100 Things I'm Thankful For-4th 20

Almost to the end! Here is the 4th set of 20 things I'm thankful for. I know November is over, but that's no reason to stop being thankful!

61. I'm thankful for the one-on-one dates I have with Haley when Serenity is in school. Sometimes we go get ice cream or go to the library or have a playdate.

62. I'm thankful that Serenity has taken to school so well. She loves it and I love seeing her learning and her social skills are growing.

63. I'm thankful our neighbourhood decorates, I love seeing all the Christmas lights.

64. I'm thankful our house has 24hr maintenance and we don't have to pay for lawn or trash service.

65. I'm thankful that Carrie has been my friend for the past almost 6 years even though she has to hide it from her family. It's too bad her mom is such a hateful person she has to tell her daughter who she can and can't be friends with.

66. I'm thankful we have 2 working vehicles. They may not be the prettiest but at least they work...for now.

67. I'm thankful for my relationship with my husband. I have truly found a passionate yet undying love in him.

68. I'm thankful I can trust that God sees all. Even when people lie and try to hide things.

69. I'm thankful for Christmas traditions. I love sharing them with my kids and stepkids.

70. My dad taught me to budget at an early age and I've managed to keep a pretty good budget. When we are completely broke (like one time when the ex had our bank account levied and we had $5 to our name) I always manage to pull money out of thin air somehow.

71. I'm thankful for activists. They are the people that help change the world. I choose to be one of them.

72. I'm thankful for humor. I love love to laugh!

73. While they annoy me sometimes, I really am thankful for dirty little handprints and running feet through my house. Some people don't have that and I blessed to.

74. Thankful for Adoption. I myself am adopted. My husband adopted his ex sister-in-law's son and raised him. He is also in the process of adopting my daughter. Adoption is a beautiful thing.

75. Thankful for my camera. No explanation needed there.

76. I'm thankful there are some sweet little girls around that play with my girls. It's nice to know your kids have friends.

77. This is totally superficial but Baskin and Robbins has this Dark peppermint bark ice cream. I have them make it into a shake for me and I am in loooove!

78. Pandora. Like I said before, I would be so lost without music. And I definitely can't afford to buy all my fav music on ITunes.

79. I'm thankful for my friend Kelly. She is one of the very, very few people who knows what it feels like to deal with problems like mine. I love that girl!

80. I'm thankful for my friend Shantel. She is such an encouragement and so giving to everyone around her. I love her too.

In case you missed my last 3 20's. here they are...

3rd set of 20
2nd set of 20
1st set of 20

Thanksgiving 2013

We had a great Thanksgiving!

 We were hoping to go up to see the boys, at least for a day or two since we didn't see them last year. It was our year, but we were still living in SC and couldn't afford the $5000s in plane tickets to see them. Even because of that, do we get a little time with the boys this year? Nope. Not only that, Hubby requested a call, day before Thanksgiving, nothing. Thanksgiving comes around...nothing. They didn't even pick up the phone. I got about 5 calls from extended family and my husband's ex sister-in-law even wished us a Happy Thanksgiving. Hubby let the ex let know he wouldn't be available day after Thanksgiving so we (the girls included) would really like to talk to the boys for the Holiday. So what does she do? She has the boys call on the day after Thanksgiving. HE WAS ON DUTY!!!! Let me break it down for the less educated...duty means you can't be on your phone, social media ect. because he has an important job dealing with sensitive government material. Either there is some complete stupidity in this situation or clear manipulation and an attempt to completely isolate our family from the kid's lives. Episodes like this scream Parental Alienation.

So anyway there was that sadness deep inside that was missing the boys, but we still had an absolute wonderful Thanksgiving. I love that my family is so close, we can do stuff together so much more. My mom has taught all 8 of us to cook so there is never a shortage of deliciousness.

Here we have green bean casserole (I made), rolls, sweet potato casserole, ham, turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, sausage stuffing, and an apple/grape/apricot salad. And in the cups in the front there is a delicious coffee my brother makes. He has perfected the perfect cup of coffee. I know he uses a French press but other than that I can't give his secrets away hehe!

And at the drink table we had orange/lime water, tea and peach tea. My brother and sister have funny looks on the faces!

The token "kids" table at Thanksgivings.

Its cute that my oldest kid and my youngest brother are only a few months apart. They are really, really close.

 

I wish I had taken a pic of dessert, but I was so full I couldn't get up! We had a pumpkin pie made by my 13 yr old sister (Isn't it cool she can make stuff like that at such as a young age?) Pecan pie, a peach cobbler, a sour cream bundt cake (made by me) Ice cream and homemade whipping cream. (Yeah that yummy fluffy, light cream, way better than Redi-whip)

 

 

 

Sour Cream Bundt Cake

(Recipe coming soon!)

 

The men/boys went out and played bocci ball and threw a football around. The girls chatted and cleaned up some.

 

My brother set my little brother on top of a bush. So funny!!

 

 Look at that gorgeous background at my parents place!

(I'll do a fashion post on my outfit soon)

 

 

 And a gorgeous family too, if I do say so myself!

 

 

 I love us. Our weirdness makes us perfect for each other!

True Love!





100 Things I'm Thankful For-3rd 20

Ok here is the next set of 20 on my way to 100 things I'm thankful for. There is so much! But let's be honest, 100 things is a pretty lofty goal. Like I said, toward the end some of  these might be slightly superficial.

