Thankful Thursday - Welcome Breaks

I'm grateful for people who will hold my crying baby and not just immediately give her back.  It's a welcome break and I love it!  Thank you!  Thank you!

Thankful Thursday - A hardworking man

This week I'm particularly grateful for my husband.  Derek is the greatest!  He works two jobs, one of which starts at 3:00 AM!  And he's always willing to help me out with Cadence when he's home.  He'll take her for an hour or two when he gets home from his early morning job so I can get a little more sleep, and he's always offering to do whatever's needed in the evenings after he gets home from his handyman job.   He really works around the clock!!  What a hard working man!

AND for the past week Derek's been extra nice by offering to stay up a little later at night so I can get some extra rest because I think I'm coming down with something (hopefully it's just a little cold).  This is a big deal because he really needs his sleep at night so he can get up early. 

I am so grateful to have such a wonderful husband!  And I'm so excited for the next job he'll be doing because he'll be able to do it from home in the garage.  That way if I get lonely for him, I can just step outside!




PS: And I can't forget my dad as well. He's been a lifesaver, too!  If he hears Cadence and I having a really rough time, he always takes a break from work to work his grandpa magic to get her to settle down.  He's also a hardworking man!  Not only does he have his full time computer job, he is also the primary caregiver for my disabled mom.

Thankful Thursday - A good washer and dryer

Recently the amount of laundry to be done at my house has increased.  Ten fold!  Wonder why?  Ha!  So I'm really grateful for a great washer and dryer that easily gets the job done.  Now I'm off to do another load!

Thankful Thursday -

We had a horrible night on Tuesday.  Cadence started crying and puking around 5-6pm and didn't stop until about 11pm, slept for a couple of hours, and then cried from 3-7am.  She was really miserable!  Fortunately, my dad was willing to help us out for part of the night and it was one of Derek's mornings off so we were able to take shifts. 

And we were lucky enough to have already had an appointment scheduled for the next morning with her doctor.  So Wednesday morning, we took her in and we talked about possible solutions.  We decided that she might just not be tolerating the milk-based formula very well so the doctor sent us home with a couple of soy-based formula samples and told us to come back on Friday.

The difference the last 24 hours has been like night and day!  She hardly spit up at all (she couldn't keep anything down all day Tuesday), and she slept so well last night.  Two 4 hour blocks!  We're all so happy! 

We've got so much to be grateful for!

Thankful Thursday - Wonderful In-laws!!

Derek and I were so lucky to have Derek's parents come help us out this last week!  We were really sad to see them go this morning!  They were such a great help around here with fixing meals, cleaning up, mowing the lawn, holding the baby, etc...   I couldn't ask for better family! 

Thank you guys so much for volunteering to come up and help!!  You are the best!!

Thankful Thursday - Friends' Advice

This week I have been so thankful for the wonderful advice and encouragement I've received from my great friends on my up coming c-section (It's this Tuesday!  Can you believe it?!).  I'm a bit of (okay, a lot of) a worrier so it's really important to me to know at least the basics of what I'm getting into. 

A Way Back Wednesday, Thankful Thursday and Friday Finds All in One!

It's been another one of those weeks. I just haven't gotten the gumption up to posting.  I'll blame it on being almost done with being pregnant (yay!!).

But today, I have a treat.  A three in one.  Well, it's a treat to me.  How often can a blogger combine a story from your past, a thankful thought and a bunch of great links?  Not very often, but with today being 9-11, I think I've found a way.  So here it goes. 

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Way Back Wednesday
On September 11, 2001, I was sitting in Mr. Rush's AP Environmental Science class.  It was my senior year in high school.  I remember Mr. Rush being a bit late so we all happily chatted until he got there.  Once he did arrive in class, I could tell something was really bothering him.  He had a very serious look on his face and he was usually a pretty easy going kind of guy. 

After we all quieted down, he somberly announced what had happened in NYC and that there was a huge fire in D.C. (which turned out to be a rumor).  At that point, only one plane had hit.  Like every other American that morning, we were shocked and scared.  We were all so upset that we decided not to do any studying that day.  How could we concentrate when we felt like our world was coming to an end?  We had no idea what was really going on out there.

Most of the rest of our classes that day were like that.  The library had the news playing on their TVs.  I remember one of my friends told us about seeing the coverage of both towers falling while she was in the library.  She was shocked and really, really upset.  She said something like, "I can't believe I just watched 1000s of people die!"  It was a really horrible day at school.

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Thankful Thursday 

With 9-11 happening this week, I've been reminded of how grateful I am to be American, and to live in America.  I'm grateful that even when horrible things happen, our country can pick itself back up and keep moving.  Being an American, it's hard to imagine what life's like for other people in countries with less freedom.  Freedom is so natural for us.  I appreciate that. 

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Friday Finds

Here are a few 9-11 related links I found this week.  Each of them has a slightly different take.  Enjoy!

Nine Eleven, The Pioneer Woman.  Sort of a then and now post.  I love her writing!

9-11 Quilt that Traveled the World, The School of Good Enough.  I have known this blogger for years.  She's an excellent quilter.  And she doesn't just make regular quilts.  She is a quilt artist!

