Thankful for...

Lately I feel like I'm getting back to normal after the new baby stuff of the past few months. We've settled into somewhat of a routine, and life is good. As it is Thanksgiving tomorrow, I've been thinking of the many blessings that I've been given, and how God is truly watching over us and guarding and guiding us each day. My dear husband and beautiful children are most appreciated, as well as extended family and friends. This new little baby Isaac is truly a miracle, and I am so amazed at the birth of each baby, how perfect they are, how much they teach us about ourselves (not always such fun lessons, but important, none-the-less), how they truly make us into less selfish, more Christ-like people if we're willing to let them teach us instead of forcing them to abide by our mindsets and preconceived standards. Anyhow, for all the blessings I've been given, there are times that I miss the past. I do miss a few certain things every now and then, and was just thinking about them lately as one of my old friends brought up some memories that ignited more memories of "single days".

Then tonight Greg suggested watching a movie, and my thoughts went to "I wonder when the last kid will get to sleep so we can actually enjoy the movie" and "I'd love a bowl of ice cream while watching but I know eating it that late will give me a sore throat" (as I'm fighting a cold) and "is it worth staying up with, when I know I'll be awakened by one of four little persons much earlier than I want to be?" Well, turns out here I am writing on my blog while baby is asleep on my lap (tried putting him down at least 4 times, all of which he awoke crying) and my husband is asleep on the couch and I doubt (again!) any movies will be watched.

So, the things I miss about "single" days:
-Eating whatever, whenever, wherever and being young enough and healthy enough for it not to make much difference (now I'm on a nursing mother diet, recently on a pregnancy diet, usually a no-coffee-after-noon-or-I-won't-sleep diet)
-Staying up late meant sleeping in as late as I pleased. And if I couldn't sleep, I was guaranteed a nap, as long as I wasn't working at nap time
-My body was my own. I could go to the bathroom uninterrupted, sit and relax without someone nursing, jumping on me, pulling my hair or necklace
-Waking up to an alarm clock is not fun, but funner than a crying baby or crying toddler who's wet the bed
-The camaraderie of good friends. I miss just laughing and talking with my "old" friends for hours and hours. I have a very best friend in my husband, but our hanging out time together is pretty minimal these days and usually is quite distracted when we are together. (or we're too tired to come up with something to say)
-Going for a "quick trip" into a store. I now unbuckle and rebuckle numerous kids, have numerous bags and purses and diaper bags at all times. 'Cause it really sucks to be unprepared when you've got 4 little ones following you around. (if you forget something in the car)
-Swimming laps, and going to the gym and working out. I miss exercise, the kind where you get your heart rate up, and actually burn a few calories. It just doesn't work so well in the wet rainy windy November here when it's dark when my husband leaves for work and also when he gets home. We try to go for walks each day, but lately that hasn't even happened due to log trucks and blustery days. It just makes everything so sluggish when I can't get some exercise.
-When work was done for the day, you went home and it was done. Now it's never done.
-Going on road trips whenever I pleased

There are many things I don't miss though, and it wouldn't do justice not to mention them:
-Working on someone else's schedule by their rules. I now am my own boss in many ways (although I also now have 5 bosses in other ways)
-Having to take care of car repairs/maintenance
-Being alone and fearing that I would be the rest of my life
-Profanity/unpleasant people in the workplace
-Uncouth roommates at times
-Living in rentals (boring white walls, rowdy neighbors, many flights of stairs, tacky decor)

Now, for a few things I am thankful to God for:
(note that it's 11:30 and my brain is getting pretty tired)
-An adopted family that always takes us in for Thanksgiving
-Precious husband and children that love me and forgive me unconditionally
-A Savior that loves me and forgives me unconditionally
-A warm, cozy, family friendly, smallish, red and white house
-Wood stove with a glass front so we can watch the fire and firewood for it
-Money for groceries and a car that gets us to the store to get them (that's Luke's but I'll ditto it)
-An enjoyable view out the windows where I look each day
-A minivan that makes parenting so much more enjoyable!
-Health and energy to do my job each day
-Coffee with peppermint mocha creamer with Trader Joe's dark chocolate
-My Laz-Z-Boy for rocking kids for hours on end some days
-Family and Friends
-A good job for my husband with 3 day weekends
-Supportive loving parents (and grandparents)
-The ability to stay at home and raise my children in a Godly environment
And on and on....

Happy Thanksgiving!!

The Case of the Missing Keys

So...I have this bad habit. One that I've had for many years, and although it irritates my husband greatly, it hasn't been enough of a problem that I have put forth the effort to change it. (regretfully)

My habit is that I leave keys in the doorknob after I unlock the door when we get home from somewhere. This is done out of sheer laziness, as I usually keep them in my purse or on a hook by the door, and I'm just to lazy to do it right away when I get home. So, they hang in the door until the kids are unloaded, baby fed, groceries brought in, etc. This usually isn't a problem, because we have a screen door on the outside, and the inner door is left open until I remove the keys and shut it. Well, the other day it became a problem. I was feeding baby, so I asked Elise get my keys and shut the door (since it's Novemberrrr and getting pretty cold out there!) She shut the door but left the keys in it. Greg came home later and was hauling wood and as he opened the front door, he found my keys much to his dismay (I had forgotten to get them, since the door had been shut). He then proceeded to "put them somewhere" and they haven't been seen since. I was feeding baby once again, and saw the whole ordeal, and will confirm that I saw him set them down somewhere in the entry way, but they are gone. We've turned the house upside down and been on the lookout for 4 days now, and still no keys.

I would like to say I hope I have learned my lesson. You'd think I would have learned it once before, since one time back when I was single I did a similar thing and as the keys were swinging in the lock, they caught on the handle of the screen door, making it impossible to open either door. I had to painstakingly remove the window from the screen door to get them out. I obviously didn't learn then. Now hopefully I'm a bit wiser.

The other bad habit (that I really am working on) that irritates my husband is that I don't screw lids on my juice/pop bottles fully while I'm drinking them. I mean, why screw it all the way back on when you're going to take a sip in another minute? Well, it so happens that many a bottle has tipped over or fallen out of the cup holder and leaked in the car (usually due to him not remembering my habit, or our unruly kids doing some stunt), so I am really trying to remedy that one.

Novemberrrr...

These pictures are from our recent fall photo shoot at the nearby lake. I usually have my aunt do the kids pictures every fall, but she took off to Kenya yesterday, so I decided to try them myself. My first location didn't work as the weather took a turn for the worse and then James fell out of the tree I was going to take a picture of him in. (and Isaac was screaming his head off, and Elise had a fever/runny nose) So, we did get one good family shot there, and then canceled that plan and then just took them at home later that evening. They turned out well, except I plan to redo Elise's, just because she has a pretty sick look to her in all of hers.