Sometimes it's the small things that make us smile. This morning I started a new check list system with Brynn at the suggestion of some friends. It worked like a charm! I'm sure it will probably get old and we will have our days but she loved it and so did I!! She said "mom, I got ready alot faster with my check list!" and she did! It was so nice to hear her listing off her tasks for the morning and going and checking them off as they were done. Asking a few questions where needed but there was no yelling and screaming to hurry up and get out the door! Brylee was her usual silly self today. I was telling her that daddy had to take Chloe to the doggy Dr. to get her bottom fixed (she has an absess) and she says "Chloe will take her pants off! No, Chloe doesn't have pants!". The things that go through her head and then come out of her mouth!! What a trip! Then I go to put her dinner in the microwave and turn back around and there she is...up on top of the kitchen counter!! Climbed up all by herself! What a little stink pot! Proud as could be! Chloe did awesome at the vet tonight! Got her some meds to hopefully resolve the situation and lower the pain. She is such a good girl and perfect for our family! So, I have lots of small things to be thankful for today! I could list many more, but it's time for bed!!
Still striving to be a more thankful me! Seems to be helping me to focus more on happy things and not staying so focused on the little things that get me down or frustrated. I've always been pretty good at finding good in bad situations...it's not getting so hung up on the daily frustrations that I struggle with. Kinda crazy that I do better in the "bad" situations!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Health and Home and Safety
As the title says...today I am thankful for Health and Home and Safety.
Health....Today I had to go pick Brynn up from school early. The nurse had said that she had gotten sick and wasn't feeling well. Well, when I got there to pick her up I found out that she hadn't gotten sick. She had a tummy ache and was feeling very blah and tired but that was it. Thankfully, we came home and she laid down for a bit...asked for some lunch and after that was good as new. Not nearly as bad as I had anticipated from the info given to me.
Home....I was able to get quite a bit more done in my upstairs today! Still have a bit to do but definately made quite a bit of progress. I feel like my bedroom is starting to look like a nice bedroom instead of a closet that exploded. Have more to do tomorrow and hopefully can conquer some of the girls bedroom too! Maybe when it's all done I can post pics. I feel like I am finally de-cluttering the house and finding a place for things...even if it's temporary home is a bin.
Safety....As I was working on the upstairs and putting some laundry away I heard Brynn say from the other room "How did you get up there?". So, out of the closet I came to find little miss Brylee up on the top bunk!! Yup, she had climbed up there all by herself and was very proud of it!! She is one of those kids that on a daily basis I wonder how she doesn't get hurt more often. I think she has a guardian angel that works overtime!!!
Health....Today I had to go pick Brynn up from school early. The nurse had said that she had gotten sick and wasn't feeling well. Well, when I got there to pick her up I found out that she hadn't gotten sick. She had a tummy ache and was feeling very blah and tired but that was it. Thankfully, we came home and she laid down for a bit...asked for some lunch and after that was good as new. Not nearly as bad as I had anticipated from the info given to me.
Home....I was able to get quite a bit more done in my upstairs today! Still have a bit to do but definately made quite a bit of progress. I feel like my bedroom is starting to look like a nice bedroom instead of a closet that exploded. Have more to do tomorrow and hopefully can conquer some of the girls bedroom too! Maybe when it's all done I can post pics. I feel like I am finally de-cluttering the house and finding a place for things...even if it's temporary home is a bin.
Safety....As I was working on the upstairs and putting some laundry away I heard Brynn say from the other room "How did you get up there?". So, out of the closet I came to find little miss Brylee up on the top bunk!! Yup, she had climbed up there all by herself and was very proud of it!! She is one of those kids that on a daily basis I wonder how she doesn't get hurt more often. I think she has a guardian angel that works overtime!!!
Monday, March 21, 2011
The end is in sight!!
Today I am thankful for bins! Yes, I said bins! I have been working on cleaning up my upstairs for quite some time now. Unfortunately, it was just such an unorganized disaster that I felt completely overwhelmed everytime I went up to work on it. I would get a bit done and it would look like I barely made a dent! So, yesterday I got the idea to go get some plastic bins and just put a bunch of the clothes and shoes that do not have a home in them. This way, it makes the room look much neater and I can conquer one bin at a time when I can. It may not be the most logical way to do it bit I'll tell you what...I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I could see a HUGE amount of progress!! I still have quite a ways to go between our room and the girl's but it is sooooo much better than it was! And, I feel like I can work on the important areas for now. So, I am very thankful for my plastic bins that "hide" my mess for now and make it much easier to take on one at a time!
