Lunch Boxes.

July 31, 2019
Day 1,036

     Today, Adelyn got her stitches removed from her eye surgery. She was so brave. She walks into appointments without a worry in the world. I love watching her be brave in situations where I would be falling apart. She's so strong and confident. Then we went shopping at Target so I could get a new planner. I love shopping for planners and pens and pencils and office supplies. Then, we went to the library to get a few stacks of books to read over the upcoming rainy days. Then we came home and stayed put the rest of the day. Patty and her kids came over and had dinner over here. It was fun to just hang out together. We watched America's Got Talent together.
     Tomorrow, we are going shopping for lunch boxes for the upcoming school year. Maybe a haircut for Tobin. Maybe a shampoo for Adelyn. She hasn't been able to shower since her surgery. Looking forward to another day with my loves.
     Thankful for this life. It's beautiful.

More days of summer left.

July 30, 2019
Day 1,035

     Thankful for special days with my family. We went to the Baltimore Aquarium today, and the kids loved it. It's always an adventure driving into any city, but we made it. I love seeing Tobin and Adelyn so excited about seeing sea creatures. Thankful for moments of wonder and discovery. Thankful for special days with my favorite people. Thankful for a quick bite with Steph, Mario, and Sue last night. Thankful for things to celebrate like Mario becoming a US citizen. Thankful for good days. Thankful for more days of summer left.

Breezy branches.

July 29, 2019
Day 1,034

Thankful for:

a very calm, relaxing day.

a clean home.

two kids who played happily together the entire day in their playroom.

kisses from my babies.

a very sleepy Higbee.

guacamole.

time to lay in bed.

time to organize my bathroom.

freshly cut grass.

breezy branches outside my kitchen window.

phone call with Matt's mom.

phone call with my dad, mom, and sister.

a good Monday.

Engagement Party!

July 28, 2019
Day 1,033

     Thankful for a great day with my amazing family! We had an engagement party for Shane and Cheyenne. We had Patty's homemade pheasant bread, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, olives, and fruit as an appetizer. We had wine and sangria. I made spaghetti and meatballs and salad for dinner. It was delicious! Patty made a luscious cake for dessert. Then we gave cards to Shane and Cheyenne, and I read them something I wrote for them. After dessert, we had a champagne toast on the deck while the kids played in the yard. Then we sat outside for a long time and listened to music. It was a great day with family.
     Thankful for family! Thankful for grand days. Thankful for good food. Thankful for a wedding to look forward to. Thankful for great new things up ahead. 

I get to call them mine.

July 27, 2019
Day 1,032

     Thankful for a lovely day with my two little lovebugs. I cleaned. They played. We went grocery shopping. And we watched a movie in bed with popcorn. Life is good with Adelyn and Tobin in it. I'm just so thankful to call them mine.

Safe at home in the country.

July 26, 2019
Day 1,031

     This day started off with such promise. Matt and I decided to take the kids the DC for the day. We went to The Museum of Natural History. It was a disaster. It was crazy hot in the museum. It was crazy crowded. And it was too much for Tobin. He was overwhelmed. We stayed for maybe an hour or two, and then we couldn't take it anymore. I was dizzy and feeling anxious with all the people. I don't like crowds. Even Matt was feeling dizzy. So, we left. It was a hot walk back to the car. Then in the parking garage, Addy and Tobin almost got left on an elevator when Matt and I got off and the doors shut very suddenly. I pried the doors open with my hands, and one of the kids pressed a button inside and the doors opened. Both Adelyn and Tobin's faces were as white as ghosts. It was a stressful day for them. Poor Tobin said it was the worst day ever.

     Here's what I'm thankful for though...
1. We got to have lunch at Bozzelli's Deli.
2. We got to come home to the country and relax in our cozy home.
3. We got to tell the funny story of our horrible day in DC.

     Thankful for my babies. Thankful we are all safe at home now in the country.

Long, lazy, lovely.

July 25, 2019
Day 1,030

     This day was long and lazy and lovely. We stayed in all day. I made chicken noodle soup. We watched movies and TV. The kids played. They played some video games. We snacked. It was just good and relaxing. Sometimes, you need a day to just stay inside and do nothing at all. And because Addy is still recovering, we have a great excuse to.
     Thankful for long and lazy and lovely days.

Even a piece.

