Let's get this show on the road

The one starring me and a giant plate of food. I love that show.

I know. Failure for the second year in a row. And I set the bar so low this year. Although I’m incredibly pathetic when it comes to posting what I’m grateful for, I’m very aware.

I’m aware that I was given the best, BEST child for me. Really, it’s a perfect fit. My Phin is such a brilliant and perfect little boy. How lucky I am.

I’m aware that my husband is truly my best friend. My perfect soul mate. The love of my life and more.

I’m aware that my big, crazy family is more than I deserve. My Mom and Dad. My brother and amazing sisters (that includes you Kari and Dorina). My in-laws, all of them. My beautiful nieces and nephews.  My grandparents. My cousins. I have some really amazing cousins.

I love my little house on a street I was in love with even way back when. Back when I didn’t even picture husbands or kids or dogs.

I have the best co-workers. You think you do? Impossible. Unless you work the same place I do.

My dog is the sweetest little thing. A real little member of our family. (Ugh, I guess the cat too. I guess.)

I love the four seasons I see out my windows.

I’m grateful for my family’s health.

I’m grateful my body allows me work off that rainbow chip.

Of course, I’m grateful for the rainbow chip itself. Duh.

I’m so in awe of the life I lead. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. How was I born into such a world when others weren't? I have a hard time with that.

But I’m aware.

I hope everyone else has a happy, happy holiday. I hope you’re warm. I hope you’re well fed. I hope you’re healthy. Happy Thanksgiving!

The first of four. I hope.

This morning I am thankful for makeup. That sounds shallow. I was up all night walking my very sick little babe in circles in the living room while he cried and cried and cried. Even attempting to lay him in his crib caused screams that brought on coughing fits so bad he would gasp for breath.  Holding my babe was the way to go. By the time the alarm started beeping I looked like I was auditioning for a role as a meth addict on Breaking Bad. Without concealer and lip gloss I’d risk my office staging an intervention in the conference room. So thank you Cover Girl. You got my back.

I’m thankful for snow! There were a few moments last night that I peeked out the window as Phin and I made our rounds and watched the snow flurries. The streets were quiet and I sat in awe of the season changing right in front of me. There is something so magical about watching snow fall from your warm home. I remember a moment when Jared and I were first married and living in our little duplex. There was a street light visible from our living room window surrounded by trees. We sat on the couch watching the snow swirl around in the light. For a few short years I get to enjoy that special feeling with my little babe and hopefully (hopefully!) other littles, but someday it will just be the two of us again.

I have a picture of that little house. It looks like it was from this exact time of year too. Notice the spider webs still up. I’m sure I was just about to get on that. I loved that little home. I'm very grateful for the time we lived there. 

Those are a few of the things I’m singing praises today. Runners up are donuts, my heater, my fake front tooth and the Friday countdown to the weekend. And noodles. I really grateful for hot broth and noodles this week. Phin is in on that last one too.

Yesterday I saw a baby. Being born.

That's right. And I took pictures of it too. My sister in law had her perfect little boy in the four o'clock hour of yesterday morning. It was a long night but I'm so lucky they included me. Naturally, I have lots to say on the subject. Just as naturally, I haven't written it yet. Just in case you were wondering, I am not going to give you a rundown of her labor. Not my story to share. 

Here is a picture of beautiful little Desi. One I don't think my sister in law will mind me putting up.

Are you in love? 

Age. We got it down over here.

I do not remember being one. You can argue that it's good thing. Memories of pooping in public and giant humans talking in high pitched voices while breaking into my personal space...shudder. Plus the meals were nothing to write home about. There are only so many angles you can take on Annie's mac and cheese + veggies. Then again, I rocked some outfits that could rival the best fashion bloggers. I busted out my chambray shirt back then. With jellies. And I had original rayban knockoffs. Fly. 

But I'm on the even better end of one this time around. It is so much fun to watch. The best yet. Maybe the best ever. I have a lot to go through before I can make that bold statement.

Now that I think about it, I'm also at one of my favorite ages. I guess that makes this life a lot of fun for me right now.

What has been your favorite age so far? For yourself, I mean.

Thankful, even for the cat.

Catching up on things I'm thankful for.

