Days 238, 239, 240, 241 & 242

So many things going on that I keep forgetting to keep up on this. This week was Donovan's first week of school. Monday we got to go and meet his teacher and after that he was finally excited for school! I am so thankful that he has a nice teacher and he is having fun. He is so excited to go every day and I hope that he keeps that excitement for a long time. He even has a kid in his class named Giovanni - who he refers to as big Giovanni. :)
I am thankful that my financial aid situation looks like it is finally straightened out. The school has received all the money, paid all my outstanding charges, and now I am just waiting for them to release the funds to me. Yay!
I am also thankful that today is my Friday, and with the holiday on Monday that means I will have a four day weekend. That means I will have plenty of time to get caught up on homework, and hopefully work ahead a little bit. I have been so disorganized this fall and I am looking forward to the next couple of days so I can get organized again.

Days 233, 234, 235, 236 & 237

Well, there are a couple of things I am thankful for this week. First and foremost, I am thankful I made it through the first week of classes more or less unscathed. Second, I am thankful that while I don't have my financial aid yet, I am not the only one having issues and it should get straightened out soon. Next, I am thankful that I haven't completely lost it about Donovan starting school. He doesn't seem too excited, and keeps saying he doesn't like new kids (sounds like his mom) and it takes everything I have to not tell him he can just stay home and not go to school. BUT, I know that he is going to have a great time and make some great (hopefully) new friends. Here's to hoping I can continue to hold back the tears in front of him.
Today, I am thankful for free food! We get to go to Bonefish for their practice run for brunch and I am looking forward to some good food and great conversation with a couple of dear friends - and my kids. :) Anyway, I am looking forward to this day and am also thankful for the amazingly beautiful weather we have!

Days 229, 230, 231 & 232

This past weekend I was glad for a couple of things. First I was glad that the cold I had didn't last very long. It sucked while it lasted, but I was lucky that it only lasted a couple of days. I was worried I would be sick when school started, but luckily I was almost completely better by Sunday.
Saturday I was thankful for the opportunity to see my sister, her family and my Aunt Lela. Amanda and Matt came over with Lucy to attend a wedding, so the kids and I drove to our parents to see them for a couple of hours. Even though I was still sick and had to keep my distance from Lucy, it was great to see them. Also, my Aunt Lela was heading back home the next day so I'm glad we got to see her one more time and to have some of her delicious tacos before she left.
Yesterday I was glad that we were able to make some new friends. One of Alfredo's coworkers invited us to his daughter's birthday, so we all got to go and not only did Alfredo and I find a great couple to hang out with, but all of our kids got along great! I'm glad that we found some new friends that we all can enjoy!
Today I am thankful that I am back at school. Yes, this semester is going to be tough, and yes I am still anxiously awaiting for my financial aid to go through, but with each day that passes I am one step closer to achieving my goal. I am thankful that God continues to have His hand over me and my journey and I am thankful and excited to continue on this path. I am looking forward to what this school year has in store for me!

Days 227 & 228

Yesterday I was so thankful that I found money while cleaning up in our room! It was a blessing to say the least - we are more than broke right now and every little bit is a huge help. Plus, Alfredo's dad gave me some money so I could buy Donovan some new clothes for school. I was planning on using some of my financial aid money, but since that still hasn't gone through I wasn't sure when we would be able to get him some new clothes that fit him. Thanks to our new-found money, we were able to do that today.
Today I am thankful for the extra coupon I got while shopping for Donovan. I had a coupon from online, but I also got one in-store (I love Kohl's, by the way) and because of the extra money I saved, I was also able to get Donovan his lunch box. It may not seem like much, but I have been trying very hard not to stress about my financial aid going through and to just have faith in God that He would take care of us until that happened. The little things that took place these last couple of days have just been proof to me that He is taking care of us. I know that He hasn't brought me on this journey so far to not have everything work out and I need to continue to just relax in Him and let Him worry about today. So, thank you Lord for taking care of us and providing us with the means to get most of the necessities Donovan needed to start this new stage in his life. I am still learning to give up my stress and worry and to just have faith that all will work out according to plan.

Day 226

So tonight I had orientation for Giovanni's preschool, and as I was leaving the building I was really hit for the first time by the smoke from the fire in Cle Elum. The entire horizon all around me was hazy with smoke, the smell was distinct in air, and you could see it hang in the air as you drove down the street. I started this project the beginning of the year to find one thing every single day to be thankful for. Sometimes, though it is hard for me to think of something - whether it is because nothing stood out, or I had a bad day, or whatever. However, seeing and smelling the smoke tonight and knowing that hundreds of people have lost their homes or their livelihoods because of this fire I wonder, "What the heck is my problem?" Why is it so difficult for me to recognize all my blessings every single day? How come I am so selfish that it takes the suffering of others for me to realize how wonderful my life really is? Sure, we are dead broke - we live paycheck to paycheck and we have no money for any extras - ever. BUT, I have three amazingly beautiful and healthy children who are smart and funny and fill my life with joy and laughter. I also have a wonderful husband who loves me very much and works so incredibly hard every single day to take care of us. My children are surrounded by grandparents and family who love and care for them so very much. I have a roof over my head, heat in the winter, air conditioner in the summer, food to eat, clothes to wear, a car to drive. I am able to go to school to pursue a career that I love, and I have a wonderful part-time job where I get to teach kids to do new things.
The fire that is devestating the area not far from our home is a stark reminder that everything I have could be taken away in an instant. It is a humbling thought. What makes me so special that I still have everything that I do, while others now have nothing but their lives? Why is that not me? Why after all this time is it still so hard for me to relax and trust that God will always provide for me everything I need? When will I finally learn to be satisfied with what I already have and not worry about what tomorrow may - or may not - bring? It is so easy to get caught up in the logistics of living day to day, and forget about the big picture of what really matters. I hope that I can learn to take an honest look at my life and recognize everything that I have. I am so very blessed and I want to be able to find joy in my circumstance and appreciate all that God has entrusted me with. I hope that God will forgive my selfish heart and help me to learn to make the most of what He has already given me.

