Thankful Thursday

I've really enjoyed doing Thankful Thursday over the last year and a half. Thanksgiving is around the corner and I have a fun project planned for the next couple weeks to get everyone in the house involved with taking the time to really be thankful. (Info & pictures coming soon)

Despite what you may think, not everyday is perfect and filled with sunshine & butterflies around here. (insert sarcastic laugh here) While most days are great; pleasant and peaceful we do have some chaotic days too. Lately I've felt like I'm the middle of a three ring circus. In fact, I've thought of selling my kids to the circus multiple times this last week. So if you know of a ringmaster in search of children with attitudes, especially an 8 year old boy... Let me know!

Being thankful helps me get through the rough moments of the week. Sure, the kids might be driving me crazy by leaving the house a mess or not doing what they are told without loads of complaining, but my kids are here, they are healthy and live happy lives (even if they are currently upset about having to help with laundry). I think of all the parents sitting next to their children in hospital beds or those children that have returned to heaven and it breaks my heart for them while at the same time causing me to appreciate what I have even more.

That principle can be used for everything. Don't want to get out of your warm comfy bed and go to work? Think of all the people looking for jobs. They struggle to pay their heat & power bill or to just simply put food on the table.

Don't feel like cleaning your house? Think of those that have lost their homes because of natural disasters or of all those living in homeless shelters due to a string of unfortunate events.

We really do have a lot to be thankful for. So many people are having to deal with rotten situations, many are due to circumstances outside their control and through no fault of their own.

Of course we are contunually trying to improve our lives but quite a few of those improvements come from within. Be thankful for what you have rather than dwel on what you don't. It will change your life for the better.

Champions

Earlier tonight we went to the post tournament party where Leah announced the 

West Valley school's standing from the tournament...

1st place in our 2A division!

 An amazing 80 point lead ahead of the 2nd place team and 4th place out of ALL divisions!

I couldn't wait to share.

 I am so excited for them and this impressive accomplishment.

Great job everyone!

Thankful Thursday

Of the many blessings I have, I am thankful for:

• This long autumn, it's the second week of November and it's only snowed once so far.
• My job, I won an ipad2 and I interviewed for a new position in the quality department. Cross your fingers for me. I have to beat out 20 other applicants for the job.
• Not having to work on Thanksgiving.
• The killer deal I got on Ashleigh's new coat.
• Being able to donate to the food drive at my work and the kid's schools.
• Autumn scents like pumpkin spice and apple cider.
• My indoor garden because I love cooking with fresh herbs.
• Sunday nights with Jerrrick & Sierra.
• My kids bringing home good report cards.
• Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

Karate Tournament

Despite being sick all week, Jackson did great at his tournament over the weekend!  

The longer we are in karate the more it starts to feel like a karate family. I loved watching the other kids, teens and adults compete as we cheered for each other's family. We got to witness some pretty amazing black belts in action as they were testing for their next degree of black belt. Kicks, flips, weapons and sparring were so impressive! We got to see Mrs. Lawrence promoted to a Karate Master. We also got to watch Jackson's instructor, Leah Fox, compete and she was fantastic! Rusty and I were talking about joining karate ourselves someday if we had the extra money for it. I can't wait until the next tournament in the spring!

Thankful Thursday

Of the many blessings I have, I am thankful for:

• Heat
• Fuzzy socks
• Warm blankets
• Hot showers
• Crock pots
• My crazy family & how they make me laugh
• Cooking with food we have grown ourselves
• Hugs & snuggles from my babies
• Freshly squeezed orange juice
• New opportunities 

Karate lesson

Jackson had a private lesson with his Karate instructor a few days ago. I'm glad he's excited about karate again but his next tournament is this Saturday and he's missed about two months because he didn't want to go.

 Leah Fox, his instructor, offered a private lesson to help go over some things he wants to do at the tournament.

 One of Jackson's forms is called, Tsunami and Leah got out two wooden boards for him to break during the move.

 He has broken a couple boards with a heal palm before but never with a kick or punch and he did both during this one move. I think he threw himself off a bit because his kick actually broke the board into three pieces and one flew across the room!

Boo!

Happy Halloween!

 We kicked off Halloween early this year on Friday night. My work was doing a trick-or-treat for the kids with loads of candy & face painting. (Jackson's costume wasn't quite done yet so he wore his skeleton costume from last year on Friday night) Ashleigh's best friend, Kylee, got to come with us.

  

 After that, we headed over to a local church for their trunk-or-treat. Some of the vehicles were totally decked out, we got a couple pictures but there was also a truck with a whole camping scene set up, a Candyland theme where the kids had to do tricks up the colored pathway to the treats (Jackson had to hop on one leg from square to square), and a beanbag toss baseball style set up in the bed of a truck.

Jackson and I were both sick on Halloween but the weather was actually nice so I told him he could trick-or-treat in our neighborhood a little bit, but he opted to stay home and hand out candy instead. Ashleigh trick-or-treated in our neighborhood with Kylee and her little sister, Emily before all heading to a family party with Kylee's family. At least I got a picture of them together in their costumes.

 Ashleigh was a dead little girl (yuck) and Jackson was the character from his favorite computer game, Minecraft. He carved his pumpkin to match this year saying "MINECRAFT" above a sword & shield.

The house looked great for our trick-or-treaters. We stretched spiderwebs from the roof of the garage over to the house, so there was a spooky walkway up to the front door with webs overhead. We added big spiders, and 'caution' tape across the top of Jerrick & Sierra's stairs. We also hung a giant light up spider web inside above the door and had a black light glowing from behind the door and creepy looking skeleton guy on the doorknocker.

On a side note, my kid's half sister, Makenzie, is in the hospital again for heart complications. Ashleigh got to go visit on Saturday but Jackson couldn't since he's sick. Since she wouldn't get to go trick-or-treating I thought it would be nice to make up a little trick-or-treat goodie bag for her. Ash & Jackson got to work, they both took candy they got Friday night to give to her. We added silly bands from our treasure box and some stickers I had in my scrapbook supplies. I had bought a tube of glow sticks for my kids to wear when they went out trick-or-treating but when I asked if we could give them to Kenzie instead, they thought it was a great idea. I was proud of them for sharing without hesitation. And, as always, please keep Makenzie in your prayers to get better soon (her body is having rejection issues from a heart transplant) so she can go back home.

Thriller

Ashleigh was one of three students chosen out of all the theater classes at her school to attend Thriller by the Odyssey Dance Theater!

 

 A couple weeks ago she went downtown to Kingsburry Hall with her teacher and a few classmates.

 Ashleigh said it was amazing! It was quite an honor to be chosen out all the drama students.