great big thankful

The other night at dinner we took turns going around the table telling all the things we were thankful for.  Here's a few I can remember. . Tender mercies, freckles, family, chocolate, friends, doctors, prayer, medicine, scriptures,grandparents, and mom & dad (hey, that's me!).

Since then, I've been thinking even more about all that I am thankful for.  You know what?  I am super, duper, great big thankful this year.  Maybe more than ever, which is a cool idea if I think about it.  Hopefully next year I'll be even more, and then the next, and. . .well, you get the idea.  I like the thought of that because it means I'm becoming more aware each year of all the gazillion good things Heavenly Father has blessed me with.

Yesterday as I was nursing Samuel, Claire had climbed up on me and was literally hanging from my neck- crazy as usual.  I thought to myself, I'm so thankful for this moment!  So thankful for sweet little Samuel and fun, crazy Claire.  Thankful for the chaotic moments that make my life fun and exiting right now. 

A little while later, I was chasing Claire around the family room so I could take her back to her bedroom for a nap for the four hundred and sixtieth time, and I was thankful.  So thankful to be a mom.  Thankful that I am at a point where three years old seems like so darn much fun.  So thankful to have the chance to read bedtime stories and sing lullaby songs.

As I knelt down by the tub to give Samuel a bath, I was filled with a happy, thankful feeling.  So happy to watch him smile and splash.  So very pleased that I could kneel down and then stand back up again all by myself.  So glad it was I who got to wrap him up in a big, warm towel and rub yummy smelling lotion on his cute little cheekies. 

When the girls came rushing loudly into the house from the bus and woke Samuel and I up from our little afternoon nap (grateful for those, too!  They help my body work oh! so much better), I was smiling inside.  Smiling to hear their happy voices.  Excited to learn about their day.  So thankful for good teachers and nice friends. 

I felt cozy and snuggly in Courtney's sweater that I wore around yesterday when I got chilly.  It's big and soft and it makes me happy, all lovey and tingly inside.  He's pretty much all of my happiest thoughts each day.  Super duper thankful for that guy.

I'm grateful when I read the note the doctor wrote the other day about Emmy.  "Rosy, beautiful, and well spoken".  What a very nice thing for her to say.

I'm happy when I hear giggles.  I'm happy when my gals are happy. 

I'm happy to hear the little nicknames the girls call Samuel, my favorites being Hiccup, Moose, and "THE CUTEST BABY EVVVVER!"  I admit, I'm pretty in  love too.  In fact, last night after he was tucked in bed, I secretly kinda hoped he'd wake back up soon so I could cuddle him again.  (Wow, I just now see how serious this is.  I have a very serious crush on a three month old-  but really, if you saw his little grin and his awesomely chubby cheeks you'd understand).

Mostly, I am more thankful than ever this Thanksgiving season for my job. The job of being a mom, that is. Because, really- these people need me. That is one thing I have realized this past little while since my whole medical adventure. My family needs me. In a lot of ways, their world stops when I do. Isn't that a recipe for an amazing career? I mean, I can't think of a single other job that can't be filled by just about any fairly capable human being. Corporations go through employee changes all the time. But in this joint, I'm irreplaceable. Irreplaceable, I say! It used to overwhelm me (okay, it still sometimes does) that five little human lives are so totally dependant on me. But one night in the hospital, the girls came to visit. They were sad, sad little girls. They had the most wonderful grandma's ever (and I would say, more capable and kind than me in most every way), but what they wanted was me. That night, I understood my job was in a whole new light. It is very, very important. As imperfect and ornery as I can sometimes be, I'm the mom around this place, and there's only one me in the whole world. My family needs that me, and that responsibility makes me feel very humble and very, very thankful.

And even though I groaned out loud this morning when Claire and Emmy graced our presence when their very, very cheery little bodies jumped into our bed at sixish this morning, I was secretly thinking thankful thoughts.  It's kinda fun, this mommy business is.  A tad worrisome at times, and completely exhausting at best.  I admit there are times when it makes me want to pull my hair out.  (In fact, I'm laughing because the other night after a particularly dramatic outburst by one of the girls, I looked over at Courtney and saw him making stabbing motions at his eyes.  You know, as in parenting sometimes make you want to poke your eyes out!)

But really.  This time of my life (when sleep is rare and chaos is plentiful) is a very nice time.  A very nice time of life indeed.  I really do have the most important job in the universe, and that is something to be thankful for, don't you think?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.





I've talked before about my talented friend Nicole, from Nicole Nelson Photography.  She's the best.  In fact, I decided the other day that if I could have just one wish for Christmas, it would be to carry her around in my back pocket so she could photograph our lives each day.  Wouldn't that be the best?  Well, guess what?  She is doing a give-away (a family photography session!), and I would be fantastically happy if I won it.  Quite honestly, I will be fantastically happy if you win it too!  But I am thankful she got me to write down my thankful feelings all the same!