The rest of my day presented some challenges. However, those challenges are nothing compared to what some people are going through! This blog has helped me to realize that even though my days may not be a walk in the park and I may not always be able to see the good in every situation right away, when I step back and think about it...things aren't so bad! Hopefully soon I can learn to see it before having to take a step back!! I have some lessons to learn and I have a feeling that until I show some marked progress, God will keep testing me. Learning how to handle and diffuse situations with the girls without losing my cool is my constant battle. Some days are better than others.
I will continue on my quest...becoming a more thankful me :-)
The rest of my day presented some challenges. However, those challenges are nothing compared to what some people are going through! This blog has helped me to realize that even though my days may not be a walk in the park and I may not always be able to see the good in every situation right away, when I step back and think about it...things aren't so bad! Hopefully soon I can learn to see it before having to take a step back!! I have some lessons to learn and I have a feeling that until I show some marked progress, God will keep testing me. Learning how to handle and diffuse situations with the girls without losing my cool is my constant battle. Some days are better than others.
I will continue on my quest...becoming a more thankful me :-)
A Silly Picture
Today I am simply thankful for a silly picture that brightened my day! Do I have alot of other things to be thankful for? YES! But, I'm going to keep this simple today. My morning was not going how I would have liked it to go and I was more than a bit frustrated with some things! I came into the living room to go on facebook quickly before jumping in the shower and this adorable silly picture is what I saw! It's obvious that it brightened my day! I don't get to see my Grandma nearly as much as I would like. But I am so thankful that someone who works at the home she lives in took this picture and shared it on facebook! I LOVE her adorable smile and her beautiful heart! She has such a reputation at that home and brings such joy to peoples lives! She may not know who alot of us are anymore and she may not know where she really is alot of the time but she is a happy loving beautiful person! I am proud to call her MY Grandma!! I wish that she wasn't as forgetful as she is but I am so thankful to God that even though she is, she is as happy as can be and that it doesn't seem to bother her in the least! I am so thankful for her and for a silly picture that could brighten my day!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Another day of ups and downs
In the grand scheme of things today was an ok day. It was a bit challenging at times, to say the least, but when you sit back and put it in prospective...all in all a pretty good day.
Brynn was off school today, which presents its own set of challenges. Brylee loves having her sister home, but as most siblings do...they wind up butting heads a bit from time to time. They did pretty good playing together. But, as I said yesterday, they are both struggling with their own issues. I really do have to be thankful that, even though they both can drive me up a wall at times, they both respond quite well to discipline. What is most frustrating to me is that they are both smart girls, but a bit slow at learning that they won't get away with things. Of course, who am I to talk!! I'm a bit of a slow learner at times myself!! So, while I was ready to rip my hair out several times today, I am thankful for my 2 testy ladies!! In between the trying times are lots of laughs and smiles and silly things! We got to get outside a little and enjoy the sunshine. Got to go for a yummy dinner with Nani and Papa. And, got to do a little shoe shopping.
Another thing to be thankful for today is that I got to clear up some things with a good friend of mine. We were having some miscommunication issues and finally got to set things straight. So, that felt pretty good and I was glad to get it cleared up a bit.
And, to wind up the day...I am thankful for 2 beautiful girls who very rarely give me a problem with going to bed!! When it's bed time, up they go. Of course after having to go over and say night night to Nani and Papa and a little bit of typical stalling. But after that, they head on up those stairs and prayers are said and off to sleep they go. It's so fun to sit and watch Brylee in the video monitor in bed winding down. She usually sings away for a bit before finally settling in to sleep. We don't often get an un-interrupted night of sleep, but I am blessed that it is typically just a potty run, a drink needed or to be covered back up with the blanky.
So, even in a day where I had plenty of moments that I wanted to just throw my hands up and call it quits, I can find lots to be thankful for. I am so glad to be doing this blog because it really forces me throughout the day to think about what in each situation I can be thankful for. I know at the end of the day I have to write about it :-) It is definately still very challenging and today I lost my cool plenty of times, but I am so glad that even in those aggrivating moments I can and need to find some good in it. Sometimes it may be harder than others! So here I am, still trying to be a more thankful me :-)
Brynn was off school today, which presents its own set of challenges. Brylee loves having her sister home, but as most siblings do...they wind up butting heads a bit from time to time. They did pretty good playing together. But, as I said yesterday, they are both struggling with their own issues. I really do have to be thankful that, even though they both can drive me up a wall at times, they both respond quite well to discipline. What is most frustrating to me is that they are both smart girls, but a bit slow at learning that they won't get away with things. Of course, who am I to talk!! I'm a bit of a slow learner at times myself!! So, while I was ready to rip my hair out several times today, I am thankful for my 2 testy ladies!! In between the trying times are lots of laughs and smiles and silly things! We got to get outside a little and enjoy the sunshine. Got to go for a yummy dinner with Nani and Papa. And, got to do a little shoe shopping.
