm thankful Jason's job got their contract. It means that he will soon, most likely, have overtime as it is a VERY LARGE order they must fill in a VERY SHORT period of time (that's my understanding at least) and it's just in time for the holidays too!

I'm thankful I have an awesome landlord who understands that we really WANT to stay here and is willing to work out something with us to show him that. He gets paid, we get to stay, all is GOOD.

Now, let's talk about In-Laws.

How do you feel about them? See, I wouldn't say that I love mine. Not in the way that I love my mom. I care about them, sure. They are a part of the man I love so dearly. I don't call his folks Mom and Dad however. It just seems ODD to me. I have a mom, 2 of them in fact, well technically 3 I guess. I have 2 dads too.

The kids call Jason's folks Grandma and Grandpa. His sister and brother in law are Aunt Audra and Uncle Donnie. However, to me, they are Marian, Dave, Audra, and Donnie. Jason's grandpa IS Grandpan, and Uncle Don (not to be confused with Donnie mind you) IS Uncle Don. I'm not sure WHY this is. Jason also calls my parents by their first names. Vicki, Sue (my step mom, who I also call Sue), and Linda (my ex mother in law that I got in the divorce, I call her Ma), Jim and Jim (my dad and step dad are both named Jim, I know, it's odd).

Now, us referring to the parents of our spouse by their first name doesn't indicate that we care for them less than if we called them Mom and Dad. I never planned on referring to them that way, and I never expected Jason to either. We get cards from them signed "Mom and Dad" and that's great.

Maybe we do it this way because we were together for so long BEFORE we married that it became habit? I think that is only a bit of it. Homer and I were together quite a while before we were married. In fact we were together longer BEFORE we married than AFTER. I always called his mom Ma.

When Jason and I started dating, we had NO intentions of it being a long term together forever sitting our old asses in our rocking chairs on the front porch kind of thing. It was a time of NOW and in the moment. Sex and fun and being friends and hanging out. That is what it was about. Nothing more. Then we fell in love. Oh good lord did we ever.

We both can pinpoint when we knew we loved the other. It took us another few weeks before we said anything. Would you like to know those moments? Of coarse you do, you are just as nosey about that kind of thing as I am about others, isn't that why you read the blogs of everyone chronicalling their lives?

For me. I was living with my brother and sister in law at the time. Their old roommate had bailed. I got the roommate's room, and stepped in where he had slacked off. At that point, it was just me and Jayden living there. James was with Homer in Chicago. Katy was living about 20 min away with Jenn and Chris. Vyky was with her dad about 1/2 hour away, in the opposite direction of Katy. Have I ever mentioned Vyky before? Maybe in passing? Well, this post isn't about her. When her birthday comes up, November 19, I'll do that post to her that day. It'll be the only lucid thing I will do that day. However, I digress.

We were without a phone while it was switched over from the old roommate to Christina. It took about 2 weeks. We didn't have any internet at the time either. This was the very end of August of 2002. Christina had just given birth to my nephew a couple of weeks before. Jason and I had met online, and that is how we primarily talked to one another. It was MUCH cheaper than calling long distance. He lived an hour south of me with his folks.

I had sent him an email, using the library computer, asking him to come up on a certain weekend. I didn't have the chance to go to the library to check my email before the scheduled day. I was working at Toys R Us at the time. It was a pretty good job. It was time for me to get out, and there he was. Standing at the end of the aisle, just watching me work (I was putting away misplaced and returned items). I looked up and I just grinned. I went up to him and gave him the BIGGEST hug. I wanted to kiss him, but I was at work, so I refrained. It felt so good, so happy, so RIGHT, seeing him there, looking at me. I hadn't seen him for a couple of weeks, and just looking at him made me realize what I was missing.

Jason has told me that he realized he loved me when we had a HUGE fight. This was around August as well, I think. Possibly the end of July. He went home, the hour long drive, because he had to work. The whole way home he was crying. He told me that it hurt him SO much to think that he wouldn't see me any more. He honestly felt that we were through, and he just wasn't ready for that, he just didn't want that. I talked to him later that night online (or possibly the next day) and we worked it out. He didn't tell me until much later how hurt he was thinking those thoughts. How affected he was.

