All kinds of cheese.

March 31, 2019
Day 914

Thankful for:

Sundays where I get to cook and eat good food.

cheese.

all kinds of cheese.

wine.

dinner with good friends.

homemade ice cream.

nights spent in bed with my husband.

Days spent entirely at home.

March 30, 2019
Day 913

Thankful for:

days spent entirely at home.

days when I don't have to drive anywhere at all.

wind in the trees.

the big bed to myself.

Saturdays.

tea and cookies.

Friday night fire pit nights.

March 29, 2019
Day 912

Thankful for:

Friday nights.

fire pits.

hot dogs roasted over the fire pit for dinner.

smores.

beer.

a lovely evening at home in the woods.

my husband.

my children.

my dog.

spider eyes at night.

the crunch of gravel under my feet.

Thursday Nights.

March 28, 2019
Day 911

Thankful for:

Thursday nights.

things to be thankful for.

time to lay in bed and sleep.

the smell of Higbee.

the brown of his eyes.

Thankful for days.

March 27, 2019
Day 910

     Thankful that even if today wasn't perfect, I can start over tomorrow morning. I'm thankful that with each new morning, comes new opportunities to do things right. With each new morning comes new opportunities to do things better than before. With each new morning comes new opportunities to make my life whatever I want to make it. Tomorrow, I can decide to be a runner. I can decide to be a better wife and mother and daughter and sister. I can decide to be a better teacher than I was today. I can decide to be a better person than I was today. It's a good feeling knowing that with the dawn of a new day tomorrow, it truly is a new day. And I can make it whatever I want to make it.

     I'm going to make it a good one.

     Thankful for days.

Chocolate Cake

March 26, 2019
Day 909

Thankful for:

blueberries

strawberries

oatmeal in the morning

coffee and cream

tea

chocolate cake and ice cream

Matt's mom's birthday

chicken curry for dinner

rice with lots of gravy on it

the feeling of getting things done

tomorrow is Wednesday

cool air

blue sky

flowers blooming

flowers on my windowsill

Higbee running in the backyard

kisses from my baby and my husband

Coffee and cream.

March 25, 2019
Day 908

Thankful for:

Mondays.

The feeling of a new week ahead of me.

dinner in the instant pot.

venison.

my "home" clothes. When I come home, I change into clothes that I would never want anyone to see me in. They are ugly, but they are comfortable.

coffee and cream. It's bitter and it's creamy, and it's delicious.

the sound of Higbee chewing on his antler in bed.

showers in the morning.

hugs and kisses from my babies.

The feeling of Sunday mornings.

March 24, 2019
Day 907

Thankful for:

Sundays with family.

a fun time at an escape room with Matt's mom, Steph, Mario, and Matt.

spending time at Patty's.

the feeling of Sunday mornings.

time to lay in bed and watch Seinfeld. 

hot tea.

ice cream.

the sound of Higbee breathing in my bed.

the sound of the wind blowing through the trees in our forest.

It was a grand day.

March 23, 2019
Day 906

     Thankful for a lovely day at home with my family. Matt, the kids, and I went to Home Depot to get some stuff for the house. Then we came home and pulled old bushes and cleaned up the front of our house. We spent the entire day outside, and it was lovely. We got dirty. We dug in the dirt. We planted lavender. The air was so crisp and clear and cool. The sky was blue. The trees looked happy. It was a grand day. Thankful for it.

Lemons and Limes.

March 22, 2019
Day 905

Thankful for:

-Luray Caverns.

-the drive through the mountains.

-the sky.

-clouds.

-Seinfeld. 

-mugs with tea and honey.

-lemons and limes.

-apples with almond butter.

-phone calls with my family.

Rocks.

March 21, 2019
Day 904

Thankful for:

Thursday mornings.

the weekend is so much closer.

I have a field trip to Luray Caverns tomorrow with my students.

I love the drive to Luray Caverns. It's so beautiful.

rocks.

Seinfeld.

time to lay in bed and relax.

Things to be thankful for.

March 20, 2019
Day 903

Thankful for:

...recess time. I love to sit and talk with my friend, Heidi.

...lunch time.

...kisses from Tobin at school.

...hugs from Adelyn at school.

...evenings at home with my family.

...Seinfeld.

...the weekend is coming.

...the library.

...Wonderful Reading Wednesdays with my students.

...The Phantom Tollbooth. 

...things to be be thankful for.

Math Club.

March 19, 2019
Day 902

Thankful for:

math club.

students excited for math club.

a day called Tuesdays.

cool weather.

the drive to my house.

the driveway up to our home.

our home.

my family.

New days every day.

March 18, 2019
Day 901

Thankful for:

new days every day.

100 days until summer vacation.

time to sleep.

my children.

my husband.

my parents.

Seinfeld.

time to hold Adelyn and Tobin.

time to read.

Corned Beef and Cabbage.

March 17, 2019
Day 900

Thankful for:

corned beef and cabbage and potatoes.

Irish soda bread.

Guiness.

freshly baked cookies and ice cream.

time with family.

time to sleep.

Family Dance.

March 16, 2019
Day 899

Thankful for:

a successful family dance at school.

a fun night with family.

a long drive with my husband.

burgers with cheese and bacon.

time to lay in bed and sleep.

a great Saturday.

Long baths.

March 15, 2019
Day 898

Thankful for:

long baths.

time to lay in my bed.

the smell of my house.

the smell of my bed.

the feel of Higbee's fur under my hands.

the way it feels on a Friday night before a weekend.

Allergy Medication.

