Thankful Thursday

Just a hodgepodge of gratitude...

*I'm thankful for the good sleeper that is Riley.
*I'm thankful for Words with Friends and playing against my dad.  :)
*I'm thankful for my morning phone call with my mom.
*I'm thankful for my pre-lit Christmas tree, which makes putting it up so much easier than our old one.
*I'm thankful for Adam and Tony, for being so helpful and agreeing to drive Jarrod to and from work on preschool days so I can keep the car.
*I'm thankful for Miss Linda and Miss Libby for being so wonderful with Gavin at preschool.
*I'm thankful for naptime, which it now is...  And today, Mommy is napping, too.  Goodnight.

Thankful Thursday

It's that day of the week again...and today I'm feeling so thankful for my Tastefully Simple business and family.  Honestly, when I started this business almost three years ago, I didn't know what to expect, but I didn't think it would become what it has.  This week, the team I'm on promoted to a Senior Team Mentor team...the TOP in the company.  We're one of only 29 STMTs in the company, so it's a HUGE accomplishment.  And for the many wonderful, inspirational leaders on this team, I'm thankful.  In particular, Jen A. and Annisa M., who have been a very important part of my journey and motivate me each and everyday to continue to work this business.  It was just about a year ago that I stepped over to the leadership side of the company, and Simply Ambitious now has 14 lovely ladies!  I'm so thankful for my team, my hosts and clients, the fantastic friendships I've created, and my monthly paycheck!  I've set my goals high, and I am confident that Tastefully Simple is going to continue to help our family financially and provide me the opportunity to continue to stay home with my loves.  Tastefully Simple...thank you!  

Thankful Thursday

Lots to be thankful for!

I'm thankful that Jarrod has today and tomorrow off.  I love having long weekends together, and it's especially nice since that means he's able to go to Gavin's Halloween party at preschool with me.  I'm thankful for Jackie, for surprising me with some spending money that I was instructed to spend only on me.  Those that know me know that I very rarely spend money on myself.  So, being able to do a little shopping without the guilt was very nice.  I'm thankful for my nighttime ritual with Gavin...rocking in the rocking chair!  It all started when I was nearing the end of my pregnancy, and we blamed it on all the changes that were about to come.  Now, I'm so glad that we still spend our nights in the rocking chair.  It's five minutes or so of just me and him...and it's so special.  I cherish it!  

What are you thankful for???

Thankful Thursday

What I'm thankful for at this very moment...

For friends, like Emily and Amy, for offering suggestions of what else we can try with Riley and her bottle situation.

For my mom, for ordering us yet another bottle to try.

For Annisa, a member of my Tastefully Simple family, for sending us a bottle to try that worked for her little ones.

For my husband, for going with me tomorrow to set up for and work an event for Tastefully Simple.

For Rebecca, a wonderful member of my Tastefully Simple team, for coming to work the event with me tomorrow, too.  

Thankful Thursday

It's time for Thankful Thursday...

I'm thankful the garage sale and prep work for Rhea Lana are over and I can finally get caught up on the house.  I'm thankful for coffee and yummy creamers, in particular Cinnabon and Peppermint Mocha.  I'm thankful for the forecast...patchy frost expected next week which means allergy season is almost over!  I'm thankful I found my wedding rings this week.  Spending much of Monday in tears looking for them was quite scary and I never want to have that panic feeling again.  I'm thankful for this blog, because if I don't record things here, I know I'll forget them. 

  

Thankful Thursday

It's getting to be the time of the year where we start talking about Thanksgiving, and the time of the year I like to focus on all my family has to be thankful for.  So, through Thanksgiving, I'll be posting Thanful Thursdays...if you're a fellow blogger, you should do the same! :)

Of course, the most obvious thing to start out with this year is how thankful I am that I had an easy, uneventful pregnancy and an amazing natural delivery that resulted in our sweet Riley. What a fantastic addition she is to our family.  And I think it's quite fitting that it was last year on Thanksgiving that we found out we'd be welcoming another baby into our family, and now this year at Thanksgiving many in our family will meet her for the first time.  I can't wait to make the trip back to Ohio to see everyone again and introduce Riley to our {crazy} relatives!

I'm so thankful that Gavin adores his baby sister so much, and that the start of preschool went so well for him.  I love seeing him walk into his classroom everyday without any tears and really love picking him up and seeing the smile on his face.  His personality continues to develop and he's changing and growing everyday.  He's been making up songs lately, which is just too cute, and the jokes he makes up, no matter how ridiculous they are, crack us up.  Jarrod and I just love him so much.

