30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 30

Well, it's the last day of my month long posting.  It's been a good run, and I've enjoyed it.  So, here is the one thing I am most thankful for, above all else- my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and our beloved Heavenly Father.  I was not raised in a religious home, I didn't attend church as a girl, but I knew there something out there that I needed.  When I was around 13 I began to seek out religion for myself.  I read a version of the Bible cover to cover, and I decided I wanted to attend church.  I went with different friends to their churches, I even went with my older sister to the church she attended in high school.  Catholic, Methodist, Southern Baptist... they were fine, but just not for me.  Then, I had a friend give me a Book of Mormon, and invite me to go to church with her.  As soon as I sat down, I knew I was home.  It wasn't always easy to be the only "Mormon" in my family, but I knew I was doing what was right.  Is it right for everyone? No.  It's not a faith or way of life for everyone, but it's what I know is true.  I was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints when I was 17, and I have never looked back.  I met Todd at church, we got married and were sealed in the Oklahoma City Temple for time and all eternity.  We've had 4 wonderful boys and each one was blessed and given a name, and our eldest son was baptized this past July.  I am proud to be a member of my church, I love it, honestly, and I don't know who or where I'd be if I hadn't found it.  I know I am where I am supposed to be, I know it to be true with all my heart and soul.  I am thankful for my Savior and Heavenly Father and for all that they have blessed me and my family with.

And with that, I end my 30 days of Being Thankful posts, and I look forward to doing it again next year! I promise things will get back to normal soon enough.  I'll recap about our Summer vacation, the boys starting school, and Halloween in the coming weeks. 

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 29

Well, I'm a day behind...again.  I ran out of time and by the time I realized I hadn't posted, it was already midnight and I was going to bed.  It was a good day, and the boys were in rare form.  The twins slept in until 9 am, and 2 of the 4 boys had wet sheets, so I had extra laundry to do yesterday.  I thought the twins wouldn't take a nap, because they slept in so late, but boy was I wrong! They took over an hour and a half long nap, which is pretty good for them during the week.  With all of the eating the day before and the great sleeping yesterday, I'm starting to think these 2 are about to have a growth spurt.  How much bigger can they get before they turn 3?  They already wear size 4T clothing!

 Before I went to pick the big boys up from school I got a phone call from the school nurse.  She said Gunnar had run into a pole on the playground and had a massive lump on his forehead.  Poor kid! She said he never cried, and they held an ice pack on it for 15 minutes, but the lump didn't go down.  Well, at least he'll have a great memory of it since today is school picture day!  The kids all played together in the backyard yesterday, which was pretty fun to see.  Usually, the big boys ride their bikes in the front and we let the twins play in the backyard, but they all ran around in the back together.  When the big boys decided they wanted to go ride their bikes and they left the twins, Parker came inside crying because he wanted his brothers to come back out and play.  It was pretty sweet to see, actually. 

So, what was I thankful for? My boys.  All of them. I love those affectionate little guys to pieces and would do anything for them.  They truly are my world at this stage in my life. Yes, it was sad that we didn't have any girls, but I've realized that there is only room for one big female personality in our home.  Essentially, there just wasn't any more room for a girl- especially if she would have been like me! I love the fact that I am the first love of my sons' lives.  I love that they all need me right now, and I love taking care of them.  I hope they listen to me when I give them dating advice, and that they find strong, independent, intelligent, spiritual women to marry someday.  So, to anyone reading this blog who has daughters, listen up! I am doing my best to raise my sons to be worthy of your daughters.  I am teaching them how to cook, clean, stay organized, be polite, and love the Lord.  And yes, I have explained to one son in particular that if he doesn't learn to respect me he may not respect his wife.  We're working on that one...but, the point is I'm raising my sons with the awareness that what I'm trying to teach them now will affect them the rest of their lives, including when they're married.  I think about my future daughters-in- law, and I pray for them and for their parents to raise them to the best of their ability so they will grow into the wonderful young women who will join my eternal family.  I may not have had any daughters of my own, but somewhere out there in the world are 4 little girls who will someday marry into my family, and I hope to be able to love them and treat them just as wonderfully as my mother-in-law treats me!

P.S. Welcome to our new reader in China!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 28

Ah, Wednesday...this week is almost over! It was another ho-hum day around here.  We just hung out around here, and it felt like I was feeding the twins all day long.  And then when the big boys came home, it was the same thing.  Even after they filled their bellies at dinner time, they all wanted more food after dinner! I'm thankful we have food enough to feed all of our hungry boys.  There are so many families that have a hard time feeding a small family, and we're especially blessed that we are able to feed our family of 6.  We don't have a huge family, but with a family of all boys, I know I'll have to go back to work just to supplement the food bill.  I'm just so blessed that right now our family can survive with me staying home with the twins and only Todd working.  I know we were not always so fortunate, so this is something I deeply appreciate at this time. 