When I first got up the nerve to tell Jason that I loved him I said "I think I love you" and without a moment's hesitation he said "That's good because I KNOW I love you". I almost bolted right then. I didn't, and to this day I am so thankful of that. So today, like every day, I'm thankful that instead of following my gut reaction, I just lay there, in Jason's arms, after he told me he loved me that very first time. It got easier to hear, and easier to say, but that first time was so VERY scary for me. I'm also thankful he waited for me. I know now he really wanted to say it long before then, but he waited until I made the first step, he figured I'd handle it better that way. That hubster of mine is a rather smart man.

Prayers and blessings everyone. I hope that you all have a wonderful Halloween or New Year's or All Saint's Day or whatever it is that you celebrate this next weekend. Enjoy the weather and the candy and the fun.

Thankful Thursday

What oh what am I thankful for today?

Jason has a job. That is going to be an ongoing one. This country (I mean the U.S. for any non-U.S. readers, do I even have any of those?) is in a recession. Of coarse they don't want to admit it, however it's true. So being thankful that Jason is gainfully employed is improtant.

We are all, in general, healthy. We don't need to see a doctor for our ailments, at least not the physical ones. No colds or puking or anything of the like.

We have a roof over our heads. With uncertain times comes uncertain everything. Being able to have a roof over our heads is certainly a thing to be thankful for.

I know it's short, but it's simple and to the point, and that is what Thankful Thursday is all about. Prayers and blessings everyone, I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

100th Post

Thank you all for participating, the contest is now closed. Brandi, at My Mountain Morning is the winner! I didn't pick it. I had Jenn do it because I couldn't. She randomly picked a number (between 1 and 5, how many entrants there were) and she picked 4! Brandi, I'll contact you over on your blog to find out what color you would like your purse! Oh, and other ladies, if you want purses, just let me know, I have tons of yarn laying about and I'll be happy to make them for you too! I know, I suck at contests. I'm that way with my kids too!


OOOOOOHHHHH!!! Aw come on, you know you wanna say it too! 100 posts! Holy Toledo Batman! I'm sure if I posted every day, I would have suprpassed that long ago, especially considering there are more than 3x that in a year. I digress. No big give away to celebrate, I'm sorry, but we are horridly POOR! Hehe. Oh, I can make you a purse. Unless you are a guy. Then I don't know what to tell you. Let me see, what to do to earn your purse? Leave a comment. In your comment, tell me what you would do if you have a 100th birthday.

I'd post a pic of a purse in similar style, however I can't find the damn camera right now. i'm not sure where it is. I know I need to clean my office, but this is a bit ridiculous! Oh, and Jenn, while you can comment to your heart's content, you are disqualified because I'm already making you a purse.

Anyway, it's my first contest! Ha!

I missed Thankful Thursday. I know I know. Slacker! Um, in my defense I have had a CRAPTACULAR week. It all started on Monday and it just kept going downhill until yesterday. Yesterday cleared stuff up and I was so relieved that my very worn out butt headed to bed at 6:30. I didn't intend on sleeping all night long, I really didn't. However, that is EXACTLY what I did. I woke up at 5 this morning. Yes, I know the date says Saturday, I'm still on Friday though. I will be heading to bed shortly in fact.

Damn, now I'm going to wonder where the hell the camera is. I wonder if Jason knows. We found it behind the t.v. once. This is going to drive me batty!

Prayers and blessings everyone. I hope you all have a splendiferous weekend. We will be doing a lot of housework. I will be working on James' costume. Halloween is just 2 weeks away and I took the pattern out of the package for the first time today. Oy Vey.

Thankful Thursday

It's hard to be thankful this week for some reason. I'm really tired and worn out and not quite sure what is going on with that. However, I'm going to give it a go and we'll take it from there, k?

I'm thankful I have a bed to sleep in and a hubby who lets me nap in the evenings, even though I know he'd rather be the one sleeping.

I'm thankful we have food in our cupboards so that when the Heathens get to being hungry I can say "You know where the kitchen is".

I'm thankful the water is running, the heat is working, and the electric is flowing. At least we are keeping our heads above the water that much!

I'm thankful that summer is done and over with. I really do prefer the cooler months of the year. They don't cause migraines just by walking out the door!

