Day 14 – 26 of Gratitude

 

I am going to count it backwards….. Sorry I got off here. I kept up on my personal facebook, but I haven’t been at the computer much, and blogging via the mobile app, just doesn’t do it for me. Be sure to click the banner for other Gratitude posts.

 

Day 26 - I am so thankful for the closeness I have gained, the openness, and friendship with my cousin, Lena. I hate we missed out on a lot over the years, but hope the 2 of us, never let that happen again! I love ya so much! More than ya know! Thank you for being such a blessing!

Day 25 - I am thankful for the Truck Drivers that keep this Country going. They transport supplies of all sorts. They get the goods from place to place, so that you and I can enjoy what we want and need! Without them delivering the goods, people would be without jobs in many areas. They are a vital part of what makes this country work! Not to mention in this crazy time we live in, the dangers and threats they face. SO thank you to all the Truck Drivers out there!!!!

 

Day 24- I am thankful for the Christmas Decorations. I get to sit and enjoy the twinkling lights, the pretty pieces, and the every so special pieces that can never be replaced! After getting rid of so much, I am really enjoying the simplicity of what we have out! I am thankful for the peacefulness and beauty I get to enjoy, as well as all the memories that the pieces spark!!! Likes though special gifts from those near and dear to us, or the pieces my hubby painted me, or those that were my dear Momma’s and Grandmother’s. What we have is full of special memories and lots of love!

 

Day 23 - I am thankful for hubby's time off and the time we get together. He works long hours and never complains, and misses out on so much that is going on with the girls and myself. I really couldn't ask for more. And it makes the time together so much more appreciated. It was great to have Thanksgiving yesterday, and then today and all weekend together. And in a month another 4 day weekend and a 2nd to start the new year!

 

Day 22 - I am thankful for the most awesome memories made this Blessed Thanksgiving Day. Our family cooked and baked and laughed together. It was one of the best days in awhile. Each of the girls had a special one on one time helping mommy! Just Mommy, Daddy and the 2 girls did the all the cooking, but it was wonderful. We had an awesome Thanksgiving together, plus our friends joined us for a nice visit and yummy food. I am so blessed and very thankful!

 

Day 21 - I am thankful, we caught our friends dog. We were dog sitting and he got out. We chased by foot and car. I cried so hard, I am sick. Ran faster than I ever have. No matter my battle scars and wounds, I'd do it a zillion more times. All that mattered is that sweet dog was caught and safe. It crushed me. And yet then was so thankful.

 

Day 20 I am thankful to have my Little Bit back home!!

 

Day 19 - I am thankful to the ones who took care of my sweet fur baby. as she was missing, and ended up in the city pound! I was beyond devastated that she got lost. My sweet baby girl is 12 years old and blind. So she was really lost.

 

Day 18 - I am thankful that my hubby supports and encourages me to do what i want, craft! He is awesome! And often joins in on the creations! We are a great team!

 

Day 17 - Today I am thankful for adoption, it made me a momma! Btw, it's National Adoption Day. Without adoption, i wouldn't have my girls. My heart would ache. I know so many that were adopted, and can't imagine them having other parents. And I know so many blessed to have their children via adoption. Most of these would never have known parenthood without adoption! We may not birth these children, but they are ours! We love just as much as biological parents do. It really is a beautiful blessing! And I am here to say it's a special gift from God. I am honestly thankful adoption was the route he choose for me. Happy National Adoption Day!

 

Day 16 ~ I am thankful for a special love I witnessed for many years! A love that was unconditional! It wasn't just a love between and husband and wife, it was a love between them and for their kids and later their grandkids. It was truly unconditional and real! There were never no labels, not step, not yours/mine, not adopted. We were all theirs and that is just the way it was! They stood by each

other through it all. It wasn't perfect, it wasn't fantasy, but it was real and true, and something I have and always will aspire to keep. I watched them hurt for each other, and for all of us kids and grandkids and great grandkids. And they were always there! For the good, the bad, and everything in between!! They took in their son in laws and grand son in laws, just as if they were their own kids and grandkids. And today I am really thankful of this great example of what love is and should always be!!! I can't ever say thank you enough to my Daddy, Bobby and my Angel Momma, Tommie. They really are the BEST and showed by example of that special love that is rare!!!! I always knew that I'd never marry unless I had that kind of love, and I am proud to say I do. We are really close to making 13 years of marriage, and it's been far from pretty and sure wasn't easy. We have faced some really hard times and lots of set backs, but we have always come through. And never gave up our love for each other, or our children! The 1st trip to the hospital that, James, stood by myside, and it was nasty, scary and icky.. He stayed right with me.. 17 long hours and then carried me home and cared for me, I knew that I had that special rare love that I had witnessed and dreamed of!!! We get on each others nerves, we are both hard headed, and we often both want it our way! You could say the hard to love song is both of our theme song at times, and as I said the other day She aint right, but she is just right for him, is true! I couldn't be with anyone else! There is NO OTHER that could make me this happy, love me the way he does, love our kids and my parents the way he does! I am truly double blessed to be part of that special kind of love! Once as a daugther, and 2nd as wife and mother!

 

Day 15 - I am thankful that my friend told me of what has been going on at our local wal-Mart. I am thankful of that, because i knew this morning, when the stupid guy tried to get me. I am thankful he didn't. I am thankful my husband came packing, to walk me out and protect me. ....  Beware and do not let your guard down. It was 9:15 in the morning!

 

Day 14 – I  am thankful for the littlest things in my life! The ones that mean nothing to anyone else, but mean tons to me.

 

Hugs and Blessings,

Jan, a long while back!

