5 on Friday

trying to work blogging back into my routine this fall, I would really like to talk about something other than scrapping for my non-scrappy readers.

5 things I am thankful for this Friday:

1. I am so thankful I've been able to be a part of the Iowa Food Coop!  I think it was just the boost I needed getting back out in the public after being an at home childcare provider for so long.
2. I am so thankful to be allowed to work with the county conservation board in their rehabilitation & redesigning of a playground that has been in a local park  since the 1970's. Shopping for new stuff is fun but figuring out how to fix/add to/adjust our old-school toys to keep them with in the modern day 'safety regulations' is way  more rewarding.
3. I am thankful to all kinds of friends pointing out job possibilities to me every few days.  Trying to decide what I 'want to do when I grow up' is frequently on my m ind. I wonder what is in store but I rarely worry about finding the right fit or making enough to support our lifestyle.  I know we will be taken care of, what is meant to be will be, & the best things come when we just have faith in how its meant to be. Their pointing openings out is really keeping my eyes open to options I never would have considered but having someone else say 'you would be great here' or 'you would really make a difference in this position' not only is flattering but eye opening as well.
4. I am so thankful to be surrounded by a houseful of children in the mean time. I truly love my job (most days as most people can say) and I am thankful for those families that are sticking with me.
5. I am so thankful to be healthy enough to help keep up on the yard mowing, house keeping and meal fixing as Tim's job has gotten busier, requiring him to work later evenings & Saturdays. Yes I am blessed with a husband that was rocking the yard work as well as enjoying trying out new recipes in the kitchen. 

What are you thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday

Last week I highlighted a few things I am thankful for every day. Today I am going to continue the run of thankfulness, this time, random things around the house.

1. the free wood pile we pick from when getting ready to go camping.  It wasn't free to start w/. Tim worked some snow days w/a local tree trimmer & friend when he couldn't get to work to earn this wood for us to use for camping.

2.The bottle water delivery I am still able to justify in the budget.

This is one summer month's worth of drinking water.

3. the yard that gives us enough room, sun & shade for a small garden area.  I didnt' think it was possible & now that I have played w/it this year, I know next year will be bigger & better!  So far, we've picked 2 yellow cherry tomatoes & have 3 ornamental gords growing happily in the heat wave.

4. The clothesline! its not pretty to anyone but me.  Infact, Tim hates that it leans so much but it works for me.  maybe I'll let him cement it in the ground this fall, then again, maybe not, I'd love for him to cement a rod into the ground below the ground level that the pole can slip on to but doesn't stick up far enough to become an injury issue for the childcare yet will allow me to remove the clothesline for the winter.

5. Yes dirty laundry is a blessing to be thankful for! this pile shows that we have had a great weekend at the lake as well as a few work clothes from the Friday before.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday

after reading Brooke's thankful post here I realized, its been a while since I have blogged one myself!

• My Husband-who works in the heat, cold, & everything in between to bring home a paycheck & provide.  He's also very slowly coming around to my way of thinking on the organic, local, green way of thinking.  You know, he had to resist for a little bit ;)  He's also keeping me in line frugally on those days that I am dying for a shopping spree or want to over-stock the kitchens.  He may not get it done in 'my timeline' but it does always get done! Thankful for him!

• My Faith-in that I have learned not everything happens in our 'timeline' (ongoing lesson see above), that not everything we want is for the best so it might not happen, that we are not truely in charge of our lifes.  Tough lessons to learn but life is so much less stressful when we just let Him have the full reigns & not fight it all so much. Thankful for Him!

• My Neices & Nephews-in that I have learned to LOVE like I never thought I'd be able to.  They are my hearts, but I just did a whole post about part of them so I won't bore you w/more details of them. Thankful for them!

• My Childcare Families-that they bring their children to me to help mold & raise into responsible, caring, & productive adults.  That they allow me to work from home, make enough to help provide the life we love & I get to enjoy my job.  Thankful for them

Thanks for the boost Brooke!

