Thankful for Everyday Life Link-up

 Thankful for Everyday Life

Everyday things

Because this is where I am right now

This is for you

Yes, you, mama of littles

Don't get frustrated, you are not alone

and God sees you

He sends everyday blessings to you.

 If you missed it, 

you can read about it in my last post

HERE

We have no idea when 

but it is going to happen 

I'm Thankful God knows what is best for our family.

I'm Thankful He will lead us.

I"m Thankful for your prayers 

that give us the grace we need to keep looking for ways to make this work.

 Thankful we had one day that was warm enough to read books on the porch!

 Thankful for creative, silly girls that can't wait for spring, 

so they can play in the water and mud.

 Ummm, yeah, that one warm day, gave water for these Barbies and their bathtub, 

but then then the next day they were frozen 

(does this seem kind of Twilight Zoney to you?)

 Thankful this sweet little girl will be making her First Holy Communion 

this May!  

(the snow better be gone by then!)

Our parish decided to do poster paper banners instead of 

the felt ones.

I guess it saved them like 400 bucks to do it this way.

So we got a blank paper this size 

and we could do whatever we wanted to it.

 I think it turned out pretty nice, except that stupid vine thing I tried to do at the top.

 Thankful for my old, old recipe holder.

This thing is so stuffed.

What do you do with your recipes? 

Your physical recipes, the ones you can hold?

I need to do something, put them in something bigger.

Any ideas?

(I have dividers in this but you can't see them, because it is so stuffed)

 Thankful, or rather, the kids are Thankful I tried a new bar recipe.

They liked them...

 You can tell by the smile and the chocolate on her mouth!

I know, I know, this is the lazy woman's way of showing you the recipe...

Not lazy, just busy.

Yep, I like that, it's the busy woman's way of showing you a recipe.

 Thankful for my kitchen helper this week!

(he's making crepes here)

He's learned a lot since we started this kitchen helper thing

(Thanks 9peas for the idea)

 For the Feast of the Annunciation 

(when the Angel of our Lord appeared to Mary and Mary said, 

"I am the handmaid of the Lord")

Thankful for feast days and good recipes!

We made Blueberry Snack cake

It's a favorite, it tastes like blueberry muffins only in a cake pan

 (busy woman)

 Thankful we took down Little Red's crib...Oh, yes, I cried.  

Only a little.

I still rock him to sleep and tonite, 

I laid him in bed with his big big big sister.

(we actually have 2 double size beds next to each other, 

we call it "Grandma's feather bed" --you know that John Denver song, right?)

Three girls sleep there and now Little Red.

We need to start decluttering, 

so we can stage our house to sell, 

so the crib needed to go.

We figured it would be good to do it now, 

he can get used to waking up with his sisters

and then when we move, it won't be such a shock.

I have not conceived a baby in a long time,

so we have the crib in the truck ready to be donated.

Oh, my heart aches...

 Thankful we spotted the Red Fox again in our yard, we've seen her twice in the last 2 days.

A few years ago, a fox dug a den in our bank in our woods, 

so about every other year we have a fox.

She has babies and we only see her a little in the spring

Then she's gone

This is the best shot I could get of her.

 Thankful for lots of decluttering!! 

Lots of donating!!

 Thankful it's so easy when we ask the question, 

"Do we really want to move this?" 

 Thankful for grass growing in the windows...

 Thankful for a sweet sweet husband who brought me this spring cactus!!

(symbolic of Arizona, I think, don't you?)

 Thankful our piano teacher also brought me a spring plant!!  

This spring garden...It might not be spring outside yet, 

but it is in our house!

 Thankful this kid LOVES puzzles!! 

He is working on three 24 piece ones here!

 Thankful he learned how to take his clothes off.

Wait, I'm not really Thankful for that one, but it sure is cute!!

(he's running "the strip" as I call it, he starts in the living room

and runs down the hallway to the office)

(really fast!)

 Thankful for my sweet little lefty

(takes after her mama and her big brother)

Yeah, we're cool.

Told you.

Thankful for this song, you'll like it too!

Have a great weekend everyone!

50's expected here for Sunday 

and snow on Monday. 

Update!! (Finally)

First of all, 

I'd like to thank you all for praying for our family!

Your prayers have given us the grace to handle 

whatever comes our way.

