Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We were able to spend time with family and friends, eat way too much, laugh, laugh and laugh some more.

I really didn't like my brothers so much growing up, I'm sure most siblings didn't really get along all that well most of the time. Now I really enjoy hanging out with them. They thought I was "the DEVIL" growing up and I thought (and still do sometimes) that they were emotionally retarded. I remember one of them peeing on my toothbrush, another of them feeding me dog food...and I'm pretty sure the rest you can live without knowing. :) I love my brothers though!

I live the farthest away (a whopping 1.5 hours from everyone else) and sometimes it isn't far enough but most days it feels like an eternity away.

We were able to play a few games, hang out with the cousins, Aunts and Uncles, Grandparents and Mom and Dad. It's awesome to be close.

Next to having the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life, I am most thankful for my family. I know that the relationships and the bond that we have on earth can surpass this life. Although sometimes we are a dysfunctional family, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for any one of them.

The old maid ...hehe

Today on my 31st birthday, I've realized that birthdays become less fun the older you get :). Actually, I had a great day. It's so fun to see how excited the kids are that Mom has a birthday too. The kiddos and Michael made me breakfast in bed which was really yummy, then I went to volunteer in Stevi's class for a few hours. She was telling anyone and everyone who would listen that her mom was thirty one today. Pretty darn cute! I had lunch with wonderful ladies that I love so much, and then tonight Michael and the kids took me out for dinner. That was a special treat because we really don't go out that much. Twice today for me. So I'm another year older, and I have a stomach ache :) , but it was a fabulous day.
I have the best friends and family, I am one lucky girl.

ps. This morning on Ian's gift, the card read " Mom, you're old enough to be a Grandma." hehe... :)

Grateful

Today I am grateful for people who listen to promptings, people who then act on those promptings.
I am grateful that my Heavenly Father knows when I need things even if I'm too hard-headed to see it. ..And I'm grateful that he uses each of us to meet the needs of others.

I had the sweetest experience today at church. A sister at church pulled me aside and told me that Heavenly Father wanted her to give me something..($50.00) Of course I argued with her and said "no he doesn't", she then said "Yes Sister Ford, he does." " I don't know why, I don't need to know why, but I know that he told me to do it and I'm doing it. I've learned not to argue with the Lord." What do you say to that? I tried to tell her that there are many other people that need that money more than I do and that things are OK with me, but she wouldn't change her mind.
I gave her a big hug and said thank you but even more than that one sisters generosity touched me is the simple fact that my Heavenly Father thought of me specifically, and let that sister know what to do. I still really don't know why, but I'm touched by her willingness to act on that prompting.

Trouble

Why are some children more prone to being in trouble? Every child certainly gets into trouble now and then but there are some (Isaac Ford) that are content just staying there.

I feed my kids breakfast every morning right before they go to school and I pack their lunches and snacks because I think that school lunches are 1. crap and 2. too expensive.
So today I was logging on PASS to check and make sure the kid were keeping up with their work and to check test scores and I accidentally click on "lunch activity" or something like that.
That little sucker has been buying breakfast and lunch every morning...YUP, that did it. Poor kid had just come home too when I discovered it. He hid in the bathroom for a while but eventually had to come out. I did get a confession out of him by saying " You know Isaac, if you tell me the truth it will make things a lot easier and you won't get into as much trouble." So he denied it at first and then scary-angry mom came out to play and he copped to it. Why do kids take the bait when we say "if you tell the truth you won't be in as much trouble?" LIE like a dog...that's what I would do to stay out of trouble as a child. So I guess in the end, he is a better kid than I was.

The hooker coat

So today I was in the laundry room unloading the dryer. Michael came up behind me and was looking at the tag in my jeans. He said so you wear a size 8 huh...I said don't buy me any jeans, you know I'm picky about my jeans... (only because most of them don't fit right and the man has been bugging me about what I want for my birthday) He proceeds to say " uh yeah, I remember how picky you are." But the way he said it was kind of smug and he had this little smirk on his face as he walked off. So immediately I knew what he was referring to. One Christmas years ago he actually went out and bought me a gift that wasn't a vacuum or a frying pan, something just for me. It was a coat. It is the only gift I have ever returned and he has NEVER let me forget it either. It comes up at least twice a year. This wasn't just any coat, and I tried to spare his feelings when I told him that I was going to be taking it back..but here we are six or seven years later and I'm blogging about it. I thought that I had a picture of it but I'm pretty sure it was comparable to this pic. except the some of the tassels were laced through the leather and there was all kinds of hideous animal fur on the collar and inside of the sleeves. :) Michael really didn't understand why I would ever want to return it..and I did feel bad about it BUT there was no way I would ever be caught dead in it. Still he continued to press me to see what was wrong with the coat and he never could quite understand my reasoning until finally I blurted out that a Hooker probably wouldn't wear that coat! So now, six years later I am still being punished...

Today Rylie and I headed to the gym...if you're reading this again, this is my attempt at a journal so I'm just for warning you that you'll probably just get bored reading about my day :)

So we headed to the gym and I dropped Ry off in the kids zone (which she loves) and I proceeded to run for about ten minutes. Just a warm up for my Pilates class. I really like the instructor, it's one of the reasons I go. Pilates probably wouldn't work for me everyday because sometimes I just want a down and dirty workout and to be dripping in sweat. I still get sweaty but it's a much slower muscle toning workout. You would think that by being slower paced that it would be easy but it is actually much harder for me to hold some of these positions. And teasers...oh how I hate them. It feels good to wake up sore in the morning:)

My Christmas tree is up..It has been since the 10th. It's all my husbands fault. He did this to me last year too. I was pretty angry with him the first time he set it up so early (while I was out). I kind of , (maybe) yelled (I'll have to verify that) at him (a very little). His response was that a month is not long enough to celebrate the birth of our Savior. I agree with him, so I haven't argued anymore about it. So the tree is up! The kids are excited. The neighbors think I'm crazy with the lights and everything but I've never cared about that before so I guess I shouldn't start now.

Life goes on...even if my blog doesn't :)

Holy cow! It's been a while since I've posted anything. Life is wonderful. My heart is full
of thanks for the blessings in my life, more specifically the great people that surround me.

I'm (hopefully) going to take the advice of a friend and not really use this so much for blogging
but more for a journal. So that being said, today Rylie and I took Gretta to Petsmart for her
grooming appointment. It took 3 hours! I didn't realize it could take that long to give a dog a bath, but it does. Rylie wanted to come back early because she wanted her "besfwiend" back.
Actually, she didn't want to leave her there in the first place. But after a few hugs and lots of kisses, I was able to drag her out of there with out her besfrwiend without too much of a struggle.

I think that every kid needs a dog. Heck, I love my dog. Everybody needs one. Gretta is always so happy. Always gentle with our kids, never has accidents and she's just the best pal a girl could ask for (aside from my Michael).