Thankful Saturdays- (Just Because)

Okay so I want to thank my friends for throwing me a surprise party it truly meant a lot. I love my birthday which I know to a lot of people is totally annoying but it is one of my favorite memorise of my dad and growing up. Our birthdays where always really big in my house and we loved to celebrate them. It means a lot to me that even though some people might think that I am weird because ever year around my birthday I like to "remind" people that it is coming up they still love me the same. They love me enough to totally surprise me with a fun girls night out. Thank you all so much I can not express into words how much it truly means to me! I love you all so very much and am so thankful that God has brought each of you into my life! You are all such amazing blessings!

Here are the birthdays I can remember....

~ One year when we lived in California in a really small apartment my parents decided to let me have my first sleep over party... we had so many girls that you could not walk in our living room. That year I got really upset after opening presents because all the other girls had a sleeping bag and I didn't so my parents sent me to my room and told me not to come out till I had a better attitude and when I got in there on my bed sat a Beauty and the Beast sleeping bag just for me. Man did I feel like a little brat.

~ Our last year in California my parents threw my a birthday party at our house and they decorated the whole kitchen and living room in Minnie mouse. They would not let me go in there till all my friends started coming! It was so much fun.

~ In Lubbock on one of my birthdays my parents allowed me to rent a hotel room with my mom and her friend there as well me and some of my friends got to go swimming and spend the night in the hotel it was way fun. We did our nails and ate pizza and watched movies.

~ Than another year in Lubbock one of my best friends had the same birthday just a year older so we did a combined birthday sleep over and we loved Winnie the pooh so I was Pooh, Amber was Tiger, and Victoria was Eeyore. So my mom made us these cute baskets and filled them with fun presents and on the bottom of the basket she wrote our name and than our nick name. We had a blast.

~ Than when I turned sixteen we where living here in Durango and my dad came and got me for lunch. We went to the subway across from the high school and that is where he gave me my promise ring and asked me if I would be his till the day I got married and if I promised God and him to stay pure until I got married. (My dad and mom also would sent me flowers every year to school and a stuffed animal) That made me feel so special.

So as you can see birthdays have always been very big in my family and I am so blessed to have all of you to share my birthday with. I love you all very very very much! Thank you thank you thank you oh and have I said thank you! :)

Thankful Thursday (Friday) - ME

Okay so I took this idea from Jill because like her I totally skipped myself and my goal this year is to thank God for me. I am not one who really likes to talk about myself so this might be hard lol. My imperfections and all so here I go today is a new day and I am thankful that God made me.

I'm Thankful....

....for the Women God is challenging me to be.

....for my red hair, I am not a normal human and my hair is just one place that allows that to show.

....for my brain that I can think on my own and have an opinion all of my own.

....for my blue eyes, even though I can not see very well out of them with out help I am so thankful that I can see all the wonderfully beautiful things God has made. That I can see little kids smiles.

....for my ears that I can hear little kids laughs, music, and other peoples hearts.

....for my nose that I can smell my moms cooking not so much all the poopy chubbies I work with all day hehehe.

....for my mouth that I can talk and have conversations with those close to me and my kids in my class.

....for my arms that I can hug with, snuggle my kids with, and comfort people when they are blue. I love hugs love love love hugs and I love love love snuggling!

....for my heart that I can love people and that is pumps blood through my body.

....for my female insides that I can carry a baby inside me for 9 months while God makes an amazing baby in there someday.

....for my legs that I can run, walk, skip, hop, sit on the floor chris cross apple sauce.

...for my personality that I am learning how to be myself and allow myself to love me for me. And trust people to know to "real" me.

25 Random Things About Me!

1. When I was little I would twirl my hair and than suck on it.

2. I could never remember my baby dolls names so I would have to ask my younger brother Josh and he would tell me.

3. I use to play school with all my dolls and stuffed animals.

4. When I grew up I wanted to be a nurse but than decided against it because I hate shots

5. My hair use to be past my chubbies

6. I use to wet the bed until my dad made me wear a diaper to bed at age 6

7. I am a girly girl but I love to go camping and stuff like that

8. I love chap stick

9. I love To Do Lists and marking stuff off

10. When I stay at peoples houses I always take way more underwear than I need ever since I was a little girl I have done that. I can remember my mom telling me that I did not need to bring that many pairs for a sleepover.

