30 Days of Gratitude - Day 8: Lazy Sundays

As I shared, for the month of November, I am going to try to post at least 1 thing each day that I am thankful for. I invite each of you to do the same, either on your own blogs or in the comments section. I hope that it will help me to see that I have a lots of things to be thankful for....

DAY 8: 

Today I am thankful for lazy Sundays. 

This afternoon, after lunch, I laid down on the couch with my head on my husbands lap and I napped on and off for almost 2 hours, while he watched football on TV and the kiddos played. There are days you just need to take a day of rest and just relax. Today was a good day for it. 
How do you relax? Do you take a day of rest? 

If you are joining in with being thankful....what are you thankful for today? 

30 Days of Gratitude- Day 7: the public library and classic Peanuts cartoons

As I shared, for the month of November, I am going to try to post at least 1 thing each day that I am thankful for. I invite each of you to do the same, either on your own blogs or in the comments section. I hope that it will help me to see that I have a lots of things to be thankful for....

DAY 7: 
Today I am thankful for the public library and classic Peanuts cartoons.

This morning, I took the kids to the library, where they each picked out 5 books a piece. Rebecca, especially has become my little book worm. She reminds me of me when I was her age... her nose is always in a book! While we were at the libray, I also picked up 2 movies. Every Friday night we typically do a movie night for the kids. Well, we have watched all of our kid appropriate dvds many times and quite frankly I am sick of most of them. Believe me, there is only so many times that a person can watch "Frozen" before their brains become fried! LOL Anyhow, I have been using the library to get a dvd each week the last couple of weeks of shows that the kids haven't seen. Last night, we watched 


Today, when we were there, I was able to pick up two more Charlie Brown dvds. Tonight, we watched:


My kids love Charlie Brown and Snoopy! There is a new Peanuts movie in the theater, which I hope to take the kids to at some point this month, but this was a great alternative (not to mention cheaper). I am thankful that our library has a great kids section and a good movie selection as well! They also have a great adult section as well, which I have utilized a ton this past year.

Do you use your public library for books and dvds? Who is your favorite Peanuts' character?

If you are joining in with being thankful....what are you thankful for today? 

30 Days of Gratitude- Day 6: Good teachers

As I shared, for the month of November, I am going to try to post at least 1 thing each day that I am thankful for. I invite each of you to do the same, either on your own blogs or in the comments section. I hope that it will help me to see that I have a lots of things to be thankful for....

DAY 6: 
Today I am thankful for good teachers for my children. There are so many people who work with my children at school day in and day out and they are making a difference in the lives of my children. We had parent-teacher conferences this week and all 3 kids got glowing reports. We also received IEP papers for the 2 boys and they got good reports from their therapists as well! We are blessed to live in an area where the public school system works. Believe me, we have lived in areas where I wouldn't send a dog to the public schools. Here we feel that the school system is good and therefore we made a drastic change this school year when we pulled the kids from the Catholic school that we sent them to and enrolled them in the public school system. Thankfully, it is working for all 3 kiddos. Their teachers are doing a great job with them and for that I am so very thankful. 
 

If you are joining in with being thankful....what are you thankful for today? 

My God and My All: The Life of Saint Francis of Assisi

 

DESCRIPTION:

The captivating story of the world’s favorite saint is now retold for a modern audience by one of the great novelists of our time.

Perhaps more than any other figure in Christian history since Jesus Christ, Saint Francis of Assisi has captured our imagination, for his is a story of extreme self-sacrifice, of love to God and man. How could this wealthy, handsome youth cast away all the advantages that were his by birth and choose instead a career of poverty and humility? How could he attract members of all strata of society to his mission? And how, when his order became established throughout Europe, could he renounce great personal power and humbly continue his life’s work?

Here is Francis, from his twelfth-century boyhood to his life as a missionary roaming the very boundaries of the known world. Here too are the men and women who followed him―Bernard de Quintavalle, the rich businessman; Peter Cathanii, the lawyer; Brother Giles, the farmer’s son; Lady Clare; and so many others―all drawn together by the personal magnetism and humble faith of their leader, all re-created by bestselling novelist Elizabeth Goudge against a rich medieval canvas.

