Fridays

November 8 - Today I am thankful that it is Friday.  Our society tends to make a big deal out of Fridays whether you like to or not...but for the first time in a long time Fridays mean that we don't have to rush to school and to the store and back to school.  So today I am thankful for a completely non rushed day, one that I think Austin who has been complaining about a headache all day truly needed.  I had forgotten about the impending sicknesses that were sure to happen by sending a kid to school, I suppose here we go...into winter/cold season.

Kuma

November 7 - Today I am thankful for Kuma, or perhaps I should say Kuma's breeding line.  I don't believe wholeheartedly in the old saying that there are no bad dogs only bad owners.  I believe that all animals are as susceptible as humans are for varying diseases including mental illness.  I think a dog just like a human can be taught bad traits or that they will learn to defend themselves if need be but also that sometimes there is a chemical imbalance that will cause aggression.  From what I have seen from Kuma, he has one of the most laid back and loving personalities I have ever seen in a puppy and I completely love that.

Here he is sitting with one of his girls just after his bath.  I have given him at least a bath a week since we got him and all he does is stand there in the water in the tub...no whining, no nothing.  Just a super good boy.

Hot Showers

November 6 - Today I am thankful for hot showers.  We hosted a poker tournament last night and while I totally won (YAY!) I managed to...hold on to your shorts for this one...stay up a little too late and drink about a beer too many.  So it came as no shock this morning when a two year old showed up at my bed side complaining of being "hungy" that I felt a bit groggy.  One long, hot shower later I am happy to report that I feel much better and am over $100 richer. Yahoo!

Voting & Goose

November 5 - Today I am thankful for the right and privilege to vote along with a two year that is well behaved enough to bring to the polls without worrying about what will happen.  We dropped Austin off at school and went down to vote for two sets of increased taxes.  While I am sure to lose at least one of those increases if not both, I love that I was able to choose Yes/For.

Radiant Heat

November 4 - Today I am thankful for our floors.  It's cold outside and I don't like to wear socks without shoes so I am immensely happy about the warmth of the house including the tile.

And a cute picture to throw in to - I love what happens when children go up with animals I believe that both sides learn so much from each other.  Like here's Tyler teaching Kuma how to write. :-D

Brother

November 3 - Today I am thankful for my brother, some how or another we have both become "foodies" so when he hit me up yesterday to invite us over to share in a 9 pound prime rib we jumped on it and will bring along scalloped potatoes and a salted caramel pumpkin cake.  I think the only people more excited than Tadd and I are the girls, they LOVE going over to Uncle Wells' house of course it doesn't hurt that he has a swing set. ;-)

November - Thanks

Wow, did the year fly by.  It's already November and I just remembered so I can start my 30 days of Thanks!  As I have always said, Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday so any way that I can showcase that, I am all in.

November 1 - Today I am thankful that I picked someone to have children with that wants to be an active Dad in their lives.  I know this is not true for many of my friends and I couldn't be happier with the way things are going with our family.  Look at this amazing father and his two daughters in the tent that he set up in their playroom.

November 2 - Today I am thankful that I did all of those years of volunteering at TESSA before becoming a Mom.  I posted the video below on my Facebook because I think a lot of parents forget how much we mean to our children even with our shortcomings.  I was very fortunate to meet a young lady that taught me all of this before I had kids of my own.  We were talking about things that scare us and an 8 year old little girl stated that the dark scared her.  I agreed that the dark scares me too and she went into a story that I will never forget.  Her mother was a drug addict who would prostitute for money, when her clients would come by the hotel room where they lived her Mom would always make her sit in the cupboard in the bathroom with the lights off until everything was done and then she would come and get her.  Here's the truly amazing part about children though, she didn't judge her mother or think less of her...she looked at her like a super hero, one that always showed up to turn the lights on and take her away from the scariness of the world.  That day I realized that no matter what I did, my kids would love me and through my weaknesses and faults all I had to do was be their light.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/31/the-video-every-mom-must-watch_n_4181007.html