Patriot Day, Cake Wrecks.  This post is a little more on the humorous side--as you would expect with Cake Wrecks--which might sound like a bad thing on such a serious day.  But I enjoyed it.

Remembering 9/11, A Thrifty Mom.  A traditional 9-11 memory.

Thankful Thursday - Unexpected Connections

A couple weeks ago as my husband was walking into a store, he ran into our next door neighbor.  They talked a bit and then our neighbor said that Derek seemed like a reliable guy and that the company he works for was looking for a delivery truck driver and suggested that Derek apply.  The company, IBC (not the root beer, something else), hadn't publicly posted the position so I guess they were either going to hire within the company or by referral only.

How great is that that our neighbor--who we aren't all that close with, friendly but not very close--would think of Derek for this part-time job?!  I was surprised and very grateful!  What a blessing in our lives!

There is only one hiccup with this job.  It's early morning... early, EARLY morning.  His shift will be from 3am-7am.  He and I thought long and hard about whether or not to take the job and in the end, he decided that it's the best option he has at the moment to have a part-time job while still running his own business.  Plus, since it's a job with a W-2, it will be easier to get a home loan in the future.

So for the last week while Derek waits for the results from his drug test to come back (We're pretty sure we know what the results are, but most people don't take a person's word for it.  Even if they are LDS! :D), Derek has been gradually changing his sleeping schedule.  And he's been doing great going to bed by 10pm and getting up at 6am!  I'm so proud of him for preparing himself.  Hopefully his preparation will help him ease into his new job!

I want to send our next door neighbor a big THANK YOU for recommending Derek for the job.  We really needed it!  Maybe I'll bake him and his family a cake! :)

Thankful Thursday - Plant Pullin' Husband

I walked by my front room this morning, and what did I see right outside the window?  My husband pulling out the nasty prickly plants we have/had growing in the planter box.  Hooray!  I tried pulling out all the plants we had out there a week or so ago.  They were so ugly!  But the combination of being 8.5 months pregnant and weird, invisible-until-they-stick-in-your-hands-and-arms stickers made me quit halfway through.  Those stickers are the most irritating things I've ever experienced!  Not only do they sting when they're stuck in you, they leave minuscule cuts in their wake that burn for hours after!

I really wished I had my camera out and ready because Derek was so cute.  At the time I happened to walk by, he was taking a break to pull the mini-stickers out of his hands.  He is a pretty tough guy with nice callouses all over his hands so he doesn't usually use gloves for working, but I guess the mini-stickers were too much for him, too! :)  I got him the same dish-gloves I used before I pooped out before.  They worked surprisingly well. 

Thanks Derek for braving the nasty plants for me!  I love you!

Thankful Thursday - Enrichment Meeting

I had a great time at Enrichment Meeting this week.  Teaching a class was a bit stressful, but it was about a topic that I really enjoy, blogging!  I'm afraid that I was a bit disorganized in my teaching style, and I probably confused a lot of the ladies there, but I hope that I at least helped them see that blogging can be fun, useful and educational!

And since blogging is such an online thing, I brought my brother's Clearwire modem to the church building so we could have internet.  It made the class a bit more interesting to be able to actually see the blogs and see how to use them.

As fun as it was to teach my class, I was sad that I wasn't able to attend the other classes being taught at the same time!  We've got to find some way of being able to do that! :)  I think everybody wanted to attend all four classes.

I am really thankful that the Relief Society program includes an Enrichment night.  It's really fun to get together with friends from the ward and learn new things!!  I'm so excited for next month's Enrichment.  Basic Couponing Yeast 101 here I come!  Unless I'm having a baby right then...

Thankful Thursday - My Blog

Ha! I pre-posted this with just a title fully intending to post earlier in the day. Guess that didn't happen.

So, I'm thankful for my blog today.  I know keeping a journal is really important and have felt a lot of pressure to write in a journal, but haven't done it until my blog!  For some reason, blogging keeps me interested in journaling and I don't feel so overwhelmed with the task.  I probably has a lot to do with typing rather than pen and paper.  And a blog is much cuter than a notebook.

Thankful Thursday - Generous Neighbors with a Large Library!

Today I am thankful for our generous neighbors, the Butlers, with a large library!  They are always willing to lend us a book anytime we need one.  And the great thing is their tastes are quite a bit like ours!

It all started when I stopped by their house one afternoon and noticed that they had a bunch of Clive Cussler books.  I really enjoy his writing.  It's quite a bit like a James Bond action sort of thing but without all the womanizing.  We discussed our mutual love for the books, and I left with a couple novels of his that I hadn't read yet. 

Ever since that afternoon, Derek and I have been enjoying various books from their library.  And yesterday, Derek came home with another, The Chase.  It's a whole new series!

Thankful Thursday - Freezer Meals

I am grateful for freezer meals today.  And I was yesterday, and I will be tomorrow.  They are great!  So nice to just take them out of the freezer, thaw and then cook!

They were a bit of work to assemble, but so worth it!

