FOURTEEN

Good Evening!  I hope that you're all having a good week.  Today I am thankful for living in the moment.  This is something I've been trying to be much more conscious of.  Too often we are focused on what has happened or what will happen and we forget to see what's happening right now.  I'm certainly guilty of it.  You get so focused on the did happen's and the what if's that you miss the life you're living today.  One of the reasons I decided to start my year long journey of being thankful was because I had become too consumed with things that were beyond my control  As a result of that I was missing all of the wonderful things that were already happening.   One that stands out in my mind was at my 6 week follow-up after Addie was born.  I had this beautiful baby girl and I asked the doctor if I would always have a hard time getting pregnant because I was worried about going through all of the fertility struggles again.  That's sad to me and that is simply no way to live life. 

Albert Einstein said it very well, “Life is a preparation for the future; and the best preparation for the future is to live as if there were none.”  We can't change what has happened, we can only learn from it and move on and worrying about something that hasn't even happened wastes precious moments.  So, taking Mr. Einstein's advice, I am focusing on the here and now; my loving husband, our beautiful blessing, Addie, and the happiness I feel today.  Today I feel so blessed and happy and I'm enjoying every moment of it.

I'll leave you with a few more quotes that sum up the importance of living in the now. 

XO

“What day is it?"
It's today," squeaked Piglet.
My favorite day," said Pooh.”
― A.A. Milne

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.”
― Henry David Thoreau

“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.”
― Groucho Marx, The Essential Groucho: Writings For By And About Groucho Marx

“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of.”
― Benjamin Franklin

“We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends and living our lives.”
― Maya Angelou

THIRTEEN

Happy Monday Everyone!  I hope it wasn't too painful. :)  Ours was pretty dreary and rainy, which leads me to what I'm thankful for today.  There isn't any deep meaning in this, I'm thankful for CAFFEINE!!!!  If it wasn't for coffee I don't think I would make it through my day, especially rainy/chilly Mondays.  It's funny because B.A. (that's Before Addie) I hated coffee.  I couldn't stand the taste and could never understand why anyone drank it, then I had a baby.  I'm pretty sure I made it all of two weeks after bringing Addie home before, out of pure exhaustion, I stole some of Matt's coffee.  I've never looked back.  Granted, I still don't like the taste of coffee; I generally mask it with lots of cream and sugar, but without it I'm pretty sure I wouldn't last an hour. 

On the rare mornings, when I some how run out of time before I can have my morning cup of coffee, I'm lucky I make it to work.  By the time I get there I'm running into walls, my eyes are drooping shut and I am willing to injure for a cup of coffee.  Thank goodness the rest of my office are caffeine junkies too so there is always a ready supply waiting.  Days like today make my morning coffee especially necessary.  So, thank you to the coffee gods for getting me through the Monday slump.

Good Night! :-)   

TWELVE

It's Sunday evening after a beautiful weekend.  I hope that you all enjoyed yours.  Today I am thankful for friends.  Matt and I have been blessed with wonderful people in our lives and the memories we have shared with them are priceless.  My closest friend and I have helped each other through tough times, we have shared laughter, highs and lows and the birth of our children.  There isn't one day that goes by that I don't realize how lucky I am to have the friends that I do.  Remember, it's not the number of friends that you have, just the quality of the friends that you do have.

Sorry for the short post everyone, but after an eventful weekend I'm a bit behind on the sleep thing.  Enjoy the rest of your evening! 

XO

ELEVEN

Hello!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Saturday.  Matt, Addie and I ran some errands and visited with the Drowns. It's always nice to visit with them and they always make us feel so welcome.  Addie was quite fond of them as well. :-) 

Today I am thankful for Addie's unrelenting joy.  As we were in a store, so I could look for a dress for an event, Addie was running all around screeching and laughing as she saw all of the clothes and trinkets.  Watching her excitedly smile and wave to strangers I can't help but smile.  The littlest things, like finding a polka dot umbrella, make her so happy and excited.  What makes it so much more wonderful is how she can't wait to show us what amazing things she has discovered or seen.  Children truly are a blessing from God because they are our reminders that there is beauty and joy in everything, you just have to be willing to see it.  As I watched her dance to the theme song to Scooby-Doo and then run to Luke to give him a hug I realized just how blind I was to this fact until I had her.  So remember to always see the joy in every situation, just because it isn't obvious doesn't mean it isn't there.


My <3

Sleep tight!

My Silly Girl



My Joy

TEN

Happy Friday Everyone!  Today I am thankful for the weekend.  There is nothing like making it to the end of the work week and knowing that you're free for a couple of days.  Ok, so usually what the weekend means for us is grocery shopping, running errands and going to whatever event or get together might be happening but we're free. lol  Even with all of that going on the weekend also means extra family time; no rushing to get dinner on the table and Addie ready for bed.  It means the possibility of a leisurely day at home with Matt and Addie; cleaning up, playing outside, just enjoying being a family.  Most of our weekends tend to be a bit of a flurry, but every once in a while we get to have one of those wonderfully free weekends where we just get to be with each other. 

Sometimes I am truly amazed at how much our lives have changed.  The weekends used to mean going out with friends, going to a movie, and staying up late.  Now the weekends mean family, catching up, and usually running around, but I wouldn't change it for anything.  I love our "free" weekends. :-)

Happy Weekend Everyone! 

NINE

Good Evening All!  I hope you've all been having a nice week. :-)  As I'm curled on the couch with a calming cup of tea I'm reflecting on the day and what I'm thankful for.  Today I'm thankful for a job that allowed me to enjoy the beautiful weather and hang out with one of my friends whom I don't see nearly enough.  Though my friend and I were working we had the chance to catch up on what has been going on in our lives while we were doing so.  So many people aren't lucky enough to even have a job so I am truly grateful for mine.  Just like everyone, I have my days when I am less than thrilled to be at work, but the big picture is that I've made some good friends during my time at my place of employment and for the most part it's fairly painless. ;-)  So, on the days when I feel like I have to drag myself into work I just try to remember how lucky I am to have a job that allows me to support my family and all of the wonderful people who have come into my life.

Until tomorrow! xo 

EIGHT

Hello Hello!  Today I am thankful for surprise visits from my mother-in-law and Addie during my workday.  Right before my lunch I get a call from my mother-in-law.  She had left me a message saying her and Addie were at the local grocery store.  I was so excited that I was going to get a chance to see my little munchkin in the middle of the day.  When Addie spotted me walking down the grocery aisle her face lit up and she started waving her hands excitedly.  Seeing her smiling face made my whole day.  As I walked around the grocery store, chatting with my mother-in-law, Addie hugged my neck with vigor.  By far the best lunch break I've had in quite a long time.  My little girl brings me so much joy and it never ceases to amaze me just how much I love her.

Until tomorrow. :)