I'm going to try to explain 

in simple woman's terms

(I am the simple woman)

Thanks to the new healthcare system 

that is being forced implemented, 

my husband's business and many others like it will need to sell,

find another way to do billing, or close down.

My husband runs a drug and alcohol treatment center

(halfway home)

We've known big changes were coming since last fall.

Basically, treatment centers and half way houses 

will fall into the blanket category of "Healthcare"

and will need to be billed by a "healthcare facility"

since they technically are not a "healthcare facility",

they cannot bill as such.

Let's just say that once this is all said and done

(after October 1, 2014) 

There will be a lot of people needing treatment, 

and they will not be able to get it.

Oh, as long as everyone gets "Healthcare", 

Thanks Obama.

WE HAVE BIG NEWS THOUGH!

We decided in January 

that this could be an opportunity.

An opportunity to move to a warmer climate.

We won't want to move away from our kids 

when they grow up and move out,

yet, we do not want to be shoveling snow when we are 80.

 Think yellow....

 Phoenix, Arizona has become our first choice

(thank you Deborah!)

San Antonio, Texas is our 2nd choice

(Thank you Patty and Neen for selling your state!)

I have lots of other friends in Texas, but had to keep this on the 

"Shhhhhh.....don't tell anyone yet" 

So they are the ones I asked for information about their state 

and homeschooling information, all that stuff!

1. He will look for a job
2. We will be remodeling our home and listing it as soon as we can after the business is sold.
3. We will move when the #2 and #3 are done.

Thank you for all your prayers for our family

We trust in God's will

(I will try to blog the whole process)

Love to you all

I'll post my Thankful post tonite!

(SO you can link-up)

Prayer Request!

Tom has a very important meeting today.

I am begging for prayers

for him and for our family.

This meeting has everything to do with our future.

I will try to update when I can.

Thank you so very much!

Jesus, I trust in You!

Happy Feast day!

Thankful for Everyday Life--Link-up

 OK, now about my Link-up

I'd like to do it weekly (as best I can)

I'm going to try to keep doing it Thursday's sometime, Fridays at the latest.

That gives you an idea of when to make your posts to add.

I'd also love to be able to make the above picture my "Link-up" picture

Elisa has these great tutorials,

but I get stuck about 3/4 of the way through it

I'll figure it out

(sometime)

I have plans, I have big plans!

My goal for this blog is

for everyone who comes here to remember to be Thankful 

for all the daily blessings in your own life.

I'd like you to tell me what you want it to be called:

Thankful Blessings 

Thankful Life

Thankful for Everyday Life

Thankful

Any  other ideas?

Thankful last Friday we got to meet our new Bishop!

He said Mass for our Catholic homeschool group

and afterward, a potluck lunch and question answer session for the kids.

He was in a diocese in Alaska for the last 12 years, 

his last diocese was the size of 1 1/2 Texas's

and he had to fly in to all parishes except 3.

Needless to say, he's a tough man and to hear us complain about our weather

must make him laugh inside!  

 Here's a better picture of the crowd! 

 I brought my friend Bob.

This wonderful man is 66 years old, 

he worked for 40 years washing dishes for a state college here in town

He is retied now

 and every single week day, 

he gets on a bus in the morning, 

goes to Starbucks and has breakfast, 

then on to Mass by noon 

and straight from Mass to Caribou Coffee usually for quick lunch

and then on to the Adoration chapel in town, 

where he stays til about 6:30.

This man is a saint I tell you.

He radiates joy to all with his friendly smile, waves and blessings!

So very Thankful Bob is in my life and I have the honor of knowing him!

(yes, that would be my kids running around in the background)

 Thankful they had big doors and he did not escape, as much as he tried!

 Thankful my kids have huge imaginations and can't wait til spring 

so they can make real mud pies!

These are ice pies, and I am informed that they are not as fun to make as

real mud pies

 Thankful this is my view, from inside a warm house!

(Thankful for the "inside a warm house" part not the extra 8 inches of snow we got Tuesday)

 Thankful for my weekly kitchen helpers..

(no she does not have her ears pierced, 

she hooks crucifixes to rubber bands

 and hangs it on her ears

Yes, my girls want their ears pierced!

 Thankful for St Patrick's day painting

Thankful for

 homemade Shamrock Shakes

I didn't measure, but Patty gave me the idea!

Shamrock Shakes

Vanilla ice cream

Milk

Green food coloring

Mint extract

Mix in blender!

Better than the real thing!