 

MY THOUGHTS:

This is not a traditional biography by any means. Instead it is a recount of the life and times of the man who became known as St. Francis of Assisi told in more of a story format, or as a novelization of his life told by an observer. There are many versions of the story of the life of St. Francis of Assisi and this is Goudge's version. You can tell from her writing that she was enamored with this saint. She wove a story telling of his life in a way that lead the reader to truly understand who St. Francis of Assisi was and the life that he led that allowed him to become the great saint of the Catholic Church that he is. 

As a Catholic, I found this to be an interesting, albeit long read. I knew the basic story of St. Francis of Assisi going into this reading, however, I was able to glean even more information from Goudge story. And even though this was originally published in 1959 and is now being re-published it is a timeless story that anyone can get information from. I will say that being Catholic, I think I went in somewhat biased. I do think that other Christian religions who do not put an emphasis on Saints, may find a hard time with her loving words and great admiration toward Francis's story. 

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the story of St. Francis of Assisi's life. 

 

DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from Handlebar Marketing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

30 Days of Gratitude- Day 5: Good music

As I shared, for the month of November, I am going to try to post at least 1 thing each day that I am thankful for. I invite each of you to do the same, either on your own blogs or in the comments section. I hope that it will help me to see that I have a lots of things to be thankful for....

DAY 5: 
Today I am grateful for good music!

Last night, I was watching the CMA awards, instead of doing cleaning and some things that I needed to do (I was gone to work and other engagements until almost 7:30 so I was tired after I got the kids put to bed). I was reminded of the kind of country music that I like--that which reminds me of old school country. Many of the acts sounded very much like pop music to me. However there were a couple acts that stood out to me. The first was the collaboration of Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton...All I can say is their performance was AWESOME!  

The other act that stood out to me was old school Reba and Brooks and Dunn. This was old school country, the music that I grew up listening to and I consider to be country. Great performance by legends! 






It reminded me that there is still good music out there that is soulful and speaks to me. So today I have had a rare day at home and I have used the time to clean house and do some things that have been bugging me, like laundry, all the while having some good music in the background instead of the TV. 

Did you watch the CMA Awards last night? If you did, what did you think?
 Do you like country music? 
If you are joining in with being thankful....what are you thankful for today? 

30 Days of Gratitude-- Day 4: My Kids

As I shared, for the month of November, I am going to try to post at least 1 thing each day that I am thankful for. I invite each of you to do the same, either on your own blogs or in the comments section. I hope that it will help me to see that I have a lots of things to be thankful for....

DAY 4: 
(Sorry this wasn't posted last night...better late than never!)

On this fourth day of November, I am thankful for my children. They are the light of my life and the reason that I get up in the morning, do what I do and they may also be the reason that I have a few more grey hairs now than I have ever had. They are the driving force behind why Bill and I get up in the morning and go to to work to try to give them the best life we can. We have made some major changes in regards to their lives this past year, including putting them into different schools, and they have taken each stride in step. We had parent-teacher conferences last night and both Rebecca and Jacob got great reports. (We have Ben's conference on Friday). Rebecca, Jacob and Benjamin are all smart, loving, caring and crazy. 

Last night, I had to take the kids to an ASD support group that was being held at our local arts and crafts store. As I was walking in, the kids walked in a few feet in front of me. There was an older woman who was standing at the front of the store, right inside the door, who looked at the kids and then asked me "Are they all yours?" I thought she was going to yell because the kids were several feet ahead of me. I said yes. She then proceeded to smile and say "Bless you. Isn't motherhood great?" Then she proceeded to tell me that I had adorable children and that I looked like a happy mom. And you know what, I am. I love my children more than anything and I am so very thankful that Bill and I have been blessed with them. 

If you are joining in with being thankful....what are you thankful for today? 

30 Days of Gratitude-- Day 3: Thankful for the right to vote

As I shared yesterday, for the month of November, I am going to try to post at least 1 thing each day that I am thankful for. I invite each of you to do the same, either on your own blogs or in the comments section. I hope that it will help me to see that I have a lots of things to be thankful for....