So Much!

SO much to be thankful for! this month I focus my facebook statuses on thankfulness. Each day for the entire month I post something I am thankful for, whether it be big or little they are all honest.  Some examples are a warm house as the temps dip outside, a hard working husband, the child care families, the farmer's market for their goods that fed us thru the summer & now will continue thru the winter w/what I managed to freeze, & the beef that we get from Grandpa today to fill the deep freeze. 

SO much to do today! I like to defrost the freezer every year and because that beef is coming today, today is the day! I loaded a grocery sack w/last year's beef & moved it to the upstairs freezer, the bananas & some pumpkin into the childcare freezer, & a full grocery sack of pumpkin/squash to the upstairs freezer temporarily.  I do the lazy way of defrosting, I turn it off (duh) then fill a pan w/hot water & set it on the middle shelf w/a towel in the bottom of the freezer & leave the door open. if I am in a hurry I wll chizel & chip or spray it w/water but so far today, its just the steam doing the work for me.

SO much to do today #2!  I am making a new recipe for tomorrow's dinner @ mom's.  I am always nervous when trying out a new recipe but I have fresh sweet potatoes from the farmer's market so I volunteered, yesterday, to bring them along w/Tim's (requested) pumpkin roll.  Online I found Pioneer Woman's Sweet Potato recipe & it looks pretty easy & different.  I think I will start it today so Tim can have the kitchen tonight.  I love traditions but when it comes to food, as long as its the same main ingredient, a few dishes can be changed up from time to time. :)

SO much to organize!  Even if its just mentally, I must get (or atleast feel) organized going into this holiday season.  Decorating: in the past couple I have gotten blue while decorating & couldn't explain it but that put decorating @ a stand still for a couple of days.  I am swearing not to do that this year.  If something is giving me fits, it goes back in the box  & maybe even out the door. I told the kids we'd put the small tree up in the childcare this year & they are pumped! I bought a container of new cookie cutters @ Wal-Mart last Friday & will string them upon ribbons for them to use as ornaments for their tree.  Gifts: I have just a few more gifts to buy & am going to try to limit my spending on them. Then there are the neighbor/bus driver/mail delivery/garbage pick up gifts.. I want to do the (pictured) wisk+hershey's kisses & a note that reads 'we wisk you a merry kiss-mas' but will c where I can find wisks on the cheap :) Another provider invited us to particiate w/her childcare families to adopt a family for Christmas.  We jumped on it. I have been wanting to do this for many years but never felt I could do 'enough' to justify. This year I am thankful to be able to participate!  Cards: I have Christmas cards to decide on, am I making them or ordering?  Girl's Night In:  OH & I decided to host a Girl's Night In the Saturday before Christmas! GET OUT, I KNOW! what was I thinking?? I had a great idea & wanted to do it NOW & the soonest Saturday I had open was that one.  So far there are 6 signed up. Scrapping, drinks, snacks, chick flicks YES PLEASE!   seee.. so much ;)

pretty boring stuff but yet So Much :)
Hope you & your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!!!

Thankful Thursday

I really like this idea...
http://ellesstudio.blogspot.com/2010/10/thankful-thursdays_28.html

So today I am thankful for:

• My facebook friends & family!! wow! this week has been a rough one starting on Sunday when we thought we were going to have to put our 14 y/o dog down but he turned around & thanks to my friends & family on Facebook yesterday I had the courage to bring it all to Tim's attention & insist we wait. :)
• Super thankful that Gus is better & doesn't have to be put down this week! *whew*  now, don't get me wrong, I am all for euthenazia when is necessary, however I had a horrible sick gut feeling we were cheating him. Super Super glad we don't have to now!!
• The sun is shining today! after 2 days of grey windy-ness, I was ready for some sunshine!

What are YOU thankful for today?? link me up!

ahhhh thursday :)

lovey lovey lovey u!! lots to be thankful for today!