And, I'm so thankful for my husband, who happens to turn 30 this weekend!!!  I never could have imagined back in junior high when we first met that we'd be on this amazing journey together all these years later, with five years of marriage under our belts, two perfect babies, and living all these miles from home.  Crazy how life surprises us, huh?  Thank you, Jarrod, for working so hard (and making sacrifices like giving up your truck!) to support our family and allow me to be a stay at home mommy to those little munchkins.  I love you.

One more for today - because it wouldn't be right to not express my gratitude for our wonderful families (despite how crazy they may be) on this first Thankful Thursday.  I know it's difficult to be so far away from Gavin and Riley, and I am just so thankful that you all continue to support us and love us.  We're so excited to see you all next month.  

What are you thankful for today?   

Thankful Thursday

One more week until Thanksgiving (and in our case, our first Christmas celebration, too!)

Just some random things I'm thankful for...

...chocolate, Crocs, hot tea and yummy creamer flavors, Archer Farms fruit strips (since some days, they are the only way to get Gavin to eat fruit), our Walmart discount card, Christmas lights, my pillow, coupons, our fenced yard, our jetted tub, my camera, Huggies flushable wipes, leftover Halloween candy, Friends DVDs....

Thankful Thursday

Just a couple weeks until Thanksgiving!  I'm so thankful that this new position for Jarrod means we'll be able to take time off at the holidays and travel home.  I'm really excited about celebrating both Thanksgiving and Christmas in a couple weeks.  I know there a lot of changes happening in the company, and if he were still in his old position, he'd be working a lot more!  I'm so thankful for 'normal' business hours.


I'm really thankful for this house we found here.  Coming to a 4 bedroom house from a 2 bedroom apartment has been so amazing!  There are, of course, things we don't like or things we wish it had...but in the end, we're so lucky to have found such a great place with great landlords.  And I love the fenced backyard - Gavin spends so much time back there!


One last thing this week - I'm so thankful for the fantastic bloggers that share their expertise with the world.  I love all the ideas that I get for Gavin and me from other blogs.  Sure...I have the background as a teacher and could come up with ideas on my own, but it sure is great to have the resources to turn to.


Take some time to be thankful everyone!

Thankful Thursday

Things I find myself being thankful for....since becoming a mom.

1. A relaxing bubble bath - for mommy, not Gavin

2. Listening to the radio in the car, not Barney

3. A trip through Walmart that doesn't involve holding Gavin, 

pushing the cart, and trying to find my coupons

4. Browsing the shelves at a bookstore or library at my own pace

5. "Sleeping in" until 6:30am
6. Eating my food while it's still hot
7. "Date Night" with Jarrod - even when it is just snuggling on the 
couch to watch Friends DVDs
8. Being a stay-at-home-mom, spending nearly every minute 
of every day with him - I can't imagine doing it any other way now!

Thankful Thursday

Four more weeks until Thanksgiving!  I have so much to be thankful for...


I'm thankful that I have the internet, email, this blog, and Facebook so that I can stay connected to all the people that mean so much to me.  (Thanks, Tori, for the idea!)  I just wish all my friends had a blog!  I love reading blogs and keeping in touch with friends.  I'm thankful that I've found a few friends here that I click with.  It's hard when you don't know people in a new town, but having a playgroup has allowed Gavin and me to meet many people and make new friends. And you know that feeling you get when you meet someone and it just 'clicks'?  Like you were meant to be friends?  I love that feeling!  I'm thankful for Annisa, my TS sponsor.  She's an amazing leader that has inspired me and encouraged me when things were tough after moving to Arkansas.  I love what I do and I love this company, but it was hard when we first moved here and she wouldn't let me give up.  And, thanks to her encouragement, the parties are getting booked and I'm building my own team.  Thank you, Annisa!  And lastly, I'm thankful that I don't have to cook dinner tonight!  A celebration dinner for my hubby for completing his Dale Carnegie course last night.  :) 


Take a minute and share your gratitude!  What do you have to be thankful for?

Thankful Thursday

It's that time of year again...I'm going to start Thankful Thursdays again through Thanksgiving instead of Thirteen Thursday.  It's always nice to pause and remember what you have in life to be grateful for.  

1. Of course, I have to start with being thankful for my husband.  I appreciate all he does for me and Gavin.  It's so refreshing to know that when other girls are complaining about all their husbands don't do, mine does so much!  I know I got lucky....he even cleans toilets!
2. I am so very thankful for Gavin.  He has gave my life so much more meaning than I could have ever expected.  I knew I'd love being a mom, but didn't realize I'd love it this much!  Thank you, Gavin, for making me laugh, giving me cuddles, kissing my boo-boos, and telling me I'm Super Mom.  
3. Thanks to our families for everything!  We're so lucky to have such fabulous people that care for and support us.  Thank you for all you do for Gavin and us.  We love you all!

What are you thankful for?