Another thing to be thankful for today is that I got to clear up some things with a good friend of mine. We were having some miscommunication issues and finally got to set things straight. So, that felt pretty good and I was glad to get it cleared up a bit.
And, to wind up the day...I am thankful for 2 beautiful girls who very rarely give me a problem with going to bed!! When it's bed time, up they go. Of course after having to go over and say night night to Nani and Papa and a little bit of typical stalling. But after that, they head on up those stairs and prayers are said and off to sleep they go. It's so fun to sit and watch Brylee in the video monitor in bed winding down. She usually sings away for a bit before finally settling in to sleep. We don't often get an un-interrupted night of sleep, but I am blessed that it is typically just a potty run, a drink needed or to be covered back up with the blanky.
So, even in a day where I had plenty of moments that I wanted to just throw my hands up and call it quits, I can find lots to be thankful for. I am so glad to be doing this blog because it really forces me throughout the day to think about what in each situation I can be thankful for. I know at the end of the day I have to write about it :-) It is definately still very challenging and today I lost my cool plenty of times, but I am so glad that even in those aggrivating moments I can and need to find some good in it. Sometimes it may be harder than others! So here I am, still trying to be a more thankful me :-)
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Thankful for the good and the not so good
Well, today I had alot to be thankful for!
The good...
I'm thankful for...
A nice morning taking Brynn and the neighbor kids to school with Brylee and some doughnuts (for the class party) in tow! The sun was shining and life was good!
A nice ride in the truck to take some things out to Papa at church that he had forgotten at home.
A little time to get a bit more cleaning done upstairs which was cut short with some better, more fun plans.
An adorable sight when I peaked out from the shower curtain to see Brylee and Chloe watching a movie on her portable DVD player in the bathroom (she has to stay in there with me...can't be trusted!)
A great ride out to meet daddy for lunch with Brylee.
A yummy lunch out :-) Rueben :-)
A peaceful ride home with a stop at a great little store I found out about at lunch.
A beautiful day to go outside and pick up a whole winter's worth of dog poop while Brylee napped. WOW, there was alot to clean up!!
A nice couple hrs of work with some great clients, while listening to the girls enjoy the mild weather out on the front deck :-)
A very yummy dinner that mom prepared...corned beef and cabbage!! (and I didn't have to cook!)
A nice trip for icecream to Dairy Queen with Nani and Papa!
And, soon...time to chill on the couch and watch some TV after both girls are in bed (one down, one to go)
The not so good...
I'm thankful for...
A testy little 2 year old, who likes to challenge every answer she doesn't like these days! She thinks if she keeps asking the same question you'll eventually say yes. Or, if she asks someone else they may say yes :-)
A moody 2nd grade girl who likes to complain about what she doesn't get to do instead of being thankful for what she does get to do!
A chance for me to better learn how to deal with these 2 lovely little ladies :-)
A battle within myself struggling to see where I fit/don't fit into certain peoples lives.
So, all in all it was a great day with a few typical challenges! But, I am thankful for each and every challenge even though they can be frustrating. I am thankful because every circustance is a chance for both them and myself to learn something. I am thankful that my girls are healthy enough to give me a hard time!! I am thankful that even though I struggle with certain relationships in life, I am so blessed to have some that I don't have to struggle with. I am blessed with a wonderful family and a wonderful best friend who has encouraged me to BE THANKFUL IN EVERYTHING!!!!
The good...
I'm thankful for...
A nice morning taking Brynn and the neighbor kids to school with Brylee and some doughnuts (for the class party) in tow! The sun was shining and life was good!
A nice ride in the truck to take some things out to Papa at church that he had forgotten at home.
A little time to get a bit more cleaning done upstairs which was cut short with some better, more fun plans.
An adorable sight when I peaked out from the shower curtain to see Brylee and Chloe watching a movie on her portable DVD player in the bathroom (she has to stay in there with me...can't be trusted!)
A great ride out to meet daddy for lunch with Brylee.
A yummy lunch out :-) Rueben :-)
A peaceful ride home with a stop at a great little store I found out about at lunch.