Prayers and blessings everyone. I hope you all have a wonderful week and a lot to be thankful for.

Thankful Thursday

It's Thankful Thursday once again. All right, I admit it, it actually ISN'T Thursday, but about 32 minutes shy of Saturday. I was super busy and pre-occupied on Thursday so I started a post, saved it as a draft. I wanted it to be DATED for Thursday, even though I knew I wouldn't get to it for a bit.

I'm thankful I have the right to vote. I'm thankful the election is only a month away. I'm really tired of all of the election talk and ads and what not, and I'll be glad when it's all done.

I'm thankful for my husband, who is so thoughtful and understanding. He's great when he comes home to a trashed house. I clean, I swear I do, however Izzy the 2 year old Tornado goes right behind and uproots everything as he goes. UGH.

I'm thankful for my kids. They drive me batty as hell. James ran away from me at the doc's office on Tuesday (that's a post all on it's own), Izzy is always undoing everything, and Jayden is a whiny pain. Oh, and Katy has started that whole "I'm a teenager and you are beneath me" crap. That being said, my life wouldn't be the same without them and I can't imagine how it would be if they weren't here.

I'm thankful I live in the U.S. Yes, the economy is screwed and all kinds of crappy things are happening. However, this country IS strong. We will overcome. It will take a while, but it will happen.

I'm thankful I live in a part of the country where we have honest to goodness seasons. I love how they change over the months and I'm always excited when the new one comes around. It is always so wonderful and amazing to me to see the changes that Mother Earth goes through as the months go by.

That is Thankful Thursday for this week. Prayers and blessings everyone, have a pleasent week.

Thankful Thursday

Just a quick one while I am waiting for the time on my hair dye. I'm thankful Jason has a job. I'm thankful I have an understanding landlord. I'm thankful my van hasn't crashed and burned. I'm thankful that I keep waking up every morning.

Prayers and blessings all. I have a doosey of a political post for Friday brewing.

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful today my children have enough brains to speak their minds. While it may drive me absolutely BATTY it's still a WONDERFUL thing.

I'm thankful for my husband, even when he is cranky and a royal pain in the keister.

I'm thankful for the van that I own. Even though it's rather old and needs more work on it soon, that I'm hoping will patiently wait until the end of January when we get our income tax return, it's nice to have something to drive around town in instead of trying to make it to appointments and shopping by the bus with a gaggle of kids along for the ride.

I'm thankful my body works, for the most part, as I want it to and I'm able to perform most functions, with the exception of having more children it seems, and do them well when I choose.

I'm making this post short and I'll be posting a longer one tomorrow I think. Prayers and blessings everyone.

Oh, Sophie, I am still VERY interesed in doing the Great Interview. Am I interviewing you? Is that how it's going to work? Please let me know. Thanks.

Thankful Thursday a little late

I know that technically it's now Friday, however I'M still on Thursday, so Thankful Thursday it is.

Today I'm thankful I'm an American. I know you don't hear that often any more. And no, it's not just because of Senator Obama's speech earlier tonight, though that is part of it. Let me explain.

Here I was, born in to a country where I can go where I please, without a guardian or chaperone. I can wear what I choose. I can cut my hair without the permission of someone else and know that if it upsets them it really doesn't matter. I can drive a car. I can have a job. I can cuss and have sex and read and write whatever the hell I want. I can marry who I want, I can screw who I want, I can have as many, or as few children as I want. I can believe what I want, I can vote how I want. As a woman, being able to vote is a blessing too.

Here I am, in a country that made history today, at least for us. We bucked tradition and went completely against the grain, as Americans have done since we began way back forever ago with George Washington and Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, and all those other "founding fathers". As America did when the first pilgrims landed. I'm not saying that we haven't made mistakes. There are plenty of things to hang our heads in shame about in our history. As there is in every country's history. However, we started out bucking the system. We said "Hey, I don't like that, I'm gonna try something different" and away we went!

This election marks for an amazing change and buck to the system of how things have been done. As of now, whether Senator Obama wins or loses this election, it truly DOES mean that ANY little boy or ANY little girl who dreams of one day becoming the President of the United States CAN attain that. And for that, I am thankful.

Why is that so important? Think about it.

