Day Seven

THANKS #42 sisterhood: I never had a sibling growing up. It is so sweet to me to see these little ladies loving on each other. Family is wonderful.

THANKS #43 Thank You, God for allowing us to pay our car payment!

THANKS #44 Kitty head boops - Tokyo was super lovey dovey this morning. 

THANKS #45 no more dairy allergy!! Last year, Jovee would not be muchin' on mac and cheese with us! Now she loves it! Thanks God!

THANKS #46 Charlee reading us books!

THANKS #47 Holding hands... I she just grabbed my hand and locked fingers.

Just hanging out holding hands!

THANKS #48 A yummy dinner at one of our favorite places: Sun Up Brewery. 

THANKS #49 ... and dessert at churn! Special Treat Night! I had toasted coconut with chocolate sauce, Jovee and Charlee shared cookies and ming, and Ricky had a Oh My Ofogado (a coke float with coffee icecream.)

THANKS #50 Charlee's Dance Moves;

THANKS #51 Our pool play swim session today

THANKS #52 Ricky's dad watching Lucia while I took the big girls to the pool. 

THANKS #53 Ricky came home a little early today! I'm always thankful to see him sooner than expected!!!

THANKS #54 Our really really comfortable bed, which i'm going to sink into right now!

Thank You, Lord for another beautiful day full of so much to be thankful for! Thank You for opening my eyes to see more and more even small things to constantly thank You about! May the thanks never leave my lips and may it flow frealy from my heart.

Day Six

THANKS #33 Baking! I woke up wanting some warm fresh baked muffins... tossed together some eggless cinnamon sugar muffins! Couldn't find our normal muffin pan so (had to) use the heart shaped one! Sorry I can't give you a good recipe; most I can say is toss together some self-rising flour, applesauce, sugar, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, milk and butter till it looks like muffin batter! hahaha I never measure. They were so yummy, but to be honest, this is the second batch- haha!!

 THANKS #34 is for a fresh box of new crayons. The girls have NEVER had this "expanded edition" of crayola! So fresh and pointy and new and still orderly in the box! We spent quite a bit of time just reading the names of the different colors! 

THANKS #35 is for my free nail wraps I won in my friend's Jamberry Party!! I'm having one online now too until 6/20 if you wanted to try some out! They're buy 3 get one freeeeeeee!!

http://kimmydeck.jamberrynails.net/party/?uid=4ce0c811-f357-442b-8377-6cfa2c3ef6fe

THANKS #36 This sweet little face that peeps at me in the car when she's not actually sleeping. Look at those big brown eyes and sweetheart lips!

Also THANKS #37 if for that CUTE car seat that was a very special gift from a very sweet friend :)

THANKS #38 is being nap stuck. Every mom has been there before when that little buddle finally dozes off and you don't want to move to disrupt their rest... Today, this is how Lucia felt the most comfortable to catch some Zzzz's. This was after a good 30 minutes of fussing to get comfy. Silly girl!

THANKS #39 is for this:

THANKS #40 is for City of Phoenix's swim program! $15 per kid and my girls have over come their fear   of water! 

THANKS #41 is for post swim popsicles! Charlee shared her's with me. 

Day Five... ( continued thanks )

As all my family is asleep by 9:30... I really start to think of thing after thing to be thankful to God for. I thought... Oh I'll do those three tomorrow (obvi OCD) but the I thought, why postpone thanks... Do it now. We are not promised tomorrow and I want to give thanks while I still have the breath in my lungs to do so!!

THANKS #18: "Jovee selfies"... Such a treat to find & most of the time she's making a hilarious face. 

 

Oh... I see she found photo booth on the iPad ;) haha!!

She makes me laugh all the time!

Technically, not a selfie... But more of a family portrait she snuck in my phone. I think it was either a wedding or a recital they were attending.  Odds are it was a wedding. 

THANKS #19 Snuggling. 

THANKS #20: bagels, duh! Mmmmmmmm 

THANKS #21: swim lessons! The girls were terrified of the water and now they are getting aclamated! It's awesome to see them learn new things! Especially when daddy's there too!

THANKS #22 is for these sweet little wet footprints and the sound those little feet make as the splat around right after getting out of the water. 

THANKS #23 the strawberry from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2... Cutest thing ever. 

THANKS #24: This iPad God blessed me with last year that I'm writing this on. It has been so useful. We have played many many games together on it (our favorite right now is a picture search game.) I have pour over books, scripture, concordances and commentaries through it. It has entertained us and educated us. The girls have been able to over come some of their learning hurdles with simple yet intuitive educational games.  We have connected with friends and family on social media through this. It really is a blessing!

THANKS #25 and #26: journals and pens. Ricky says I'm a journal hoarder. It is true. 

THANKS #27: salted almond toblerone. The most delicious chocolate in all the land!

THANKS #28: Phoenix. I love this city. I hate this heat, but we know God has called us here and called us to the urban downtown part of Phoenix. It's beautiful. Ricky and I have always fantasized about living in a fancy loft apartment downtown, even before we were even together. It's so good to be in a place where we feel we are supposed to be... Not always looking for the next thing or next place. 

THANKS #29: THIS from Ann Voskamp:

THANKS #30 chocolate dipped ice cream cone!! Uh oh there sure is a lot of food on here!!! Mmmmmm

THANKS #31 our wonderful grass we don't have to water or mow!

THANKS #32 Tokyo Joseph. AKA Toke. AKA Tokies. AKA Tokies Artichokies. 

Ps not supposed to be up there. 

