Give Thanks...part 1

So yesterday I made this "Give Thanks" banner. The picture isn't great, but it was a lot of fun to do. It was a semi-copy of the one my cute friend, Dorey, gave me for Halloween. Thanks Dorey! You have created a monster!



Also yesterday, I was going through some documents on my computer and came across one that was really cool to read. It was written back in 2002 and I just took the time that day to write down the things that I was grateful for. Cayden was only 3 and the twins were only about 6 months. Here is what it said:

I have a WONDERFUL husband who is a unbelievable dad to our kids. He is Cayden's best buddy and is so sweet to our girls. They flirt with him and have him wrapped around all 20 of their fingers! He treats me like a queen and is always supporting me in my "me time" when I need it. He works so hard to provide for our family so that I can stay home with our kids. He has endless patience for me and my rantings!
Cayden is my sweet litle guy! I can't believe he will be 3 in a few weeks. He is growing up too fast! He is full of love and sweetness and loves to snuggle and give "big hugs". He's like my little teddy bear. I love to hear him sing his songs even though he doesn't know all the words. I love that he loves me even when I am not the best mom. I love that when I am having a hard day, he comes to me and asks, "What's wrong? Are you okay?" I love that he gets so excited lately when his pants have pockets to put his hands in. He is the sweetest and most wonderful little boy in the world.
My sweet Ashlee is getting more roly and poly every day. I love her adorable dimples in her cheeks. I love listening to her coo in her little deep voice. I love that she gives everyone a big smile when she sees them. I love being the one to get her out of bed because she is so happy to see me. I love that she is a snuggler and that she loves to hold my finger while I feed her. She is an angel.
And finally, my sweet little McKell. She is full of spunk and curiosity. My late Grandma always called her "the nosy one" and she was right. McKell has a natural born wonder for the world. My dad tells everyone, "She doesn't look at you, she looks through you!" It is so true. She studies everything with such great intent. She is a mommy's girl and loves to grab my face. I love her beautiful blue eyes and long eyelashes. I love feeding her and snuggling with her (when she isn't too busy looking around at the world). I love hearing her discover the noises she can make with her voice as she squawks and growls. She is also an angel.
I am blessed with so many things and am so proud and honored to be a mommy to these wonderful little gifts fom God.

So, in following that tradition, I thought that I would take a few moments this coming week before Thanksgiving to share the things that I am grateful for.

1. Rob - I am so very very blessed to be married to such a wonderful sweet man. He is a great husband and an incredible father. He takes the time to learn and listen to the kids. Rob has always had an amazing love of learning. He truly takes joy in learning all about new things and isn't happy until he is pretty much a pro at it. I love that he has passed this love of learning onto our kids. I can't tell you how often we have science experiments going on in the kitchen, stacks of paper where he has written down ways to illustrate something he is teaching, etc. and his enthusiasm for learning is contagious to the kids. They are always doing some kind of project or experiment. He is patient and tries so hard to be a good dad. He is also very humble when he realizes he has done something wrong. Our home wouldn't be the same without Rob's huge spirit. We love his singing, movie voices, and positive attitude.

2. Cayden - What a sweet and special boy Cayden is. I can't believe how quickly he is turning into a young man. He is so sensitive to others' feelings and truly wants everyone to be happy. I love to laugh and giggle with Cayden. He will always hold a special place in my heart because he was my first. I am so grateful for the special relationship that he and I have. Like his dad, Cayden LOVES to learn and has a contagious curiosity about things. I am grateful that he is such a good big brother amidst all of these girls! He is surely a valiant spirit that was saved for this day.

3. Ashlee - I recently came to a life altering perspective change with Ashlee. So many people have told us that Ashlee was sent to us because we were the parents that could best help her and take care of her special needs. But I think it is exactly the opposite. Ashlee wasn't sent to us so we could help her, Ashlee was sent to us so she could help us. The life lessons I have learned just by being Ashlee's mother are too many to write. I am so grateful for her humor, love, joy, and amazing outlook on things. When Ashlee was first diagnosed with autism, I was devastated to say the least. But I have been forced to learn that appearances don't matter and that we should spend less time worrying about what other people think and focus more on what we think about ourselves and what God thinks of us. I love that Ashlee makes us all laugh. I love that she is strong willed and stands her ground. I am grateful for the amazing progress that she has made in the short time we have been working with her autism. I am proud of her that she is doing SO incredibly well in school and everyone loves being her friend.

4. McKell - This sweet little angel is so special to me. McKell is so nurturing and loving. Her heart truly feels for others. If one of the other kids gets in trouble, it is ususally McKell who is the most upset. I love my special times with McKell and I love that she cherishes those moments as well. McKell is a lot like me and likes to be creative and do crafts etc. I look forward to many times when we can work together and share those moments. I am grateful for McKell's enthusiasm for life and love of music, art, and learning. I am so proud of her hard work in school. And although it is often times frustrating to me, I do appreciate that she has a firey personality and knows what she wants and stands up for it. I love that she still knows that she got her beautiful blue eyes from Grandpa and that Grandma Olive watches over her. She is a little angel and a special and sweet girl.

5. Sadie - Oh sweet Sadie! Sadie's "theme" song is "You are my Sunshine" because that is what Sadie is - a ray of sunshine in our home. I have never seen one baby bring so much harmony, love, happiness, and joy to a family. She has been such a blessing to us. I am grateful to have my special time with just her each day after the kids go to school. I love that she still pulls on my hair when I feed her her bottle. I love that she is constantly wiggling her feet and toes, especially when she is excited. I love that she has a fascination with socks and gets giddy when I put socks on her feet. I love her big smile and sweet little spirit. I love that singing "Old McDonald" can calm her down in any situation. I love my little Sadie and am so thankful for her in our family.

To be continued.....