A beautiful day to go outside and pick up a whole winter's worth of dog poop while Brylee napped. WOW, there was alot to clean up!!
A nice couple hrs of work with some great clients, while listening to the girls enjoy the mild weather out on the front deck :-)
A very yummy dinner that mom prepared...corned beef and cabbage!! (and I didn't have to cook!)
A nice trip for icecream to Dairy Queen with Nani and Papa!
And, soon...time to chill on the couch and watch some TV after both girls are in bed (one down, one to go)
The not so good...
I'm thankful for...
A testy little 2 year old, who likes to challenge every answer she doesn't like these days! She thinks if she keeps asking the same question you'll eventually say yes. Or, if she asks someone else they may say yes :-)
A moody 2nd grade girl who likes to complain about what she doesn't get to do instead of being thankful for what she does get to do!
A chance for me to better learn how to deal with these 2 lovely little ladies :-)
A battle within myself struggling to see where I fit/don't fit into certain peoples lives.
So, all in all it was a great day with a few typical challenges! But, I am thankful for each and every challenge even though they can be frustrating. I am thankful because every circustance is a chance for both them and myself to learn something. I am thankful that my girls are healthy enough to give me a hard time!! I am thankful that even though I struggle with certain relationships in life, I am so blessed to have some that I don't have to struggle with. I am blessed with a wonderful family and a wonderful best friend who has encouraged me to BE THANKFUL IN EVERYTHING!!!!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
A nice heart to heart
So, this morning I was on facebook and "happened" to catch my BFF on chat. (when I say happened, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason) Needless to say I was much in need of some encouragement and adjustments in my prospective on things. I think it's pretty funny that we haven't been able to catch each other on here for any length of time in quite awhile, but this morning...when I needed it most, she was there!! SO, she had a fabulous idea to kind of change up our blogs a bit and use them to try to focus on things that make us smile and things that we can be thankful for (which really is everything...good and bad). So, I guess this is a good way to kind of keep us accountable in focusing on the positive in things...everything! There are times that we all are going to feel like life just sucks! And, that it totally normal and human! But, I think the key is trying to find the good and happy side of things! I have learned over the past couple years in dealing with Brylee's seisures that even though that is stressful and very hard to deal with at times, it can always be worse!! Not to minimize it, because no matter what we go through it seems enough at the time! But, I guess I just mean I have been able to put it in prospective. I know that it could be SO much worse! I'm so thankful that all in all she is a happy healthy little girl and I can be so thankful that it is only something we have to deal with once in awhile. And, it is not a "serious" condition! It doesn't harm her and she will outgrow it. Anyway, I just use that as an example to say that even in that I can be thankful!!
So, I guess what brought this all about is that when I'm feeling down or not appreciated or not what I would like to be, I can be thankful anyways!! I can find good in every situation! And, I'm so glad that God has blessed me with a best friend who is helping me do that! And is helping me love myself for who I am and for who God made me :-) I don't need to measure up to anyone in this worlds standards! I need to measure up to God's standards and be a better me from the inside out! Thanks Mandy for helping me through this challenge! And for holdling me accountable in being a happier more thankful me :-)
1 Theselonians 5:16 & 18 Be joyful always; give thanks in all circustances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
To be clear on what these verses mean, we don't have to be thankful FOR everything but IN everything. So even though something bad may happen, we can be thankful for things IN the situation while not necessarily being happy FOR the situation.
So, I'm happy to be taking this challenge with you Mandy! And going to try to be joyful and thankful more each day!! I'm going to try to see the good in everything and make the best out of this life God has given us :-) Thank you for helping me and for loving me for me :-)
So, I guess what brought this all about is that when I'm feeling down or not appreciated or not what I would like to be, I can be thankful anyways!! I can find good in every situation! And, I'm so glad that God has blessed me with a best friend who is helping me do that! And is helping me love myself for who I am and for who God made me :-) I don't need to measure up to anyone in this worlds standards! I need to measure up to God's standards and be a better me from the inside out! Thanks Mandy for helping me through this challenge! And for holdling me accountable in being a happier more thankful me :-)
1 Theselonians 5:16 & 18 Be joyful always; give thanks in all circustances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
To be clear on what these verses mean, we don't have to be thankful FOR everything but IN everything. So even though something bad may happen, we can be thankful for things IN the situation while not necessarily being happy FOR the situation.
So, I'm happy to be taking this challenge with you Mandy! And going to try to be joyful and thankful more each day!! I'm going to try to see the good in everything and make the best out of this life God has given us :-) Thank you for helping me and for loving me for me :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)