A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful for a relaxing, fun overnight trip w/ Casinodad last week. We headed out to Wheeling Island Hotel & Casino in WV. He had gotten a GREAT rate courtesy of a coupon he'd received ($49 + tax for the night...at least 1/3 of the regular rate). We gambled a bit, but nothing excessive, then just relaxed.

2) I'm thankful the munchkins did well for my MIL while we were away. This was the first time she'd stayed overnight w/ them.

3) I'm thankful for the few days of nice weather we had last week that allowed us to open up the house. Now if only they'd return!!!!

4) I'm thankful for all the love, support, & caring I receive from Casinodad on a daily basis. God has truly blessed me w/ a WONDERFUL husband...although at times, I wonder what I've done to deserve him.

5) I'm thankful that the munchkins have been so receptive to our first "official" week of school which started on Monday. Last week was just the wading pool, while this week we dove right in! I decided to tie some of their music studies in w/ religion & teach them church hymns this year. We'll focus on one every two weeks & we started with "Whatsoever You Do." They really liked it & caught on quickly! (This song also ties in w/ a discipline technique Casinodad & I are going to implement this week. More on that later....)

Small Successes

Oops! I missed Small Successes last week! We are in our fourth week of school & I'm still trying to get us organized & on some type of schedule. At the rate I'm going, we might be on track by Christmas!!

Anyway, here are this week's Small Successes...

1) I went through all the boys' clothes in the crawlspace, decided what to keep & what to send to my in-laws for their garage sale.

2) No matter how much I've wanted to stay in bed lately, I've been making myself get up, go downstairs, start coffee, & read the day's readings. On Sept. 1, I also started working my way through Proverbs - one chapter per day. My plan is to continue this each month.

3) Casinodad & I had a night to ourselves last Saturday. My parents took all four munchkins overnight. We rented a movie (Pink Panther 2 w/ Steve Martin - very, very funny & clean too!), had a nice relaxing dinner (chicken, green peppers, & pineapple in soy sauce, rice, cheese wontons, & coconut-crusted shrimp w/ mango chutney sauce), & just enjoyed each other's company. We slept in the next morning (we'd gone to Mass Saturday evening), went to Tim Hortons for breakfast, & stopped at a couple garage sales. We really needed this time to focus & spend w/ each other.

What are your successes? Share them at Faith & Family Live & while you're at it, check out others!

Small Successes

It's that day of the week again. Wow! Times sure does fly! Here are this week's successes:

1) I cleaned out the van, w/ a little of the munchkins' help. We got out all the trash, toys, books, etc. Then I cleaned all the vinyl & vacuumed the inside. I even wiped down the interior of the doors. The only thing left is to take out the car seats & vacuum under them.

2) Instead of getting frustrated w/ Casiondad for not thinking & locking his keys in his car this morning, I took the high road. I volunteered to meet him at work this evening to wait for AAA. He's hasn't gotten around to getting a second key for his new car yet. I figured meeting him & calling AAA ahead of time would save time after he got out of work. I also decided to find more ways to help him out to alleviate some of the stress caused by rushing around to get ready for things. (Yes, I know I should be doing that anyway, but I tend to be a bit selfish at times & just get upset w/ him instead of helping.)

3) I planted squash in our garden. I was going to do the green beans, but I need to get some pot ash to mix in w/ the soil first. I started the tomato & pepper seeds inside about a month ago. The tomatoes are doing okay, but the peppers didn't take. I think I'll have to buy plants instead.

4) This is a bonus - I got my first pedicure on Saturday! Last Spring, some good friends of mine got me a gift card for a local spa & salon as a baby shower gift. I was going to use it in July for my SIL's wedding, but The Saint decided bedrest was a better idea for us. After he was born, time just got away from me & I never got to use the card. Saturday I finally got to use it - definitely worth the wait! I really enjoyed it & now my tootsies are are nice sparkly brown. I thought about going for a perky blue, but opted for the other - reality trumped fun in this case!

Check out Faith and Family Live's Small Successes to see & share more.