I'm Thankful For.....

....So many things!!!

when i was little, i remember saying my prayers at night with my family and then we would go around in a circle and say our "thankful fors" where we could list all the things we were thankful for that day.

So i thought what a better time to list just a few of the things i am thankful for this easter weekend..

*** The atonement ***

and the peace and comfort it brings me, as i learn more and more every day just how

 UNPERFECTED i am. 

because trying to raise a tiny person is an eye opening experience and a daily reminder that i have NO idea what i am doing, but i'm not alone, and even when my kid licks day old crushed cheetos off of the floor, my Heavenly Father is still smiling and cheering me on. 

*** Friends ***

 *** FRIENDS ***

 

 whether they have been in your life for a few years..

 or 20!

Life would not be complete with out them!

***  Running Water! ***

do i really need to elaborate? i think the pictures say enough!

*** Daddy***

i love seeing gabe look at him like he can do anything.

he is so interested in everything his daddy does. 

whenever the phone rings, he says "dada"?

when he hears the garage door go up, he gets this look on his face like..."YES!" 

as he runs to the door to meet him.

and because gabe loves his daddy as much as i do! 

 *** Sunny days ***

when we can play with rocks and dirt and run over bridges and find bugs and pet horses

and explore the new neighborhood that we now call home.

*** Snowy days ***

 When we can stay in our PJ's all day and watch Cars and make cars out of play doh.

and play with toy cars.

(cars are sort of our thing around here)

 

*** Little Miracles ***

like getting your little dude to STAY in bed all night after a battle of whits between

a 32 year old and a 20 month old.

and the fact that most of the time it ends like this...

but being okay with it if it sometimes ends like this!!

(compromise) 

*** Big Miracles ***

like baby Ivy (my brother TJ's little girl)

 her start in the world 7 days ago was a rocky one, 

filled with uncertainty and many, many prayers.

but after a fathers blessing and an MRI

it looks like she is going to be 

perfectly perfect. 

 so no matter what you're thankful for, big or small.

 remember who it was that made it possible. 

It is MID February.......RIGHT????

because for the past couple weekends we've played like it's at least May! 

 No coats needed, just long sleeves and we're good to go. 

There are plenty of rocks to be thrown.

 and parks to play at.

       It seems like everyone else thinks its the middle of winter or something, because the parks are pretty empty for the most part, but thats just fine by gabe. he doesn't have to take turns on the slide or worry about not being able to find an open swing. 

I mean can you imagine what an inconvenience that would be.

its just chilly enough to need a boogie wipe on hand at all times to stop the constant stream of snot.

but no complaints here. we'll enjoy the dog days of....winter, 

while they last.

{but that ground-hog needs to lay off the sauce cuz he doesn't know what he's talking about}

snow day..

as i was slumbering away on saturday morning i heard what i thought was a lawn mower drive past my window, i thought that my mother in law must be running the lawn mower over the grass to get up the last of the leaves before a snow storm hit..... so in groggy frustration (who would be up at 9:00am on a saturday) i looked out my window, and to my surprise...... it was a snow blower.

que the angels......SNOW!!!! FINALLY! 

{for all you people cursing the white fluffy flecks from heaven, why do you live here?}

do they come any cuter then this?!

 

my mom and dad had to stop bye to make sure i was building the snow fort "igloo" correctly

my dad after all taught me everything i know about how to build a proper snow fort. 

this is the first of many i have built solo (arron helped, but i mean without my dads help) .    , and it was just a small one person dwelling,

but when i was little we would build igloos big enough for my family of 5 to fit in. 

we attempted to sleep in one of our snowy homes once, but if memory serves we wussed out and ended up fleeing to the comfort and warmth of our beds that were a mere 10 feet away. 

Once grandpa showed up and approved the construction on the igloo, 

he busied himself making a huge snowman,

gabe was a little scared at first, until he realized he could eat the oreo facial features. 

try to look past the elmo jammies that arron is wearing.

 my mom so kindly got arron and gabe matching PJ's for Christmas. 

{notice the missing oreo in the snow mans smile}

gabe was tired by the end of our snowy adventure and ready for a nap.

but when mom was not done playing......

he took matters into his own hands. 

hahahaha

So again i ask, what is there not to LOVE about the snow?!