Thankful Thursday

Well, here we are...Thanksgiving 2009. It's the last week of Thankful Thursday, though it may appear again from time to time if there's something I want to show my appreciation for. So, today...I'm thankful for me and my life. This move to New York has shown me that I'm so much stronger than I thought, and that makes me happy. When Jarrod first told me about this move, I never thought I'd survive. I thought of the silliest things that I thought for sure would be huge obstacles to overcome. But the truth is, I survived being a "single" parent for 8 months! I took Gavin to the ER for the first time at nearly midnight alone, and survived. I flew to NY and back with Gavin, without Jarrod there to help me with luggage, and survived. I packed my house up for the move...ok, nevermind...that was totally not on my own! I never would have gotten that house packed up if it weren't for my family, Jackie, Sara, Tori, Lindsay and so many other people that helped me immensely! :) It feels so great to have our family back together under one roof! Absence does make the heart grow fonder, and it makes you appreciate things so much more. I'm so thankful for my husband. He is by far the most helpful man I know! It's not often that you hear about husbands that cook, do the laundry, clean toilets and the rest of the house, and take great care of their wife and son. He's so motivated and so loving. I'm so thankful for my little bug! I can't imagine what life was like before Gavin was born. He's the light of our lives and makes us so happy. As Jarrod says, we make cute babies :) I'm so thankful for my family and Jarrod's family, for being our support and our biggest cheerleaders. I'm so thankful for my friends, both near and far, for enriching my life in so many ways. I have a lot of things to stress out about...I wish our credit cards were paid off; I wish I could lose the rest of this baby weight that just keeps hanging on; I wish my face wouldn't break out so much and I could let me nails grow....but I have so much more to be thankful for, and this year, I've learned just how lucky I am. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I love you :)

Thankful Thursday

I'm so thankful for technology! In my opinion, technology has made it easier to be so far from friends and family. Between cell phone pictures and videos I can send easily, this blog for updating what we do and pictures we take, and Skype to talk to family via the webcam, technology has been wonderful! :)

I'm so thankful for this weather! It's mid-November, just a week from Thanksgiving, and though we have our place decorated for Christmas already (minus the tree), it's been gorgeous weather. 50s and sunny this week :) We spent some time yesterday at the park with Aunt Sandy. She's up visiting for the week. Pictures from the park coming tomorrow...

Thankful Thursday

Just a few more weeks for Thankful Thursday! Thanksgiving will be here soon :)

I'm very thankful for the new friendships I've made here in NY. Earlier this week, Danielle came over to watch Gavin for me for a couple hours and I was able to go to library BY MYSELF! Isn't it crazy what excites moms? I was able to look for books alone, and didn't have to reshelve books that Gavin had pulled off from the stroller :) I can't wait to return the favor for her.

Even though Alex and Steph lived in Ohio and we've known them for several years, I'm thankful that I've been able to get to know Steph more now that they, too, have been transferred here to Rochester. We have a lot of fun hanging out on the weekends, and Gavin loves spending time with their kids.

Erin has become my newest scrapbook girlfriend since moving here. I took her shopping for supplies and told her I'd give her a few pointers of how to get started, and now she is making pages that look better than mine! We have fun on Tuesday nights scrapbooking and watching Biggest Loser together.

When I moved to Dayton after college, I missed my college friends so much. But, then I met great friends that I still talk to all the time when I started working. When I moved here, knowing I wouldn't be working, I was worried about how I'd make new friends. But thanks to Sam's Club and Mommies Gone Wild, I've found great friends that I know I'll still keep in touch with even if Sam's moves us again! I'm so thankful for all my friends!

Thankful Thursday

November is the month to give thanks! So, today I'm just going to ramble a bit. I have so many things, big and little, to be thankful for...

Thank you, Jarrod, for buying a new camera for us. I can't wait to learn how to use it and I promise I'll take amazing pictures to blow you away! Thank you, Megan, for being there to help Tyler and Briana with their homework. I know Mom and Dad appreciate it, and I am grateful you're there with them. Thank you, Jackie, for all the cute clothes you've sent us for Gavin. He's bound to stay warm this winter! Thank you, LL Bean, for the amazing flannel sheets we have on our bed. I've slept so well this week. :) Thank you, friends, for still calling, emailing, and sending me pictures even though I'm so far away from you now. I'm glad you're still keeping me "in the loop." I especially love hearing all the crazy stories from Shaw. Thank you, Gavin, for snuggling with me before bed. I love when you lay your head on my shoulder while I sing to you and how you give mommy and daddy lots of kisses before we lay you down. It's one of my favorite times of the day. Thank you, Shirley, for letting Gavin crawl all over you now. I know he bugs you, but he loves you so much. Thank you, Tastefully Simple, for the delicious Awesome Amaretto Cocoa mix. It makes me so happy to drink a mug in the morning. Thank you, Jillian Michaels and Exercise TV, for getting my butt in gear. I really needed it! Thank you, Erin, for watching Gavin for me tomorrow night. I'm really excited about this party and am glad you could help us out. Thank you, Strong Museum, for giving us a fun place to place on cold days like today....

