Kind People Still Exist

I woke up this morning to hear my son Cory screaming, crying and gnashing his teeth … and I mean literally gnashing his teeth.  All four of his two-year molars are trying to break through at the same time.  That is 16 different sharp white peaks that are just dying to erupt.  I was thinking it is going to be another one of those Batteries Weren’t Included Days because besides just teething, he is fighting off a cold and another infection.  Some days I wish I could just take the batteries out of me. 

As if one cranky and crabby child isn’t enough, I also woke up to hear Keri whining and upset because Cory is getting snot on her and snot on her blanket and snot on her toys (she is a little OCD when it comes to staying clean).  I thought to myself, at least she will be off to school soon, but no so fast.  There was a snowstorm in the Pacific Northwest last night and we all know what happens to my area when snowstorms come around, the whole city shuts down.  Today all schools are closed due to “snow and ice conditions.”  Mother Nature’s Arsenal is assaulting us again.  Apparently I am homebound today with two cranky children.  I am in obvious need of an “attitude adjustment,” because I can tell this day is going to quickly spiral out of control if I don’t get a grip. 

Thankfully, it all started to get better when

Mother Nature’s Arsenal

It can easily be said  for us Pacific Northwesterners that the weather lately has been anything but boring.  Over the past six weeks we have been able to personally witness  many of the items that Mother Nature has in her arsenal.    We have suffered through floods, torrential rain (we even shattered our all-time-ever rain record for the amount of rain received in one month!), thunderstorms, lightning storms (check out this amazing photo), hail, snow, freezing rain and ice.  A few funnel clouds were even spotted in our area in November.  I guess the wind was feeling rather left out, though, because on Thursday evening/Friday morning it came whipping through our region with extreme power and gusto.  Some of the mountain passes reported wind gusts of over 135 MPH.  Down in our lowlands our gusts nearly reached 70 MPH!  Because of all of this rain and wind (in one hour we had an inch of rain furiously fall), we had some of our floating bridges shut down, parts of the freeway close and several flights were delayed and/or cancelled at our airport.  Of course we lost power, but I am extremely grateful that it was only out for

Gratitude #30

Since today is the last day of November, this will be my last gratitude post … at least for this particular month of Thanksgiving.  Hopefully I will continue to always express my gratitude for the things I have been blessed with in my life.  I am really glad I took this opportunity to write down the things I am thankful for because it has helped me to take a moment and slow down and reflect upon how much I truly have in this life!  There are many times in my life where I wish I had this or I wish I could do that, but when it really comes down to it, I have everything I really need.

November 30.  I am eternally grateful for

Gratitude #26-29

November 26.  I am grateful for electricity.  (See “Let it Snow! Let it Snow!  Let it Snow!” )

 

 

November 27.  I am grateful for covered garages.  With all this rain and snow we have been getting, I am extremely grateful that our apartment complex has a covered and secure garage.  There is no having to scrape ice and frost off the windshield and windows and in the process losing a finger or two to frostbite.  And there is no getting sopping wet as I am trying to unload the kids and groceries from the car if there happens to be a deluge of rain.  I certainly appreciate the little things in life!

November 28.  I am grateful for

Gratitude #19-25

I have been slacking on my daily gratitude list, so here goes a marathon post.

 

November 19.  I am grateful for good babysitters.  I am grateful that they love playing with my children and that they take good care of them while I am gone.  I am grateful that I trust them completely with my kids so I don’t worry about them while I am out.  Spending time alone with Rudy, whether we go out to eat or just run errands together, is such a necessity in my life.  I dearly love my kids, but it is my husband that really comes first.  After all, once the kids are all out of the house, it is going to be back to just him and me and I want to have established a wonderful relationship with him.   And one more point, when Rudy and I get some time away, we are such better parents to our kids.  We seem to be much more patient and loving with them because we were able to recharge.  I think I need to get a babysitter more often!  It is definitely worth every penny … especially when we are talking about my health here !!

 

November 20.     I am grateful for

Gratitude #14-18

November 14.  I am grateful for sleep.  A good night’s rest is one of the most amazing things!  To not wake up tired or with a headache and to feel completely refreshed and ready to conquer the day – what a blessed feeling!  I don’t like having insomnia some nights and I despise it when my brain just won’t turn off.  It just keeps going and going much like the energizer bunny.  Sometimes I wish sleep was just automatic for me like it is for my husband.  And if I had it my way, I would go to bed every night at midnight (when you have kids, your alone time at night after they are in bed is so precious) and wake up every morning at 9:30.  Yes, I need a lot of sleep … I really need to start going to bed earlier and then maybe I won’t be so tired.  And I do love a good afternoon nap, but then that starts the vicious insomnia cycle where I can’t sleep because I had a nap.  So for all of us insomniacs out there (Amberli, Duchess, my dad and my sister) and for all of us moms who have had sleepless nights recently because of little ones (Rarely Home Mom) this one’s for you!

November 15.  I am grateful for what Rudy and I call “Happy Moments.”  Happy moments are

Gratitude #12-13 (and a bonus #10)

November 12. I am grateful that my talk went really well at Church. I am grateful for Church and for the Sabbath Day so I can rest. I am glad that the Sabbath Day gives me the excuse to rest so that I don’t have to do laundry, vacuuming, cooking (unless I want to) or any other type of house work.

November 13. I am grateful for modern technology. I am grateful for computers so I can blog and email and therefore keep connected with all of my friends and families who are scattered all over. I am grateful for TiVo so I don’t

Gratitude #7-11

November 7.  I am grateful for my right to vote!  I am grateful for absentee ballots so that I don’t have to drag my kids to the voting precinct.  (I hope you all voted, too!)   I am grateful that I live in a country where I enjoy so many freedoms.  I am grateful for my freedom of speech, for my freedom to worship how I want to and for my freedom to think for myself and to make my own decisions on how I want to live my life.  (Read Wild Swans by Jung Chang if you feel like America suppresses your basic freedoms.)

November 8.  I am grateful for the opportunity I have to speak in Church on Sunday even though I was only asked to do it on Wednesday night at 9:45 p.m!  I never

Gratitude #1-6

Since this is the month of gratitude and Thanksgiving, I thought that once a day I would write down something I am grateful for.   We are already on the 6th of November so here are my first 6 things (in no particular order):

November 1.  I am grateful for my dad and his willingness to fly us all home for Christmas!  (We just got our tickets yesterday, and even our 20 month old son has his own seat.  Now that is truly something to be grateful for!)

November 2.  I am grateful for my health.  Even though I have Polycystic Kidney Disease and a Microadenoma (a small pituitary tumor), I am still in really good health.  I have these diseases, but at least not with multiple symptoms.

November 3.  I am grateful for modern medicine and for how it keeps me in good health.  Without it I wouldn’t have 2 beautiful and wonderful kids.  I am really grateful for fertility drugs.

November 4.  I am grateful for my husband and all the good laughs and talks we have together.

November 5.  I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and the peace and comfort it always brings me.

November 6.  And on a lighter note, I am grateful for chocolate : ) !!  I especially love a good cup of hot cocoa … and being able to curl up on the couch with a warm blanket and a good book and a quiet house on a beautiful, Fall and rainy day!  (The weather is cooperating, now I just need to do my part!)