Day 31

Today I am grateful that we have vehicles to get us everywhere we need to go. Thankfully we kept my awesome Neon when we got our van, because Alfredo's car has been on the disabled list for awhile now. I don't know what we would do with only one car. With all the trips from Pasco to Richland, back to Pasco, back to the very far edge of Richland, back to Pasco, then out to Finley, and finally back to Pasco, I can't even imagine trying to do that if we had to coordinate rides, or take the bus. So, I am so grateful for our cars and van to get us back and forth from where we need to go. Without them, we would be lost.

Day 29 & 30

I ran out of time (again) yesterday - so we're getting a 2fer today as well. Yesterday I am grateful for the time I get to spend with my husband and kids. Adelin turned 9 months old yesterday, and I see so much of her brothers and her fathers in her. I'm so thankful for my beautiful family and I cherish the time we get to spend together. We don't have to do much, but being able to have a nice, quiet afternoon together with them reminds me how blessed I am to have such an amazing family.

Today, I am thankful for my one-of-a-kind mother. Today is her birthday, and it is a wonderful reminder of the obstacles she has faced, and the odds she has defied. We are doubly blessed to still have her here and I'm extremely grateful that my babies have the opportunity to get to know her. I hope that she always knows how much she means to me, and I hope that I will never take the time I get with her for granted. I know there are many who no longer have one, or both, parents in their lives, and I count myself lucky to have her. I love you Mom, and hope that you always know how much you mean to me and my family. I hope you had a wonderful birthday, and here is to many, many more.

Day 28

I got home late last night, so I'm posting yesterday's thanfulness today. Yesterday the kids and I went up to my parents' house for our family Christmas get-together. It was amazing to get to see some family that I don't get to see that often, and the boys had a blast playing and running around. I am so thankful that I get the opportunity to see my family - even if it is only every few months or so. I'm grateful that my kids get to live fairly close to relatives that love and cherish them, and they get the opportunity to get to know their grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. My family may be a little crazy sometimes, but I love them all dearly and am grateful I got the opportunity to visit yesterday.

Day 27

Today I am thankful for the simple fact that I found my keys. Nothing is as nerve-wracking as not being able to find something that is so important as all your keys. I looked and looked everywhere I could think to look and I could not find them anywhere. I went back and looked again in places I had already covered and found them somewhere I had looked twice before. Regardless, I'm glad I found them before I drove myself crazy.

Day 25 & 26

So, I ran out of time yesterday to post the thing I am thankful for, so I will do it today along with today's thing. Yesterday I was thankful for playdates. Yes, 5 kids ranging in ages from 4 yrs to 9 mos is a little chaotic sometimes, but it's good for them and it's good for the mommies. I enjoy the time I get to visit with my friend, Kriste - when we can get a word in. I'm glad that our kids get a chance to know each other, and I finally get to spend time with her sweet babies. I hope that we have many more years of many more playdates ahead of us.

Today, I'm thankful that the snow is finally going away. It was pretty for about 5 minutes, then I was ready for it to leave. I was tired of the ice and then the slush and I was so happy to wake up this morning to sunshine and grass. Here's to hoping that once it leaves, it will stay away for a long time.

Day 24

Adelin had her 9 month check-up yesterday, and I am again extremely grateful that all my children are happy and healthy. We have been so blessed to have three amazingly beautiful children and I am beyond grateful for that. Especially with the minor scare with Giovanni when one of my prenatal tests came back positive for neural tube defects. I remember trying so hard not to stress out about it, but being so scared that something might be wrong. It was over two weeks of agony from when we got the test results to when we went in for an ultrasound with a high-risk OB/GYN. Luckily, all was fine with him - not counting his intense stubbornness! I am so grateful for my healthy babies and I count them as three of my biggest blessings every single day.

Day 23

Today I am thankful that I got to spend a couple hours visiting with a dear friend. I haven't been able to hang out with my friend Kristi since my birthday, but this evening we got to go out to dinner and visit for a solid 3 hours. It was wonderful, and I wish we had the opportunity to see each other more often, but I'm glad we've remained friends over the past 8 years. Thanks for hanging out with me tonight, Kristi, and I hope you have a wonderful birthday this Friday!

Day 22

Today I am thankful for one of the simple joys in life: doing puzzles with my husband. I remember working on puzzles with him when I was pregnant with Donovan and how hard it was cause my belly kept getting in the way! It's been a long time since we've had the opportunity to work on a puzzle together, but today we got the chance. Yeah, we may not be the most exciting people in the world - but we did put the entire puzzle together in just a couple of hours. We rock.