Days 223, 224 & 225

Saturday I was thankful for our air conditioner. Alfredo found one at a yard sale on Friday and it fit in our little window perfectly. It has made a HUGE difference and I am so thankful for it. Even though summer is almost over this year, it will be wonderful to have for next summer!
Yesterday I was thankful that Alfredo was able to go to church with us. With his new schedule, he has been working every Sunday morning, so I have had to take the kids to church myself. They make that pretty challenging sometimes, plus I hate sitting in church by myself. It was wonderful having Alfredo there yesterday. I wish he could have Sundays off more often.
Today I am thankful that we were able to get quite a bit of our room organized. This is a project I have been wanting to tackle for awhile, but it is a little more difficult when you have little ones getting into everything. With Alfredo helping today, we were able to get quite a bit accomplished. We still have a long ways to go, but it was nice to make some progress today.

Day 222

Today I am thankful that our encounter with the yellow jacket didn't turn out as bad as it could have. The family came with me up to WSU so I could turn in some paperwork. We took the kids out behind the buildings so they could play, and as we were coming in, a yellow jacket attacked and stung poor Adelin. Alfredo picked her up and it kept coming after them, swarming around them and wouldn't leave them alone. Poor Adelin was crying so hard, she was obviously in so much pain. We finally got the thing to go away - I think Alfredo killed it - and took Adelin inside. She had a bloody spot on her nose, and her cheek was red and slightly swollen. It was so sad. However, after all of that, I have to say that I am so thankful that she only got stung once, that she is not allergic, and that Alfredo didn't get stung at all - because he IS allergic. Thank you God for looking after my baby today and letting her incident only be a minor one. I'm glad that she is still too young to remember this. I know that she was in so much pain for a couple of hours after - thankfully it is all just ancient history already.

Days 219, 220 & 221

Tuesday I was thankful that Alfredo started his vacation. It will be nice to have him home for the next week. Maybe I can get some stuff done before school starts. Although for two of the three days he's had off so far, he has had to go in to work to do orders. I thought vacation meant NO work - oh well, I guess I'll take what I can get.
Yesterday I was thankful for our safe and fun trip to Silverwood. It was the kids' first time and they all had a lot of fun. I am really impressed with the lack of fear my kids showed in going on rides. Donovan wanted to go on almost everything, and with the exception of the roller coaster he went on, he was not scared of anything! Next year, we are planning a two-day trip so we can spend one day on the rides and one day in the water. That way we can do everything we want to do and not have to rush. And I can actually go on more than one ride. :)
Today I am thankful for the scholarship I got offered out of the blue. I got a call from a lady at WSU and she asked me if I wanted a scholarship for this year. Um, sure! I just have to get my paperwork handed in to her tomorrow, and go to a breakfast next Friday for the recipients. Yeah, I'll take money for going to a free breakfast. :)That was definitely a nice, unexpected little surprise. Thank God, because the more money I can get in scholarships, the less money I have to pay back later.

Day 218

Today was H-O-T! For this reason, today I am thankful for air conditioning. Plain and simple. I'm thankful for the air conditioning in the house, and in the van. I cannot imagine having to go through today without it. I and my poor babies would have melted. So, today I am thanking the Lord Almighty for allowing me to live in a house with air conditioning, and for providing us with electricity so we can use it! Thank you, Jesus!

Days 216 & 217

Yesterday I was thankful that my mom and aunt were able to stop by and visit for awhile. It was great seeing them, and I enjoyed hanging out with them - I know the kids did too (minus Donovan, who had gone to a party). I haven't seen my aunt since last year, and she is over visiting for a couple weeks - so I am really happy we got to spend some time together yesterday. I miss her and wish she lived closer so we could see her more often.
Today I am thankful for being able to sleep in. I had every intention of going to church today, but Adelin wouldn't sleep very well last night, so I decided we would skip it. I ended up getting to sleep until 9:30 which was AMAZING. Never would I ever have thought I would consider getting up and 9:30 sleeping in - but thanks to my children I do! I loved it and am hoping I can do it again a couple more times before school starts.

Day 215

I am thankful that I gave birth to three little readers. I enjoy the time we all spend together before bedtime reading stories. Adelin stands up and watches from her crib, Giovanni repeats every word I read, and Donovan is following along and paying attention to everything. It makes me happy that we can share this love of reading and I am glad to know that they are all starting off on the right foot and will hopefully carry this love of books throughout their entire lives.

Days 211, 212, 213 & 214

I'm thankful that Alfredo had a safe trip to and from Kansas this weekend. I'm bummed that I wasn't with him for his first airplane ride - but I'm glad he had fun anyway.
This week I am thankful that I got everything straightened out for my final paper in my class. I was able to turn everything in, and got my grade back up to an A-. Yay!
I'm glad that we are close to our library and the kids and I are able to get over there at least once a week so they can play and check out books.
I'm also glad that Giovanni has been sleeping MUCH better. He rarely wakes up crying at night anymore and has had several nights in a row where he slept all night long. It has been wonderful. Now if only I can get Adelin to sleep all night, we'll be set!