• full day of school
• back to preschool routine
• well-behaved kids
• understanding parents
• light day for my mom to fill in
• my mom filling in while I go to the dr
• Thanks Mom
• dr. appointment to get workin on fixin my foot
• clean clothes
• hot coffee
• fresh clean water to drink
• water to wash dishes, clothes & pretty much everything we want
• fellow bloggers to help put my thoughts into words
• Thanks Jo
• fellow bloggers w/great recipes & new ways of cooking
• Thanks Shanen
• SUNSHINE
• weekend away soon
• surprise birthday party this weekend
• creative memories party AKA girls night out tomorrow
• good night's sleep in a warm bed
• super comfy fleece jammy pants

Have a Great Thursday!!!

Good Morning Thursday!

Wow I am feeling so much better today than I have @ this time of the day in AGES! Evidently the foot pain was causing more 'pain' than I realized. Plus this is our first full week of school routine since before Christmas, maybe that has something to do w/it. Who knows. Who cares. I embrace whatever it is :) My productivity level was thru the roof yesterday. that too I embrace!

What's going on around here? in a word: ALOT

1. I am planning a trip to Cross Ministries on Saturday morning!! I have a load of things to donate! so far, 2 printers, a kitchen trash bag, & 2 boxes, AND I am adding to it daily :) both kitchens are getting decluttered one drawer, cupboard, basket @ a time. what a great feeling :) Yesterday I pulled 6!!! utensils/gadgets from a drawer that either didn't work up my expectations & got shoved to the back or just don't get used enough to justify their 'realastate' they require. then while I was cooking tacos for supper I went thru the towels, wash clothes & pot holders (I am a matchy-matchy-set girl in the kitchen) & pulled out a pile of unmatchy ones to donate :)
2. I have a Van load of cardboards to get to the recycling dumpster also Saturday morning! YAY!! I can't believe just how long I sit on some of this stuff before I finally feel free to purge. but I do love a good house purge! this weekend will be a good one! Monday will feel like a new place when I come to work (I store the recycling in the nursery & almost have a pack-n-play full. WOW)
3. I am ready to start planning the spring planting!! We want to finish the front/south flower beds & I hope to start a low maintenence one in the north/west corner of the back yard. All along w/our ever growing veggie garden @ the other property. I am also planning a more organized way of composting here & transporting to the other property. I think I have convinced him to get a bin over there instead of just throwing it on the ground. :)
4. Tim is all ready to get back to the lake! camping & boating mmmmmmmmmm warmer weather! CAN'T WAIT!
5. BUT UNTIL THEN, we have our Valentine's/birthday get away! YAY! count down has started & in full planning mode-ready to pack LOL
6. *I* can't work out for 2 more weeks so I am seriously kicking the water's A$$!!! Yesterday I chugged OVER 96OZ!!!!!!!!!!! whohooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo THAT felt GOOD!! hmmmmm maybe that has something to do w/how good I feel this morning?! hmmmm ya THINK?? water water water... that's my theme this week along w/asking how good is 'this' for my body BEFORE it goes in. (minus the brownie I inhaled last night hehe but honestly, it was my ONLY splurge for the day!)
7. Now that the temps have gotten up out of the dangerous range, the kids have gotten back out to play in the snow! AND LOVING IT!!!!!
8. I hope to get some new curtains hung in the child care this weekend & dying to start painting the unfinished sheetrock wall. Its that time of winter when I NEED change or updating in my surroundings to fight off depression/burn out. We are baking & cooking new recipes, decluttering, getting things hung on the walls, deep cleaning, moving things around & changing things up(curtains, pillows, sheets, etc). I am so thankful I learned how to take care of myself & our relationship by detecting this oncoming feeling & learning how to combat it! What a sad state I (& our relationship) was in before this knowledge!

WOW that was a lot of info you probably didn't care to know. Sorry. I hope to have a similarly productive day today & wish the same for you!!