Now, off to the museum. Happy Thursday, everyone!

Thankful Thursday

I'm so thankful that I have a sister like Megan (Happy Birthday, Megan! You're a quarter-century now!) Megan is always the one I turn to for advice or a listening ear, because she always knows just what to say. I cherish the times we had "sister nights" when we were both in high school, preparing for me to leave for college. We spent many fun nights painting pottery at The Kiln, giving each other massages, and just spending time together. I'm excited for her to visit me in NY so I can show her around and introduce her to Upstate NY. :)




When I was visiting home, I not only got a lovely hour long massage (thank you, Cincinnati School of Medical Massage, for teaching my sister awesome new techniques!), but she also gave me an amazing early Christmas present. It was a total surprise....and Jarrod and I are so in love with it! We can't wait until she finishes it and sends it our way.

If you want to see what the original picture looked like, click on her blog below. It's based off the 4th picture down, a shot she took of Gavin back in June when he was about 13 months old.

http://mokopocreations.blogspot.com/2009/06/gavin.html

And, yes, she is taking orders for custom portraits on her website if you're interested. www.mokopo.com :)

Thankful Thursday

I'm so thankful that now that I work for Tastefully Simple, I'm able to do more to help out the community. When we moved to Rochester, I sought out as many resources as I could to learn about the new area. One of the things I found was a website called RochesterMommies.com. I joined, and immediately took advantage of the message boards to meet other moms and find things to do with Gavin. Well, last month, I learned via the message boards about a local family who had just received word their 5 year old had cancer. Now that I'm a mom, these stories hit me even harder. Jarrod and I had just gone over insurance policies available through his work, and I couldn't help but think about how the medical bills would be so hard to deal with on top of knowing your son was battling leukemia. My heart went out to them. After a couple weeks of planning, another mom from RochesterMommies.com and I have officially started a Tastefully Simple fundraiser to raise money for the family. I'm donating 15% of the sales to Abigail and her family. My original goal was to hit $1000 in sales and be able to send her a check for $150. But, just two days in, we're already close to $200 in sales, and the fundraiser goes for 3 weeks! I'm so thankful that I'm able to do this for her family, because not only is she a fellow Rochester mommy, but she's also a Tastefully Simple consultant herself!
**If you want to participate in the fundraiser, just email me!**

Thankful Thursday

I love my family. I just want to thank them for understanding why we decided to move to NY and thank them for loving us all. You guys are so special to us. We love you. Can't wait to see you again!
Mom and Dad - thanks for raising me so well. You always had such high expectations for me. Thanks for being great role models as I was growing up.
Megan - thanks for being my sister and friend. You know how much I count on you and I love that you're always there to listen to me. I love you!
Tyler and Briana - thanks for always making me smile. I have loved watching you grow up, and I love seeing you with Gavin. You guys are the best!
Rosi, Sandy, and Dave - thanks for always being there for us and being so supportive. We love you guys!

Thankful Thursday

I am really thankful for Mommies Gone Wild, and organizers Danielle and Shara. When I thought about leaving all my friends and the babies in Ohio to be a stay at home mom in NY, where I didn't know anyone, I worried that I'd be lonely. Thanks to a Parents magazine article, I found out about meetup.com and searched for a playgroup before I even moved here. Lucky for me, I found Mommies Gone Wild! I've found some great friends through the group, and because of all the awesome activities they have planned, I've learned a lot about our new area. Gavin and I have had tons of fun at the museum, parks, Danielle's house, the playground, malls, and other places with the girls and their kids. I know that if I hadn't found these wonderful ladies and this playgroup, I wouldn't be enjoying NY as much. Thanks, Danielle and Shara, for all the time you put into MGW and organizing so many fun things for us to do. As a new mommy in Rochester, I really appreciate it!

Thankful Thursday

I'm starting a new post. I like to let others know when I appreciate them, but I don't know if I do it often enough. So, Thursday is now my Thankful Thursday :)

This week - I'm so thankful for my husband. I really appreciate that he works so hard in his career so that I've been able to stay home with Gavin. I know it stresses him out at times. I know there are days when he'd much rather be here with us. But, I also know that he works hard for us, and I appreciate that. Thank you, Jarrod, for being such a wonderful husband and father. I love that you are so helpful at the house with cleaning and cooking. I love that you are so involved with Gavin. Watching you guys do bathtime together is one of my favorite times of the day. Thank you for everything you do. I am so lucky to have you.