Grateful

Lately I have found myself reflecting on my many blessings more often than usual. I assume it's partially due to the Thanksgiving season. And maybe partially from all the Facebook updates people are posting about what they are thankful for. Mostly I think it's due to the fact that life has been really good to us lately and several times throughout the day I recognize blessings great and small that are usually taken for granted. Here are some of the things that I've been thinking about:

*We're Homeowners. This is so exciting for us. Sometimes I wondered if this day would ever come. We were blessed to get a great interest rate and work with great, kind, honest people throughout the whole process. And for the time being we have a great renter who is taking good care of our home which allows us to replenish our savings. It's funny how things never turn out the way you think they will (like buying a home...but not actually living in it...yeah I never pictured that!).

*Employment. In this economy, Brandt and I both having good jobs that allow us to meet our financial needs is a blessing. 

*Reliable cars. I never worry that my car won't start or that my heater won't work in the frigid cold. I never worry that I may just skid right off the road when I'm on the freeway like with our last car. And even though the Blazer is a senior citizen and may not be with us for too much longer, it has been such a good car. In the nine years that I've owned it, there have been only two instances where things have needed repaired.

*Fuel for our cars. I was actually thinking about this the other day while I was filling up the Equinox. My gas light had just come on so I pulled into Maverick to fill up. As I was waiting, I was thinking about the people caught in Superstorm Sandy and how even though they had the finances available to buy gas, there was no gas to be had. And then I started thinking about people whose finances are so tight that buying gas is difficult, especially with the ever-rising prices. I usually don't put much thought into filling up my car. It's one of those automatic things that I take for granted. I was grateful for the reminder that day of what a blessing it is.

*A happy family. I am blessed to have Brandt and Jack in my life. Life would be so boring and lonely without them. In addition to them, I have parents, siblings, inlaws, and extended family that love and support me.  We have a great time when we get together.

*Good health. Another one of those things that I take for granted, but I'm so grateful for good health. I may not have the supermodel face and body, but I'm grateful that all my parts are functioning as they should! Other than the occasional stomach upset or cold, I am a pretty healthy gal. And I'm blessed that my family is healthy as well.

*Necessities of life: food/clothing/shelter. I so often take for granted these blessings. I never worry about going hungry or any of my other basic needs being met. We have a warm home. We live in a safe community. We are truly blessed.

These are just a few of the bigger blessings that have been on my mind lately. So many times as I was writing this post, I wanted to type "I am so lucky." But luck is not the right word. Blessed is the right word. I am so blessed. I'm grateful for the Thanksgiving holiday and the opportunity it gives me to reflect on the many blessings my Heavenly Father has given me. More than ever, I feel His hand in my life and I am truly grateful for the knowledge I have that He loves me, cares about me, and wants me to be happy. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

9x9 November

1. I started reading J.K. Rowling's new book about a week ago. I've already given up on it. Too much vulgarity for me.

2. I figured I would start listening to audiobooks since I have a longer commute now (I'm used to a 5-7 minute commute, so 20-30 minutes seems like forever). I started with Twilight Saga. It's been kind of fun listening to them again...but I must say I haven't had as much patience for them this time around. They seem a lot more cheesy. Still fun though.

3. This is one happy boy. Why is he so happy?

4. Because Jack and I have a new tradition on Fridays. I started it last week. It's called "Wendy's for lunch and then Both of us Take a Nap!" I started it last Friday and it's the best part of my week. Although I'm kind of peeved about the fact that only the spicy chicken nuggets are on the value menu; I have to pay an extra forty cents for just regular chicken nuggets. Curse them.

5. The only bad thing about our new tradition is that lunch always ends in tears. Not me. Just Jack. He is his father's child through and through. He loves ice cream and is not a very good sharer, but we do our best, because mom isn't the best sharer either. But I always let him finish the frosty so that when it is all gone, he knows it's because he got the last bites.

6. Here he is realizing that there is no more ice cream in that cup.

7. Which is then followed by tears. So sad.

8. We closed on our house today. This is our stack of paperwork that we had to sign. I'm not sure why nearly every single page requires either a signature or initials, but that's how it is. I had a hand cramp by the time we were done.

9. A picture of our house! Someday we may actually get to live there...(explanation to that will be posted another day).

*Disclaimer: I kind of cheated on this 9x9. Photos weren't actually taken on the 9th (although all of the events did happen on the 9th). I couldn't find the camera that day, but to be honest I probably didn't look that hard. Oh well. To make up for my cheating ways, I have included a bonus video below. I call it: "What?! No More Frosty?!" Enjoy.

9 Months

Jack is nine months old! Can you believe it? I sure can't. We have really enjoyed watching him grow and learn about his world. He is like a sponge, just soaking up everything around him. It's amazing how fast they learn!

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

9 Months Stats: 

Height: 29 inches (80th percentile)

Weight: 19 lbs. 1 oz. (40th percentile)

Some facts about our little guy:

*Smiles all day long, but still makes us work for those giggles. It is the greatest sound in the world.

