One Thankful Month

Today I am thankful for our pediatrician, Addison had her 15 month visit today.  (yes on her 16 month birthday, yeah somehow we got a month behind)  I wasn't crazy about them the first few times we went in there, but other than the waiting, they are almost always behind, they have been great.  The office staff/nursing staff are great.  Her doctor is pretty to the point about everything and doesn't spend a whole lot of time talking unless you ask questions which I love in a doctor.  I don't want to be lectured about something every time we go!  I'm happy that we ended up with a place I enjoy especially since we didn't have one picked out before she was born, no body seemed to have a good recommendation!

I'll post the monthly update later when I have more time but little mini is 30 1/2 inches and 21.15lbs.  Yeah about 50% for length and down to around 10% for weight....Growing the same way I did, not at all between 1 & almost 2!

More & More Thanks

I didn't get a chance to do my thankful post yesterday but I'll make two things today.  First I am thankful for my husband, not to mention the normal day to day things to be thankful for with him.  But I am thankful that he's been so great with allowing me time to start my photography business.  I have always had a huge love for photography and wished for a long time that I had the right stuff to do it along with the know how.  It's still a trial and error learning process but I am loving every minute of it!  I'm lucky that he's been a good sport about the extra time out of my already crazy filled week with working extra weekends lately to go take pictures for an hour or more and then sit at the computer and edit them for hours at night!

I am also thankful for root beer.  Cheap store brand root beer, I can't get enough right now.  My Cherry Coke Zero obsession is still there but right now taking a back seat to Dollar General brand root beer.   Seriously I should just quit it all...but I need some kind of vice to hang on to.

Thankful day 27

Today I am thankful for my iPhone.  My smashed up, worse for wear, still truckin' iPhone.  That sucker took a lickin' & keeps on tickin'.  Seriously though I still haven't gotten the screen fixed and a small or large chunk of screen has fallen out daily lately, soon there will be nothing left of the front glass!  But EVERYTHING still work, seriously, everything.  Go Apple.  I keep everything on my phone and there is very little I can't do with it (stupid flash players) but smashed and all I love it, I don't care to upgrade to anything different. 

seriously if you ask me iPhone or droid on facebook, I'll be the first to pipe in with iPhone.  I've actually had both and you couldn't pay me to get a droid again!

Oh iPhone, you are my smashed up soul mate.

Thankful days 25 & 26

I missed yesterdays post, oh noes!!  Yesterday I was thankful for internet shopping.  While I am usually one of the crazies out there black Friday morning with the rest of the troops, this year I discovered the same deals that I would have went to the store for, online.  Thank you Interwebs for letting me stay home and enjoy my day!

Today I am thankful for holiday decorating, nothing puts me in the holiday mood more than lugging down 6 totes of Christmas decorations and turning my house into Christmas land!  I love the change of decor, and all the red, green, white & silver.  I can't put out as much as I normally do this year because someones little fingers keep trying to steal all my stuff.  But she's enjoying all the new things to point out too.  I can't wait to get our tree!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, hope your day is filled with family, friends, good times and of course more food than should ever be consumed! :)  It's been a hard year for my family with the loss of my dad and my uncle but there is still so much to be thankful for.

 Today I am thankful that we live in a country where we can afford to have the ridiculous amount of food that we are going to chow upon today.  I could eat till I burst and there will still be food left to eat tomorrow.  I'm thankful that I have never had to know what it's like to go without.  And I hope that those who have had to go without have a place to go today were they can fill their bellies!

Thankful Day 23 and OMGwhyarepeoplecrazy!?!??!

Okay first the OMGwhyarepeoplecrazy part because that will lead into my thankful for the day....So I cannot for the life of me understand what leads someone to think that the world owes them something.  That everyone should bend over backwards to help them out, lend them something, let them borrow money, whatever.  I encounter one of these people on the daily..well work day daily's anyhow.  So today after 2 days of letting her borrow something (you know being nice and all even after I know better from previous experience)  I tell her she can't borrow it over the weekend....Wholly crap, flip out on me, tell me that I'm going to have to change my plans (cancel an appointment) because she needs it for her personal use.  WHAT?!?!  News Flash Lady.  "ITS NOT YOURS!"  While I am willing to help someone out I will not rearrange my life to convenience yours, you take advantage of everyone and I for one am sick and tired of it.  Don't try to turn your irresponsibility into my problem, I don't care what problems its going to cause for you this weekend I already gave you three days to deal with your own issues & nothing was done, same as the last time you borrowed from me and same as the time before.  It's no longer my problem, and other than you trying to make it my problem it really never was.  Ugh, can you tell it lit a new stage of anger in me?  I actually had to address her like a child this afternoon.  Saying her name and telling her, No you can't have it, it is not yours to take whenever you want.  Good lord if I act like that at 50 someone, please, smack the crap out of me!