Day 21

Today was a pretty low-key day. I like days like this, but it makes it a little more difficult to single out one thing that I am thankful for. However, after two solid days of snow and freezing rain, I am grateful that we got a beautiful, sunny day. I know it will all freeze tonight, but it was nice to get a reminder that the sun is still out there.

Day 20

It is the day after our snowstorm and the world is covered in a layer of snow and ice. I am thankful that God has kept us all safe in our travels to school and work. I am also extremely grateful that we have not lost our power or our heat. It would be horrible to be stuck in a cold house with our three young kids, so thank you God for keeping us warm and safe.

Day 19

Last night was a rough one for my kids. The boys each took turns having really bad coughing fits, Adelin woke up with her runny nose, and I think I was awake more than I was asleep. Luckily, all of them woke up feeling much better and I am glad that it seems like they are all on the mend. Donovan and Giovanni both still have a lingering cough, and Adelin is still a little stuffy, but they are definitely better. I am thankful today that my kids are generally pretty healthy, and we don't have to worry about recurring health problems or trips to the hospital. I am grateful I have three children who are happy and healthy, and I hope they stay that way for a long time.

Day 18

Today with our wintery weather, I am thankful that I was safe in my journey to and from school. I'm also thankful that I have a nice, warm home to come back to. It is truly a blessing to have a place that allows me to get in from the cold. Unfortunately, there are far too many people who can't say the same thing.

Day 17

So, today I was sitting in my developmental psychology class, and we were talking about the various stages in life and how when one reaches young adult hood, that is the time they generally look for their partner in life. Someone they can depend on and be intimate with, but how you can't really attain true intimacy with someone until you really have figured out your own identity. It made me think of my life and all the ups and downs I've been through. I have been deceived, disrespected, and mistreated in the past, but it wasn't until I really figured out who I was that I found my true love. I am so grateful to have found Alfredo. He has been such an amazing partner to me and I am beyond happy that he is a part of my life. I think about myself and how I am not really working much in order to go to school full-time and how he has given me the sense of security to know that I will be ok doing that. I don't have to worry about him leaving me to fend for myself - I know I have his support and I am so incredibly grateful for the sense of stability that allows me to devote the majority of my time to my schooling. Thank you so much, mi amor for being my Prince Charming and loving me and letting me take these few years to get the education I need to help provide a better life for us and our children. I love you!

Day 16

It's late so I'll keep this one short - I'm glad we had a good couple of days traveling around. I'm grateful God kept us safe, and we made it back home with no problems.

Day 15

Today I am thankful that my husband loves going on spur-of-the-moment trips as much as I do. Sometimes there is nothing I love better than to just get up and hit the road. And that is exactly what we did today. We got home from church and had the urge to go somewhere, so we packed the kids up and took them on a little road trip. We drove down to Sam Hill's Stonehenge and let the kids run around a little bit. It was a bit cold, but it was still pretty and a nice change of scenery. We will definitely be going back when it's warmer, so the kids can enjoy it for a little while longer. We crossed the river and drove back home on the Oregon side and got back home around 7:00pm. It was a perfect little excursion, and I'm so grateful we were able to get out of the house and see some beautiful sights today.

Day 14

Today, I found something to be thankful for at bedtime. I am thankful that Alfredo is here so I don't have to deal with getting the monkeys to bed. It is one of my least favorite times of day because it is normally about a 2 hour struggle getting the boys to stay in bed. Tonight, however, Alfredo is home and I have delegated the responsibility to him. Amazing how much more smoothly tonight has gone. I am one happy lady. Thanks, Baby!

Day 13

Today was my first time getting up in front of my speech class, so today I am thankful for the years and years of experience I have standing in front of people and speaking/singing/performing. It didn't take away all the nerves - but it definitely helped. Since our assignment was to introduce our partner to the class, I'm also thankful that my partner went first, because this whole time I thought her name was Sonia, and it was actually Sofia. That would have been embarassing! Sorry, Sofia!

Day 12

Today was just a typical day, and I was having finding anything that stuck out at me to be grateful for. That is until I got my printer working again. It seems weird to be thankful for something as little as my wireless printer working, but as someone who is extremely intimidated by computers and technology, I get easily frustrated when things aren't working properly. For some reason, last night my wireless printer would not sync up with my computer. I tried everything I could think of and even removed and reinstalled the printer a couple of times. I finally gave up last night, and tonight decided to try it again. This time it finally worked and I can use it wirelessly again! It seems petty, I know, but it makes my life so much easier not having to hook my computer up to the printer in order to print. I can stay where my kids are, and not be tethered to the desk. I consider it nothing short of a miracle that it is working and am very grateful for it!