July 24, 2019
Day 1,029

     Today, I am thankful for cool fall like air in the morning. I am thankful for another day to relax at home with all my loves. I am thankful for time to watch America's Got Talent. I love watching that show. I love seeing the look of pure joy on a person's face when their wildest dreams are coming true. I'm thankful for chili for dinner. I am thankful for my husband who loves me. For children to take care of. For Higbee to cuddle. I am thankful for my home. I am thankful for this lovely life. I don't deserve even a piece of it.

Wild, but wonderful.

July 23, 2019
Day 1,028

     Thankful for a good day. Adelyn had surgery today to remove a benign skin growth from under her eye. She was amazingly brave. She didn't shed a tear due to fear or pain. She is so confident. She's the brave and the confident and the unshakable that I want to be. I am so thankful for my sweet, wild one. Unaware that her nickname is "Wild One," the nurses told us, "You've got a real wild one on your hands!" Apparently, she was throwing punches and kicks when they tried to wake her up after surgery. She's wild, but oh, she's wonderful.
   
     Tonight, I am so thankful that the surgery went well, and that my baby is recovering well. I'm looking forward to being trapped in the house with all my loves for a week. It's going to be good.

Short lists.

July 22, 2019
Day 1,027

Thankful for:

sleepovers

my husband

Higbee

short lists of things to be thankful for.

Pickles and onions.

July 21, 2019
Day 1,026

Thankful for:

Sundays

Sunday lunch with my family

time to watch the worst movie in the world with my sister and Matt

time for the kids to play together

sandwiches with pickles and onions.

It's good and I don't deserve it.

July 20, 2019
Day 1,025

     Thankful for a day of calm and quiet. Thankful for time to think. Thankful for time to listen to music. Thankful for time to pray. Thankful for time to clean. Thankful for the green of the trees outside. Thankful for the end of this hot day. Thankful for freshly baked cookies. Thankful for two joyful beings that I don't deserve. Thankful for a family day tomorrow. Thankful for things like rolled oats being mixed into cookie dough batter. I like the way it looks. Thankful for a clean home. Thankful for a quiet Higbee today. Thankful for this lovely life. It's good, and I don't deserve it.

He gives me good gifts.

July 19, 2019
Day 1,024

     This day was hard. But God is good to me. God loves me enough to give me a husband who listens, who cares, and who understands. I felt so loved and so cared for and so taken care of today. Today, I'm thankful for the calm of the woods after the chaos of traffic and busyness. I'm thankful for the embrace of my sweet husband after the shock of anxiety and panic. I'm thankful for a delicious dinner. I'm thankful for the smell of my home and the feeling of familiar things around.

     Fear sucks. Anxiety sucks. Panic sucks.

     But God is good. And He rescues me when I need Him the most. And He gives me good gifts.

Bucks and does eating pears.

July 18, 2019
Day 1,023

Thankful for:

a day spent at home.

the cool and comfort of our home in the heat of the summer.

deer in the yard.

fawns jumping and frolicking.

bucks and does eating pears.

my bed.

babies to kiss goodnight.

food to eat.

friends to talk to.

The end of a long day.

July 17, 2019
Day 1,022

Thankful for:

-the end of a long day.

-my sister to talk to no matter what.

-children to hug no matter what.

-a new morning to look forward to.

The good ol' days.

July 16, 2019
Day 1,021

Thankful for:

a quick visit from my sister and her kids.

lunch with my sister and all of our kids.

reminiscing about the good ol' days.

watching Higbee howl.

chicken with carrots.

new glasses.

time spent with my babies today.

making my mind up to do something different tomorrow.

AGT.

Adelyn drinking tea before bed.

The ones I love the most.

July 15, 2019
Day 1,020

Thankful for:

-a night out with my girlfriends.

-a delicious dinner of chicken, rice, carrots, and vegetables.

-a clean kitchen.

-kisses from my babies before I left for dinner.

-a beautiful day at home with the ones I love the most.

Quick rain shower.

July 14, 2019
Day 1,019

Thankful for:

Sundays.

family dinners.

spaghetti.

time to sit out with my husband and my sister and talk.

inflatable pools.

slip n' slides.

soapy slip n' slides.

a quick rain shower.

time spent with my brother, his girlfriend, and her son, Ryker.

reading books in bed with Ryker.

a great day with family.

No agenda.

July 13, 2019
Day 1,018

Thankful for:

a relaxing day at home

board games with the kids

time to lay on the couch

no agenda

a lot of summer time left

time with my husband

a walk in the woods

Cheese and Bread.