And, raging over.  Today I am thankful that I was raised to respect people, not take advantage of people & be thankful for what people offer to help me out instead of always expecting more, more, more.  I'm thankful that I have morals.

Thankful Day 22

Today I am thankful that I only have to make it through one 8 hour shift before I get 4 whole days off work.  Much needed, wish I had Sunday off too but I'll take what I got!

Thankful Day 21

Today I am thankful for the delicious mini thanksgiving we had last night left overs that mom sent me home with.  Mostly because it means that I don't have to cook dinner today, and they were my lunch today.  It's the little things really!

Thankful Day 20

Today I am thankful that my next paycheck will be an awesome one.   The only plus side to working an entire weekend I suppose.  But that's 10 extra hours on my check 5 of which I get OT for.  (Because of the holiday falling this week and being off Thursday and Friday I get straight pay for Sunday..suck)

Every check from here till Christmas will have some over time, the last one before Christmas will have 20 hours of overtime.  Whoop for Christmas monies!

I did my first photo shoot today!  Aside from a Toddler who wasn't at all thrilled with having her picture taken it went very well.  We didn't get as many close ups of said toddler as we would have liked to but I think I got some pretty good ones regardless.

Thankful Day 19

Today I am thankful for the peace and quite that is going to happen. right. now...  Mom borrowed the wee one for the night!  I still have to leave the house by 5am to make it to work by 6 tomorrow but hopefully I won't get sucked into some stupid movie that I just have to watch (even though I could totally DVR it) and I get myself to bed early.  Quiet, calm, nose in a book I want to finish, ahhh, I don't even want to leave the house.

Thankful Day 18

Today I am thankful for Memories.  I noticed people posting this :

Many people have passed away early - When we look at the sky, we LOVE the idea that they look back at us. We remember them often, at night, when we look at the stars ... a DATE ... a SONG ... a PLACE ... a SMELL ... A MEMORY of those who left us ... ALWAYS LOVED, DEEPLY MISSED ... Post this as your status, if you have someone keeping an eye on you from above.--"




On Facebook today, how fitting, today has been two months since my dad passed away suddenly. :(  I don't really do the whole religion thing and there for have no real stance on heaven and angels and all of that business.  But, I relate to the message, I think of Dad every single day, be it someone mentioning his name, a song that comes on, driving by a truck that looks like his, drinking coffee, walking by his picture in a frame.  It all triggers a memory and makes me stop and think about him for a minute.  It's still hard, I'm sure it always will be to think about all that he and we are missing out on by losing him when we did.  Not that losing him at 80 would have been easier but gees.  (We were just talking at work about being able to retire at 55 and I said if I'm still working here at 55 I am so out, early retirement yes please.  Then I though, Dad was only fricken 55!  He never got to enjoy retirement age.)

 Regardless, I am thankful for the memories.  I am thankful for the memories of not only my dad but all the other loved ones and friends that I have had pass.  Some of the memories make you smile and sometimes they trigger tears, and sometimes you laugh while you're crying, but I am so happy to have them all.  It also touches a special place when I see or hear my husband stop when holding our daughter in front of the framed picture of dad and teaching her that it's grandpa in the picture, someday's she'll say papa other days its all about the baby that he's holding (her).  She's only ever going to know him through our memories and it get's me a little choked up every time.

Thankful Day 17

Today I am thankful my MichiVan, I save a ridiculous amount of money by carpooling to work, not to mention the environment.  I'm the primary driver, so its mostly a huge pain in my butt to deal with the collecting of money & filling out reports, but worth it in the long run.  I commute 20 miles then get in the van and drive the other 35 miles to work every day, but those 70 miles a day I am in the van I am sparing my personal vehicle from wear and tear and I'm not paying a dime for it (perks of being primary driver).