Only 2 more days of posting, people! I had better think of more things to be thankful for!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 27

Today I'm thankful for some of the cute things my twins say/do during the day.  This morning, when I was dropping Chase off at his building, I said, "Goodbye, Pumpkin! Have a great day! Love you!" And he told me he loved me, and he told the twins goodbye.  As soon as he shut the door, I hear Mason say, "Bye, Punkn Pie!" It was just too cute! Then, I gave the twins some M&M candies, and Parker found some more and brought them to me asking me to open the package.  I explained that Nana (that's what the boys call my Mom) brought them for Chase and Gunnar as well, and I asked him if he thought he should share them with his big brothers.  He looked right at me and said, "No, MINE!" They constantly keep me entertained and I am just so fortunate that I get to stay home with them all day.  I love my twiny twin twins!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 26

Well, today was my laundry day and BOY it was a doozy! I did laundry all day long.  I did not, however, put away said laundry.  There is always tomorrow for that.  I'm super thankful for an electric washing machine, and an electric dryer.  I'm also thankful for Tide liquid detergent and Downy liquid fabric softener- they make our clothing smell like perfection! So, I did a little bit of Christmas shopping today.  My Dad was kind enough to watch the boys while I ran out for an hour or so, and I'm thankful to have most of my shopping done.  Let's see, what else am I thankful for this Monday? Oh! I'm thankful for the guy who comes to spray my house for ants, because they just don't seem to be dead yet, but at least they'll be out of my house now.  I'm thankful for staying busy all day long, and afternoon naps.  I'm also thankful for the wonderful dinner we had tonight- roast beef and carrots (that simmered in a crock pot all day,) mashed potatoes, corn, and gravy.  YUM-O!  And right now, at this exact minute, I'm thankful for Jimmy Fallon and bedtime.  Goodnight, y'all!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 25

It's another lazy Sunday around our house, and it's going to be a busy evening getting everything ready for the big boys to go back to school.  I've also vowed to stay up late and watch as many shows as I can on the DVR.  It's going to be a busy week...I can feel it.  So, tonight I'm thankful for long Sunday naps with the twins, and finding the motivation to get my house back in order after coming home from vacation.  And bedtime for children.  I'm SO thankful for that!

P.S. Hello and welcome to our new reader in France!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 24

I am so bloody tired! We went to bed late last night, and we were up early to fly home from Arizona.  The boys were wonderful on the plane, and even though it's been a "go-go-go" type of day, we didn't slow down when we got home.  My Dad dropped us off at home, and we basically did a quick stock of what was in the house, and headed out to Sam's Club for some shopping.  We hadn't had a proper lunch and only ate snacks on the airplane, so everyone was a bit hungry.  Thankfully, Sam's Club had a lot of their sample carts out tonight for snacks.  So, after we shopped our tails off, we unloaded our groceries and headed to my parents' house for dinner.  Then, we came home and put the kids to bed.  Now, we're trying to watch as many shows on our DVR before we fall asleep. 

Tonight I'm thankful for laptops with DVD players that keep my kids quiet on a plane, I'm thankful for my Dad's home made Gumbo, I'm thankful I had such a wonderful week with my McKnight family out in Arizona, but I'm thankful to back in Oklahoma.  Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home.

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 23

So, as I mentioned previously, yesterday was Thanksgiving.  So, what was today? BLACK FRIDAY! Normally, people would be getting up at the crack of dawn or earlier to go find amazing at retail stores.  In the past I have participated in the shopping madness, but today was different.  I checked the ads and found absolutely nothing we needed, and since we're traveling it's not like we could have bought a whole bunch of stuff anyway.  Well, I take that back, Todd went out last night when some of the stores were open.  I mentioned to his mother that he needed some nicer clothing for work, and she ended up taking all of her sons and a grandson shopping at 10:30pm.  They didn't make it home until nearly 1am, but they found some great deals and brought home some really handsome clothing.  So today, all of the girls took a trip to the nail salon and we had manicures and pedicures.  Do you know how long it's been since I've been pampered like that? I haven't had a pedicure since I was pregnant with the twins, and I haven't had a manicure since I was married 12 years ago! I'm thankful for the wonderful nail techs who worked on my feet and hands, because trust me, after so many years of not having a pedicure or a manicure, it took a long time to get my hands and feet in better shape! I'm quite proud of my nails; they look so pretty and sparkle with all of the glittery polish that is layered on them.  They took great care of all of us at the salon, and I am VERY thankful to my wonderful mother-in-law and all of my sisters-in-law and nieces for that fun bonding time.  Plus, I'm thankful I had the opportunity to get out of the house and was able to be pampered a little bit.  I very rarely do those kinds of things for myself, because I full on believe that if I leave the house it will fall down without me there.  I know it won't really happen, but I also feel weird spending money on myself when I know I can use the money to take care of the boys or get them things they need.  So, here's to being pampered along side my McKnight sisters! It was a much deserved and much needed trip to the salon!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 22

