November, Day 27

Today I am appreciative of my Mother in Law.

Yes, you read that right, in a world where it seems like people really dislike their MIL more than they like her, I actually am appreciative of mine.

Today we went out on our Annual Craft Fair Treasure Hunt, and we both came home with some goodies. She bought me, as she has for the past dozen years, a Christmas decoration. But that is not why I am appreciative of her.

She doesn't know all the details of our Financial Fall Out earlier this year. She just knows that she lent us some money to pay down some debt, with little background details. She hasn't asked me a thing about it yet. In my mind, she should have driven over here and shaken me by the shoulders demanding to know what in the world was going on in her oldest sons family. She didn't. She won't. She is being respectful of our difficult situation. For that I am thankful, because it is probably just as difficult for me to explain to The Husband's Parents what I did, as it was for me to face him.

In my mind, his parents need to think that we live in a land of bliss, and that the World is grand. I don't need them worrying about what goes on here ... they have enough going on without having to worry about us.

So, for that, and a million other reasons, I do appreciate my Mother in Law.

November, Day 14

I am thankful for safe travels.

We just returned from a long weekend in Michigan with all sorts of family.

I saw my Dad, my sister and her two kids, met up with my husband, my in-laws, and later, my BIL, SIL & their three kids, saw cousins we hadn't seen in ten months, and then celebrated a 90th Birthday for Gigi.

Our travels were safe and uneventful, which is just the way I like them.

We're tired and have no desire to eat (we ate so much, and it was so good) or see the inside of a car until tomorrow morning, and we're home. Laundry to do, school to get ready for, a week to plan ... and we made it back here safely, so I could do just those things.

It's good.

November, Day 5

I am thankful for the time that I have had. I don't have a diagnosis, nor am I being dramatic, but I am thankful for the time that I have had.

Today is my parents 25th Anniversary. My Mom has spent the last ten of them in Heaven.

It is also my StepDad's Mom's (Gram G's) birthday. She would have been somewhere in her mid-90's (SD is 73). She has spent the last ten birthdays in Heaven as well. Yes, it was a crap year - my Mom died in January and my Gram died the following July. Crappy.

I am glad that I was given a second family when my Mom chose to re-marry after my bio-parents divorce. I am glad that this second family accepted my Mom and I with open arms and no hesitation. I have always been proud of my somewhat wacky, overgrown family tree. It just branches out all over the place, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

And, I can't talk about one branch without the other, because had my Dad not remarried, I would not have my sister. I can't imagine life without her. She's awesome.

Wearing of the Green

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, and dinner is at my house.

I've hosted St. Patrick's Day dinner at my house for almost eight years now. It's my one chance to share corned beef and cabbage with my mother in law and Uncle Duff. My father in law and my husband don't care for corned beef and/or cabbage, so they get to eat pork chops while we get the good stuff. Lucky us.

Which, by the way, I found out two weeks ago that I actually am some bit Irish, I think maybe an eighth, it's a quarter if I'm lucky. Go me.

However, I was sick last weekend, and am now so far behind that I wish for my very own leprechaun to come by my house and help me make it presentable for tomorrow.

So I blog. Yep. That's how I roll.

I'm thinking that a leprechaun showing up is not going to happen.

I'm just going to have to cook such a kick ass meal that nobody will notice the dust bunnies hanging out in the corner, and they'll ignore the stack of mail waiting to be opened/filed/shredded/whatevered.

And, as an added bonus, the cake I decided to make for The Husband to take to the clients tomorrow, needs to be made in the morning, no baking ahead for me, because it has to be hot, to melt some drizzley sort of topping on it. That means up at 5:30 to bake a cake that our family won't even get to eat. How's that for the Luck of the Irish.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, enjoy!

forever thankful

Each year, I ask various relatives to get me a short list (three things) that they are thankful for. I compile them into one giant list, and we share this list at dinner. Some things are serious, some are silly, almost all of them are heartfelt.

This year, I only got responses from five people, not including my kids or husband. Once I beat an answer out of them, I'll be up to eight. Not such a big list this year ...

But, instead of being all ho-hum about what I did not get, I'll focus on the list that I did get. I'll be working on that first thing in the morning, while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the bread and brownies are baking. Then, we'll load up the car and head to my Aunt & Uncle's house to spend the afternoon there. My bio-dad is up near the UP in Michigan with his girlfriend for the weekend. My step-dad is in Florida, he'll spend the day with his friends. My in-laws will go out to dinner, but we may stop by on our way home from Aunt & Uncle's House.

I have so many fond memories of Thanksgiving growing up ... the smell of sage that went into the stuffing that I never ate, unless it was cooked OUTside of the bird, the steamy kitchen windows from all the cooking going on, the pie my mom "flew" across the kitchen when the oven rack came flying out of the oven one year - it's amazing the mess an almost cooked pumpkin pie can make. My grandma's cornbread dressing (she spoils me!), the funny little ridge that is on the can of cranberries (I don't eat those either, unless they're made fresh), green beans and corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes with melted marshmellows on top ... then an afternoon of football.

I remember way back when ... before we had vcrs and dvrs and what not ... it was every year that we got to watch The Wizard of Oz, and it was always on Thanksgiving, and it was such a treat! That may have been the highlight of my day ... we always had to be home in time, so we could get pajamas on, make some popcorn with a little bit of garlic salt, and watch the movie. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day.

Thats why I want my Thankful List ... I want my kids to have a memory of something special we did on Thanksgiving, maybe they'll keep if for themselves and their families, maybe they won't, but I just hope that when they look back at Thanksgiving, they'll look back and smile too.

one last weekend

Before school starts on Monday.

The supplies have been bought, the laundry not yet done, back pack not yet packed, but it's our last weekend before school starts. Q will be a full time first grader on Monday, and The Bee starts 4 year old preschool.

Today we will be going to a friend who really lives out in the sticks, to spend the day and night with them, an afternoon of swimming in the pool and dinner on the grill, complete with sweet corn from todays Farmers Market. We'll come home tomorrow, and we'll just spend the day knocking around at home. There is a function I'm supposed to be going to, but I'm going to skip it and spend the day at home with my family.

Monday I'll be up at six, and get the kids up at 7:00, to be at school by 8:00, camera in hand.

*big sigh*

I wonder if it will be like this every year, getting ready to go back to school, amazed that it's the start of another year.

something to keep

My new niece!

I made it to Michigan yesterday in time for the birth of my niece, who I will call QueenE. Her brother is The Prince. He's 2 1/2.

She's beautiful, and watching my sister give birth was amazing, and 100 more words that are completely inadequate to describe it. I've got goosebumps now, just thinking about it.

And, it makes my ovaries itch ... some days I think I'm really okay with having only two children, but then there are days like yesterday and today, and the thought of being done makes me sad.

But, more on that another day ... this is a happy post!

Welcome to the World, QueenE! Your Auntie loves you!