Day Five

THANKS #15 I am thankful for Charlee and Jovee's dance moves: 

They found themselves a stage and cut loose!! They are such little lights in my day. 

THANKS #16: Popcorn! A delicious treat!

The girls even walked up to the counter, ordered and paid for their own popcorn today! They we're so proud!

THANKS #17 is the beautiful sky!

It was pretty hot out, but so beautiful up in the heavenlies!! 

Day Four

I hate for this to sounds selfish but it will. I had a difficult time being thankful today. We had a very late night (actually early morning) last night and two of three very grumpy girls this morning. No one was getting along for most of the day. I was dertermined to be thankful despite the clear hurdles of complaints I could be offering instead. 

THANKS #10 is for maternity leave. I would officially be going back to work this week, however God graciously provided for me to stay home the full 12 weeks and I am SO grateful for that!!! That means more time with these ladies!

(We had a difficult time getting out of bed this morning, so instead we stayed and snuggled and played games and watched movies.)

Charlemaine brought me up a "Vanilla Cream Coffee" after hearing I really REALLY wanted coffee. 

They love Little Lu so much I constantly have to tell them to stop smothering her!

THANKS #11 is for memories. As I was struggling this morning to not complain, I started to flip through some happy photos of times we shared as a family. I'm so happy to have photos to remember and look back fondley of, but also to retain those experiences and be able to recall them. Here are a few:

(Jovee giving me love a few months ago... she has the best smile, just like her daddy)

A few years ago, on our way to my wonderful Aunt Laura's memorial service in Bullhead City. It seems weird to look back on this time fondley, but it really was a sweet time with family and I know she was celebrating her life with us from Heaven. 

Ricky and I before kids in early 2008 (Technically, I was pregnant with Charlemaine, but didn't know it yet!) He is so handsome in the pic! This was at a winter camp with our highschool youth group in Carlsbad.

Our first offical week long family vacation to California in 2013. It was amazing and relaxing and adventurous!

What? A beautiful day in Phoenix?! We spent hours at the part this day with our friends Emiko, Melissa and Mikio. 

One of my favorite pictures of us! On our way to my 10 year highschool reunion with my hot man to show off! :) Actually, I was pregnant with Lucia here and didn't know it either!

I could go on forever! I love looking back at old pictures. It really helps me cherish my life, and focus on the now because time goes by so fast!

THANKS #12: A late night: The day is almost over. Technically 3 more minutes left. I am so thankful to be up late writing this, because I spent my day just hanging out with my kids, snuggling my sweet little Sparrow, going to swimming lessons, Bible Study, dinner with good friends, rocking and nursing my little babe to sleep... It really was a beautiful, special, and full day!!! 

Days Two and Three

 

Well, yesterday I spent most of the afternoon nursing a fussy baby and nursing myself back to health. I had a horrible reaction to our lunch, which clearly contained egg that I was unaware of.  Well, today I am feeling 100% better!!! So...

THANKS #4 is for my wonderful husband, Ricky. 

Yesterday, when I was having a gallbladder attack, he ran to the store to pick up a remedy, and then cared for the kiddos while I rested. (and I am so thankful!) So, sorry to be shmoopy woopy but here ya go! He is just so handsome! I often just look at his face and think, I could stare at him for the rest of my life. He has super great style, he is hilarious, he is an amazing daddy, and he is my best friend. Even before we were together we spent all of our time together, and still do to this day.  He is incredibly tallented and successful at everything he tries. I could go on and on about how wonderful this man is. Lord, thank You for this great husband You have given me. Thank You for giving him the patience to wait for me. Thank You that I can be myself infront of him, completely raw and with no bondaries and he still loves me. 

THANKS #5 is for the miraculous product that is Flax Seed!

I have struggled with gallbladder attacks anytime I have certain trigger foods. Well, eggs are often impossible to guess if they're in something and yesterday was a bad one! I am so thankful to find a remedy of flaxseed tea! It was one of the weirdest things I ever drank! It was the consistency of egg whites, but I felt 100% better 30 minutes after drinking it. I am SO SO thankful for this! Last week, I was hurting for 3 days!! So thank You LORD!

THANKS #6 is for this book we have started. "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. This is the prompt to start a list of thanks. 

God really has spoken to me that my heart, if focused on thanks, will be a healthy heart. Honestly, how often do my prayers circle around my needs. Granted, God wants us to come to Him with everthing and He is always open hearted, but I no longer want my relationship with Him to be so self centered. I have been given so much and in all reality, I should be able to continue this list every day till I can thank God to His face!

THANKS #7 & #8 are for my mommy and daddy:

I love them so. It has been a scarey year so far, with Mama being in the hopsital for a month and almost losing her.  I am SO thankful for God finally giving the Dr's the wisdom to find what was wrong and fix it. It was close. Today, Mom is out with Jovee for her special "alone day" for Jovee's birthday. I'm sure they are having so much fun!

The girls LOVE their Papa Lance! They love to go visit and climb up and sit in his lap as we watch TV or jump and dance around his living room while he blares Journey (yuck). They get so excited to visit him at work to see all the "cool cars he is making."  Last week he was running around waving his arms like a nut to show the girls his "magic" way to turn on the motion sensored lights. They thought it was amazing! (i regret not getting a video clip of it... it was great)

THANKS #9 is for my salvation. These are not in order of the amount of thanks, these are merely as they come to mind. I don't even know where to start with this. God, Himself, paid for my wrongs by His own blood. How can I even repay Him? And to continue, He day by day renews me and restores parts of my heart when I spend time with Him. He has given me new life here on earth, newness of life every day, and life eternally... and for that I will be forever grateful!