I know, I'm a day behind, but yesterday I was very thankful for my family.  I would say "my husband's family," but I think they are much more to me than just "in-laws" and I am so glad we are able to have everyone here to spend time together as a family! We ate wonderful foods all day long, and while the boys had gone out to do some Black Friday shopping, the girls had their very own game of "May I," which was so much fun.  We got to bed late, but all in all, Thanksgiving was pretty wonderful.  And yes, I missed being with my parents and siblings back home, and I missed all of the wonderful food there, but I know I'll get to eat it again at Christmas. All this month I've been posting about what I'm thankful for, when really I need to be thankful to the individuals who made this "thankful" time of year possible- the Pilgrims.  They set out for a new land where they could practice their religion and not be persecuted for it.  They faced trials and hardships in their lives like I have never seen or experienced, yet they were willing to take the risk in order to raise their families in a land of freedom.  I am thankful for those few who helped establish a colony, for those brave souls who left everything behind to start over, and for those willing to befriend them and teach them how to survive off their new land.  Why am I so thankful? Because they laid the foundation for what the United States of America was to become to the eyes of everyone who set foot on her shores- a land of freedom.  And for that, I am most thankful.

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 21

OK, this is going to be short.  Today I am thankful I had the chance to enjoy some of my favorite things in Arizona- 1) beautiful weather, 2) my wonderful in-laws, 3) Cafe Rio.  I'd also like to add I had a really fun time hanging out with my sister-in-law today.  We went to see the new "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II" in the theater, and it was SO much better than any of the other movies.  Too bad it took 4 movies for them to figure out how to make the best one. She and I then ate lunch together, and came home and hung out before we helped make dinner for the family.  Aren't big family dinners great?  It's been a fun and very busy day, and even though we are going non-stop when we visit, my favorite part of the vacation has yet to happen.  "May I," the McKnight family's favorite card game, is being played tonight.  Todd and I only play with his family, and that only happens about 2 times a year.  So, I'm thankful we are going to play tonight, because it's a lot of fun!

P.S. Grandma and Grandpa! I'm so sorry I haven't emailed you! I know you're reading the blog, just know that I love you and will email you soon!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 20

OK, so I'm a day behind.  We did some holiday traveling yesterday, and while the kids were amazing during our flights, we were all exhausted by the time we reached our destination.  The best part of our day? Eating a delicious cheeseburger at In-N-Out! The worst part of the day? Trying to sleep with both twins in our room.  Mason slept like a champ, but Parker was hungry and kept crying until I finally asked Todd to get him some cheese at around 2:30 am (4:30 am Tulsa time.)  So what was I thankful for? I'm thankful my boys were so great on our flight, and I'm thankful for our reason to travel- to visit our wonderful family.  We've been looking forward to this trip for a while, and we're all really happy to be here! And I'm also thankful that my parents are dog sitting Buckley for us, and we have friends house sitting for us!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 19

Dude...what a day! So, when I know I have a lot to do in preparation for something, I get overwhelmed and I shut down.  Case in point, today I had a massive list of things to do to get ready for this week, and I just couldn't do anything.  It wasn't like my case of the "F-its" last week, my brain was just mush.  I get really tired when that happens, too.  My poor husband came home for lunch and I'm pretty sure he had never seen me this bad, because he had to make a list for me and gave me a deadline as to when everything had to be completed.  He went back to work and I put the twins down for nap...and I fell asleep as well.  We went and picked up the big boys from school and then I came home and busted my tail getting everything I could done before Todd got home.  I had the boys pick up toys while I cleaned bathrooms and did laundry.  I didn't get everything finished, so I'll get everything done as quickly as possible in the morning and relax a bit before nap time.  So what am I thankful for? I'm thankful for the days when I am highly motivated to get things done.  I am also thankful when my sons listen to me and do what I ask them to do, and a husband who can be my cheerleader and help get me motivated when I need it the most.  Now, I'd better go get some sleep, because I tomorrow is going to be a doozy of a day! Nighty night, friends!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 18

WHOOPS! I was supposed to post yesterday, but I forgot! My bad.  Any who, yesterday I was thankful it was a peaceful Sunday.  Usually, Sundays are THE most hectic day in my world.  I have to get 4 boys ready for church,  then try to corral them at church, and I run the nursery at church.  The nursery can be rather chaotic with 13 children, but it is fun and I do love each and everyone one of those little children (even the ones that swear!) So, my husband made the executive decision to stay home with all 4 boys and I went to church on my own, which is something I haven't done in ages.  It was quiet in the nursery as well, because we only had 7 kids there for the whole 2 hours.  We had a lesson on how we can be thankful, and the kids munched on popcorn while I talked about the very first Thanksgiving.  When I came home, Todd had fed the boys breakfast and lunch, cleaned up the dishes, and pretty much took care of me and was super sweet all day.  I asked who he was, because this is not how Todd usually acts on Sundays.  Any who, it was a very relaxing Sunday and I very much appreciated how low key it was. 

