Day 115: Solid

Kids grow up so quickly. Really, they do. I tend to find myself feeling nostalgic on occasion about Nico and Sofia. Those moments are nice but I also enjoy the moments of anticipation when we are on the cusp of major developmental changes. One biggy we are about to fully move to with Nico is eating nothing but solid food. Normal, human, non-mushy solid food! I can't even begin to tell you how thrilled I am about this. (My checking account maybe even more!) Eating "real" food means so much more than independence...it's family dinners with all four of us at the same table. There's no coincidence in this timing of development. Chris's project is winding down and he will be home soon. God has a plan: a plan that will reunite us as a family around an evening table together all eating the SAME food.

And for this, I am thankful!

Day 114: Perfect Park

Today we spent several hours at a local Park in Aspen that we didn't even know existed until our neighbor told us about it. It was the cutest and most ideal little space to spend an afternoon as a family with our friends. The Roaring Fork River wound through one section and was shallow enough for the kids and dogs to dip their toes. The adults were total wusses when it came to withstanding the temps of the cold mountain water. :)

We ate, laughed and played in such a way that it felt like we could live in this temporary fantasy world of perfection forever. A perfect park on a perfect day...for this, I am thankful.

Day 113: Sun Beams

Today I sat in the sun on the front patio and stared into the sky. The sun felt sooooooo good and warm. The breeze was perfect and the clouds served more as decoration than shade from the sun's rays. It was simply delightful. My skin is warm and has color. 

Summer is near and for this, I am thankful.

Day 112: Shortcut

With the close of the snowy season, many CO highways reopen. My favorite is Independence Pass (see the pic I took along the banner of this site) not just for it's beauty but also for it's shortcut path to Aspen. 45 minutes less in the car is definitely something to be thankful for!

Day 112: Proud Sissy

My sister laid it all out on the line today as she taught a sample lesson to a 3rd grade class for a job interview. It's not at all easy being a teacher right now with all the cuts taking place. But Kristen is an absolute genius in the classroom and any school who hires her will be more than lucky.

Kristen rarely calls me by name. So, tonight, in her honor, I am her proud "Sissy". To be proud of one's sibling is a honorable thing. In the case if my little sis, it's easy to to do. And for this, I am thankful.

Day 111: Love, Forgiveness and DVR

I couldn't WAIT to watch the season finale of American Idol tonight. But, I couldn't watch it live. Thank goodness for DVR!  So, after putting the kids to bed and cleaning up the house, I nestled up in my bed, remote in hand and got down to some serious AI watching. I was so excited to find out who the winner was going to be!!

And then the phone rang.

Let me just say that tonight, I have a husband who is very thankful for my unconditional love and I am thankful for the ability to forgive. :)

Day 110: Blinking Lights

We have had tons of rain lately. I love, love, love it. However, with rain comes wind and storms and power outages. As I drove to get Sofia from school today, traffic lights were blinking at nearly every intersection. At first I was irritated that my drive was significantly slowed. But I turned on my radio slid back in my seat and just watched the rain fall. I eventually made it to Sofia's school and home...calm and on nature's time. It was a nice way to ease into the evening. And for this, I am thankful.

Day 109: Monday Monday

...is done. It's going to be a ridiculously crazy week and today, I am simply thankful that I am one day closer to the end of it. That's allowed, right?

Day 108: A Room With A View

I get frustrated sometimes with the small living quarters that city dwelling brings. However, on those evenings when the sun is just so and the breeze is just right, I can't help but glance to the west. Our place may be small but the view is magnificent. And for this, I am thankful.

Day 107: Not So Judgement Day

Well, the world didn't end today. Shocker. I suppose I officially need to get my bod into shape for bathing suit season now. :)

Just kidding.

I had no doubt that all the hype was just that: hype. Regardless, it did cause me to pause and reflect on how blessed I am to have such an incredible family and loving friends. I feel God's presence daily and know that my walk with Him has led me through this amazing life. He is good! And for this, I am eternally thankful!

Amen.

Day 106: Crafty

One of the things that I've always appreciated about my dad is how he taught my sister and I to make nearly anything from minimal supplies. This has come extremely handy in the world of education where funds are scarce. Tonight, we had our eighth grade formal dinner and dance and the theme was Caribbean Nights. One of the things I really wanted to do was make palm trees. But in the months prior to the event, I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to pull it off. That is, until I walked into the gym one day and the volleyball nets were set up....

