Thankful

I believe that the more thankful you are in life, the happier you are.

Thankfulness=Happiness.

When gratitude seeps into your heart the worry and stress start to dissipate.

I have a confession to make, this year I haven't been very thankful/grateful...everything seems to be crashing down around us right now and I have been downright cranky this Thanksgiving weekend.
I looked back at my Thanksgiving post last year and it was a GREAT reminder for me:

I read a verse the other day that I've been mulling over:

"And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Thessalonians 5:14-18

In All circumstances...

Learning to be thankful - even when I cannot see, hear or understand what God is doing or how He is working - is authentic thanksgiving and the direct result of a living, active and personal faith in God. We often hear that we need more faith in order to be more thankful. I don't think so! We operate in faith every single day. We flip a switch believing in faith that light will appear. We turn a key believing in faith that a car will start. We even go to a doctor we hardly know who scribbles an impossible - to - read prescription which we promptly take to a pharmacist we have never seen. This unknown druggist proceeds to fill the prescription, giving us a medicine with a name we cannot even pronounce. And we take it - all in blind faith!

I believe that instead of pleading for more faith, we need to exercise the faith we already possess. As we continually step out in faith, not only will that faith grow stronger, but we will begin to trust God more, naturally developing an attitude of thanks. Faith does not believe that God can or will act. Faith believes that God is answering as we pray. And that truth, will send us to our knees in praise and thanksgiving.

So, today I am choosing to change my attitude and be thankful for a loving God and choose to realize how very blessed we are. And I am thankful.

I'm so, so, so grateful that this man is the father of my children:

I am thankful for Bryan's job at Nike and that he was able to have 5 days off with us.

I am thankful for my family:
I'm thankful for moments like this morning when I asked Gabe if he could help me out and get my pumpkin bread since I was feeding Jayce and he said "Sure Mommy I can do that for you I have strong arms" then when I said "Thank you Gabe" he looked at me with so much love and said "no problem Mommy!"

I love when Jayce looks at me and grins like this and I feel like he's in LOVE with me. Like he doesn't see a single flaw yet.
I am SO thankful that God chose me to be Gabriel's and Jayce's mother...that I get to stay home with them, and feel the trials and the JOY that come with that every day.

I am thankful for my little Bible study group and for the inspiration and encouragement I get from those 3 ladies/friends

I am thankful for my parents... parents who love me and want the best for me. They have taught me which sources and tools to use to over come challenges in this life. They are good examples of living what they teach.

My list could go on & on! I have so many wonderful things to be thankful for, especially @ this time of year. We have been blessed beyond measure. I just need to do "my part" in showing gratitude for the many blessings that I have been given.

Thanksgiving Day was a good day! We had SO much good food...
Nathan made this AMAZING homemade salsa
We had Ham and Turkey
YUMMY baked mashed potatoes
Stuffing and gravy
Kings Hawaiian sweet rolls (our favorite)
Brown sugar cooked carrots
mmmmm it's making me hungry right now. :)

Mom put together a thanksgiving scavenger hunt for the kids and we did a pine cone hunt much like an Easter egg hunt.

Us adults did an Affirming you paper. We circled all the words or phrases we believe to be true about that person. Then write and share your top 5 you think best describe them. I had my dad.

Some of my favorite moments:

• The kids all piling on Bryan
• Jayce telling Aunt Janell what for and trying to bite her
• Gabe and Jaden playing with phones under the table
• Jayce and Daddy had a nap

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Things I never want to forget #19-#23

19. Jayce rolled over from tummy to back on Oct. 12th. and from back to tummy on Dec. 3rd.

20. After praying at bed time Gabe said he was scared of the dark (which was a little weird. Never has bothered him before). Bryan told him that he can pray to Jesus and ask Him to help him not be scared of the dark. Gabe responded "BUT He's SO far awayyyyyy" Bryan said "No He's in our hearts." in which Gabe looked down at his chest concerned and said "I don't want Him in my heart I want to get Him out!" How do you explain to a 3.5 yr old that He's not actually PHYSICALLY in his heart. So Bryan just said "well He's here with us always and you can pray to him anytime".