P.S. Hello and welcome to our new readers in the U.K.!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 17

Dude.  It's been a seriously long day.  My nephew stayed the night last night (my brother and I will swap kids occasionally) and I figured since the boys stayed up late they wouldn't get up early.  Wrong.  Well, they were all up by 8am, and after we got everyone dressed and cleaned up the house we were out the door.  I took them to get donuts, and then we dropped off my nephew and picked up Gunnar and headed to my parents house.  It's getting cold out and a few of my boys needed coats, so I asked my Mom if she would ride up to Bartlesville with me to go to the Gap Outlet.  The big boys stayed home with my Dad while my Mom, the twins and I made the trip up to Bartlesville. I had a $40 off coupon from previously using my Gap Card, a 20% off coupon, and it happened to be a big sale as well.  So, I scooped up the coats I came for, and also managed to find 3 sweaters for myself.   How much did they cost? Well, the coats were less than $15 a piece and my sweaters were less than $8! How awesome is that?! We came home and even though it was late, I forced the twins to take a nap.  By around 6pm we had a house full of crabby kids, so we ate, got them bathed, and into bed.  I headed out to get groceries and have been doing laundry since I've been home.  So, yeah, I'm exhausted and I'm ready for bed, and it has taken me nearly an hour to write this post! I am thankful to have saved so much money (over $230!) today and that I got to spend some time with my Mom in the car.  Now, I'm going to bed.

P.S. Thanks to our new reader in Sweden!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 16

Ahhhhhh, Friday.  I had plans to go do some Christmas crafts up at church with the wonderful ladies in the Relief Society.  I was planning on taking the twins, but I realized that I didn't want to hassle with the interruptions that would happen with those two running around.  So, I called their favorite babysitter- my Dad.  I left the boys at home with him and headed up to church.  The R.S. President and a member of the presidency had EVERYTHING set up perfectly and all the crafts were perfectly separated out for each person.  I sat down and started chatting as I started painting my wooden blocks, and then after a few blocks and letters, I realized I had shutdown and was solely focused and pushing out my crafts.  So, sorry if I acted weird offended anyone by not talking to them. After 2 hours of painting I still hadn't finished, but I had to leave to come home for lunch.  Luckily, I had all the supplies at home to finish what I needed to do, and I'm pretty happy with how everything turned out.  My biggest problem with doing crafts is that I'm a perfectionist, and I expect my finished product to look exactly like the model.  So, on this late Friday night, I'm thankful for all the wonderful people who helped put on the Christmas craft event at church, and for all the ladies who came and participated.  I am not a person to come up with crafts on my own, so thanks for whomever came up with the wonderful ideas for the crafts.  Hooray for crafts!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 15

Well, it was a more productive day.  After totally losing my cool over a ridiculous woman who nearly hit my car this morning in the drop off line at school, I came home and angrily cleaned my house.  I vacuumed, mopped, cleaned the kitchen, and did 4 loads of laundry...before noon.  I also stayed in a bad mood for the rest of the day...which didn't sit well with my husband.  He was kind enough to bring home lunch for us, but the pleasantries stopped there.  Between getting the kids in the car to pick up the big boys, I started texting with Todd's little sister (who I just adore) and we chatted about our Thanksgiving plans.  She brought her special brand of sunshine to my cloudy day, and I appreciated it thoroughly. So, after I got the kids home from school, Chase started giving me major attitude.  I didn't have the right snacks in the house, I never let him do anything he wanted to do, I was treating him like a baby- ya know, 8 year old boy stuff.  So, I fixed Gunnar a hot chocolate, and I asked Chase if wanted one as well.  I brought it to him, and he spilled it all over the laptop, and he promised me that he cleaned it up.  I fixed dinner, and just as I was about to sit down and eat, I discovered a massive stain on the carpet and hot chocolate under my laptop.  I yelled and made him clean it up, then went back and had to clean it up some more.  Needless to say, after being angry for what seemed like all day, I needed a break.  Luckily, my sister-in-law here in town and I had already made plans to go to The Vintage Pearl's holiday open house at their new location.  It was such a nice event, and I ordered a necklace I had wanted for about a year.  Also, it was really great to get out of the house for a while.  We ended up staying out until 10 (on a school night, no less!) and it was just really good to hang out with her and talk. 

So, after that little rant, today I am thankful for sisters-in-law. I have 5 of them, and each one is different and unique in their own special way, and I love them all!  They all offer their own "brand" of fun and happiness that I fully appreciate, and I enjoy spending time with all of them.  Thank you, sisters and sisters-in-law of my husband and wife of my brother, you all make me smile and I needed that today. 

