Endless Entertainment

(photo by Ri's sister, Mallory)

Today, I'm grateful for my son's favorite toy: the ball. It provides hours and hours of entertainment.

Hip Hip Hooray!

Praise the heavens for pay day! After having to purchase six new tires in the past couple of months, our funds have been a little tight, if you know what I mean. We've been living off our mac and cheese/ canned green bean food storage for the past two weeks. So today I'm eternally grateful for a husband that works hard, for a job that pays, and for Winco only 25 minutes away.

This is what I spent today doing with that pay check

(Just add a few more boxes of butter, quick trip down the bulk candy aisle, and a rambunctious toddler)

Yesterday, I slacked on the thankful business. And then today has turned out to be a bit horrendous and I'm in quite a mood from it. So, as a result, I posted this picture.

It doesn't have to do with anything. It just makes me happy because my little brother is so tiny, and they look so cute, and I imagine the leaves crunching under Olivia's wiggles.

Right. So I'm wracking my brain for what I'm particularly grateful for today. And since everything seems to be going wrong, I'm most grateful that I don't have a deadly weapon on hand. Or a bottle of whiskey.

Hurdles to Clear

2003- This was a big hurdle back then.

Today I'm grateful for trials in life. Let me rephrase. I'm CHOOSING to be grateful about trials in life. Ya know what I mean...daily hurdles, hoops to jump through, crosses to bear.... it's the pits. I figure if I didn't have them, then I'd never get to learn patience and self-control. We all have a nice list of uglies in our lives.

As of late, mine looks a little like this:

1. The sassy, nearly 2-year old that has perfected the stink eye. To clarify, I love the 2-year old...struggle with the stink eye.

2. Diapers. Will it ever end?

3. Holiday goodies. Pumpkin pies, chocolate oranges, puddings, cake, cookies...oh help me...

4. Getting up early to go to the gym. I'd rather just sleep.

5. Hinder's naps are just getting shorter and shorter. Which leads back to #1....

6. My Scentsy's broken. boo hoo. It really helped with the diaper problem.

7. Maybe I should just potty-train the boy.

8. But wouldn't that just cause another trial?

9. I'm envisioning all the sass and drama that "potty" will cause

10. I'm stressing just thinking about cleaning up "accidents"

11. Maybe I should get a snickers cake at Albertsons to cope with the stress..

12. But then I'd have to go to the gym...

Oh bother.

I guess I have a long way on this grateful business...

Big Thanks for Today!

Thanks, Wellsfargo employee, for talking to me for an hour about financial gibberish and making sure my pea-sized brain understood it all.

Life Saver

Whoever invented the hot glue gun has become my new hero. Because for the sewing-challenged citizens, like myself, the hot glue gun opens up the world of D.I.Y.

Baby Feet

Now that these feet are grown and constantly running/skipping/jumping (usually in the opposite direction) , I'm so grateful for the memories I have of my baby when he was so still.

Hinder's feet are one of his best features. Instead of flat, human feet he was born with balls of adorable flesh at the end of his chubby legs. The poor dear couldn't even wear shoes until he was a year old.

Aren't infant feet one of God's greatest creations?!