Thankful Day 16

Today I am thankful for opportunity & the ability to take advantage of the opportunities I have had in life.   For the people I know willing to hire me to take family pictures for them so that I can get started in this photography business.    I am thankful that they are giving me the chance to photograph them and their families so that I can learn more as I go.  I help them by offering a nice price, they help me by being my first subjects!  I have 2 shoots scheduled for this weekend.  Ready or not, here we go, WEE!

Thankful Day 15

I am thankful today for the blogging world.  Sitting down and typing a few sentences is so refreshing, whether to vent about something, put a memory down in a permanent spot rather than just in my head, or just babble on and on about my self.  I'm so glad that I finally got around to starting this blog, I only wish I had done it sooner.  Like when I was pregnant and wanted to start it...

I love meeting new people through blogging even if I never meet them in real life.  Its a great way to meet other mommies with kids the same age as your own so that you know the things your kid is or isn't doing are completely normal :)  Plus where else would I learn how to do so many crafts, photography tricks etc.  (Besides Pinterest, we covered that yesterday)

Thankful Day 14

Today I am thankful for Pinterest.  Seriously are you on pinterest?  Cause if your not you should stop reading, click your little fingers over there and join.  Seriously ADDICTED.  I get SO many crafty ideas, holiday ideas, gift ideas, photo ideas, you name it, its on there.  It's like bookmarks but better because I can easily categorize things where I want them to go.  I immediately see the picture and know why I saved it instead of the headline of the page or whatever I typed to make me think I would know what I was marking a page for.  Serious, join, become addicted.  Follow me, I like cool things. Love.

Thankful day 13

Today I am thankful for Sheetz.  If you have never heard of Sheetz, or been to one you are missing out.  Ok, it's really just a gas station but they have a Made To Order counter and that food is freakin' fantastic.  Maybe I'm only partial to it from the days when we lived in Pittsburgh and would stop for drunk food on the way home.  You know food tastes 10 times better after you've been drinking.  But 100% sober that Pretzel Melt I had today was fantastic.

Thankful day 12

Today I am thankful for something similar to what I used before, kindness of strangers, though this incident isn't technically a stranger.  So I guess today I am thankful for kindness and giving.  One of my brothers customers (he does landscaping) offered to buy the headstone for my dad's grave since we have not yet gotten one.  My Step Mom doesn't work and Dad's disability was her only form of income so after paying for funeral things that weren't covered by life insurance there hasn't been money left for a headstone yet.  It always amazes me at how giving and kind people can be.  I'm happy that my brother works for a lot of pretty amazing people who were so willing to help Nick and our family out when they heard about dad's passing.  It's nice that people who hire him to work for them also care enough about him to be involved in his life outside of what he does for them.

Thankful day 11

Today, in honor of veterans and future veterans everywhere, I am thankful for those of you who served our country. Who sacrifice your time, lives, families to fight for the rest of your country. I come from a family who has a lot of people who served in a branch of the military I am thankful for all that they have done for us and I am proud to have people like them (both of my grandfathers, and a few of my uncles and many friends now) to have been my role models.

Thankful Day Ten

Today I am thankful for our adorable daughter.  I know I kind of lumped her into that family post a few days ago but she deserves a day of her own thanks.  She's pretty amazing and of course #1 in my life.  A constant bundle of crazy, cuddles, silly & cuteness.  She is changing so much every day now.  Learning how to do so many new things and amazing me at how quickly she catches on to everything.  Just yesterday we learned where our ears are and currently she is pulling the pillows off the couch and making a bed out of them on the floor.  She now grabs a drink and a blanket when you tell her its bed time and lays on the floor.  She knows where the baby cookies are kept and will come find you to take you to them when she wants one.  She knows that my key unlocks the door to the house.  She is ever changing  and so much trouble fun right now.  I am so thankful that I have her in my life.

Thankful Number Nine

Today I am thankful for my crock pot, well my crock pot and the delicious BBQ ribs & baked potatoes we are about to devour.  It really makes life sooo much easier to have a meal ready and waiting in the crock pot when I get home from work.   Sure beats having to stand around in the kitchen preparing dinner when all I want to do is chill out for a bit after work!  I love the auto timer that mine has so that its not sitting on high all day either!


What's your favorite crock pot recipe?  I'm in need of some new ones!!