annaisgrateful- week sixteen

Easter Sunday was a wonderful service reminding us that Jesus did indeed rise and he now wears the crown of glory at the right hand of God. I am so grateful for His sacrifice and perfect love that He would die for me and my sins.

Good Friday was lots of fun as we hosted our annual egg hunt in the backyard. I am grateful for a little extra family time that morning before our 60 little friends arrived.

Saturday afternoon we had no plans and went to nearby Round Rock for snow cones. We have not been in at least a year. They were still yummy (and still messy)!

I tried this at Target while walking around and it is really good! It is a nice alternative to tea for me in the morning. It is a mix of water, sugar, orange juice and blood orange juice. Nothing fake in it- even the coloring comes from vegetables and natural spices. 

My child LOVES rolly pollies and we are grateful Spring is here and these little guys are back in our neighborhood.

Last Wednesday we registered Abby for kindergarten and on the same day had her end of year preschool assessment. She is great academically and still needs to mature a little socially. You know things like sharing, listening, doing what the teacher says when you don't want to. Real life stuff! I am grateful for a good report and her ability to learn. 

I love clean sheets! I once read that Oprah sleeps on clean sheets every every day. If I were super wealthy, I would totally have clean sheets that often. Last night I was grateful to get into bed with fresh clean sheets!

Have a grateful week!

Grateful- Week Fifteen

Monday was a winter day in the middle of April. It was cold and rainy so I was so glad my only agenda item was the grocery store. I love being home on a rainy day!

Friday was just the opposite- sunny and filled full of errands in my 5 hours Abby was at school. She is an awesome little shopper and quick and enjoyable, but that day, I was grateful for school so I could pack it all in!

We spent Saturday morning at our friend Michael's tee ball game! It was so much fun to watch him and to see Abby cheer for him. We work really hard with her on how to be a friend and she did a great job. Michael and Abby have been friends since birth and I'm grateful they still see each other!

Sunday's message at church focused on the crown of thorns Jesus elected to wear and die for the sins of me and you. It was a wonderful reminder of the sacrifices he made. I am so grateful He died for me.

Thursday was Abby's program at our bible study. I can't say enough wonderful things about CBS and all she has learned. These little preschoolers got on stage and sang songs, called our Bible verses and sang the books of the Bible in order. It was impressive!

The other night while dinner was cooking, Marcus and Abby played with princesses on the back patio and I snapped a picture. I hope Abby knows how lucky she is to have a Daddy that knows her toys by name and plays along with her so well.

Finally, we had a big day on Tuesday. Abby mastered a gymnastics move called "skin the cat". It has been her little nemesis! She finally did it and came running out to tell me all about it. Big progress for my little scaredy cat!

Grateful- Week Fourteen

I am grateful for so many things- here is a glimpse of my week.

I am grateful to be past the baby stage of parenting, despite the super cute little shoes and clothes I always see. Abby is so independent and most days, I am really appreciative she is not a toddler anymore. 

I felt just awful last Thursday and was so grateful this text conversation led to my husband coming home within 20 minutes with lunch for Abby and working from home so I could sleep. I rarely have stomach issues and just don't handle them well at all. 

Friday I had lunch with a friend I've had since elementary school. We were college roommates and only live about 10 minutes from each other. But, kids and school schedules get in the way and I haven't seen her in months. This was my birthday card- so funny and so me. I'm grateful to have a friend of more than 20 years still in my life!

Saturday was Round Top- a semi-annual antiques show in a town about 2 hours away. I was so grateful to have some friends join me- it was their first time! Walking through junk in a field on a windy day isn't for everyone. I'm glad I have friends that like it too.

I love dinner parties because it gives me an excuse to bake! Dinner? Sure, I'll bring a cobbler!

I am grateful that for today I have a clean car! Hooray for that! Something about clean hub caps and shiny black tires makes a car look brand new again!

 Have a great week- be grateful!

Grateful- Week Thirteen

I am going on vacation next month and look for good spritual books. I'm really excited to read this one sitting on the beach marveling at the God who made the oceans and made me!

We had what I bet is one last cold day last week which was exciting! I wore one of my favorite puffy vests and then said goodbye to sweaters and the such for a few months. This time of year is always hard- I have big arms and until they get some sunlight, I hate short sleeves! Soon enough I'll be complaining about the heat!

Abby had been growing out her hair for months and we finally can do low piggies! I'm so grateful to have more options with her hair. She has the best blond highlights (naturally of course) and her hair is a little thicker than mine and perfectly straight. I'm thinking she hit the hair jackpot!

I am grateful for God's word and my ability to start leaning on it. I have a friend that is finding great comfort in Psalm 147:3 right now and through her, I've learned a new verse and will have it in my heart forever. I feel certain I will be brokenhearted many times in my life and can lean on this verse.

Saturday was my birthday and I'm grateful I got to spend it with my family and my Dad and step Mom. We explored a fun part of South Austin and had ice cream at Lick, my very favorite shop! It was a fun day!

On Monday, I went to nearby Salado with two women from my church to the site of our retreat coming up in a few weeks. We were exploring the grounds and came upon this chapel in the woods. It was every bit as amazing as you would imagine. If I decide to renew my vows in a few years, it will happen right here in this chapel.

Finally, on Tuesday morning something really exciting happened.... WE FOUND SULTAN! Abby has lots of palace pets and we've wanted Sultan since December! Today he was just sitting there on the Toys R Us shelf. Hallelujah!

There is so much to be grateful for- you just have to look around!

Grateful- Week Twelve

Being more grateful is my word for 2014 and keeping track of photos each day is really helping me turn my eye from wanting to appreciating! 