Here was my final result: $35 in butcher paper, packaging tape, hangers and volleyball posts! It made for the perfect Caribbean Night! :) And for this, I am thankful.

Day 105: Blast From The Past

Today, I helped chaperone a group of 7th and 8th grade band students to a competition held at Denver's amusement park, Elitch Gardens. After successfully shuffling 60 kids and their instruments through security and the entrance gates to the park, I looked up to find a sea of former students - all seniors, celebrating their last day of high school with their classmates and teachers. All throughout the day, former students shared hugs, smiles and stories. It was awesome. It really is an honor to have been a part of so many young lives. And for this, I am thankful!

Day 104: Amazed

Tonight I heard the song "Amazed" by Lonestar while watching American Idol and I forgot how much I loved that song. It immediately brought back memories from the early days of Chris and I. I liked that. :)

Memories of early love are good. And for this, I am thankful.

Sophomore Year of College, 2000

Day 103: Stretched

Today, while I was in a meeting, I was asked to step out three different times for three different reasons. I was beyond frustrated. Sooooo much is going on and saying that I'm stretched thin is an understatement. But when I stopped to think about it all, I realized that it's nice to be needed. It's nice to know that people feel comfortable to ask me questions and confident that I can help them solve their problems. Despite my frustrations and fatigue, I will always be thankful for this.

Day 102: Somersaults

Tonight, while Skyping with Chris, Sofia wanted to show her daddy how she was learning to skip. Scooting back across the living room, we took form and began step-hopping through the room. Lots of laughter, not so much skipping. :) Her effort was valiant though!

Somehow, the skipping turned into somersaults. When Chris challenged me to a backwards somersault there was no backing down. I was up to the challenge.

And, oh yes, I OWNED it! :)

I'm 30 years old and still roll around on the floor. For this, I am thankful.

Day 101: A Little FaceTime

After waiting for years (no exaggeration), my time finally came....I got an iPhone. Woo hoo! My upgrade from Verizon came through just in time for Mother's Day and I took FULL advantage. :) I could go on for hours about how incredible this little computer disguised as a phone is, but I'll spare you. I will tell you, however, one of my favorite things is it's ability to call with video. It's like Skype but cooler because you're not tethered to one spot with your computer. This weekend, we chatted with my step-dad, mom and in-laws with FaceTime. The kids were able to be interactive and it provided a whole new feeling of being connected.

Despite distance, it is still possible for our kids to be actively involved in the lives of our families. And for this, I am thankful.

Day 100: Commitment

I have written in this space now for 100 consecutive days! I'm not quite sure I have ever done something with this much consistency in my entire life. I'm learning a lot about myself on this journey of thankfulness; namely that the little things from day to day are sometimes the most meaningful. I know that I am growing and healing through this process of daily reflection which is proving to be priceless.

Today, I am thankful for the number 100 for it now has an entirely new meaning in my life: commitment.

Day 99: "Our Talk"

If there is one thing that I appreciate about being a parent with Chris it's that he always provides a united front with me. So, after having a really difficult week of bedtime with Sofia, I was glad to have some reinforcement when he arrived home tonight. Within ten minutes of walking through the door, he and Sofia were sitting in the chair having a little chat. It was all very positive and reflective and Sofia genuinely seemed to be responsive to the conversation. But when Chris began to repeat some of his earlier points, Sofia interrupted him to say, "Dad, didn't we already do our talk?"

United fronts and a priceless response...for this, I am thankful.

Day 98: Tantrums

Blogger was down for this day but tantrums were not.

I was DEFINITELY thankful that these are not a regular occurrence in our house!!

Day 97: Surpise!

It feels good to do things for other people. Tonight, I helped throw a surprise baby shower for my dear friend and neighbor, April. For a lot of the party, I just watched and enjoyed having my home filled with friends, kids and laughter. It was really special to be part of it all. But most of all, it was wonderful to see my friend genuinely happy and relaxed before her new little baby arrives on Monday. And for this, I am thankful.

Day 96: New Phase

Tonight while I had dinner with some girlfriends and our kids, we were reminiscing about what our dinners and happy hours used to be like -- much different than the current state. As children laughed, screamed, cried and cooed in the background we couldn't help but laugh at where are lives are now.

