Thankful Thursdays

Today, I am thankful for...

1. Viruses. Yes, I cannot believe I am typing it either. We have had several viruses at our house this Spring. Although, fevers, cranky kids, and clinginess are somewhat irritating after awhile, I am thankful that all we are dealing with are viruses. My babies are healthy and happy most of the time, so I figure a virus here or there is a walk in the park compared to what others have to deal with.

2. A little mini vacation. We are going to see Adam and Rachel's new house! They recently moved into a beautiful home close to Cincy and we are stopping by for a visit soon! Can't wait to see them!

3. Scrapbooks. I am almost completely caught up on our scrapbooks. With only about 10 pages to go, our scrapbooks will be up-to-date. The problem is, life continues to happen, so by the time I finish these 10, there will be 10 more waiting I'm sure.

4. Sunshine!

5. Tootsie rolls. It is never a good idea for me to buy tootsie rolls. I have the final 4 wrappers of the bag I purchased on Sunday sitting in front of me right now. I ate them ALL!!! They make me happy, so therefore I will not worry about what other rolls they cause on me at the moment and savor the final one.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Thankful Thursdays...

I thought about making an excuse for not having done this in awhile, but decided that would be silly since it may have been six months since I last posted one. Anyway, my absent Thankful Thursdays certainly do not mean I have nothing to be thankful for. Here is an update.

Today, I am thankful for...

1. Matthew and Ella. Matthew turned 21 months old yesterday and Ella will be 6 months old next week. I cannot believe how big they are getting and I find myself enjoying each moment more and more. Matthew is very good at recognizing his ABC's and his numbers (except he never says 3... he says, "1, 2, 1, 4, 5, 6,...) Not sure how to fix that one. He knows many of his colors and some shapes. He is quite active and loves being a boy! Ella can sit up by herself and has tried just about all the baby food items. She loves Gerber puffs and Mommy loves that she can feed them to herself while I cook or clean or something...

2. Ryan. They have been busy at work since spring hit. He has been working long hours and then as soon as he gets home Matthew and Ella want his undivided attention. He does such a good job providing for our family and is still involved in all that goes on at home!

3. My job. I have had the opportunity to wear a bit of a different hat at work recently. I have been coordinating some wellness activities for our staff and the community. It has been fun and a bit of a change of pace from the regular stuff I do each day!

4. Busy weekends ahead. We have plans every weekend from now through June. We have friends getting married, a trip to Cinncinati to see Rachel and Adam's new house, church receptions to plan, baby and bridal showers to attend, birthday parties... the list goes on. Typically, I might be a bit hesitant to put this on my thankful list, but after our successful trip to St. Louis, I am looking forward to more opportunities to go on short little trips/outings.

5. Our garden. We are getting ready to plant the garden as soon as we are sure the frost is gone! We can't wait to have fresh tomatoes/cucumbers from the garden this summer!

Hope you have a great week!

I used to wonder...

When I was a child I used to wonder what it would be like to be a mommy. I would carry my dolls around, play house and dress up for hours. I was sure no one could take care of my dolls better than me (even though sometimes I colored on their faces or forgot to put their clothes back on them).

Then, I became a teenager. I didn't care what it was like to be a mommy and I certainly didn't think I needed my mom telling me what to do.

Then, I went to college and I missed my mom so much! I wanted her advice and for her to tell me that all that was wrong with the world would sort itself out and I didn't need to worry.

Then, I became a nurse. I watched people become mommies and watched people lose their mommies. I celebrated and cried with families over both.

Then, I got married. I certainly could not have picked a better partner in life than Ryan, but we had so much fun just being together, that we didn't know if we would ever have children. He had a great career and I was busy getting my Master's.

Then, I became a cynic. I saw women with their children and said things like, "When I become a mom, I will never let my child behave in such a way."

Then, my sister had a baby. I saw how much love our nephew created and I knew that I wanted someone to call me Mommy.

Then, I became a mom and everything I knew flew out the window.

As the years have passed, I have realized 2 things:

1. You only get one mom. I have an incredible mother, one who would do anything for me. I do not know what I would do without her. I am so thankful for my own mom and for all the women in my life who have acted as a mother at one time or another. Women have an amazing way of nurturing other women and I am certainly grateful for all the wonderful women in my life!

2. There is nothing quite like being a mom. It certainly has its share of craziness, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. The 2 precious babies in my life make each day an adventure!

Happy Mother's Day to all the women out there who have impacted the life of another person. Whether you have biological children or not, you have been a mother when someone needed it most and the world is a better place because of YOU!