Pages

Saturday, November 10, 2012

...our weekends

we have never ever had a weekend.
a fireman's schedule just does not allow it.
when a man works every third day -
he's working on friday and comes home saturday morning
or works on saturday and comes home sunday morning
or he works all day sunday.
 
but now that husband has switched divisions...
oh my!  we have a weekend!
well, except when he is on call.
 
i am thankful that we have a weekend now.
it has changed so much for our family.
it is good!

Friday, November 9, 2012

connor turned 8!

yesterday was connor's 8th birthday.
 
 
happy birthday to my connor d!


...our home

husband built our home.
he dug the footing, framed it, did the electrical work, laid the tile, put in all the doors and trim, and a bunch of other stuff.
our names (except for bo christian) are written all over the studs.
sounds romantic doesn't it?
 
well, he didn't build it for us.
he built it for us to live in for 2 years and then sell.
it never did sell.  we were stuck.
i never wanted to build this house and for years i didn't even like it.
we were living in a little house that i liked - husband had built it too.
i couldn't keep it clean.  i couldn't imagine keeping an even bigger house clean.
the sweat equity in this house was not worth it to me from the beginning.
all i saw was my man was never home and i had 4 babies to raise by myself
while he built a house that wasn't for us.
(that sweat equity is worth almost nothing now.)
yes, i picked most of the things out in it.
but, i didn't pick them out for us. i picked them out to sell the house.
we've had lots of arguments over this house.
but, they never amounted to anything.  
the arguments weren't worth our time or energy since we are in this forever.
 
a few years ago i started liking my house.
it started becoming a home for us.
i learned a home is so much more than a house plan, address or decor.
the house became more to me than just a mortgage payment and a roof over our heads.
i started changing small things to make the house more me.
i painted.  husband put up shutters for me and moved cabinets around in the laundry room.
my boys have beat up the wood floors (and a bunch of other stuff) with their toys.
a few months ago husband ripped out a door.  he didn't like the way he put it in the first time.
my friend left him a note on the door frame.  i *love* that missing door.
 
our home isn't perfect or anything you would find in a magazine, but it does tell the story of us.
it tells the story of how a husband can build a house.  a house that a wife didn't like and eventually it became their home.
 
 
i am thankful for our home. 

Thursday, November 8, 2012

...the boys' schools

in the morning from the time i leave our home, drop off my boys at 2 different schools and get back home -
it takes me less than 15 minutes.

 
yeah, they were really into taking a picture this morning.
it is just an ordinary thing, but i am thankful for how close their schools are to our house.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

the election

my choice did not win the election.
tuesday night i went to bed sort of numb.
 
this morning i woke up feeling...
disheartened.
that is the word that comes to mind.
i'm struggling with the outcome.
i needed to clear my head, so my buddy and i went for a hike.
while bo christian watched the birds and scared a deer (i about peed my pants!)
i talked to God.
 
 
God is bigger than the president.
He is the ultimate King!
my faith is in Him.
i'm still glad to be an america even though my choice didn't win.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

...the right to vote

i got to vote today!
 
i can not carry on an intelligent conversation about politics.
i usually vote based on one single issue.
but, i am thankful for my right to vote.

...husband's job

my man has a job he loves.
he likes being a firefighter so much he also volunteers to do it.

i am thankful he has a job.
oh, but i am even more thankful that he likes it!
 

isn't he handsome in his new uniform?!

Monday, November 5, 2012

...the park

i am thankful for the park we have 5 minutes from our home.
it is around a lake. there are hilly trails, flat trails and paved paths.
during the week bo christian and i run on the paved paths.
husband and the boys mountain bike there often.
we go there most weekends as a family.

saturday i went trail running with my 2 big boys.
 
  
it is different to run with these two.
we were in the army and ran from hitler for a while.
caden ran with a huge stick.  and hit almost every tree with it that he passed.
one thing i have learned from running with my boys - there is not one pace.
it is either all out or a slow trot.
i kept at my "granny pace" as they called it.
they never got too far ahead of me.
 
we are so fortunate to live close to a great park!

Sunday, November 4, 2012

...daylight savings time

this morning i woke up 45 minutes late.
i slept through the alarm.
i jumped in the shower and began to mentally determine what had to be done to get my boys to religious ed on time.
then, husband reminded me of daylight savings time.
this one time i am very thankful for it.
 
we had time for breakfast at the table.

 
 and here is proof that one time we were early.

 
btw - i will not be thankful next week when it is dark at 6pm.