 Thankful for green bread!

with plenty to give away to friends!

Pistachio Sweet Bread

1 yellow cake mix
 1 pkg instant pistachio pudding
 4 eggs
1/4 cup oil
 1 cup sour cream
5-10 drops of food coloring (or more)

 Mix above well. Generously grease 2 loaf pans.
 Dust with a mixture of
 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon.
 Reserve remaining sugar mix.
 Pour batter into loaf pans.
Sprinkle remaining sugar mix on top.
 Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. (or til done)
 Remove immediately from pans and place in plastic baggies and refrigerate!

 Thankful for early risers that love to do puzzles in the  morning with mama

 Thankful for this fun birthday party we went to this past weekend!

This is my SIL Michelle, she's married to one of Tom's brothers.

Yes, she stayed up almost all night making this cake!

The whole thing is edible!!  

Isn't it cool?

(our nephew is now 3!!)

 The little kiddos got these to wear!

 They were even paid their wages with chocolate coins at the end of the party!

So cute!!

Thankful for screaming toddlers...oh, my

our house is loud.

Thankful for our beautiful view from the top of our stairs...beautiful sunset last night.

Thankful Minnesota has 40's in the forecast!


Now Link up!!
Show us your Thankfuls!! 

Thankful for Everyday Life--Link-up

 Thank You God 

for so many blessings in my life

Thankful for hovering/levitating little girls in rubber boots!

I just happen to snap the picture at the right time,

but it shows the excitement of the girls, 

they were hopping and skipping the whole way!

We finally got some warm weather!

(I know for many of you 40 degrees is not warm, but to us Minnesotans,

it's balmy!)

 Thankful for pink rubber boots

 on little boys!

The blessing of having 4 older sisters.

(I had some purple ones for my oldest son

borrowed them away and never saw them again!)

Oh, well, Little Red loved them!

 He only escaped our hands maybe 4 times!

This kid can run FAST!

Thankful  he falls easy and we can catch him!!

 Thankful for slushy walks and girls holding hands

 Thankful we've had open windows (and no bugs yet) a couple times this week!

 Thankful this sweet boy,  my new 14 year old,

is such a joy raising

 For birthdays, 

I always have (for 14 years now) 

filled the house with balloons and streamers

thinking that I'm surprising them every year.

Last year, I filled his room while he was sleeping.

This year, he told me he woke up last year when I did that.

So 

he wanted to play a game, 

if I could get the balloons in his room without him waking up,

I win.

If he would wake up, he'd win.

I won.

I rock.

 This is Brownies Jubilee (from my sister in law Kris--whose birthday is today)

Happy birthday Kris!

 This is the lazy person's way of posting a recipe.

(click on the picture to see it better!)

Thankful this easy recipe is a favorite and is requested for birthdays 

and holidays!

 Thankful when I close up on these fresh flowers in my window, 

it brings me back to summer....in my mind.

 Thankful for our unicyclist!  

Happy to be out in the warm weather!

 Thankful for cutie pies walking hand and hand......be still my heart.

 OH, happy times!!  

Don't you just want to jump in?

Why, yes, her boots were full of water afterward.

 She might have whined a little on the way home....

 but not too much!

 Thankful we can walk to piano lessons

(we are walking to pick up piano kids actually here)

Thankful Thankful

Thankful for cute little boys in sunglasses and pink rubber boots

 that insist on stopping at every crack in the road.

 Thankful for this man!

(he decided it's time to break out the shorts!)

Thankful for little shoveling boys

Oh, he's loving being able to go outside!

He's going to love this spring, it makes me so excited 

how everything is new again 

for my littles! 

 Thankful the animals are out again!!

It's been so cold this year, we've hardly seen any squirrels or birds!

This little guy visited us the other day, it's a red squirrel.

We researched him, we've not seen him looking white

(we have one red squirrel that visits all the time, we are assuming this is him)

They mulch 3 times a year.

He's mulching!! 

 Thankful for folding helpers

We have lots of socks and underwear!!

 Thankful this girl is in the choir for our Mass with our new Bishop!

We have a Mass with our new Bishop today

He's saying Mass for our Catholic homeschool group

(potluck afterward)

I'm excited to see so many families again!  

It's going to be a fun day!

I'll leave you with this selfie.

You don't want to know how many I took to finally get a half decent one.

So very Thankful for the little things

Happy weekend everyone!