11. I use to tell my mom that when she died I was going to marry my daddy.

12. I use to want 20 kids but that has changed I only want 4 maybe 6 now

13. I love to read but feel like there is not enough time in one day to actually read

14. I love the smell of a bathroom right after someone has taken a shower

15. I use to think I was little mermaid

16. I hate doing laundry but I love the smell of clean clothes right out of the dryer

17. I love country music but when I lived in Texas I hated it

18.I bite my nails ALOT

19. I love the smell of gasoline

20. My favorite season is Fall

21. I love the smell of fresh rain

22. I love to laugh at stupid things

23. I love to poop I know this is a weird one but after hearing about Jens poops and Jills poops I am so thankful I can poop normal

24. When I was little I use to ask Santa for a baby sister

25. I hate the sound of hands on the top of the inside of the car. It is like nails on a chalk board to me!

Thankful Thursday! (on Saturday) My 4 Year Olds

Today I am thankful for my 4 year old class! On Friday I worked in the 3 year old class all day because one of the teachers was out of town due to a death and the other teachers daughter was the one who had whooping cough. So to make a long story short I have worked in all the classes at the preschool from babies to kindergarten I have done them all and actually I worked in the 3 year old room for over a year. But for some reason this years three year old class is a challenge. I had 5 kids who all need special attention. So needless to say I went home and passed out for a few hours. So Friday made me really thankful for my precious 4 year old class. Not that they are perfect but I am truly thankful.....

1. That they are able to express themselves in their own ways.

2. That they can go to the bathroom by themselves and wipe their own chubbies.

3. That they are very lovable.

4. That they can put on for the most part their own snow stuff.

5. That they love their teachers and express it lol!

6. That they are at a point where they love to learn.

7. That you can really see how much they are growing through out the year.

8. That they still love to snuggle

9. That they love still love hugs and kisses.

10. That they miss you when you are gone.

11. That they can actually have a full conversation with you.

12. That they run up to you in the grocery store and give you the best hug ever.

13. That even though they might not know what they are doing they can tell when you are having a bad day and they smile at you or hug you just when you needed it.

Shots!

Okay so ever since I was a little girl I have hated shots.... I mean HATED shots! One time it took my mom and four nurses to hold me down just to get one shot! So this week we found out that we have a baby in our school who has whooping cough! So we where all told as teachers to go get a shot. So for the last day and a half I have been saying I am not going to go get a shot I hate them and I think they are silly! Until one of my own students came in today and his mother told me that he had been tested! So I decided to go get it done! I went with two of my coworkers during nap and I was really freaking out! I seriously can not remember the last time I had to get a shot all I remember is that my dad took me and i had to be at least in middle school and I still sat on his lap and blew on a feather. lol Okay so back to today so we walk into san juan basin health and I am filling out paper work and my hands are dripping with sweat ... and I can feel the sweat start to drip from my forehead. So we where all called back together and I told Peggy one of my co teachers that I needed to hold her hand while I got the shot and she was all okay that is fine! So he did me first and when he came over I closed my eyes as tight as I could and I held her hand as tight as I could and by the time I was done thinking about those two things it was over. Really that was it! I was freaking out about nothing! And I always wondered why my dad would always tell me that he would never be in the delivery room with me! lol Man if a shot was that easy I bet child birth will be a breeze lol!

LOL!

Okay so the other day I was at home cleaning and kind of thinking out loud and some just in my head when I realized I said LOL to myself! Like seriously in my head I thought lol! Now I know that most of you laugh at me all the time because my favorite word it lol and some of you have even asked if my texting signature is lol! And just for the record it is not! But I just thought it was really sad that I said lol to myself in my head! It was kind of crazy and I thought that most of you who make fun of my for saying lol would actually lol at this little post! So I hope that this has made you lol today! Love you all!

Will you STAND?

Today at church Mark Palmer challenged me with an amazing word! In life we are thrown a lot of straight balls, balls that we expect weather they are good or bad we know they are coming. And in those times it is so easy to STAND and say how amazing our God is but it is in those moments when we are thrown a curve ball when it is the true test!