P.S. Thanks to everyone in the U.S.A., Germany and Russia that are reading the blog, but now we can thank our new friends in Israel and South Korea!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 14

I thought yesterday was uneventful...whatever, this day was FAR less exciting.  The twins were the first ones awake this morning, and while it's always nice to have the "dynamic duo" wake me up in the morning, it's not cool when they wake me up before my alarm goes off.  The twins starting having tantrums, I had issues with the older boys listening to me, and I was done with the day before it even began. So, after we dropped them off at school, the twins and I went to go get donuts.  And we pretty much just hung out from there.  I did as little as possible all day long.  I am thankful for days like today, because every day I am so busy with the boys and everything that goes along with running a house full of boys, and it's nice to have a "chill day" every once in a while.  I promise I'll have something more exciting to write tomorrow...at least I hope I do!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 13

It was an uneventful day at my house.  Except for the part where I hadn't heard if I was going to have my last knitting class or not.  Todd had a meeting tonight, and I had to ask my Mom if she and Dad would watch my boys if I had class.  I hadn't heard anything from my teacher by 5 pm, so I called my Mom fretting over about what I should do.  I made the executive decision to go to class, so I got myself ready and piled the kids in the car.  I dropped them off, and rushed to class thinking no one would be there.  Wrong.  We had class, so I called Mom and told her I'd be there as soon as class was over.  Well, 20 minutes in my stomach started growling and I started to feel faint.  I realized I hadn't eaten anything since I had soup at lunch.  Needless to say, class was great and I learned a lot.  I rushed to pick up the kids, rushed home to get them in bed, and Todd was kind enough to bring dinner home to me after his meeting.  So, after that little rant, I am thankful for knitting (yet again), I'm thankful for parents who live so close and that are willing to watch my boys (yet again), and I'm thankful for a wonderful husband (yet again) who brought me dinner when I really needed a meal. 

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 12

Well, today is my big sister's birthday, and I'd like to wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! She's been a fun big sister to have, because she is the person I credit with teaching me about "lady" stuff.  One of my favorite memories with her was when I had a chance to stay with her for a few days when she lived in Dallas.  I was 12 and she took me to Six Flags for the first time, and we had a blast.  She also let me watch the Madonna movie, "Truth or Dare," because I told her our Mom wouldn't let me.  I promised I wouldn't tell Mom, and she rented it and tried her best to answer all of my questions about that racy movie! A few weeks later, my mom broke down and rented the movie for me...and I never told her I'd already seen it! The day I found out I was having twins was also the same day my sister and I went to see the Paul McCartney concert here in Tulsa.  She and I talked about what we could name the twins, and joked about naming them after Beatles songs.  She was also with me the day I had my last doctor's appointment with the twins.  She had taken me to a few appointments before, and we usually would make a day of it.  If she took me to a morning appointment, she and I would go have breakfast; also the same with an afternoon appointment and lunch.  I had an early morning appointment and I only had a yogurt to tide me over until she and I would go eat breakfast.  I had my ultrasound, and they weren't happy with how things looked, so I had a stress-test and they put the monitors on and said, "Does that hurt? You're having contractions." My sister got this look of elation on her face, because she really wanted to be there for the delivery. She's always been a great example to me, and I appreciate her and love her very much- Happy Birthday, Debi! I'm so thankful I'm your little sister!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 11

I've been sitting here knitting for a while, and I figure it was time to write my post this evening.  Today, like most others on Veteran's Day, I am thankful for the men and women of the armed services who serve and protect our country.  Both of my Grandfathers served in World War II, and each of their "war stories" makes me feel so blessed that they lived so I could know and love them.

My Grandfather Frick passed away 10 years ago, and he was a member of the Merchant Marines.  He was a gunner on the ship, and had the task of helping to spot Japanese torpedoes heading for the ship and shooting them before they hit the ship.  He was in the turret when a torpedo was heading directly to his ship, ready to hit the spot underneath him, and he couldn't get a clear shot off to detonate the torpedo, and it hit the boat.  Luckily, the torpedo was a dud and never went off.  I only learned of this story a few months back, and I'm sure he had many more tales of his time in the war, but I am so blessed that that torpedo never went off, and I was able to have 20 wonderful years with a man whom I deeply admired and loved very much.

My Grandpa Ferguson was in the Army and was stationed in the South Pacific during the war.  He never spoke about his time there, and I've only heard the stories second hand from a sibling, but I know he watched as men were shot and killed by enemy fire.  He could have been one of those men, and I am so grateful he wasn't.  He will be 89 next year, and he has lived a good, long life, and I'm so fortunate to have had him in my life as long as I have.  He has had grandsons and great-grandsons named after him, and we all love and appreciate him for the great example of strength he is. 