I found this recipe book, Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer, through Amazon.com, then checked it out of the library.  I like it so much that I ordered it and the sequel plus another!  Hopefully they come soon!

Thankful Thursday - Almost over!

Today's blog post is going to be short, sweet, and exciting. Well, at least exciting to me!

I am so grateful that this month is almost over!  This Sunday I will be flying down to SLC to meet Derek in Provo for a mini family reunion, and then we'll come back home together!  Hooray!

I've come to the conclusion that I'm not a creature that's meant to be solitary.  I miss my husband too much.  Even with daily phone calls!

Thankful Thursday - Naps

Lately, I've been thankful for naps.  Naps, naps and more naps! 

Thankful Thursday - Cell Phones, family plans, and the "In" Network

This week I am especially thankful for cell phones, and more importantly, family plans and the "in" network.  Derek's out of town, and I suddenly feel the need to talk to him every hour or so.  I usually hold back though, that's a little overkill.  But hey, I'm pregnant.  I'll blame it on the very real and very raging hormones!

But it is so nice to know that if I need to, I can call Derek any time of the day and I don't have to worry about how long we talk because we're on a family plan.  Unlimited minutes!  Hooray!

As any of you who have been far away from your spouses know, phone calls make all the difference!  It's made this time that we're apart at least bearable! 

The only thing I like better than being able to call my Derek, is when my Derek calls me!  It makes me feel special and loved.  Funny how the little things make such a big difference!

Thankful Thursday - Interlibrary Loan

Today I am grateful for the interlibrary loan system that the libraries in this area participate in.  Just earlier this week, I put four books on my list and yesterday all of them were at the library!!!

This is especially nice for me because our local library is a bit small and doesn't have that great of a selection of books.  I was just talking to a friend of mine yesterday about how we are never able to just walk in and find a good book.

But with the interlibrary loan system, I can look up the books online, request them, wait a while (sometimes a longer while than others), and then they are at my library.  Awesome!

Here are the current books I've got checked out so far...

images from Amazon.com.

Thankful Thursday - My Dentist

A few days ago, one side of my permanent retainer came loose.  I'm not sure how it popped off.  It's held for 10 years, and I haven't been eating anything especially hard.  It was pretty annoying.  It was a bit uncomfortable to eat any food that I had to bite into, so I called my dentist--who also happens to be my Bishop, Dr. Bishop Mooso :)--to see if there was anything he could do or if I needed to make an appointment with an orthodontist.  He assured me he could fix it and that I should call his office the next day to make an appointment.

The next day I called and was able to get an appointment for the day after that.  When I asked about the cost of the procedure--we don't have dental insurance--the receptionist wasn't sure because it wasn't a "regular" thing for them to do but it shouldn't be too much.  Dr. Mooso would have to set the price.  She also mentioned that they could give me a discount for paying in full at the time of service.  Sounded decent enough to me, and my stupid retainer was enough of a problem that I had to get it fixed.

I got to the dentist's office right on time, filled out all the paperwork, and they sat me down.  The dentist was running a bit behind, but that was okay because they had cable T.V. in the ceiling!  The actual procedure only took about 15 minutes.  It was completely painless.  The only problem I had was water ricocheting off my teeth and into my face.  That wasn't so cool, but I survived.

And the best part?  My dentist is awesome!  He only charged me the base rate for the office visit, $50! Thank you Dr. Mooso!

Thankful Thursday - Humor

I have been especially thankful for humor lately.  No particular reason or funny story, but can you imagine a world without humor?  How would we get through the day?  I love to laugh and I love to make other people laugh.  Even if it's at my own expense!  ^_^

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday - Respite

This week, I've been especially thankful for a hospice benefit called respite care.  It's so when we feel overwhelmed taking care of my mom, Heart and Home will set up a place in a nursing home for my mom for a week.  Believe me, it's a life saver!  Especially this week!

My dad suddenly started feeling really sick Monday morning with some vertigo.  It eventually got so bad, he couldn't sit up or stand up without puking.  Not so much fun for him!  Or for me for that matter because that meant that I had two ailing adults to care for, and I'm not equipt to take care of everything for my mom.  There are somethings that I just can't do because I'm pregnant, and can't do because I just can't.  And I knew eventually some of those things would come up. 

So after a huge melt-down on my part Tuesday morning, a doctor's appointment for my dad that afternoon, we started to get a respite care set up for this week.  Thankfully, they were able to get her in Wednesday morning.  It has been such a relief!  I know that she'll get all the care she needs, and I'm not completely, 100% overwhelmed!

Heart and Home has been so great to us!  They were so attentive to our needs, and expedited a lot of the work to get my mom set up at the Nampa Care Center.  It almost seems like they're just as much our nurses and aides as they are my moms!

And I'm also very grateful for my friend and lifesaver, Tanya, who rescued me Tuesday afternoon.  My dad needed some soda to calm his stomach.  I couldn't really leave the two of them by themselves--plus I was all ugly and puffy from crying--so I called for help.  Tanya brought a huge sprite for my dad and a huge lime slushie to share.  She also distracted me from life at that moment with great conversation.  Thanks Tanya!!!

So what are you thankful for today?