Is God still an amazing God when someone we are close to dies? YES

Is God still an amazing God when we lose our job? YES

Is God still an amazing God when our family is a mess? YES

Is God still an amazing God when it feels like our whole world is spinning out of control? YES

Is God still an amazing God when the decisions we make have bad consequences? YES
Is God still an amazing God when all of our earthly possessions are taken away? YES

Is God still an amazing God when our loved ones are making choices that effect you in a negative way? YES

Is God still an amazing God when it feels like Satan is attacking you the worst and it feels like it will never stop? YES
Is God an amazing God when we turn our backs and try to find our way on our own? YES
Is God an amazing God when we question who He is? YES

Is God an amazing God when we feel like we have no clue what the future holds? YES
Is God an amazing God when our dreams are not coming true in our time frame? YES

And when those curve balls are pitched at us are we ready to STAND and say YES MY GOD IS AN AMAZING GOD! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and FOREVER!

Thankful Thursdays - Daddy!

Okay so I know I know it is Saturday as Ashley so graciously just reminded me to which I reply "I'm a little Late" But none the last here it is my thankfulness for my dad!

1. That he raised me in a christian home.

2. That he lived his life daily for the Lord.

3. That he took me on our special father daughter dates.

4. That he loved people no matter what they where going through or the choices they might have made in life.

5. That he loved Jesus with his whole heart.

6. That he taught me what it meant to have a personal relationship with Jesus!

7. That he knew how to take off his work hat when he came home and was able to be my daddy

8. That he always encouraged me to follow my dreams.

9. That he would praise my accomplishments and teach me in my failures.

10. That he treated me like his princess and always told me that mom was the queen.

11. That he showed me how a man should treat a women.

12. That he would let me squeeze his musculs only once though lol! (yeah right once he saw my puppy dog eyes he would cave in)

13. That he treasured me and taught me to look for that in a man.

14. That he always lifted me up.

15. That he loved me no matter what.

16. That he let me sit on his lap even as a grown lady! (the night he died I sat on his lap before bed)

17. That he treasured my thoughts and opinions!

18. That he was proud of me and let me know it as often as possible!

19. That he let me drink yummy coffee and now I love it lol.

20. That he put his family first after God of course.

21. That he was involved in my life.

22. That he would always pray with me and kiss me good night!

I am so blessed to have the dad that I do! I am thankful that i was raised in the family I was! I miss you so very much daddy! I will see you in heaven!

Thankful Thursday- Joshua (brother)

Okay so this is a hard one lol! It is not because I do not love my brother or because I am not thankful for him. We have had a very ruff relationship and have never been really close! I am blessed that he is my brother and I know that God put him in my family for a reason! He has an amazing heart and really loves the Lord! I love him dearly and I wish that we had a better relationship but am thankful for the one we do have. He is an amazing actor and he always knows how to brighten up the stage. I have to say that when he was in high school and in Beauty and the Beast as the Candle I loved to boast that he was "MY" brother! He loves to put a smile on peoples faces and make them laugh! I should probably try harder to have a better relationship with him and that is something I regret! He has an amazing talent in the music field and has written many songs! God has definitely given him a gift and he is using it to further His kingdom! I am so very proud of you Joshua and am privileged to call you my brother! I love you!

Thankful Thursdays! Matt (brother)

Okay so this week I am thankful for my older brother Matt! I have always looked up to him and he has always been one of my hero's! He is an amazing man and I am blessed to call him my brother!

1. He listens to me and tells me and knows when I just need him to listen and when I need his advice!

2. He loves me no matter what!

3. He supports me in my dreams.

4. He encourages me to pursue my dreams!

5. He teaches me a lot about what a man should be like and what I should look for in a man!

6. He gives the best hugs!

7. He puts me in my place when I need to be put there.

8. He looks at me and see that I am beautiful on the outside as well as the inside!

9. He encourages me to grow in my relationship with Christ and challenges me to think outside the normal "Christian Box"

10. He makes me smile when I am down and he is my shoulder to cry on! I know that he is always there no matter what time it is!