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.

A New Place to Call Home

I haven't been very good at keeping up with my November 30 Days of Thanks challenge.  But I am particularly thankful for one thing recently.

Our new home!

For anyone that doesn't know, we have been living with my in-laws for the past 6 weeks.  My husband had been working as a manager for Target for the past year, and I work as an administrative assistant at our alma mater, Anderson University.  We were living in a great little apartment on the north side of Indy, but we both commuted about 40 minutes in opposite directions.  Then, when we had Liam, my commute was even further because I had to drop him off at either my mother-in-laws or daycare every morning.  Korey absolutely hated his job  and was constantly looking for something new.  And in late September, he finally landed on a position at AU too - as a police officer (he graduated with a degree in criminal justice).  It didn't make sense for both of us to commute that far every day in the same direction, so we knew we had to move.  Unfortunately, our lease wasn't up until November, and there was no way we would be able to afford to pay two rents every month.  We also knew we would save loads of money in gas if we moved in with family.  So here we are.

We are lucky to have parents that welcome us to move in with them when we need to, but I am so looking forward to moving into our own place again!  It took us a long time to find a place with the perfect combination: in our price range (aka cheap), not shabby, and not in a shady neighborhood.  TOUGH.  

Finally, about 2 weeks ago, this place popped up in the classified ads at my work, and I called immediately.  What a gem!  It is on a quiet cul-de-sac street in a decent part of town, was right on budget, and even has a washer & dryer!!!  (We've never lived in a place with our own washer & dryer before, so I am PUMPED to say the least.)  The landlord is fantastic and is replacing all the flooring in the living room, kitchen, and bathroom before we move in, and it even has a garage!  It doesn't have a dishwasher, but I decided that wasn't a deal breaker and that the washer & dryer made up for it.  It's also pretty small and has small closets, so we will likely be utilizing some creative organization ideas (hello, pinterest!).  

Anyway, we will be moving before the end of the month, and  I couldn't be happier about it!  I can't wait to have my own kitchen to cook and bake in and to decorate for Christmas!!  

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.