I am grateful for TOMS. I love that in a simple (and I'll admit sometimes selfish) purchase I can also provide shoes to kids elsewhere. Can you imagine your child being barefoot all the time? I love wearing them and remembering kids who go without. I also love that I can tell Abby about how blessed she is and pray about others. I love that they are having success as a company that gives back in a major way.

Both Thursday and Friday I was grateful to have time to enjoy the NCAA tourney. I don't watch any basketball expect March Madness. I loved having the games on all day Thursday and enjoyed a long lunch date with my husband on Friday.

Saturday we drove about 45 minutes out to a BBQ place I'd heard a lot about and never tried. It was so good- you could cut the brisket with this cheap plastic fork! I am grateful to live in Texas and enjoy good BBQ!

Sunday morning walking to my class, I looked in a kids area and saw this. Our church kids program is really amazing. I can't wait for Abby's mind to experience it in 1st grade. I am so very grateful to have a church that takes lessons like out in the wilderness to this level! 

Last November, I had all of my highlights covered up. I went all natural for the first time since high school. I discovered a few things- all dark brown is boring, it washes my pale skin out, and I have more gray coming in than I had ever imagined. So, last night, I was really grateful to have some low maintenance highlights put back in. My hair was red and blonde striped for years and that requires upkeep. So, I went with smaller "stripes" and a lighter brown. I am hopeful I can highlight less often and still enjoy pretty hair! 

If you see me in real life, you will likely see a Venti Starbucks Iced Black Tea in my hand. I drink tea all day long. It is my drink of choice and I have spent way too much money on it in the past. So, I made it a goal to find an at home alternative to $2.50/day. I think this is it! Two tea bags in my pretty hobnail pitcher, 3/4 full of water. Wait five minutes, remove tea bags and enjoy! I've even bought some lemon and home to have with it. I'm grateful to enjoy yummy tea and save money!

See you next week!

Grateful- Week Eleven

 What a great week I've had including a fun 3 day trip to Dallas with my Mom and daughter. Grateful to have a girl trip with these two!

SUPER grateful that trip included my favorite place for BBQ! The potato salad and sausage at Red, Hot and Blue is the best!

Spending part of Thursday at the Dallas Arboretum reminded me how grateful I am of the many colors in God's box of crayons. He made the world full of color and gave us the eyes to see it. He didn't have to :)

Friday night I sure was grateful this guy returned home from a business trip. He doesn't travel much and we sure miss him when he does!

I bought fresh cut daffodils at Trader Joes and was grateful they bloomed on Saturday! 10 daffodils for $1.29 was a steal in my book.

Sure am grateful this girl has a queen sized bed for all the things she sleeps with. No doubt she'd fall out of a twin nightly to make room for her babies that she sneaks in after dark.

I received this AMAZING wedding invitation in the mail for a dear friends from junior high. I am so grateful I was asked to be part of her long awaited special day!

Finally, today is a new day. Yesterday was hard on a family I love and I'm so glad to turn the page and start fresh today with sunshine, the park and a Spring candle. I love the Renew & Refresh candle out for Spring from Bath & Body works.

Have a great week!

Grateful- Week Ten

I am grateful for many things this week!

I am grateful she looks like me and has the personality of her father. My husband is funny and she got that. She quotes movies, sings songs out of the blue, does impersonations, and makes me laugh all day long. 

I am grateful we can afford a maid every now and then. She doesn't come every week and we've gone without her many months, but when she comes my house smells so good! I clean in stages (dust one day and mop a different day) so I never get that whole house clean effect or smell. It also forces my child to clean up her playroom which only looks like this on those days.

We lost our first tooth this week! I am grateful it was a good experience and not too scary!

I never thought I would say this, but I am grateful for leftovers! It makes Saturday lunch so easy and is a good sign that we ate in during the week. We used to eat out all the time, but now we do it typically twice on the weekend only.

This seems like a no-brainer... I am thankful for clean running water in my home. Can you imagine not having it? Seeing pictures online of people walking miles for dirty water is heartbreaking. As we discussed first world problems in Sunday school this morning, I thought about all the basic things I have that so many others don't.

I am grateful for free printables all over the internet. These made for a fun little craft this morning. I'll share the link and details tomorrow.

What are you grateful for?

Grateful- Week Nine

 I have so much to be grateful for! 

I am grateful I work indoors, live in a warm house and drive a reliable car. We've had some crazy weather and while it effects my day, I realize how much more it effects others. 

On Thursday, I left this sweet girl for a work event for a few days and she didn't handle it well at all. I am grateful I don't leave her often. Ten hours a day at daycare would have been so different for her. We did it for a few years and I can't imagine having done it for her first five years! 

It is just a teeny bit nice to know she misses me. When you are with your child most days, you don't know how much they love you. She always misses Daddy when he goes to work. 

After a long day working an event, it was nice to have a king sized bed, room service and a remote control. I almost always order a grilled cheese and fries from room service and this night, I had warm cookies to go with it. 

Saturday night I was grateful to make it home in time to tuck this sweet thing in the bed. She wanted a few extra snuggles!

On Sunday, while my people were at church, I enjoyed a day of rest. No shower, no real clothes and no running around. I did laundry, dishes, a little email catch up, and enjoyed a long nap! The before 5 AM alarms caught up to me! 

Monday was back to normal and my house needed food! I love a well stocked kitchen and was happy to be back to full by Monday evening. I promise there was produce and healthy foods in there- they just didn't make the picture! :)

As silly as it sounds, I am really grateful for Chick-fil-A. I have spent many hours doing work, reading books, and surfing the web while Abby plays. We are getting really close to being too old and bored in the playground and that makes me a little sad. Luckily, today she played for a while since she had a classmate there also.