By the way, yes this is a VERY American post. I am an American and I'm proud of that fact. And if you aren't, I'm sure you are proud of where you are, so at least you can understand my pride, even if you disagree with me.

I digress. Why is it so important that that one man, that very particular man, has been nominated the Democratic contender for the biggest and bestest (I KNOW it's not a word, I don't care) job, the one that EVERY kid dreams of, either of meeting that person or BEING that person?

Because he's black. OOOH, I've gone and done it now. I made it about "race". He's not only "just" black, he was "poor black" from the south side of Chicago. I lived in Chicago. I KNOW first hand what the south side is like, and trust me, that boy that has become that man faced outstanding odds AGAINST him to be where he is standing today. I'm thankful for that boy's family who wouldn't stop, who wouldn't stop pushing that boy up, who wouldn't let the "odds" hold them down. I'm thankful for them pushing that boy so he can be so much more than he was "slated" to be, teaching him the courage and stamina and strength to stand up and say "I WILL" instead of sitting down and saying "I CAN'T" as so many young ones do. That boy became that man who stood up there before 84,000 people today and said "I WILL". And for that I am thankful.

I don't know who I'm voting for in the fall. When November 4 comes around, I'll have a good idea. It might be Obama, it might be McCain. I've got to see who McCain chooses for V.P. and I've got to keep my eye on the debates and McCain's own speach next week and in general how things unfold. I won't have made up my mind firmily until about Nov. 1. I know, I suck like that.

However, that one man made history today. He opened so many doors for so many people just by standing up there today and saying "I WILL" and for that, I am thinkful. He reminded me that being an American is GOOD and my country is GOOD and worth having pride in and worth standing up for myself and saying "I WILL". Even if you disagree with what he says, even if you disagree with his policies or his voting record or the number of zeros in his bank account, he made it a reality that America IS the Land of Hopes and Dreams and that every little boy, every little girl, no matter the odds, has the right, deserves the right, to follow them all the way through. And for that, I am thankful.

Thankful Thursday

I'm going to try to do something a little new and different. I want to have more positive posts about my life as well as still the venting. So I'm going to dedicate one day a week to being thankful right here. Thankful Thursday. Let's see how it goes.

Today I am thankful for my home. For the money that pays the bills to keep the lights on and the water flowing and the internet humming. I'm thankful that both Jason and I have jobs because in this economy, especially in this state, those are hard to come by. I'm thankful for Jason's recent raise. I feel that they looked at my husband and gave him a raise that reflected his true value and worth to his company. I'm thankful for the time with all of my children together. They are wonderful and amazing and bright and I laugh and smile at them and with them each day.

When I stop to think about it, I'm thankful for a lot. A lot more than I listed even. It's so easy to get caught up in the drudgery of the day to day. The tiny fights and arguments and things that just make you wonder what the hell you are bothering for. I think it's important to stop and look out your window and see the grass growing or the wind blowing or the rain falling and realize that there is so much more out there that could be wrong, that it's nice to say "It's good what I have".

Lately I've been finding I need to find an inner peace. I need to be happier with what is right here in front of me, because it truly is wonderful and fulfilling. By keeping calm myself, my home runs more smoothly. There are less arguments and bickering because everyone else doesn't have the added stress of yelling and dissatisfaction.

I'm being honest with myself, honest with the kids. If they want something we don't have, that we don't have the money to get, I tell them. They appreciate the honesty and accept the answer. They understand what it means when I say "I'm sorry, we can't do that, I figured we would all like to have electric lights and running water so I paid the bills instead".

I used to take the money and spend it willy nilly. The bills were getting paid, but haphazardly. It was healthy for any of us. We were always at risk of losing it all, and the entire blame would have been mine. My life had been in survival for so long. Jason is stability, he has been since we have been together. However, I created instability to keep that survival mode going. After all, I didn't know anything else.

A calmer, slower, more secure life is what we all need, what we all desire. Be acknowledging in myself that I was creating the havoc, creating the chaos, I can now work on changing it. It won't happen over night. Habits are hard to break, and some more than others. However, I need to try. I need to try for the sanctity and security of my family, of my home, of my marriage, of myself.

Prayers and blessings to all you readers of my words, of my words. May peace and security and thankfulness find you too.