Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is only a few days away. Many times people, myself included, do not take the time to stop and think of the things they are thankful for. I read a devotion the other day (here) that challenged it's readers to make a list of the things they are thankful for because we can get caught up in the daily "grind" and not realize how blessed we really are. So here you go (they are not in any particular order):

I'm thankful for my daughter sitting beside me. She is healthy, happy, and growing and for that I am extremely thankful. I'm thankful for every laugh and even the times she cries. I'm thankful that she made me and David parents. Being a mom is 10 times more difficult than I ever thought it would be, but I also never knew the joy or love I would feel as a parent.

I'm thankful for the dirty dishes downstairs in the sink and for the meal that was on them.

I'm thankful for my husband, who has seen me at my best and my worst, and still loves me. I'm thankful he is such a wonderful provider for our family and that he loves to help take care of our daughter. I'm thankful that he knows that being a mom is hard work and stressful and worrisome. I'm thankful he is there to help me, tell me to relax and have more faith that God will take care of it all.

I'm thankful for friends who understand that I will have my baby with me and still invite me out to lunch or offer to come over to my house just to spend time with me. I'm also thankful for friends who understand I might need a night out and invite me to go out with the girls or go to the movies.

I'm thankful for the wonderful family that I have. They are always willing to help and I have loved seeing them become grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. I'm thankful for them supporting me as a parent even when my choices are not the ones they would have made.

I'm thankful for the dog hair and slobber on my couch (even though some days it makes me mad) and for the dog who causes that hair and slobber. She is such a good dog (most of the time at least) and has adjusted so well to having a new little person in the house

I'm thankful for the pile of laundry that is awaiting me because I have clothes to wear and a washing machine to wash them in. I'm also thankful for the dryer.

I'm thankful for a roof over my head and a bed to lay down in.

I'm thankful that my parents raised me to love God. I'm thankful for all of the memories I have with my parents and my sister and brother.

I'm thankful for my small group and the years we have been together. I'm thankful for their listening ears and for challenging me to be a better person and to dig deeper into God's Word.

I'm thankful for family who aren't really family, but people who I consider family. The ones who you forget that you are not blood related to because they have become such an important part of your life.

I'm thankful for the hard moments I have experienced. The ones that I never thought I would get over or through but that with God's help I did overcome and have grown so much in the process.

I'm thankful for those moments that I did not follow my mommy instinct and then hated myself after. I'm thankful that it has taught me that God really has given me everything I need to be the parent Emery needs even when I feel like I'm not enough.

I'm thankful for chocolate and sweet tea.

I'm thankful for a husband who lets me sleep the extra half hour and gets up early with the baby.

Most of all, I'm thankful for my salvation. I'm thankful that God would take His precious child and sacrifice Him for me so that I can spend eternity with Him. I'm thankful He is my Savior, my Comforter, my Father, and my God.


So there is my list. I'm sure there are MANY more things that I am forgetting, but those are the ones I have thought of today. If anyone is reading this, I hope that you take time at some point in this week to think of the things you are thankful for as well. Happy Thanksgiving!

*photo credit goes to Jennifer Wood (thank you for the wonderful pictures!)

Fall is here

I love fall! Especially the few days of perfect weather we get here in TN before it turns wet and cold for the winter. Today is one of those nice fall days. A little cold for my liking, but sunny and beautiful. So for my small group tonight I decided to try the 2 ingredient pumpkin cupcakes. The recipe is for a cake, but I just cut the cooking time down to 20 minutes and kept a close eye on them.  I HAD to sample one to make sure they tasted ok...they are delicious! And so easy to make. 

No eggs, no oil, no water....just a package of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie). The only problem I ran into is that the batter is incredibly thick so unlike a normal cupcake it did not settle into a pretty rounded top and, since it is so thick, it only made about 16 cupcakes. Next time I think I will just take a spoon and smooth the tops down so that I don't have lumpy tops. Luckily, the cream cheese frosting easily covers it up :-) Enjoy! 

Sensory Board

While browsing the endless world of Pinterest I saw many ideas for sensory boards. E is at the age that I thought she would enjoy one so I enlisted the help of my Uncle Mickey (who is always so helpful and full of great ideas when it comes to this kind of stuff) to get it done. It was a trial and error process, but it is finished and E loves it! A sensory board is a fun way to help stimulate your baby's senses and expose them to different textures. My uncle just so happens to be in the flooring business so I used lots of different flooring samples, but you could just as easily use different types of fabrics or items around your house. Here is how I made my board:

First I got all of my materials and laid them out on a piece of particle wood board. I then had my handy husband cut the piece down to the size I needed. The pieces my uncle gave me were carpet, tile, and laminate samples, some cork board type material, and some sort of bubble flooring that I am guessing is for industrial use.

Next I covered the back and sides with a think felt fabric that I got at JoAnn's (using their mobile coupon I got it for half price). This I stapled in place with a staple gun. 

Then using a think flooring glue I attached all the pieces and let it dry. The only thing I would be careful of if you are going to make one is to make sure that all of the pieces are large enough that IF something did become detached it wouldn't be a choking hazard. Even with the strongest of glues you never know if a determined child could get a piece off. They are strangely very strong even at a young age! 

E loves playing with the board and I enjoyed making it! I have also seen where someone attached the board to their wall. I think that is a good idea, but I didn't have the wall space and I like that I can move it around to different rooms if I need to. 

Fighting the Good

My precious baby girl, who is for the most part a happy, laughing, good-natured baby, suddenly will becoming a fighting, screaming mess at naps. Not everyday (thank goodness!) but at least a couple times a week. I don't know why, but I am guessing it has something to do with being 6 months old and not wanting to miss out on what is going on. I try to make it as easy as possible on her. Fed, clean diaper, noise maker, soft blanket etc...and even though I KNOW a nap is what is best for her and what she needs she fights it. It is truly amazing what babies will do to fight a nap. I'm talking pulling hair and ears, trying to stay sitting up, talking to herself, grabbing her feet...you get the idea. Then after all of that she finally falls into a peaceful sleep and wakes up her smiling, happy self.

Today while this was all going on and I was praying on what to do (because sometimes I am just so lost at this parenting thing all I can do is kneel down and pray) it hit me that this is exactly how God must feel with me. He KNOWS what is best for me but I don't always want to do it. I want it my way. I fight it with all I have. How frustrating it must be for God. How silly He must think I am for trying to go against all the good He has for me. Yet, just as I love my daughter no matter, He still loves me and wants what is best for me. He "knows the plans he has for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me". I just need to stop fighting His will and succumb to His plan because ultimately He knows what is best.