21. During Sunday school class Julie was teaching and they all sat down on their carpet scares. Julie said to the class "Ok class we have a new helper today, can you all say Hi to Pam?" Everyone said quietly "Hi Pam!" Gabe said more loudly "HI HAMMMMMM" Gabe thinking "NO wait that's my Grandma!"

22. I absolutely LOVE that Jayce sits and stares with his mouth open. Even if there is a ton of drool pouring out. :)

23. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the smell of baby breath! I wish I could bottle it up.

Chores

Gabe LOVES to play video games. Shocking I know. He comes by it honestly, obviously...if you know us you know that Bryan is a video game lover.

Today we started chores and I showed Gabe his chore chart. This is actually new to us because Gabe is still young, but I do believe that starting children young with some housework is a great way for them to learn many life skills. Plus, they feel great when they achieve their tasks and let's face it, it helps me out. lol!

I feel that playing video games is a privilege that he needs to earn SO...
...the chores we’ve started with are:

• help make bed
• feed Calie
  
• take dishes to the kitchen (after breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and
• pick up toys (before bed time)

When he accomplishes a task, he gets a sticker in the alloted square for that day. At the end of the day, we count up the stickers. For every sticker, he gets a 5 mins of game playing time.

He was pretty excited about it this morning. We shall see if that will continue.

Action Sports Just Do It design contest

My man won a T-shirt design competition at Nike! 4 of the designs he sketched up during his 2 hour ride home on the max. AH YEAH SO proud of him!!
Prize - ALL new Nike snowboarding gear equaling:

• snowboard
• boots
  
• bindings
  
• jacket and pants

They liked them so much that they wanted a couple of them adjusted for skate and surf too and I got hooked up with gear as well. Guess Bryan will have to teach me how to snowboard. :)

Here are the designs:

I LOVE THESE BOYS!

Has it really been 4 months already???

4 month stats:

Weight: 15.1 (50%)
Height: 25.5 (75%)
Heed: 75%


He is getting so big and fun to interact with, he loves to coo and smile, he is rolling over (from tummy to back only) grabbing/batting his toys constantly and giggling when you tickle him. He is at such a fun stage right now - I love it!
The only thing is I feel like it's going TOO fast...it went way slower with Gabe...seemed like he was small forever...maybe because he was a preemie...I don't know, but it's making me want another one. lol

*EDITED*

I think that we've made it...made it past "the stage". You know the stage where all he does is scream, only mommy can sooth, both Bryan and my mom are scared out of their wits to be alone with him stage.
I feel so painfully aware, this time around, of how quickly he's passing through each magical stage. If only we could bottle them all and pull them out when we've got two raging toddlers and are in desperate need of some newborn nuzzles and noises. "Yes, today I'd prefer a little bit of the sweet smelling poopoo and spit-up, (I know I'm weird but when they're little, I like it all) yes, maybe a little spray of some of that bubble blowing discovery (you know where their tongue is out and they learn to spit at you and they're amazed at themselves), or a little peek at that determined shaky face trying to get fist to mouth to suck and drool, maybe even a bottle of the drool. I'd like a little bit of baby-neck scent, some of kissing-the-chubbiest-cheeks-you've ever kissed, and a bottle of that look. The one where he stares at me with such intensity and then grins the happiest smile you've ever seen. As if to say he's perfectly and completely happy to be my baby boy. And I feel like he's in LOVE with me. Like he doesn't see a single flaw yet. YET. The feeling's mutual."

He stopped sleeping through the night. He'll give me a 6 hour or 7 hour night every few weeks and that feels like heaven on earth. SO different from Gabe...Gabe slept through the night and never stopped. This too shall pass...I HOPE! :)

The Dentist

Remember Gabe's 1st dentist appointment? I DO!!!

Gabe's 2nd dentist appointment was today. I took Jayce to my mom and we were off. My stomach was in knots the whole way there. I even texted Bryan and asked him to pray. I was preparing myself for the worst because I didn't the 1st time. We started talking to him about it a couple days before and YEP I told him that he could have candy if he did good. lol

OH my what a difference from last time. He was EXCELLENT! He sat real still during pictures, wore the glasses and opened up nice and wide for them. PHEW!