DAY 3: 

On this third day of November, I am thankful for the right to vote. Today is election day in the USA, and we as citizens have a responsibility to get out and make our voices heard. It is one of the privileges of living in this country. And being a woman, there is a special feeling about getting to vote as that right has not always been there. It wasn't until 1920 that women were allowed to vote, so I want to make sure that I honor those people who fought for women to have the right to vote by going out to vote.

 In our town, we only have a couple contested races on this ballot. There is the race for mayor, pitting someone who has been in office forever against a younger candidate who wants to make changes. And there are a couple state wide issues, including whether Ohio should legalize marijuana or not. After I picked Benjamin up from preschool this morning, I took him with me to go and vote. It saddens me that they were not busy at all when I went. However, that did not stop me. I made my voice heard. And as I put on facebook, if you don't vote then don't complain to me about the government!

If you live in the USA did you vote today?

If you are joining in with being thankful....what are you thankful for today? 

30 Days of Gratitude-- Day 2--thankful for AAA and beautiful fall weather

As I shared yesterday, for the month of November, I am going to try to post at least 1 thing each day that I am thankful for. I invite each of you to do the same, either on your own blogs or in the comments section. I hope that it will help me to see that I have a lots of things to be thankful for....

DAY 2: 

On this second day of November, I am thankful for AAA, a helpful husband and beautiful fall weather. 
This morning, I got all the kids in the van to take the older 2 to school and then to head to Kroger to grocery shop. Well, when I got in and turned the key....nothing happened! Tried again...NOTHING! Told the kids, everyone out and we ran/walked to school and they got there on time! Whew! (Typically, I drive the kids to school on Monday as Benjamin doesn't have school and it is easier to not have him have a meltdown because he can't stay and play). After we got home, I called AAA (a non-negotiable expense given how much my hubby drives all over the county for his job) and they were able to jump it to start. The guy said that it looked like our battery cables were going bad and we might need to replace our battery sooner rather than later. When Bill came home, he took it to Autozone and got a new battery....So I am thankful for a useful husband who helps when things go wrong! And during all of this, the weather today has been beautiful! It was in the 50s as I was walking the kids to school and the sun has been out and it is now around 70 degrees! So thankful for a beautiful day!

If you are joining in....what are you thankful for? 

Trick or treat 2015

Saturday night we did end up going out for trick or treating with the kids. Ben had a slight cough during the day, but energy wise he was fine so we decided to head out....

After Bill came home from work, we loaded up and headed out to the main street in our town. There were a TON of kids and adults out...seems like there were more than in the past. There were actually lines at some houses for candy!

The kids had fun and they saw many of their friends from school. Ben even saw a little girl from his class who came up and gave him a hug!

On a side note, every time I tried to take Benjamin's picture he would stick his tongue out! He is a little stinker! 

As we were winding down, Ben became whiny and he was done. He was tired and cranky and I think he was starting to not feel well. . After we were done, we headed off to get Wendy's for dinner, which has become our post trick or treat tradition.

Once we were home, I checked all the candy and everything seemed fine. (I check every year, but this year there was a confirmed case of someone putting a razor blade in candy in a town that we used to live in; why some people have to be sickos to do something like this....). I lit the kids' jack-o-lanterns for the last time and we just enjoyed the last evening of October as a family, while maybe indulging in some Halloween treats (no I don't know where the kids' Almond Joy candies went! ;) ) .

Did your family go trick-or-treating this weekend? 

What is your favorite kind of candy to get?

Introducing 30 Days of Gratitude--a mini rant and day 1

Earlier today, after church, Rebecca, Jacob and I ran into our local Dollar Tree and I was amazed, yet not surprised, that they had over 3 aisles of Christmas decorations out. It is only 1 day past Halloween! Granted, Dollar Tree did have an end-cap with Thanksgiving decorations, however it was the end of 1 aisle, NOT the 3 aisles that had been dedicated to Christmas. Then, later I was on facebook and a friend had posted her coffee cup from Starbucks and it was red for the holiday season. Um...isn't fall and harvest colors yellows and oranges and browns? Again, another company looking forward to Christmas and completely bypassing Thanksgiving.