July 12, 2019
Day 1,017

Thankful for:

-burrata cheese

-bread

-tomato and basil drizzled with olive oil and kosher salt and pepper

-stuffed shells

-good friends

-sitting out on the deck and drinking wine for hours

-having such a good time with friends that we didn't realize it was 1 am

Thankful for calm.

July 11, 2019
Day 1,016

     Today, the kids and I went to the pool with Patty and her kids. We had a great time swimming, but we left when it started to rain. Tobin stayed at Patty's house while Adelyn and I went for an eye exam. Adelyn doesn't need glasses. She was a little bummed about that. She wants glasses and braces. Oh, Adelyn Bailey; I love you.

     Here's why I'm proud of myself: I was not afraid at the eye doctor's today. Matt pointed it out to me. In the past, I have been unable to go alone to the eye doctors. I was terrified of eye appointments. I literally was not nervous at all today. I went. I had my exam. And everything was fine. It was good to go to a medical appointment and not freak out about it at all. It's so much easier to just remain calm.

     Oh, and also, it was storming super bad when we were driving to our eye appointments, and I had to get out and walk in the storm to the store. And I did not freak out. It was good to remain calm during the storm as well.

     Being calm is way easier than being stressed. I like it a lot.

     Thankful for calm.

I never want it to end.

July 10, 2019
Day 1,015

     Today, we went to King's Dominion! The kids had a blast! I love watching their excited faces. They love to ride rides. Thankful for a fun day with my babies. Thankful for ice cream cones and cinnamon buns. Thankful for pizza for dinner. Thankful for showers after long days spent in the hot outdoors. Thankful for this summer. It's been the best summer ever, and I never want it to end.

Summer time with my family.

July 9, 2019
Day 1,014

Thankful for:

-America's Got Talent.

-books in bed with my babies.

-days spent at home.

-time spent reading and studying with Adelyn and Tobin.

-this space to write things down.

-summer time with my family.

Rainy days.

July 8, 2019
Day 1,013

Thankful for:

hugs and kisses from my kids.

my husband.

Higbee, even though he's naughty sometimes.

deer in the backyard.

Parks and Recreation. 

a very relaxing day.

a little time to shop by myself.

storage containers for the bathroom.

phone calls with my sister and my mom.

sandwiches and soup for dinner.

cookies.

rainy days spent inside in sweats not doing anything at all.

Deer in the backyard.

July 7, 2019
Day 1,012

Thankful for:

-a fun day spent at my parent's house helping them with some projects.

-my kids had a fun day with my sister and her kids.

-my husband.

-deer in the backyard.

-a day to relax tomorrow.

Time to visit people I love.

July 6, 2019
Day 1,011

Thankful for:

-a fun day with family.

-a fun fireworks display.

-good food.

-phone calls with my parents.

-time to visit with people that I love.

-messages from my cousin.

-Parks and Recreation. 

-a great day.

Game Day.

July 5, 2019
Day 1,010

Thankful for:

-a quiet day at home.

-leftover fourth of July food.

-we didn't watch TV all day.

-we played games all day as a family.

-it was a good day.

Happy Days.

July 4, 2019
Day 1,009

Thankful for:

an amazing day with family.

fourth of July decorations.

fourth of July food.

my mother in law.

our backyard.

our trampoline and pool.

sun-kissed faces.

bbq food.

delicious desserts.

happy days.

Not leaving the house the entire day.

July 3, 2019
Day 1,008

Thankful for:

-a quiet day at home.

-not leaving the house the entire day.

-relaxing with my family.

-not having a schedule.

-the cool of our home.

Pool Day.

July 2, 2019
Day 1,007

Thankful for:

-a good morning.

-good appointments for Adelyn and Tobin for their check-ups.

-a pool day with family.

-sandwiches for dinner.

The cool of our home after the heat of outside.

July 1, 2019
Day 1,006

Thankful for:

-a fun day spent at home with Matt's mom.

-for goodies and treats and lunch that Matt's mom brought over.

-Matt's mom. She's like a second mom to me. She's beautiful, strong, loving, and so giving. She loves to give gifts.

-the pool in our backyard. It's fun to splash around in there.

-for the cool of our home after the heat of outside.

-for time to lay on the couch and watch a movie.

-for a completely cleaned up kitchen.

-for a clean house.

-for my babies, Adelyn and Tobin. They make every day a beautiful adventure.

-for Higbee.

-for texts from my husband.