Day 11

Today is the second day of the juice fast I am doing with my husband. And today, I am thankful for him. He is my strength when I want to give up and he keeps me going when I want to quit. He is my partner and my best friend. And even though yesterday I probably would have sold him for a cup of coffee and a bagel, today I am grateful I have him in my life. I love you Alfredo! Thanks for being there and looking out for me!

Day 10

Today, I am so thankful for my bed. My wonderful, welcoming bed. I'm not there right now, and I wish I could be. I am at school, in between my second of three classes. I am so tired right now, but I have to make it through one more class, then I can go home, hurry and feed Adelin, and rush out to the middle school for a couple of hours. I love you bed. And I miss you. I will be thinking of you until I see you again.

Day 9

Today is my first day back to school after Christmas Break, and today I am thankful for financial aid!!! I am well aware that a lot of my aid is in the form of student loans, and I will be paying those back some day, but I am thankful nonetheless. My loans along with other grants and financial aid, have allowed me to return to school instead of plugging along in a dead-end retail job. I am so grateful for the opportunity afforded to me because there is no way we could financially handle me returning to school full-time without the help. So, thank you federal financial aid for all the help. I literally couldn't be in school without you!

Day 8

Today was my first time back in church since Christmas Eve and I am so thankful today for the amazing church family I found. When you grow up going to the same church, you become a family with the rest of the congregation. Moving on, and trying to find a new church home is difficult because you always are looking for the same kind of family you left behind. That is why I am so happy we found the Cathedral of Joy. This church has always been welcoming and kind, and they have always had a heart for reaching out to others in need. I love the spirit of our church and am excited at the thought of our kids being able to grow up there. Even though it is a larger church, and we haven't had the opportunity to get to know many other church goers on a personal level, I have always felt like I belonged. Thank you, God for leading us to this place, and I hope that you continue to move in our hearts as we continue on with our wonderful church.

Day 7

Today, after years of working in retail, I am happy to finally have Saturdays off. Just a nice, quiet day to spend with my kids. The only thing that would make it better would be if Alfredo were home. Granted, having days off during the week makes it easier to get errands done and make appointments, but after all the weekends I've given up for my jobs - it is the principle of the matter. I am happy that with my new career choice, I will have weekends off for the rest of my life. Hooray for Saturdays!

Day 6

So, today is my first "thing" I am grateful for, and that is my laptop. I am so happy I was able to buy one this past fall and I don't know what I did without it. Because I have my laptop I am able to work on homework while I'm waiting for Donovan to get out of school, and I can get on it without having to sit in the bedroom. This way I can keep an eye on the kids and get stuff accomplished. Oh - I'm also thankful for wireless internet and our wireless printer too! I absolutely LOVE my computer and am happy I was able to use some of my financial aid money to purchase one. It has made my life - both at home and at school - much easier.

Day 5

Today I am thankful for my amazing friends. I have had a chance to reconnect with friends that have moved away and returned and I am so happy to have each of them in my life, in addition to the friends that have stayed nearby. I am blessed to have several wonderful people in my life who have continued to stay in touch with me over the years. I know that with our busy lives, it can be difficult to maintain friendships and find the time needed to devote to the people in your life. However, good friends are very hard to find and I am extremely grateful for the ones I have. I will do my best to never take them for granted and cherish each one and their unique qualities that make them special to me.

Day 4

Today I picked up yet another box of clothes for my kids from a friend. I am thankful for people who are willing to share their blessings with me. We all could use a helping hand sometimes and I'm grateful there are people willing to share the love. It's up to me now to continue the sharing and pass on what I am not using to someone who can. Thanks, Brenda for continuing to think of me and my kiddos. I really appreciate it.

Day 3

Today was my first day back to work at the middle school. I am thankful that even though it is super part-time, I still have a job. I love my job and it is refreshing to be able to do something I enjoy with people I like. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to work where I do.

Day 2

So, today was Donovan's first day back at preschool. I am grateful that we have found a great school that he loves, and that we were able to get a scholarship for him this year. We never would have been able to afford for him to continue there this school year without it. I am thankful for the opportunities we are able to provide for our children - however small they may be.

The Challenge Begins!

Today is the start of a new year, and the beginning of my resolution to find something everyday to be grateful for. I am determined to count my blessings as a reminder of how lucky I really am. I don't know if it is because of or in spite of this decision, but I definitely woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I have had such a bad attitude today that it would be easy to wallow in my poor spirits and dwell on everything that is bothering me. Instead, I think it is an even better reason to plow through with my resolution and find the blessing in today. So, I'm starting simple and am thankful that I have today. Today is a day of living, breathing, and being with my family. It is a day of new beginnings, a day to decide how I am going to face this year. I'm grateful for the opportunity to make this year what I want it to be.