Thanksgiving break!

Well, my thankfulness posts fizzled out mid-month--oh well!  I had a good excuse--I was too busy enjoying every moment of our vacation in Destin, FL last week, and now James is in DC for a conference, so I'm single-parenting it up!

We spent the week at a condo in Destin, just across the street from the beach, and all in all we had a great time.  Cadence seemed to be extra fussy, and she did not sleep well at all, so I don't know that we'll ever try to take a vacation with such a young baby again, but oh well.  It was fun to play with her on the beach a little bit (although my worries about too much sun exposure kept our visits short) and she did a great job in the car--having her along only added about 30 minutes to our 7.5 hour trip, so she's a much better traveler than the dogs!  I did realize though that it's going to be awhile until I can actually get a vacation--there is no escaping the work of a mom!

Once we got back we only had a few days until James had to leave for his conference, and since he's been gone we've been very busy.  Today we had Bible study, and then tonight there was a basketball game.  Tomorrow I have to go buy some buns for the concessions stand, and then there is a double header.  Cadence had a rough morning at Bible study and then was not too awesome at the game, so I'm hoping tomorrow is a little better.  She's teething and is really only happy if she's being held in one certain position and moving around all the time.  Unfortunately the girl I had watch her wanted to sit down to watch the game, and couldn't find the magic position, so there was a lot of fussing going on.  The good news is that she's slept through the night the past two nights, which is a blessing after her week of horrible sleep at the beach.

We also set up our Christmas tree, and I've been wrapping presents as they are bought so I'm fairly pleased with the Christmas-y feeling in our house.  I'd like to do more decorating, but it's hard to justify spending money on things that only get brought out once a year!

Days 13-16

Day 13
I am thankful for the opportunities I have had in my life to get an education, and even more thankful that those opportunities did not put me into debt.

Day 14
I am thankful for technology that allows me to capture my sweet girl's beautiful smile and share it with family that is far away.

Day 15
I'm thankful for my Uncle Willard who celebrates his 90th birthday today.  He is a great man  of God who has been more like a grandfather to me.

Day 16
I am thankful for sleep, especially when it is uninterrupted.

Days 10-12

Day 10
I am thankful for forgiveness.  This past week has taught me a lot about what I need to improve on in my interactions with everyone, and I'm thankful that the people I truly love will forgive me in spite of my shortcomings.

Day 11
I am thankful for God's great creation, and mostly the season of fall!  We had beautiful weather today and I loved every minute of being outside walking with my family!

Day 12
I am thankful for our dogs.  Although they often drive me crazy, misbehave, and make messes I have to clean up, they were our first "children", and they brought James and I closer together.  Plus, Cadence really enjoys watching them now, and Jeter always cleans up her spit-up off the floor.

Day 9

Today I am thankful for the cooks at Webb.  Although the food is not always on point, they do make a lot of things very well, and they are really nice to me and will set aside food for me to make sure I get some.  It is so nice to not have to cook and do dishes all the time!

more thanks

Day 7
I am thankful for my health.  I am blessed to not suffer from any chronic conditions and I can basically eat whatever I want with little effect on my health.  I know it won't always be this way, but I'm thankful it is now!

Day 8
Today I am thankful for the Community Bible Study that Cadence and I attend with the Swaffords every Thursday morning.  Even when I'm tired and just want to stay at home I rest, I pull it together to get us there, and I'm always glad we make it.  The ladies in the nursery who take care of Cadence are so sweet, and it's nice to get a little break and interact with some adults!

catching up on thankfulness

Day 3
Today I am thankful for my husband.  I am thankful that no matter what happens in our lives, we have made a commitment to love each other through it all.  This mention seems especially timely given a recent fight we had.  Although in the grand scheme of things our disagreement was minor, it really brought to light both how much I love him and what we each need to do to show that love now that our lives have been changed by a little one. 

Day 4
Today I am thankful for the most precious little baby I've ever known--Cadence!  Although she can be frustrating at times when she just seems to eat and spit up and cry, the happy times more than make up for it.  I can't wait to see her grow up--well, I can actually, because I love this baby stage--but it will be so exciting to see her learn how to do everything! 

Day 5
Kind of a combination of days 3 and 4, I'm thankful that I can be a stay at home mom.  It is way more challenging than I thought it would be, both in terms of the actual work and patience involved, and in having to readjust  how I go about everything and the time I have to spend with my friends, but I know that I will always cherish these days spent playing and snuggling and trying to figure out my little girl.

Day 6
Today I am thankful for the Webb School.  Webb brought me my husband, my daughter, a job, a place to live, and so many great friends.

wiggly worm!

Today Cadence has shown that she is ready to move!  She loves to roll from side to side, and flip from her back to her stomach--I have a feeling we're in for it now!  She is such a joy to hang out with every day, and it sounds crazy, but I miss her whenever I have someone else watch her for a little while.  She's my little buddy :).

Day 2

Today I am thankful for my parents.  I don't think you truly appreciate your own parents until you become a parent yourself, and these past 4.5 months I have missed them more than ever.  I realize now how much they love me, always have and always will, and why they're willing to drive ridiculous distances to see me just for a day or two.  I know that my mom could have gotten a whole lot more cookie dough off of the beaters if she wanted to, but she left some big chunks just for me to lick off.  I know how much it must have broken my dad's heart to see me cry about a boy breaking mine, and how happy he must have been to see me marry a wonderful man on my wedding day.  I truly believe I have the best parents in the world, through all the ups and downs in their own lives, they've given me everything I need to be successful, and most of all, instilled in me their values.

Day 1 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for my God.  Without God, I would not have anything to be thankful for, but with Him, I have everything to be thankful for.  He has given me all the people, experiences, and things I have, and most of all, He has given me His Son to die for me to make up for all the sins I commit--including being ungrateful for all I have been given.

I have been blessed to partake in a midweek Bible study this year called Community Bible Study, and it is a really great reminder as I go about my busy week how important it is to take time out for God.  Today one of the ladies in my group said that being a mother gave her a greater understanding of the love that God has for us, His children, and I couldn't agree more.  To know that God loves me immeasurably more than I love my dear little Cadence, is both reassuring and makes me ashamed of how I act towards His commandments at times.