We moved New Years Eve and had been so busy getting settled in. But the kids loved it and were so happy and were having a great time being silly! They so loved to ham it up while being crazy and funny!! Anything to make ya laugh!!!  This between fighting illness and such. It had been a long icky winter already! And we still had a ways to go.

 

Jan was actually been pretty low key! We hadn’t much due to all the icky yucky junk.  Lil E had pneumonia and we left public school and returned to homeschool!!! Thank you Dear Lord for answering our Prayers! It was something we had been praying about and knew it was the Lord making the way! No matter what others had to say or thought.   We were so very happy with the decision! All of us were!

 

   

Mid Jan rolled around and it was my birthday. They got me the Paula Deen Humming Bird Cake (you can find it at Wal Mart). It is very yummy!!! But the girls said it had to have the writing on it, or it wasn’t a birthday cake. So they picked one of my favorite colors.

But it didn’t stop there. We were heading out to dinner, but much to my surprise it was a surprise party dinner at my favorite place, Cheddars! YUM and so nice to see everyone! The day didn’t start out so well. I felt alone and missing my Momma. James was sleeping, and I just really out of sorts, but it in ended up being a nice evening and way special!

 

 

Since we knew we were moving and Daddy would a nice size Garage, for Christmas, he had been given several signs to decorate. He wouldn’t say decorate, but you know what I mean.

 

I love each of them. They are too funny and true! :) I have to say I really love our “Workshop”. 

 

All four of us!!

 

Little miss is all feeling better, and full of some real sass! Now Lil K is under the weather. It’s been one nasty fall / winter. The extreme drought here has wrecked havoc on allergies and strep. Even with Lil E’s tonsils being gone, she had had strep 3 times by this point!

 

Lil K doesn’t like getting outside much, it’s told cold! She is not a fan of really cold or hot weather. She is a spring and fall kinda kid.

 

Out of no where, Lil E wanted her training wheels gone off her bike and she learned to ride right away! :) Yeah!!! How exciting!!!

It’s the last week of the month. We had spent months planning and preparing for Baby B to make her way home to us, but the case workers decided to give birth mom another chance, and we got the ruling she was to be reunified with her birth mom. (this is a huge issue in that state, parents have way more rights.) We were crushed, angry, and beyond devastated. It was a hard blow to take. But rest assured, Baby B, we love you always and forever, and you are in our thoughts and prayers! We would love for you to be with your family, but right now, that isn’t the way it has worked out. We pray for your safety and well being! We love you sweet girl! Your sisters would give anything for you to be with them! But know that no matter where you are, we love you!  Then the very  night that the news was made official to us about Baby B, our sweet special Papa grew his wings and flew home to be with his best friend, Jesus.  He always said, if you only had one friend, all you needed was Jesus. Papa is a special man, and one we will forever love and cherish! He and Lil E had a very special connection, and had since she was a tiny baby. We will miss listening to him play the steel guitar, and all the fun times we have had. He really enriched our loves, and the way he loved Grandma, was so special!!! A wonderful example of how a man is to love his bride! Papa, we love you!

 

As we prepared to travel for Papa’s funeral, the night before we left, Momma and Lil E decided to cut her hair off again.

 

Ta da!

 

Then we were getting ready for bed for our travels north for Papa’s funeral.

 

Early Sat, Daddy gets home, and we hit the road.

We stopped in OK  a couple of times, on our way.

We are a Texas Proud Family!

Crossed Missouri (sorry no pictures).

The girls pictured, way late at night. in IL, at a rest area. It had been one long day, we had left home early morning, and drove all day, and still had like 4 hours to go. We arrived in the middle of the night, or should I say early morning. But we were in Indiana finally.

(one of my favorite pictures, a beautiful farm that i feel in love with)

 

 

WOW!!!!! Why haven’t I ever been here!!!!!

You guessed it, I had fallen in love with Indiana!!! It’s beautiful!!! Way prettier than I ever dreamed!!! I loved the farms and finally saw, why so many times I had heard it referred to as God’s country! It was true!!!

Grandma was so lost without Papa! It was so hard to see her like this. But I am so glad we were able make it. Lil K is named after Grandma.

 

The girls had a great time playing with their little cousin! And this trip was such a blessings, as we got to spend time with him and his parents, and see lots of other family. It was nice to get that time with him and his mommy and daddy! And I’ll be forever thankful that we had this trip, that led to a relationship, that I don’t think would have ever happened other wise.

 

 

While in town, I was so blessed with visits from 2 of my dearest friends in life! It was so nice and even made me want to move there more!!! We had a great time, and I know that one day I will get to live near them both and we will have some way fun times!!! (I am not giving up on this dream!)

 

Don’t you see, how special this time was? I love them all so much!

 

I hated to say see ya later! Wish we had had some more time. But I am so glad that each of them made the drive (several) hours to meet up with us while in the area.

 

Daddy and the girls after getting ready for Papa’s funeral.

 

 

Good Bye Indiana! See you next time! (Hopefully soon)

 

Next it was time to say Hello KY!!

Hello Nashville ~

It was finally dinner time! And we sure were ready for our favorite, Mexican food!

It was one long night of driving home! We left there and drove and drove and drove some more! By morning, we had made way to OK, but we were so very tired, and it was along day across OK, and then home here in Texas.

It was a very long day, and when we finally made it home, we all went to bed. It was for sure hard long fast trip, but filled with many blessings! I wish we could have stopped along the journey home and visited way more friends, but we just didn’t have the time, as Daddy had to get back to work. It was the very last day of Jan… So there you have how we spent our Jan. It was a hard month in lots of ways, but a month I am so thankful for the many blessings that came our way. Even the the dark and sad times, we were greatly blessed!!!

 

Hugs and Blessings,