Both of these men hold a very special place in my life, and I am just to blessed to be related to them both.  As I have embarked on a mission of family history over this past year (thank you, wonderful mother-in-law, Nancy for your amazing help with that!) and I have discovered that I've had so many other family members who fought in the Civil War, and the Revolutionary War as well.  I'm thankful to come from a line of men and women who are proud of their nation and their right to freedom, so proud that they are willing to fight for it, no matter the cost.  So thank you, dear family members, for your service to our nation.  I will always love and appreciate you for it. 

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 10

WOW, this was a jam packed Saturday! Todd left early to set up chairs for Stake Conference at church.  While he was gone, I fed the boys and got them and myself ready.  We had a date today, and it was AWESOME! So, I'm thankful that I have family that live just a few minutes from us, and that they're willing to watch our 4 boys for a few hours.  Todd and I went and saw the new James Bond movie, "Skyfall," and it was amazing! I have been a fan of Bond movies since I was about 3 or 4, and this one just takes the cake for me. So, this may sound a little crazy, but I'm thankful for James Bond movies, and a wonderful afternoon with my man.  After the movie, we picked up the kids and came home.  I got the twins down for a nap, and the boys rode their bikes around until dinner time.  Todd went to Bartlesville for Stake Conference meetings, so the boys and I were on our own for dinner.  After we ate, I gave the older boys buzz cuts.  I have never cut hair before...unless you count my Cabbage Patch Kid when I was little.  I didn't have a cape to put around them so they had hair all over them, and were pretty itchy, but they sat still and let me do my thing.  I was pretty pleased with how I did for my first time, so I am also thankful for taking chances.

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 9

I'm not feeling super great right now, so tonight's post will be short.  I've had a sinus headache almost all day long, and I've been rubbing my cheeks and forehead hoping it would get better.  It hasn't.  So today, I'm thankful for the bitter, because it helps us be thankful for the sweet.  I'm thankful that I have so many great days of health, because when I don't feel great, I appreciate being healthy so much more. 

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 8

I have several things I am thankful for today, but there is one biggy. It was laundry day at my house today, which means I do about 4 or 5 loads depending on how much accumulates from Monday.  I am so blessed that I was born in an era that I have access to a washing machine and a dryer that is inside my house.  I can't even imagine how my great-grandmothers or great-great-grandmothers did laundry with nothing but a wash board and a clothes line.  And then I think about how many kids they had in their families, and I'm even more grateful! I really enjoy my time folding clothes and putting them away.  Seriously.  So you can stop laughing now.  I love to organize stuff, so sue me!

Also, I'm thankful for naps.  The twins finally stayed in their cribs and took a nap today, but only because I stayed in their room and slept in one of their new twin beds. I ducked out after they were truly asleep, and came downstairs to catch a few winks myself.  It's amazing how only 20 minutes of shut eye can energize a gal!

P.S. I want to send a shout out to all of the wonderful  friends and family reading my posts, and also to the nice people in Germany in Russia who are checking out my blog!  Danke! спасибо!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 7

Tonight, I am thankful for two things- quiet, alone time, and being a stay-at-home wife.

For the last 3 days the twins have decided that they don't want to take naps, and that means I have not been having my peaceful afternoons like I used to.  I've been really tired lately, and the past 2 nights Mason has been waking up crying, so I would have really liked a nap today.  And today, I just woke up with a horrible case of the "F-it's."  (That's short for "forget it," like, "I need to do laundry...forget it, I'll do it later.") I really didn't have any motivation to do anything around the house, but I somehow summoned the strength to wash and dry my sheets and comforter, took out all of the trash in the entire house, I did the dishes, cleaned the kitchen, vacuumed and tidied up the house.  All before noon.  I feel very blessed that I get to stay home and take care of my home.  Most people might think my attitude is a bit outdated, but I always wanted to be a stay-at-home Mom, and I guess you can say I'm living the dream! I have so much fun with my boys on a daily basis, but it can be a lot of work to keep things running smoothly. After I picked up the boys I made sure the kids got their homework done and played outside for at least 45 minutes.  I had dinner ready by 6:15 and everyone fed before Chase and Todd left for Cub Scouts.  Then, I got the younger 3 boys bathed and they decided they were still hungry, so they had a snack before bed.  Todd came home, Chase bathed and went to bed, and then Todd headed out for church basketball.  So here I am, watching TV and knitting.  I enjoy my quiet Wednesday nights when the kids are asleep and Todd is out playing ball.  He'll come home and we'll watch shows that we DVR, but for 2 1/2 hours, I get a little alone time.  Trust me, it may not sound like much, but when you have children constantly needing your attention, a little alone time is hard to come by.  I love my day job and I am just so fortunate that we can afford that luxury, but I do enjoy my Wednesday nights as well!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 6

EEK! It's almost the next day, so I have to post quickly! Today, as I stood in line for 45 minutes to do my civic duty, I realized how thankful I am for my freedom of choice.  I am fortunate to have been born in a land where freedom is encouraged, and celebrated.  And since today was one of the ultimate days of freedom, we as a nation were blessed to have the choice to choose a new president.  Even though the outcome was not what I had hoped for, I am still grateful that I had the right to elect who I thought would be best for our nation.  I don't live in a country under a dictatorship, or forced government.  I have a choice, and I can make a difference, even if it is small.  I am thankful for that.