*Has mastered crawling. Hence, he is in to everything. We are still figuring out how to baby-proof the house.

*Although he has a ton of toys (and I think they are pretty cool toys), he would much rather play with anything he's not supposed to (i.e. pens, cell phones, laptop, movies, DVD player, doorstop, etc.)

*Has started "dancing" along to his toys that play music. He'll rock his body back and forth and grin until the music stops.

*Can pull himself up to a standing position. He's still pretty shaky once he gets up, but you can tell he is so proud of himself.

*Babbles to himself all the time. His favorite words: "mum-mum-mum" (maybe "mom"?!), "ba-ba-ba" ("bottle"?), "mm-ba, mm-ba" ("MMMBop"? - we may have a Hanson fan here - dad is a little worried)
*He is a bit of a momma's boy.  What can I say? I'm just too cool.

*Loves to play! This kid has so much personality. He loves having your undivided attention.

*He is a great eater. He gobbles up everything we give him except for the meats - he's not too fond of those and pulls the funniest faces to let you know he is not a fan. I can't say that I blame him - they smell nasty.

*He has four teeth (and he knows how to use them!)

This picture is from last week. Jack was just starting to pull himself up to standing, so we figured it was time to lower the crib. He looked like such a big boy standing there; I couldn't believe it. And he was so proud of himself! He's been going through another rough patch with sleeping. He likes to wake up around 4 am and the last thing he wants to do is hang out in his crib by himself. We're going to attempt some sleep training this week. Wish us luck. (And any advice would be greatly appreciated!!) I love my little guy. Being Jack's mom is such a joy.

Jack is on the Move!

Jack has been busy the last couple of weeks learning how to crawl. It has been fun watching him figure it out. I think he's finally got it down. See for yourself:

Way to go Jack! I better get baby-proofing the house...

Dog-Tired

Playing with toys can be so exhausting!

9x9 July

1. Watching morning cartoons. We like Curious George.

2. I lost my debit card at Wendy's about a week ago. Bummer deal since the majority of our bills are set up with auto-pay using that card. My new card came today so I spent the morning switching everything over. Good times.

3. Lately Jack has been somewhat of a momma's boy despite my attempts to keep him neutral. He isn't content with just sitting next to me, but wants to climb up into my lap, which is either cute or occasionally annoying depending on the situation.

4. My boy loves giving kisses! I doubt he knows that's what he's doing (it's more like chewing on your face), but I love it all the same.

5. Leftover breakfast burritos for dinner? Yes, please!

6. Someone was too burned out to make it through dinner. P.S. I think Jack needs a haircut...either that or I need help figuring out how to style his wispy thin hair. It's a little out of control.

7. My little helper. He loves watching the washer and dryer do their thang. Like father, like son I guess!

8. After five loads, we finally got all the laundry done! Now if it could only put itself away...

9. I watched "Antiques Roadshow" while I fed Jack and got him ready for bed. That show is full of interesting tidbits! Here's a useless, but still interesting, morsel about wrist watches (at least I found it interesting...you may disagree). In the early 1900's, it was unfashionable to wear a wrist watch. A true gentlemen carried a pocket watch. But when World War I broke out, the men in the trenches needed a more practical way to keep time that would allow them to operate their weapons at the same time. Hence, wrist watches surged in popularity and pocket watches were phased out. This particular military wrist watch is from 1915 - original price was $4.50. Today, it is valued at $1000 (which seemed low to me, but what do I know). Anywho, there's an interesting little tidbit you can throw out for some dinner conversation. You're welcome :)

Father's Day Weekend

On Saturday we drove up to Birch Creek Campground. Since it was Father's Day Weekend I told Brandt he had free reign of our agenda, so, of course, he chose fishing. It was nice being outside in the sunshine. Brandt got in some good fishing while Jack and I hung out on the grass. We had a picnic (minus the chips, trail mix, and baby food; somehow that bag got left at home - darn.), we played with toys, I read my book, Jack napped, and Brandt fished. We had a grand time.

Here are a couple of videos I took of Jack while we were playing. He does this new thing where he smiles like a complete goof. In the first video, he was doing his goofy grin and alternating it with whining. It was really funny, as you will see. The second video is just because I think my son is adorable; it's of us playing Peek-a-Boo. Jack thinks it's pretty fun. Friday night was the first time that he actually held up the blanket by himself and then lowered it - it's so fun watching him learn, one baby step at a time.

This morning, Jack and I made breakfast for Brandt. Jack wasn't as keen on the idea as me - he wanted to be cuddled and entertained, but he got over it and manned the eggs and sausage while I took care of the french toast and OJ.

We showered Brandt with a plethora of gifts. He's a great dad and deserves to be spoiled every now and then. Jack and I are so lucky to have him in our lives and don't know what we would do without him. Happy Father's Day Brandt!