It was a good moment. No, a great moment. And for this, I am thankful.

Day 95: Swamped

My mind feels like it is on fire. With so much going on at home and work, I feel like I can hardly see straight sometimes. But right now, I have discovered that being busy is what I need. It makes the time pass quickly. It keeps me focused. It forces me to go to bed at a decent time.

I'm on the home stretch of the school year and of Chris's absence.

I can do this.

I am swamped. And for this, I am thankful.

Day 94: Mother's Day

Today was absolutely lovely. Chris and Sofia made me an awesome french toast breakfast, we played outside, I snuggled with my kids and ended the day with dinner at one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants. A girl can't ask for much more. I am so thankful for having a day that was simple and filled with love.

Happy Mother's Day to our mothers, grandmothers, family and friends who have inspired us in ways that only mothers can. :) We are eternally grateful for your love and support!

Day 93: Date Night

'Nuf said.

Day 92: Resilience

Today,both of my kids showed tremendous resilience. How this is possible at such a young age is beyond me.

Nico's surgery was a complete success today and he was such a champ! He came out of anesthesia without a single issue and was flirting with the nurses within moments (so, I'm told by Chris). He was calm and happy all afternoon, not skipping a beat from his normal routine. By the end of the day, we had him in the stroller and were on the way to the park to have a picnic dinner with our neighbors.

This morning, while Nico was in surgery and I was doing two different presentations at work, Sofia's school hosted a Mother's Day breakfast. April "adopted" Sofia for the morning so she wouldn't feel out of place, which I was so appreciative of. When we picked Sofia up from school, she hadn't skipped a beat either. I told her how sorry I was that I couldn't share the special breakfast with her, she simply responded with, "It's okay, Mom. You had work that was very important! I was just fine!"

These two little people are so incredible. I pray with all my heart that they are able to continue tackling life's obstacles with the outlook and ease they do now. Rubber, these kids are. And for this, I am thankful.

Day 91: Jingle Jingle

When I hear the distinctive sound of Layla's collar, it means that Chris is on the stairs right behind her. It's been a long two weeks and I am BEYOND thankful that he is home.

Day 90: Noteworthy

Every once in a while, Sofia says something that just melts my heart. Today, when I picked her up from school, she ran up to me with a piece of paper she had drawn all over and said, "This is for you, Mom. Happy Mother Goose Day!"

I knew what she meant. :) And it is these kinds of moments for which I am thankful.

Day 89: Pity Party

Everyone needs a good pity party now and again. Lord knows I've certainly had my fair share over the last few days...damn HGTV! But when the clouds clear and the sun begins to shine again, I always remember how lucky I really am.

So today, I'm thankful for sunny skies and a healthy dose of counting my blessings.

Day 88: Moment of Triumph

I felt like Mother of the Year today. Well, for two hours at least. By the grace of God, both of my children napped at the same time. In an early morning twist, our nanny called in sick. Not a problem at all, it just meant me staying home with both kids instead of taking Sofia into work.

So, after three solid days of sick kids, I was more than thrilled to have two hours to myself this afternoon. I celebrated by watching  The King's Speech (completely delightful if you haven't seen it) and enjoyed every second of it.

A quiet afternoon, a triumphant moment of motherhood, and a good flick...for this, I am thankful.

Day 87: Lazy Nurse Mommy

It is seriously going to be a miracle when we our family is able to go for more than a week at a time without ear infections, barfing, colds, flu, or some other form of disgusting bacteria taking over our lives.

I am beyond sick of it all. No pun intended.

Thus, this morning when Sofia woke up with a fever of 102 and Nico was tugging at his ears constantly, I officially hit the wall o' over it. I responded in part by deciding that Sofia, Nico and I would stay in our pajamas all day. And when I say "all day" I mean, rolled out of bed and set Sofia up on the couch, played on the floor with Nico, made breakfast and lunch, napped, cleaned and then around 7pm changed into a NEW pair of pajamas. All day.

I really feel bad for my kiddos but am thankful we were able to have a day that wasn't filled with schedules and time constraints. Yay for pajamas!

Day 86: Countdown

It's official: 6 days until Nico's surgery. A healthy baby and full nights of sleep are so close I can almost feel it!

Thank the Lord.