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 5

Hey, friends! Another last minute, late night post.  Today, among other things, I am thankful for my sons, and knitting.  My boys really and truly are the light of my life.  I am so fortunate that I get to stay home with the twins, and I am also so impressed as to how much the older boys are learning in school right now.  Tonight, the boys made dinner (with Dad's help) and I was so grateful, because I was in the middle of a knitting nightmare.  I had made a New Year's resolution to learn to knit or sew, and I ended up learning both this year, but knitting has become a wonderful hobby.  I really like working with my hands, and it can be quite soothing for me at times.  However, I started some more difficult pattern work in my latest knitting class, and if I'm not paying attention I get off on my stitches.  And since I'm such a perfectionist, if I can't get things back on track, I frog the whole thing.  (Frogging is a knitting term used for when you aren't happy with your knitting work and you "rip it, rip it, rip it," like "rib bit."  Get it? OK, moving on...) So, after working on a cable knit scarf for most of the day, I got really frustrated and overwhelmed and I frogged it.  This was when I was super thankful that the boys and Todd made dinner.  They even set the table, and my kids actually sat at the table and ate dinner.  That NEVER happens! We had a brief Family Home Evening lesson, and ice cream for dessert.  All in all, it was a really great evening.  After they went to bed, I started a different scarf project, and made some good progress.  My knitting class has been cancelled this week, and my instructor is anticipating us having a project complete to bring to our next class, so I have to get my hands to work on this new scarf. 

Well, I'd better post this and get to bed.  P.S. To all of my friends who are posting what they are thankful for, thank you.  I appreciate reading your posts and seeing every one's different perspective on life!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 4

It's Sunday, which means my hubby and I are watching DVR'd TV shows, and eating popcorn after the kids go to bed, so I figure I'd go ahead and post in between shows.  Today, I'm thankful for my family.  And I'm not just talkin' 'bout my immediate "man clan," but all of them, including the extended ones I never see.  We celebrated the October and November birthdays in our family tonight, and I just love being with my siblings and their families.  It's great to see all of the kids playing and I enjoy laughing and chatting with my big brother and sister.  We celebrated 4 birthdays tonight, and we were also lucky enough to have a few of my cousins and my uncle come over.  I am incredibly blessed to have been born into a family that so strongly believes in the meaning of family.  I witnessed that meaning of family this August when my Dad invited all of the Frick family members that could come to my parents home for a reunion.  I had the chance to meet my Dad's cousins and their children.  I have to say, not only am I related to a bunch of really beautiful people, but it was kind of neat to see so many of us that were "cut from the same cloth."  I celebrate being a member of the Frick family, and I love them all, each and every one!

I'm cutting it short tonight, but I did want to make a disclaimer that I am not putting any of these posts in order of importance, just the particular way I feel that day.  If I would have made this post earlier in the day, I would have said how thankful I am for pumpkin flavored donuts, pizza rolls, Funyuns, and my favorite drink that the Astronauts took to the moon, Tang.  And yes, to answer the question you are already forming in your mind, I eat my feelings.  Today was a rough day, but that's a post for another day...

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 3

It's late, I'm tired, and for very good reason.  We had nothing really going on today, but we worked our tails off! And today, I am thankful for Todd.  This morning, he took my Suburban to have the oil changed, got his car tags, and brought home donuts.  I did some mending, and decided to clean my car out. While I was cleaning out my car, Todd helped direct the older boys on sweeping out the garage and organized the garage shelving unit.  Then, a little later, we loaded up the kids and grabbed a quick bite and headed off to do our shopping at Sam's.  We all worked to get everything put away, and while I Todd was getting the boys bathed, I did laundry, vacuumed, mopped, cleaned the kitchen, and made up the twins' cribs.  And even now, Todd and I are sitting here watching "Real Sports," I just keep thinking how great he is. 

I have been madly in love with my husband since we were 19, and I am so happy and blessed that I am married to him.  He really is my best friend, and I couldn't imagine my world without him.  I know it sounds really corny, but he completes me.  Where I lack, he picks up the slack.  Todd is the best person you want working beside you, and even though it seems like we can read each other's minds, we are still quite opposite.  He's an amazing Father to our sons, and a really great role model for them.  When the boys don't listen to me, he often champions me in my cause and he can often be heard saying, "Listen to your Mother!" I just can't say enough about how much I love him and just how much he means to me.  When we crawl into bed at night, I say, "I'm so lucky to have you," to which Todd replies, "Yes you are." And for that, I am so lucky to be sealed to him for time and all eternity. 

