Thankful (Link-Up)

(St John Bosco's feast day is Friday, January 31--a favorite of ours)

 Thankful for my Holy Hour with Jesus.

Without this hour,

 I could not make it through the week without breaking down

 Thankful for new bangs!!

(the one on the right, is hiding hers, she accidentally cut them again 

on her own the next morning--you'll see them later)

 Thankful Billie Jo let us know about THIS special day!

We decided to make her recipe...

 So on the way home from Mass that day, I picked up 

a chocolate fudge cake mix...but didn't realize we did NOT have sour cream

so I used vanilla Greek yogurt...and we did NOT have chocolate chips, 

so I used Raspberry M&M's

No one complained once!

 Thankful for moments like this one

She's reading to him (from memory)

He kept touching her lips and laughing...he's such a tease!

 Thankful we homeschool this little girl that has the staying power of a squirrel.

Literally, if I turn my head, sitting right next to her, she's GONE.

What would they do with her in a school?

(this Thankful thing does not mean I am always patient and happy she leaves constantly)

But when the day is done, I am Thankful.

 Thankful when she be bops away, this little one is ready to fill her seat!

 Thankful for collage (see the wrapping paper?) and 4 year old Art!

 Oh, my goodness...I LOVE this age when they make these Bubble People...

 So Thankful for that...

 Thankful he loves his big big big big sister so much that he sits by her in 

the school room every day and does puzzles!

(and lets me work with others)

 Thankful we had one really nice day, it was like 23 degrees out!!

Woo Hoo!!!

It was super!

 Why can't they ever all look at the same time?

Best of like 5 shots...

 I couldn't wait to go outside

Thankful I did!

 Thankful I got to shovel  paths for the littles to go on...otherwise they can't even move!

 Thankful for snotty nosed, red cheeked, smiling 4 year olds...

 And snotty nosed, red cheeked, smiling 2 year olds...

 Oh, my goodness, they are quite a pair!

So very Thankful to still have littles...

 Thankful for kiddos that wait patiently.....

For hot cocoa with marshmallows!

(there's those newly cut by herself bangs)

 Thankful for sweet 2 year olds that are growing out of their naps...but not quite...

(this is supper time--he just couldn't make it)

 Thankful for double baths...

(almost as much as sink baths)

 Thankful for this weeks kitchen helper

He's making a brown rice kind of chili thing I made up...

(Tom hated it)

I loved it

(it made for some great farts)

Thankful this photo was taken at 5:42 pm yesterday afternoon!!

This shows the days are getting longer!



Link up if you want, no rules,
no special day
just remember to be Thankful

Stuff

First, I wanted to share a couple of my current favorite songs:

And that tub scene, ummm, they are married.

I'm sure of it.

I love the young love and the old love.

Waiting for Superman....Love this!

(I have my Superman--Tom)

I love pretty much anything Daughtry.

Anyone remember him from American Idol?

He was my pick.

 Onto Downton Abbey!!

DON'T READ ON IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!

These two made me kind of, I don't know, sad.

Or maybe glum.

Yeah, I was glum about them.

 Til this last episode!!

Yay!  It was a great one!

(OK, except that she was still technically lying)

Here they are in real life.

Amazing transformations, huh?

They must put on pastey white make up or something for the show

They are glowing here!

And this is why I don't jog or run.

(or jump on the trampoline)

I'm serious.

Ask anyone who knows me.

Oh, what should I do with my hair?

It's long and curly and driving me crazy right now.

The Comprehensive Elimination Diet

Anyone hear of it?

Anyone try it and survive?

Tom has had some serious health issues

he's been home from work since Christmas.

His doctor put him on this diet,

to clean out his system,

so maybe his body will respond better.

He cannot have:

Wheat

Soy

Sugar or artificial sweeteners, not even honey

Oranges

Corn

Dairy

Beef or Pork
No coffee or tea

He can have Chicken or Turkey if it is all natural and raised organically
And he can have lamb
(do you know how expensive those meats are?)

Basically he's living on beans and brown rice.

He can have fruit

He does not like veggies
(which he can have)

He can have almonds and walnuts

He did not care for the almond milk...we tried it in a smoothie for him...but without the yogurt,

it just was NOT good.

I actually liked the almond milk plain. (a little)
And, NO, he does not like coconut milk, or ANYTHING COCONUT!!
(I love coconut milk and use it for my smoothies!)

It's only 30days...29days...28 days...

Hoping and praying this works.

Will you please pray for him?

I can take just about anything, if it is happening to me,

but when it is happening to people I love, 

and I'm helpless...well...it's way harder. 

Captain Phillips Movie Review

 We saw this movie this weekend.

I was pleasantly surprised!

It was a really good movie.

I had never heard of it, Tom picked it up at the video store.

