Happy Thanksgiving

1. Great food. I'm craving some of it again already.
2. My sister and her husband were such gracious hosts. They had 48 people over of which 24 were kids. Because of all the little ones it was less overwhelming but they pulled it off on tremendous fashion, with centerpieces, cloth napkins, and real plates to boot.
3. My kids got to spend some fun time with their cousins.
4. We're all healthy.
5. Rick put Simon down for a nap and fell asleep himself too. Post-turkey naps will do that to you every time.

Pre-Thanksgiving thanks

1. Safe travels despite the horrendous traffic. 2.8 miles in 90 minutes, not even on the freeway yet, yikes!
2. Subway sandwiches. I love all the veggies I can get on mine and it hits the spot every time.
3. Lots and lots of cleaning accomplished. Laundry, packing, bathrooms, changing sheets, dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, dishes. Whew. And some of that was done while I was babysitting three boys.
4. Snacks in the car. We are usually a no-food-or-drinks-in-the-car family. On the road yesterday though with lots of traffic and no stops planned before we were well on our way, some pretzels and fruit snacks worked perfectly without a big mess.
5. No migraine - one was completely expected given the stress of the day but it didn't ever hit.

Thanksgiving week thanks

1. Easy errands with Simon today.  I was able to accomplish four errands with him while Piper was at school when I was only expecting to get one done.
2. Finding new shoes for Piper.  She needed some new brown dress shoes and we both liked the first pair we found and they were only $10.  Now if we could only keep her in pants.  She only has three pairs of pants that fit her (one is new this week) and one pair has gone the way of play pants now after rough play at school today.  And she keeps growing too.
3. Rick was home at 6:15 and put the kids to bed while I went for take-out.
4. KU won.  'Nuff said.
5. A clean car and outdoor play.  The kids got in some much-needed playtime in the backyard this afternoon while I vacuumed and dusted the car.

Twenty-first day of gratitude

1. Fragrant candles
2. Rick took Piper to school for me this morning.  It was nice to be able to stay home with Simon this morning.
3. It's a three-day school/work week.
4. My visiting teacher brought over an awesome hot apple crisp with a can of whipped cream as a belated birthday present.  So, so good.
5. Our pediatrician waived the co-pay because we had to wait a long time.  We really liked her already but that was so nice of her.

Grateful reflections for a Sunday

1. My new fuzzy slippers.  They keep my feet toasty warm.
2. Chocolate pudding pie.  This was the first time I had made it myself but I had eaten it before.  Yum-O!
3. Doing some gift browsing online.  All I need to now is to input credit card and address info.  I'm still a little resistant to Amazon because I like to support smaller shops but when shipping costs so much, it's nice to get it all in one shipment, and fast. 
4. Quiet evenings at home.
5. Rain

Day #19

1. Being headache-less, for part of the day at least
2. Simon slept well last night.  I only heard one cough and it was pretty small.  I think the new humidifier is helping.
3. Working on a new holiday craft project for Piper's teacher
4. Bedtime
5. Lunch with Rick and Piper.  It hardly ever happens for us to eat lunch together at the table on a Saturday.  We're usually out and about or it's only two of us together but today we did; it was while Simon napped, of course.

Friday Fanks (that's how my kids pronounce "thanks")

1. Good friends willing to watch my kids
2. Great landlords - they are super nice and understanding.  They take good care of our house and tonight they watched Piper for a little while for me when I was in a bind.
3. Good doctors - Simon had to go to the hospital tonight due to bronchiolitis.  The doctors there were very child-friendly, patient, and reassuring.  Given it was a Friday evening, it only took three hours from beginning to end.  Thankfully Simon was pretty accepting of the treatments and the medicine.  He wasn't a hug fan of the O2 monitor on his finger but he did alright.  
4. My iPhone.  I use it constantly, for maps, for finding stores, for communicating, and for entertaining my kids.
5. The weekend is here.

Yesterday's thanks

1. Have I mentioned my mom before?!  It bears repeating - she's awesome.  She was helping me out yesterday watching my kids when I was down and out with a migraine.  So not only does she watch, feed, and put my kids to bed but she also washes my dishes, takes out the trash, and puts my groceries away.  Don't you wish she was your mom too?
2. A new friend who provided dinner when returning a dish - little did she know how needed it was
3. Library storytime - Simon doesn't always sit still but it's good practice.
4. Rick's home from his business trip
5. Sharing croissants with Simon at the grocery store while doing some shopping

November 16th

1. My good friend Chellese.  Over at her blog she wrote a little something about me, in celebration of my birthday.  Had I heard her say it out loud, I would have blushed.  She is awesome.  We have lots in common but it's also our differences and our unique ability to appreciate those differences that have made our friendship even stronger.


2. Clean tables and floors


3. Play dates


4. Clean sheets


5. Sleeping children

Birthday thanks

1. Loads of birthday wishes from friends and family. The love I felt was immense.

2. Surprise flowers from Rick. He's traveling for work but he still made sure I knew he was thinking of me. And they're orange gerber daisies and such, to go with the autumn decor, apparently.

3. Edward Scissorhands. Ah, this movie is just so beautiful - the music, the sets, the art direction, the story. Rick and I saw a musical version of it at the Sydney Opera house and I was a bucket of tears by the end; it was unbelievable.

4. New jeans. I got some money for my birthday and I desperately needed a new pair of jeans. I can't wait to wear them.

5. Completely ignoring my messy house today to relax on my birthday.

What I'm thankful for...

1. My mom. We've always been close but living nearby has made us even closer. We have a lot in common but mostly it's just great because we think so much alike. It's easy to be myself with her without fear of judgement.

2. Midday naps

3. iTunes Genius. It was great to explore some new music today.

