333 time for a change

Sometimes I just need a change. I live First Edition. This will be a great pick me up!!!!

330

I have a huge migraine. Sorry the post is a day late. I'm busy wrapping all the gifts I bought on black Friday. I'm just hoping not to run out of tape!

329

I love Black Friday. I always have. I have memories of Black Friday shopping with my mom and grandma. I always report my deals to my mom. I always feel connect to them even if grandma is in heaven and mom isn't physical there shopping with me I got everything I needed and then some. I'm about 90% done with my Christmas shopping! But I'm so tired. I feel as tired as Maisy looks. I shooed from 9:30pm to 8am. I took a 3 hour nap. I'm still tired. It'll be early to bed for me.

328 Family

Happy Thanksgiving! I wouldn't trade this day for anything. Gabrielle got to play with her cousins. Mom got to have all her babies together. The last time that happened was over 4 years ago at my wedding. These are my 2 sisters Angie and Gracie, my mom, and 3 of my brothers Rob, Michael, and Logan. I love them all very much. I'm glad we spent the day together.

327 besties

They love each other.  It took a month but now they are best friends.  Dallas needed a pal and now he's got it. 

326 favorites

My favorite decorations are the ones my daughter has made.  They mean so much to me.  I know these will be cherished forever. 

325 a quote for parents

We should all (as parents) live by this!

324 way too soon I know

Gabrielle wanted to decorate.  I felt it would help me be in a better mood.  So we put the tree up before Thanksgiving.  This is a first for me. 

321 iAwesomeness

I am truly spoiled. 

320

I love this time of year.  I hate that it takes this time of the year to make people remember Jesus.  I hate that some people out there only think of Jesus at Christmas/Easter/during hardship.  I do love that we (Christians) can use this time of year to bring people to Christ, to show them the meaning of the season, to let them know of God's love.  It can be as easy as inviting them to hear Christmas music at your church.  I also love this time of year because everyone seems to be in better spirits.  I love everything about this time until the New Year.  Okay not everything, I could do without the bitter wind. :)

319 field trip

Field Trip with Brownies was to Midwest Food Bank. This food bank started on a married couples' shed in 2003. Their goal was to help 10 food pantries now 8 years later they have four locations 2 in state and 2 out of state. They help over 500,000 families per month! The local food bank serves 220 food pantries over 70 in our county. It's amazing to hear the story. Also a 93 year old man helps each week. It's never too late or too early to help. The story is truly inspiring. Also makes me so grateful that we have even to eat. So many of that take it for granted. Never forget for blessed you are and always help others!

316 the little pleasures in life

I swear it's the little things in life that make me so happy, like gabrielle's laughter, mike's hugs, cuddling with the pets, etc.  Today it was a new screen door.

We moved in our house 4 years ago.  The screen door needed to be replaced but we made do.  We worried about other things like painting and appliances going out.  Today my wonderful, incredible father-in-law came and helped Mike replace the screen door.  See it wasn't just switching out the door.  Where the door attached to the house was all messed up.  They fixed it and got us a new door.  I am beyond happy with their work!  They are awesome!

315 dog tired

This week has left me dog tired and exhausted.  I haven't had drama in my life for awhile.  I didn't invite it in.  I truly believe the devil brought the drama into my life to attack me.  You know what? I will survive the drama.  I have survived worse.  I know when I am on the right path it scares the devil.  So he spiritual attacks me just as he does with all Christians.  My faith in God isn't going to waver.  I will pray and get through this obstacles with grace like I always do.  (Okay maybe a little short temper at times but I will work on that.)

314 Church mission statement

This is on my shirt.  It's our church's motto.  I love it.  I just wanted to share it with you all. 

312 dream

This is my daughter's shirt.  I love it.  But I started thinking about dreaming.  When we are kids our dreams are so big and reachable in our eyes.  The sky was not the limit.  We could grow up to be anything we want to be and do whatever we wanted.  We were invincible.  We believed in our selves and our dreams.  Heartbreak and disappointment later, we stop dreaming big.  We give up on some dreams. We dream small, just hoping to get the laundry done.  We need to keep dreaming.  I am chasing my dreams.  I am living my dream.  I am blessed.  If you aren't living your dream GO CHASE IT!

310 puppets

Today Gabrielle got to do the Puppets for the little kids at church today.  A group of 7 kids used the puppets to see songs about Jesus and God's love.  It was beyond adorable.  I love the Kidsview Creative Arts Program at our church.  She blossoms in choir and the puppets.  She sees like an angel.  She has become less shy and more outgoing.  Plus she gets more time with other Christian children and adults.  You can't beat that:)

 

309 Bloomington Blaze

Mike is keeping stats for the local hockey team. We get two free tickets to all home games. So tonight while he is keeping stats Gabrielle and I are enjoying the game. The picture is pregame. We hope more people show up.

306 Month of Thanks

This is a picture Gabrielle made in preschool.  The tree is her little hand.  It's a magnet on our fridge.  I love it. 

I also love that a lot of people are doing a month of thanks on facebook.  Each day you are to say Day (whatever day of November it is) and I am thankful for....you list something.  We all get wrapped up in our day to day lives, jobs, housework, parenting, so on.  We don't stop and list our blessings and what we have to be thankful for.  So I am taking part of this facebook movement this month.  Each day I am going to list something I am thankful for.  I won't run out of things to be thankful for.  Here is a list of things I am very thankful for: my salvation, my daughter, my hubby, my mom, mother-in-law, father-in-law, 5 brothers, 1 brother-in-law, 2 sisters, 3 sister-in-laws (or soon to be), 4 nieces, 2 nephews (and one more on the way), all my cousins, aunts and uncles, all of Mike's family that became my family by major, my friends, my pets, the time we got to spend with Pumpkin before he went to heaven, our house, enough money to pay our bills, enough money to buy food, great doctors, wonderful church family, my life, and so much more. 

304 Hoose-N-Anny

Every year around Halloween my daughter's school has their annual Hoose-N-Anny.  It's a fall festival with a western theme.  The students come dressed in western gear, no Halloween costumes.  In the morning, they do school work after everyone has had lunch the games begin.  There is pumpkin roll, hayback ride, gold rush, and so much more.  This year my job was to walk Reggie the Redbird around.  We had a blast.  Here's a picture of my daughter dressed up.  Then a picture with me and Reggie hanging out.