(yes, they still have video stores--only one in the state of MN)

This was based on a true story

 I love true stories

especially if there is a happy ending

(but you know that already, right?)

Somali pirates try to take over Captain Phillips's ship

and well...they do.

I have to say, I really do not care for Tom Hanks that much 

personally, because he is one of the most liberal actors on the planet.

BUT I love him professionally.

And at the end of the movie, 

you'll see, when you are crying because of his excellent acting,

(you'll see)

You will decide right then and there, 

that YOU will PRAY for him.

Oh, Tom, you will have a ton of prayers.

Your Conversion to GOD will be amazing.

Like Prodigal Son amazing!

Here is Tom Hanks with the real Captain Phillips!

Rent it.

(I wouldn't let my kids watch though, I could, my oldest two,

but I didn't want them to see these Somalians like this, we have a lot of Somalians 

in our state and I don't want them to be prejudiced or scared of them)

Thankful (Link-up too)

 Bonnie, at A Knotted Life, is hosting the Sheenazing Awards again this year!

And

I was nominated again this year in a couple categories.

Smartest Blog (?)

Best Blog by a Mom (OK)

I am trying to be humble here, so I only even mention this, 

out of Thankfulness and respect for those who nominated me!

(Thank you!)

I know there is only a very small chance I'd even actually win,

but, am very honored just the same.

NOW GO VOTE!

(FOR ME!)

HERE 

Oh, there are a ton of wonderful, faith filled bloggers out there.

Bonnie's list is amazing. 

 Thankful for piano recitals

(we have 4 in piano now)

It was wonderful.

 Thankful for another foot of snow

Yes, I'm thankful for the snow, it's the cold I don't like.

(that makes sense)

 Thankful our weekly kitchen helper is working out really nicely.

I'm loving the company and the extra time it takes to teach 

how to cook and prepare is going to be so worth it someday!

(she's making homemade pizza here)

My dough is wonderful:

Pizza Dough

1 cup self rising flour

1 cup plain greek yogurt

Knead for 5 minutes

You will need more flour than mentioned, 

and have to coat the counter several times.

That's it.

I bake the crust for like 7 minutes before adding toppings.

 Thankful for our cute snowman plates!

 Thankful for little boys in overalls...

and yes, that's another big bump on  his head.

His bigger sister was trying to give him a piggy back ride.

(he didn't hold on)

 Thankful on Monday, we compared the temps around the world, 

and Minnesota is only the 3rd coldest place out of about 12 random ones...

(next to Antarctica and Russia)

 Thankful I'm officially planning on moving to Hawaii.

Today, we graphed (for 3rd grade math) 25 state capitals and their temps.

Yep.  St Paul, Minnesota was the coldest city.

I'm already planning on just giving away everything

and starting over in Hawaii.

Are there any jobs in Hawaii?

(for my husband)

 Thankful these bulbs in my window, are blooming right now, 

and my kitchen smells like SPRING!!

 Thankful for 4 year olds always ready to give me a smile!

 Thankful she loves to bake...

 and he loves to help out in any way he can.

(oh, little honey, let me keep you just the way you are right now)

 Thankful for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

always good on a cold day

 Thankful for my old, old recipe....no directions or anything...you can figure it out, 

can't you?

 Thankful we can still see our mailbox.

 Thankful she is now officially a dish washer!!

She is wonderful and she loves it.

What's not to be Thankful here?

Thankful the noise level is humungous in our house.

 Thankful when picking up something for the man I give a ride home to from church,

at the dollar store, I found these!!!

1 buck each!!

They are totally JAMIE.

 Unlike our old ones, that are now in the garbage, chips and all.

 Thankful for raisins, his new favorite snack!

Thankful for cute little toddler fingers...

 And Thankful for Play dough!!

 Look at that bump....

It's yellow today.

 Thankful for cute toddler profiles...

 Thankful for Mancala

(I played like 25 games between 4 kids yesterday!)

 Oh, did I already say Thankful for play dough?

Well, I am.

It kept these two busy all morning today.

 Thankful for busy little hands...

 Oh, my goodness...Thankful for busy, screaming, spunky little boys.

Here's a good view of his top teeth.

He has a "clinic day" tomorrow.

It starts at 10am 

and goes til about 3 or 4

We will meet with the speech people, the plastic surgeons, the nutritionist,

orthodontist and dentists....I think that is everyone....
Oh, and the ENT people, (ear, nose, throat)
and of course the woman that is head of the Cleft Clinic.
 

He will not have another surgery til he's about 6, 

when his permanent teeth come in.

SO Thankful for that.

So, I made this a link-up,
but they charge like 20 bucks a year to allow pictures...
so it's just a name link-up unless I start getting a lot of
you to link-up, then I'll think about the picture thing!
There are no rules and no special day to do it on,
just look for those blessings in your life,
no matter how small and link up if you want!