When Things Don't Quite Go As Planned...

Let's just say, our Holiday weekend didn't turn out as I had pictured it would.

The plan was to begin all our own family traditions on Liam's first Thanksgiving, but Thursday, I woke up with the stomach flu.  Talk about the worst day of the year to not be able to eat anything, yup, it's Thanksgiving Day.  Our travel plans were cancelled, and I spent the entire day in bed or in the bathroom.  I was thankful that we are still with my in-laws so that my husband was still able to eat a Thanksgiving meal and that he had some help with a cranky, teething baby.

The plan was to move into our new house this weekend, but the carpets and other flooring isn't finished being installed yet, so we half-moved.  My amazing, wondering parents came out from Ohio to help us.  My dad and Korey busted their butts and loaded and unloaded the U-Haul all by themselves while my mom and I took turns packing and watching Liam.  It is tough moving with an 8-month old, but we made it work.  I am so thankful to have a husband that works so hard and parents that help us so much!

The plan was to move into our new place with dishes (doesn't seem that unusual, right?), but in the process of packing a box wasn't sealed tight enough to hold it's contents and all of our dishes crashed to the floor and shattered (only one plate survived!).  I was thankful that my mom was there because otherwise I might have cried.  And I was thankful that I had others there to help me clean up that mess and to make sure that Liam didn't get into it.

The plan was for Liam to sleep in his crib in his room in our old apartment on Saturday night, but that just did  NOT happen.  I don't know if it was because the room was unfamiliar, he didn't like his crib, he was just over tired, or his teeth were bothering him, but every time we laid him in his crib he just screamed and trembled.  He ended up sleeping with Korey and me on blankets on the floor in our bedroom.  He was so restless all night; I felt like I couldn't get him to stay still for more than 5 minutes at a time.  He definitely didn't sleep for more than a few hours total.  But I was thankful that even in the middle of the night, my sweet boy can still make me smile.

The plan was to start getting settled into our new place and start this week feeling fresh and new, but I ended up sleeping through my first alarm this morning and being 15 minutes late for work without coffee, breakfast, or lunch.  But I am thankful for my job and that I work for understanding and kind bosses.  I'm thankful for my sister who's hugs help a Monday not seem so bad.  I am thankful that I made it through my long day, and that my baby was still awake when I got home for me to snuggle.  I am thankful for my mother-in-law that is so willing to watch Liam for us all the time.

I am thankful for all the offers of help I got today for watching Liam or for unpacking or moving.  I am thankful that we will be settling into our new house by the end of this week.  I am thankful for the smiles of good friends and the smell of Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo.  And I am thankful for this life because it is mine.

And I really didn't mean for this post to get so sappy, but it's all true.  Because sometimes things don't go as planned, but that helps us realize all the more the things we are most thankful for.

Thankful

Catching up again.

7. I'm thankful that neither my husband nor I will have to work a retail job this holiday season (first time ever!!)

8. I am so thankful for the way God was worked in our lives and brought us to the place we are in right now: with both of us working jobs we love at a place we can call home (our alma mater) and that we will hopefully be in this place for a while.

9.  I'm thankful that, even though money is tight and can seem like a struggle sometimes, we are able to pay the bills we have.

10.  I'm thankful for coffee, because without it today would have been a struggle.

11.  I am so extremely thankful for all the men and women that have dedicated their lives to defending our country and our freedoms so that my family can feel comfortable and safe everyday.

Happy Election Day!

Today, I am thankful that I live in a country that let's me vote for WHOEVER I WANT.

I'm a person that can be VERY influenced by peer pressure, and I also HATE conflict (I used to hate talking about politics so much, that I would just pretend to agree with whoever was talking to me about it so that they would just drop it and so that we wouldn't have to debate), so I really appreciate that once I get into that polling booth, no one is watching me and I can mark the candidates I really want to vote for and no one has to know.

I don't talk about politics on my blog (I barely talk about it with my mom and my husband, so why would I talk about it on my blog), but I really enjoyed exercising my right to vote today, and I hope you will too!

November: 30 Days of Thanks

I'm a little behind, so I'm catching up today.

1. I'm thankful that I have a husband that puts the needs of his family before his own.
2. I'm thankful to have in-laws that welcome us to move in with them when we need to!
3. I'm more than thankful that my son is happy and HEALTHY and here with us.
4. I'm thankful for my mom, dad, and sisters that are always, always there for me and help us in anyway that they can.
5. I'm thankful for a job that I love and bosses and coworkers that truly care about me and my family.