4. Tickle sessions with the kids that express genuine love and end up with a gospel teaching opportunity.

5. Hot chocolate and toast

13th Day of Appreciation

1. Piper's Primary program today was awesome.  Her part, which she wrote, was "Our bodies are like temples because Jesus made temples, and Jesus made us."  It makes no logical sense but it was still cute.  She kept doing big hand waves to say hey to us and her grandparents.  What a cutie!
2. Ham and sweet potatoes for Sunday dinner and all the itinerant leftovers that come with that.
3. I've got some homemade present ideas brewing in my head.  I hope I can land on something and get all the shopping done early and cheaply.
4. A great Sunday School lesson today; it was done well and gave me lots to think about.  It was on the book of James in the New Testament, if you were wondering.
5. Introducing my mom to some of my friends at church.  I know they would hit it off.

Thanks on 12

1. Good music. In particular, today I'm grateful for Fiona Apple and the soundtrack from Pride & Prejudice. Very different, I know, but they both made me feel good today.

2. A nice early birthday celebration with my family, which consisted of an enormous mint chip ice cream cake, Vosges chocolate from my kids, slippers from Rick, a ukulele from my parents, and a date night out with Rick.

3. I'm excited to learn how to play the uke seeing as how a lot of my family has been learning to play over this last year. Such a fun present.

4. Prospects of a good Sunday dinner tomorrow.

5. A little time earlier this morning when I had the house all to myself.

Day 11 - Veteran's Day edition

1. I'm especially grateful today for all those servicemen and women who have served and who are currently serving in the military.  I have several veterans in my family and extended family.  We have a few friends who have served as well.  They and their families sacrifice so much and a lot of the time it goes unheralded.
2. Costco pumpkin pie.  I have never bought one before but I had eaten them.  So delicious.  Now I'm just glad it's been eaten and is out of the house.  They are unbelievably cheap, big, and good.
3. KU basketball season has started again!
4. Fun date night plans for tomorrow
5. Reading other people's lists of things they're grateful for

Thanks for today - Day 10

1. Having the energy to dust, clean floors and bathrooms, wash dishes, do laundry, and change sheets.

2. Friends over for an impromptu dinner, which was lots of fun.

3. Sandra Bullock - she is so talented. I think there's hardly been a film she's made that I haven't liked.

4. Prospects for a fun day tomorrow. We learned about a free kid's museum and I think we're gonna check it out.

5. Great cuddles from my kids.

Family reunion

Ninth day of gratitude

Today I am grateful for...

1. The movie Sense & Sensibility (the Emma Thompson version)
2. Doing some catch-up on blog posts
3. Some ideas brewing for Christmas presents
4. Cheez-Its
5. Getting in two good shopping trips - one to Costco which was long overdue and the other to the grocery store

Preschool graduation

Piper had an awesome time in preschool.  She only went from January to June but it was such a great experience for her and for our family.  I loved, loved her teachers.  I can't say enough good things about them.  I literally cried when I was writing my thank you cards to them.  I cannot recommend the Beverly Hills city preschool program highly enough.

At the graduation ceremony, they performed some songs, the graduates came in in cap and gown, and they showed a slide show of the year, highlighting each graduate.  They kids had helped put together a personal scrapbook of the year as well.  I cried, of course.

Piper with Teacher Adriana

Piper with Teacher Mary

Piper with Teacher Sandra and her daughter

Piper with Victoria

Piper's birthday

Happy 5th birthday Piper!  Piper had a fun birthday celebration this year.  The day before we surprised her with a trip to Disneyland (Simon's first).  

We told her that Dad could take the morning off to go to breakfast with us.  She started to catch on when she say Mickey and could read "Disney."  We just went to get in line for the tram.  After figuring it out she said, “I love you Mom and Dad!”  I had brought her Mickey Mouse ears from years ago.

The man working at the tram overheard us wishing her a happy birthday and immediately gave her a birthday pin with her name on it.  Then all day staff members would wish her a happy birthday.

I convinced Piper to go on Space Mountain with me after I went on it once and told her that the boy that had been in front of me in line was only four.  I think she took that as a challenge.  She then stated that Space Mountain was her favorite ride of the day.

At dinner Simon peed in his high chair and formed a puddle on the ground. Good thing we were sitting outside and that I brought a change of clothes.

Piper stood in line to meet the princesses Tiana, Belle, and Jasmine.  I didn't get any pictures of that but she did enjoy it.  They both stayed awake to watch the fireworks, eat ice cream, and then Simon promptly fell asleep as we got in line for the tram to go home.

My Aunt Marci make this awesome birthday banner.

Mary Poppins and Burt

She might look unhappy here but she was having a blast.

On Piper's actual birthday, Simon and I took "Fancy Dancy" (read: Fancy Nancy) cupcakes to her preschool. 

Piper and her friend Jaxon

Grandma Vicki and Papa Allen gave Piper this awesome kiddie pool for her birthday.  They also gave her my old desk that opens up.

June

Huntington Library

Huntington Library

Giving Simon a massage

May

Simon hugging Archie the Alligator

Being silly with Uncle Jeff

Piper hugging Nani

Piper's preschool hosted a little Mother's Day brunch which included a song tribute.

The chairman of the board at Rick's work was honored by the City of Hope with a big award.  To celebrate it, they hosted a celebration at Universal Studios.  We were privy to a concert by the Eagles (the chairman is their manager), tons of free gourmet food, games, and rides.  Piper loved seeing Big Time Rush and Cody Simpson (Joe Jonas introduced them but she doesn't know the Jonas brothers.)  After the Eagles played, Simon yelled, "Go Dodgers!"

On a hike in Solstice Canyon

A veritable beehive in a tree