Day 42...Difference Between the Now and 42 Days Ago

Today was one of those "having trouble being thankful days".  I havent been sleeping well the past few weeks, so when my alarm went off at 5am I woke up grumpy not wanting to get out of bed.  All day I just continued to feel grumpy.  When I came home my kids were grumpy as well, and there were many meltdowns.  The stress of wondering about my test I took on Saturday would sneak in there here and there too today.  However, what makes my being grumpy today verses how I would be grumpy 42 days ago is vastly different.  I didn't let my grumpiness dictate my attitude in going down a down hill spiral.  I didn't automatically sink into a depressive/anxious state' feeling as if I can't get out of a dark hole.  I simply felt grumpy, but still joyful.  It is hard to explain unless you've experienced it.  Am I saying I just kept a big smile on my face while my son and daughter were crying and/or yelling all the while trying to fix dinner, pack lunches, and clean? Absolutely not, I was frustrated but I also got over it, I also still enjoyed eating my dinner with my family, proud of my son for saying our dinner prayer, and loved hearing about Hadley's story she wrote in class today.  I was still joyful for seeing how the leaves are beginning to turn and how the sun is setting much earlier while taking my puppy to training tonight.  I am thankful that I am actually in my bed at 8:15 with newly clean sheets.  I am so incredibly thankful for my daughter who just walked in, jumped in bed with me, and said she  just wanted to tell me good night and that I'm the best mom ever.  My cup overflows! I am thankful that she loves to be funny and that at any moment she loves to take silly pictures and make me laugh.  I am thankful that in just 42 days my outlook on life has taken a 180 and I go to bed joyful.  God is good!

Our silly picture

Our smiley picture

Smiles, Laughs, Running, Sliding, Family and Fun..Day 41

Today was such a fun day! One of my most favorite things to do with my kids is go to a pumpkin patch!  We found a great place in Hebron, Ohio, called Pigeon Roost Farm.  This was our second time ever going, Landry's first, and our kids absolutely love it.  There is so much to do from slides, swings, tunnels, corn mazes, hay rides, food, etc.  I am so thankful for this awesome family day.  I am thankful we met up with my cousin Erica and her kids, hubby, and my aunt Judy.  I am thankful for the laughter that our girls make, thankful for catching up, thankful for a day away from our everyday life.  I am thankful I am a photo freak and caputred nearly 100 pictures today.  Don't worry I will only share about 1/4 of them below! So thankful for Fall, thankful the weather today was perfect for a day at the pumpkin patch.  Incredibly thankful for this day!  God is so good!

Praying Friends...Day 40

The pictures below show what I am thankful for today.  I am so thankful I have friends and family that pray and encourage me when I need it most! I am thankful I can ask friends to pray for me without judgement or questions; they just do it! I know others emailed, texted, and called that aren't shown below, but I am very thankful for those as well. I don't know my results yet, but I had peace during my test, anytime I started to feel anxious I prayed and recited scripture in my head. So thankful for God's peace. Thankful for my sweet friends who lifted me up in prayer and encouraged me! 

Unwavering Peace from an Unchanging God..Day 39

This picture above says it all for tonight of what I am thankful for and hanging on for tomorrow.  I have an extremely important exam that I absolutely need to pass.  I can do this, God is with me.  I need to let go and trust Him and accept His unwavering peace.  God is good!  Please pray with and for me.

Girlfriend Time, High Heels, Food, and Celebrating to Choose Life..Day 38

Tonight was a great night! I was invited to attend a banquet in support of The Pregnancy Care Center here in Athens and I invited my sweet friend Brittany to go with me.  We both dressed up in our high heels, black dresses, put on some make up, and enjoyed some girl time.  We had some great food, good laughs, met new friends, ran into old friends; all while supporting a great cause.  Living in a college town I believe requires a more dire need of a place such as The Pregnancy Care Center. It was neat to hear all the things they are doing to help young moms and dads make a good choice when they learn they are pregnant by not only educating them on their little baby but nurturing and supporting them through everything.  