My Liza.
This dog is a pretty pretty princess. Seriously, she's more devious than a Disney channel star and is my bestest little girlfriend. When I was pregnant I had a major fibroid that caused quite a few growing pains and kept me confined to the couch. This girl never left my side. True, she is convinced she is the most important person in the house, digs rocks more than dog toys and as no idea why we all love the loud little human that moved it, but she is a perfect doggy. I'm so thankful for my Liza Dog. Even if she did eat all my croutons. And hogged the bed last night. And sometimes gets totally jeally-jeal if I kiss Lesco. I love her.




My garden.
At old job I once spent a month giving my coworkers daily updates on how massive my melons were getting. Apparently the group a few cubicles over found my giant melon updates hilarious and inappropriate. Especially when I would declare, "Check out my melons today!" and open a beautiful, fabulous picture of.....cantaloupe. They could not see the picture and they didn't know about my garden. Or maybe they did but it was too hard not to laugh when they heard someone ask if my grandma had seen my melons. A perfectly acceptable question as she is an avid gardener herself. Ahem.

I love to garden with lesco. It's so fun to eat homegrown food and I miss it over the winter.



My co-workers.

The gratitude might not be mutual as I threaten them daily with letter openers and fatal paper cuts, but I love them. Seriously, have you ever told anyone you didn't like that you would superglue their eyelids shut if they didn't leave you alone. Didn't think so. Why waste your breath? Plus I'm already listening to holiday music and no one has thrown anything at me yet.

The cat of justice.

I hate this cat. Really a lot at first and now not as much. I came home a year ago late night and there were three little kittens on my doorstep. Liza ran up to them barking and they didn't move. Poor Lize didn't know what she was supposed to do at that point because cats have always moved in the past. Except for the one cut out of plywood and painted black down the street but Liza refuses to talk about that incident.

It was supposed to dip below freezing that night so I let them in. I called them little black, little grey and calico. I just don’t like cats. I don’t know why. That’s a lie. I know why. I don’t like them because they jump up on counters and that’s gross. Because they use a litter box and don’t go outside and that’s gross. Because they get all pissy when you dress them up and try to make them pose for a family photo and that's annoying because if you want to be a part of this family you better act like it!

No one wanted little black and so she stayed. And now she hangs out on a chair in the dining room and jumps out at people when they walk by. Jared insists that she is a cat of justice and only attacks those who deserve it. I must let evil, evil humans in because she goes after everybody.

Dear Monster,

Today I am grateful for your daddy. I swore, SWORE, in my head to no one out loud, that I would wait until the very end to use this one because things that happen at the end are almost always important. End of the week = paycheck, end of semester = grades, end of dinner = dessert, end of level = level boss. But I couldn't wait. I am impatient just like you. Plus I am grateful every single day.

He poses on a rock like a lands end model.

He is amazing and knows how to do everything. He loves to surprise me all the time. He will build me a wall that doesn't need to be built or let me buy seven different cans of paint for the same room. He covered my ceiling with fabric in the middle of the night once because I was so excited to see it. He will go to the store in a snowstorm, drop me off at my office door if it's raining and give me a haircut if I can't wait to go to a professional. He will cook a fab dinner and then leave for work at two in the morning rather than 5 pm the night before so he can spend a few more hours with me when he has to go out of town. He wakes up Christmas morning at three so he can decorate the living room with lights before I get up.

He falls asleep in weir d places.

He feeds and bathes you every single night he's home. When I started a new job he packed me lunch every day. He lets me get the mail and hold the remote.

He is learning ancient Greek for fun.
He thinks cars will fly someday and complains loudly in traffic about it not happening yet.
He commissioned a blanket made for himself when he first moved out.
He once fasted for a week and ate nothing but volcanic ash.
He bought and restored a classic car then sold it when we were broke newlyweds.
He is an archaeologist.
He loves children.
He once broke his own lawn mower so our neighbor wouldn't mow our lawn while he was out of town. ( I totally supported this by the way.)
He has a black belt in Kung Fu.
He left me in a restaurant on our first dating anniversary because he saw a woman walking in the rain outside and wanted to give her a ride.
He is the most amazing human ever and he is all mine. And yours too lucky lucky!

He is number one.