March 14, 2019
Day 897

     Thankful for allergy medication; for Tobin and for Higbee. Thankful for relief for poor Higbee boy. Thankful for a great visit to a new veterinarian. Thankful for the wind. Thankful for a lovely day. Thankful that more lovely days are coming. Thankful for a fun day Saturday coming up. Thankful for a successful day. Thankful for completed work and things crossed off checklists. Thankful for time to rest now. I'm tired, and I can't wait to rest.

These are the days that matter.

March 13, 2019
Day 896

     It is on days like these, where my brain is foggy, when I'm so exhausted, when I just don't feel like I can make it another step that I question what exactly it is I do here. Why do I write? No one reads. It's just me and my words and that's all. It's on these days that I tell myself that it's because it's just me that I must continue writing. These words matter.

     Here's what I want to remember about today:
     Here are the things that made it good and lovely:
     Here are the things that melted my heart and made me happy to be alive:

1. Putting Tobin to bed. I like to cuddle with him after we say prayers. Tonight, he put his little hand on my check several times and left it there. Words weren't needed. Just that little hand. He loves me. And that is a great and miraculous something. A little boy named, Tobin, loves me. I am his mama. And he is my son. It's something grand. And I don't deserve it.

He noticed I took off my glasses so we could cuddle better, and he didn't see where I put them. So he asked me, "Mama, did you take off your eyes?" To which I replied, "I did." Then he took them from me and put them on his nightstand so I didn't have to hold them.

Cuddling with Tobin makes my heart feel warm and cozy.

2. Putting Adelyn to bed. She likes to talk and laugh and think about things. She asks lots of questions. She tells me about everything going on in her life. She jokes and smiles. His eyes are blue, her teeth look like little adult teeth, and she's growing up so quickly it makes my head spin. But then, there was this: She wants to go to an American Girl tea party at the library in a few weeks. I said I didn't know if I could take her. I told her maybe her Tante could take her with Sophia. She told me that Sophia didn't have a real American Girl doll. Then she said that maybe she could, "tell the library woman and man that it's not a real American Girl doll, but Sophia is 6 and she just doesn't know."

Thankful for my lighthouse, Adelyn.
Thankful for my fennec fox, Tobin.

A quiet night at home.

March 12, 2019
Day 895

Thankful for:

the blue sky

the color of the clouds in the morning

a beautiful drive to work

Higbee

my children

Tobin talking in his sleep

kisses from my kids at bedtime

time to get stuff done for school

texts from my husband

dinner out to celebrate Tobin graduating from his Little Vet School

after this Saturday, I'll be able to relax a little bit

a quiet night at home in my house that I love so much

Mondays.

March 11, 2019
Day 894

Thankful for:

Mondays.

fresh starts.

children to love.

students to love.

a bed to lay in at night.

hot tea.

The Office. 

coming home to my husband and babies.

a good day at school.

stuff to look forward to tomorrow.

time to sleep.

Sundays at home.

March 10, 2019
Day 893

Thankful for:

delicious dinners

kebabs

chick peas and potatoes

ice cream

tea

time to climb trees

the view from the trees

time to relax with family

a clean house

baby Odette

Candied Pecans.

March 9, 2019
Day 892

Thankful for:

a super fun day with my mom and my sister.

drives to Baltimore.

comedy shows.

ice cream sundaes.

hot fudge.

candied pecans.

good salad.

so much laughter.

butter.

Extra long baths

March 8, 2019
Day 891

Thankful for:

extra long baths

french fries

movies

cuddles

kisses

children to call my own

bed

Wonderful and wild.

March 7, 2019
Day 890

Thankful for a day called Thursday. Thankful for good friends. Thankful that after a hard day, I get to drive home to the wonderful and wild woods. It's a lovely life we live here. I don't deserve it.

They are mine and I am theirs.

March 6, 2019
Day 889

     Thankful for cuddles in bed with my baby. Thankful for serious talks with Tobin about serious things, but his voice is still babyish, so it makes my heart feel full and happy. Thankful for my daughter. She writes little notes in her notebook to me that say: "I love you, mama," and "BFFs forever!" It makes my heart sing that I have a little girl who loves me. And a little boy who loves me. And they are mine and I am theirs and we are each others. It's beautiful. This life is so lovely, and I am so undeserving of such beauty and happiness and peace and love. Thankful for this beautiful life.

New starts tomorrow.

March 5, 2019
Day 888

Thankful for:

extra long, extra hot baths after work.

tacos.

salsa.

milkshakes.

productive meetings.

a job.

my children.

my husband.

Higbee.

my home.

a good Tuesday.

new starts tomorrow.

time to sleep tonight.

My mother.

March 4, 2019
Day 887

     Tonight, I am thankful for my mom. I am thankful that I can call her anytime. I am thankful that we can celebrate her birthday. I am thankful that I can call her mama and best friend. I am thankful that she loves my children. Thankful for nights spent out with her for her birthday. Thankful to have a person as lovely as my mom to call my mother and family.

Rainy Sundays.

March 3, 2019
Day 886

Thankful for:

Sundays.

Rain.

Days where we don't leave the house all day.

Days where we don't get out of our pajamas all day.

Higbee.

Movies.

Popcorn.

A cleaned house.

A new week starting tomorrow.

Buds on the trees.

Cold air.

Winter weather is sticking around.

Seinfeld. 

Mugs of tea.

Chips and Salsa.

March 2, 2019
Day 885

Thankful for:

Saturdays.

Impromptu birthday dinners.

Tacos.

Chips and salsa.

Queso fresco.

Sour cream.

Birthday cake.

Ice cream.

Time with family.

Seinfeld. 

The first day of March.

March 1, 2019

Day 884

Thankful for: 

snow days. 

time at home with my babies. 

Seinfeld. 

birthday party plans. 

birthday party dinner plans. 

the first day of March. 

the first day of a new month.