In the past November meant Thanksgiving and not let's start thinking about Christmas, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. However, I feel like everyone around me has become so commercialized and tend to get the "give me, give me, give me" mentality for Christmas and they truly have lost the sense of gratefulness that Thanksgiving and November is supposed to be about.

I can't change everyone's attitude. But I can change my own. I have decided that I want to focus on what I am thankful for during this month, rather than only looking forward to Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I will probably still do some Christmas shopping this month, however, I truly want to place more of my focus on the people, things and experiences that I am grateful for.

So for the month of November, I am going to try to post at least 1 thing each day that I am thankful for. I invite each of you to do the same, either on your own blogs or in the comments section. I hope that it will help me to see that I have a lots of things to be thankful for....

DAY 1: 

On this first day of November, I am thankful for my husband. He is my soul mate and my love. He puts up with my many moods. He works very hard to take care of our family. He is quirky and crazy, with a great sense of humor. He has an uncanny knack with numbers and statistics. I believe that God got it right when he put the two of us together. I cannot imagine what my life would have been like the last 11 years, if I did not have Bill by my side. So today, I am extremely grateful for the presence of my husband in my life! 

If you are joining in....what are you thankful for? 

Books that I read for fun in October

Last year, I spent the last half of the year documenting the books that I read for fun.  I have decided that I need to continue that as reading is important part of how I relax. Books that I read for fun are books that I have not been asked to review and that I have chosen to read, well because I like to read.

October found me not really doing a lot of fun reading, as my schedule was crazy busy...but here is what I read....

 

I got one book read for fun! It was good and continued "The Chesapeake Shores" series by Ms. Woods. I would rate it an "A" read! 

Here are the books I read for fun in:

September 2015
August 2015 (didn't read any for fun!)
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015  
January 2015
Books from 2014

                                                 Have you read any good books lately?

Happy Halloween

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Halloween today! 

This year, we have a "Thomas the train".....

a "Captain America"....

and a "Wonder Woman." 

Yesterday the kids celebrated Halloween at school with fall parties and parades. In the morning I got to go to Ben's preschool class to see his class put on his finger plays and sing songs and beat on a pinata. Ben was a little overwhelmed at times and I am not sure that he was feeling 100%.....

Then yesterday afternoon, Bill went to Jacob and Rebecca's school to watch their costume parade. I stayed home with Benjamin as we weren't sure if he is coming down with something or not. Bill said that there were a lot of creative costumes at their school including a "crazy cat lady, a Minecraft skeleton, and a birthday cake costume. 

As for today, I am not sure what we will be doing. If Ben is feeling up to it, we might go trick or treating....but I don't want to push it. We will have to see what the rest of today brings! 

Are you doing anything for Halloween? 

What is your favorite Halloween costume? 

Went to the fire station today

One of the things that I have never been able to do with my children is to be a chaperone on one of their school field trips, as when Rebecca would go, I had Jacob and Ben at home. Or when it was time for Jacob to go, I had Benjamin at home. Or I had work obligations....

That all changed today. This morning, I accompanied Benjamin's preschool class on a field trip to our local fire station. Benjamin has a hard time with transitions and new things, so I wanted to go so that if he had a meltdown then I would be the one to help. He does have a wonderful aide, Margene, who also went, but I didn't want to put the pressure on her of picking him up if he ended up having a tantrum.

 It was Benjamin's first time on a school bus and he did great. The whole time on the bus, he kept saying "bus" with a big smile on his face.

He loved the firehouse. The firefighter went over the new rules for calling 911. He taught them to dial 9 1 1 green (or call), since so many people only have cell phones. He also taught them to stop, cover, drop and roll if they are ever on fire. They have added cover your mouth to the standard stop, drop, and roll rule. They got to practice crawling under smoke (a bed sheet).

Ben really only got scared when the firefighter put on all of his gear and made the breathing sounds. But he was always curious.

He loved getting to go into the firetruck and an ambulance.

When they were all done, each child got a junior firefighter helmet to take home with them.

Overall, he had a great field trip experience and I feel so blessed that I was able to go on it with him and his class.