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 2

Alright, I wrote a novel last night, so I'll try to keep this one brief.  Today, I'm thankful for my home.  In a few months, my family will have lived in this house (well, owned it) for 20 years.  I'll never forget the night we moved in; my brother, cousin Kyle and I stayed over night BY OUR SELVES while my parents finished packing and cleaning the rent house we were living in.  I was dropped off after a dance (yeah, 12 years old and a middle school dance in the early nineties...good times...), and the 3 of us set up the 2 upstairs bedrooms and bonus area.  We had pizza, soda in a cooler, paper towels, and toilet paper.  This was WAY before cell phones, so if anything happened, we couldn't call anyone.  The boys set up John's room, and played Nintendo way into the night.  I hunkered down and put my room together, and that is where it all started.  I lived here until I got married, then moved into an apartment with Todd, and then we bought a house for our 1 year anniversary.  My parents lived here until 2003, and tried to sell the house, but ended up renting it out for a year.  They approached us about buying the house when Chase was nearly a year old, and we have been here for 7 years now.  It's fun that the boys share my old room, and my older brother's room, and that they've been able to create memories where I had so many.  We have finally started to do some updates, because let's face it, the house is 20 years old! It still functions wonderfully, but things are starting to wear out and 1992 called and wanted it's style back.  While we were gone this Summer, Todd took down the ivy wallpaper in the breakfast nook, which made a HUGE difference, and we had new carpet put in the downstairs (we're going to wait to put nice carpet upstairs until the boys get a little older!) And a few months back we replaced the siding on the house- it's made a huge difference to the look of the house and it's so much warmer/cooler inside! I do have a big list of things I'd like to do to the house before I start back to work when the twins start school (1 1/2 years away...I'm not counting or anything...), but every day I think about how blessed and thankful I am to have not just a house, but a home.  We have a sign that hangs in said breakfast nook that read "Houses are made of bricks and beams, Homes are made of love and dreams," and I really do feel that way about our home.  It may not be brand new or design worthy, but it's comfortable and it's ours, and I love it.

See you all tomorrow!

30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 1

Hey Friends! So, I know I haven't posted in a while, and I know I need to post about the trip to Aspen Grove and the start of the school year, but I have been waiting for November for a long time.  Over the years I've had several friends post what they were thankful for on their blogs, and soon I had more friends posting what they were thankful for on Facebook.  Remember when I did my week long posting challenge back in May? Well, I figured I would post all month long in November to celebrate what I was thankful for.

 Today, I am thankful for my big heart.  2 days ago we had a Mommy cat and her 6 kittens show up at our house.  They were all very slim, but very sweet and friendly.  Todd pulled in the driveway, and they came running up into the garage. So, being the kind people we are, I asked Todd to get out an old dog kennel and I fixed it up for the little family.  We put out milk and water, and they drank until their little bellies were full.  Todd made some phone calls, but no animal shelters were accepting cats at the time. I emailed the head of the Home Owners Association, but no one responded to my email asking if anyone was missing them.  I think the cat's owner just dumped them in our neighborhood expecting someone to take them in.  We would let them out to run around and eat, and my boys just fell in love with each and every one of them. The twins were so good about picking them up, and even the Mommy let Parker carry her around. We kept them in the kennel in our garage that night, and we had almost all of our neighbors on our street come by to visit them the next day.  I gave them the only "cat food" we had around the house- milk and tuna fish... I know, a stereo-type.  We let them out several times during the day and you could see some of their personalities start to emerge, and the Momma cat was so sweet and easy going.  By late afternoon, my boys had given them names- Fluffy (dark gray and fluffy, hence the name), Tigger (orange with stripes and very aggressive), Sweet Pea (light orange with stripes and very cuddly), Shadow (dark gray with stripes, and he liked to sneak up on me and climb up my back), Mittens (fluffy white and gray with white around his feet), and Jinxy (light gray with stripes).  Last night we finally began calling the Mommy cat "Penny," because honestly it just fit her.  This morning before school, a neighbor brought over some cat food, and they all loved it.  Over a 2 day period you could tell the cats were getting bigger, and even though it was a bit of an adjustment, I got used to getting them in and out and changing out the bedding in the kennel.  As much as it pained me to tell our kids they couldn't keep them, I knew we needed to get them to a shelter to try and get them adopted to a good home.  So, we packed them up and took them to a shelter.  We told Parker that we were taking the kitties home and he said, "No, MY home!" He and Chase cried at the shelter, but I tried to explain that when you take in a pet you have to be responsible and take care of that pet, which means having them spayed or neutered so they can't have babies the owner isn't willing to take care of.  I guess, in short, I'm thankful I grew up loving animals.  I couldn't turn away what I described to my best friend as "a single Mom with 6 newborn babies.

There it is- my first post of the month.  I P-R-O-M-I-S-E to post every day and update our what's been going on with up since the last post. Later, friends!