I am thankful that Athens has this place, it was so incredible to hear and watch a special testimony by a young lady who had scheduled to have an abortion but chose to have her baby, and now she has a beatiful baby girl.  Not only does she have this precious baby but it had changed this young lady into a completley different person.  

I am thankful to run into people I haven't seen in awhile.  I am thankful for making new friends.  I am thankful for hanging out with Brittany since we haven't had the chance to hang out much due to our craziness of life.  I am also thankful that I have my 2 babies I can come home to everynight to kiss and hug on.  I am thankful God allowed me to be a mom.  I am thankful for fun high heel shoes; black dresses and lip gloss!  God is so incredibly good.

My beautiful friend and I on our night out at the banquet! Isn't she gorgeous? Her heart is beautiful as well!!!

Had to take a pic of my fun but painful heels!

Singing With My Girl..Day 37 of Joyfulness

I absolutely LOVE TO SING!!  I am so thankful that my daughter loves to as well.  Tonight was one of those special moments in the car.  I had picked her and her friends up from youth group and praise team practice and dropped her friends off who live in our same neighborhood just down the street.  It has become a thing for Hadley to jump up in the front seat to ride maybe 30 seconds in our little neighborhood back to our house.  On our very brief ride back to our house the song "Over Come" by Jeremy Camp came on,  one of our favorites we sing at church and listen to on the radio, so as always I start singing, and then I hear a sweet voice join in along with me.  It was such a precious moment, both of us singing and worshipping God together, a moment where it was completely not planned or wasn't somewhere like church where everyone else was singing.  It really is a moment that is hard to explain unless you were there to capture it yourself.  If I could've;  I would've recorded it; no actually I would've made time stand still and treasure it a bit longer.  I am so thankful that we live in a place where we can choose to listen to what we want, sing when we want, and most of all praise God through singing whenever we want. I am so thankful my daughter who not only loves to sing but loves to sing to God and will just do it without being asked and will do it in any place such as the car.  Love my girl, love her heart.  God is good!

I am bummed I didn't take any pics of her today, but she is beautiful on the inside and out.  

I was able to take a picture of Landry and I this morning, he woke up very early right as I was walking out the door a little after 6:00 am today.  He was in a super good mood!

Family Walk and Dinner Together...Day 36

Due to the craziness of life right now, it seems our evenings as of late have been rushed trying to get there,here, pick kids up, etc.  Tonight was different; we had nowhere to be which was nice.  I am thankful for our pre-dinner walk, I felt like it was the first time in weeks that Josh and I actually had somewhat of a normal conversation to talk about our days instead of what our schedule is for the night.  Walking in the cool crisp Fall air was very refreshing, it was so lovely to see my children walking beside each other talking to one another and not fighting.  I am thankful for those sweet moments.  I am thankful we were able to walk in our house to the aroma of spaghetti sauce simmering inthe crockpot and that we were able to all sit down and enjoy the tasty meal.  Landry said our prayer tonight, those are the most precious words to hear coming from my son.  I am thankful that my daughter helped me clean up the kitchen with not much of a fight.  I am thankful that I haven't had to rush home and do laundry so that my son would have enough clean pairs of underwear for school the next day - Yay for no accidents again!! I know I've set it a lot but it's so true; I am so thankful for his Pre-School, the teachers, helpers, and even the sweet precious students who are acting as "Landry's big brother/sister" and that one little girl who has been crying all day everyday for her momma didn't cry today since she was being "Landry's big-sister".  Can I get an Amen that God is good!!!

I actually took a few pictures of our dinner tonight.  Landry was literally about ready to fall asleep. I wish I had my cameral on our walk tonight. Watching my children pull the wagon together and talking was priceless!

Landry was all about sticking his nasty spaghetti finger in his ear and of course Hadley being funny

Trying to hide from me by ducking under the table

Very sleepy