A thankful kind of day

On and off over the last few years I've kept a "Thankfulness Journal." This journal is a way to remember the good things of the day. We have so much to be thankful for!

Today I am thankful for...

-Jackson's curious mind. He is learning so much each day and is constantly trying to make sense of all he's learned. The following is an overview of the conversation that took place on the way home from the store today. This conversation took place after I told him we were going to bring dinner to one of my friends that just had a baby. "Hey mommy, I've got an idea! How about we get 2 new children at our house. A bigger brother for me and for Will, and a little baby. The baby can just be a sister." Will proceeded to chime in, "Baby...bottle...drink it!" Oh, how the mind works! (And NO, there is no announcement being made, but apparently the pressure is on, even from the kids!)

-I am thankful that Will let me rock him to sleep at nap time. This really happened quite by accident, I don't tend to even try these things, lest we form some nasty sleep habit. Goodness knows, this child is just getting over 18 months of bad sleep habits. We will not be starting anything new. But, for today, it was nice. One of life's most peaceful moments is holding a sleeping child in your arms.

-I am thankful for the beautiful blanket of white snow that fell this morning. It is truly a winter wonderland!

"You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 118:28-29

A gift from the Heart

My friend Katie shared on her blog the touching story of one man's Christmas gift to his wife. In a world where Christmas becomes more about stuff, wrapping paper, and overspending, this is truly heartwarming.

For his Christmas gift to his wife, this husband and father began collecting letters written from mothers to mothers. The Mother Letter Project started small with his close circle of friends writing letters of encouragement and praise to his wife. It has since been expanded to a much bigger level involving people from all over the country. This sweet man has even offered to share all of the letters written with each person who contributes to the project.

I plan to write a letter and I'm sure I will be inspired and encouraged by the letters written by so many others. If you too are touched to write a letter, you can do so by following the link to The Mother Letter Project. Happy writing (and reading!). And thank you to Katie for sharing this story.

A work of art

Just one of the many reasons why toddlers
should not be given markers.



However, it kept him busy for at least a half an hour while Jackson and I transformed the uncarved pumpkin into a turkey.

Question of the day

"Mommy? Who is God's mother?"

I DO like them Sam I Am

Jackson got to take the special book bag home from school this week. In the bag is a stuffed Sam I Am, the book "Green Eggs and Ham", and a journal to write about your adventures with Sam. Sam has come with us everywhere and Jackson was even brave enough to try green eggs!

Trick or Treat

Last week Tuesday night, Dave and Jackson spent the evening carving Jackson's pumpkin. Jackson was so excited for this. He and Dave shared a chair and mapped out their "punkins happy face". Jackson was distressed for just a moment when Dave started carving the face (he like the way it looked drawn with the marker), but just sat and watched giving his opinion every once in a while.

Making the pumpkin face...it was really funny watching Jackson try to wink!

Friday was trick (or trunk in our case) or treating. We headed to Holland Christian to trunk or treat before the football game. The Cat in the Hat and the dinosaur now have more candy than
they know what to do with.

Fall Fun

This last week has been a little crazy. What is one to do with Dave being gone for a week, one less day of school, a 3 year old who has decided napping is over-rated, and the dread of single parent hood? Why move in with the parents, of course! It was a crazy week of spending lots of time at my parents, being home for minimal amounts of hours, visiting with GR friends, going to the zoo, and visiting an apple orchard. We had a great time but were ready for Dave to come home today.