41. I'm thankful for the Intesrnet. Despite all the bad things that happen online it really is a great tool for research, keeping in tough with the latest news and networking (especially is you have a business or blog!)

42. Cellphones. My cell is a lifesaver! I love to text and it makes it so much easier to stay in contact with people. Caution! Caution! Don't text and drive! So many lives have been lost over a superficial text...don't do it!

43. Netflix. I am thankful for Netflix. We have completely done away with cable to save on our bills. Netflix is only like $16 a month and you get unlimited streaming movies and TV shows, plus check out dvds with no late fees. Late fees have always been killer for me, I'm so forgetful sometimes.

44. I'm thankful for small acts of kindness. When someone does something kind to me I try to pass it on. I've had people pay for my drinks at Starbucks, open doors for me, give up their seat and pay me thoughtful compliments. This one time I got the girls piggy banks at the dollar store and a sweet old lady gave them both a dollar to start off their savings. Stuff like that reminds me that although there are so many liars and cheaters and thieves there are still wonderful people in the world.

45. Haters. Yeah I'm thankful for haters. They drive me to push harder and work better. And of course the saying goes "Behind every successful person lies a pack of haters."

46. I'm thankful for makeup. It boosts self confidence. I love how excited people are over their how they look when I do makeup for a photoshoot. Their happiness makes my day. Plus it's super fun to play around with.

47. Parties. I'm thankful for parties where I get to know and meet new people, chat and usually laugh lots! (And no Holly I don't have crazy, drunk or immoral parties or go to them so STFU)

48. I'm thankful my Hubby knows how to iron. He has to iron all his uniforms and stuff and I hate ironing and I'm horrible at it so we make a great pair.

49. I'm thankful for that stranger you just happen to meet that makes your day one way or another and they might not even realize it. I had someone pass me by on the way to the post office on a particularly stressful day and say "Mam I just wanted to let you know you are the most fiercely gorgeous woman I have ever seen." Fiercely gorgeous? How about that for a compliment. Love it!

50. Physical Therapy. I'm back in PT after a few months off. OMG its painful but I can feel it working already.

51. I am thankful for Passion. I love seeing someone light up when they are talking about something they love whether it be their career, work hobby or children. I'm an extremely passionate person, sometimes bordering on the line of getting me into trouble but I am learning to focus that passion on fighting for injustice and evil in the world. Plus putting that passion into my writing, poetry and art.

52. Red Bulls. I know, I know how bad they are for you but they are my best friend during finals or when I'm working late.

53. The gift of learning. There is so much knowledge in the world, you couldn't learn everything in several lifetimes. I love learning about new topics from psychology to sociology to early child development to criminal justice to law. The list is endless.

54. Family time. I'm thankful to spend time with my family, one of the most precious gifts in the world. Nobody will love you like your family. (At least that is how it should be...some people don't get the importance of family)

55. I'm thankful for the time I get to spend with my boys, though short it may be. Their mom hates us so much that she limits the time they spend with us, but life is so short and time is so precious that in the end it is just plain cruelty. I'm thankful though, that the boys would rather spend quality time with us than go on the lavish vacations that are pretty much forced upon them.

56. Notebooks. I have an obsession with them. I write down so much stuff its crazy.

57. This is more a love thing than a thankful thing but that's about the same. I love how my husband has aged so gracefully. He is constantly mistaken for someone in their 20s. One time this really hot model was his seat mate on a flight to drop the boys off for visitation. When he got off the plane and went to pick up the luggage, the model said "I just have to say, you are a very attractive man." Funny part was she said this right in front of the hubby's ex haha!

58. Ok so this is trivial I know, but I'm thankful for Facebook games. They don't suck you in and force you to spend half your life away on them like World of Warcraft or Everquest. When you need a quick game fix you can play some solitare, candy crush or other short little game. They are my escape from homework occasionally...although they make me procrastinate more than I want to admit.

59. I am thankful for quiet mornings when the girls go out to play, I put on some music, cradle my coffee and get lost in a good book or work on writing another chapter in my own.

60. Thanksgiving! Definitely thankful for this holiday. Family, friends, food, games, laughter and of course I eat the desserts till they come out my ears!

Well that's all for this round! Only one more to go. Catch my previous thankful posts 2nd 20 Thankful Things  1st 20 Thankful Things

Got something you are thankful for? Comment below!

100 Things I'm Thankful For-2nd 20

Here is a continuation of my 100 Things I'm Thankful For. Catch my 1st 20.

21. I'm thankful for our 4bd house in a good neighbourhood. We are a 5 min walk to my daughter's school and there are 5 or 6 girls that all play together with my girls in our cul-de-sac. It's like a kid gang and it's so cut to watch them running around together.

22. Music. It lifts my mood or relaxes me or pumps me up during a workout. I would be so lost without music in my life.

23. I'm thankful my Mom taught me to cook at a young age. I've been experimenting and creating recipes since middle school. Another really good skill to know.

24. Thankful for all the benefits that come with being a military spouse. Free activities, great health and dental care and lots of discounts.

25. Shoes. I'm slightly obsessed. I love all shoes but stilettos and boots really rock my world.

26. Thankful for where we live. Close to the beach for surfing, tanning and beach volleyball and also close to the mountains for snowboarding and tubing.

27. Thankful for great health. My daughters rarely get sick and when they do it's only minor. They pretty much only go to the doctor 1x a year for their yearly check-up.

28. I'm thankful I have the opportunity to go to school. I can't say I love it but in the end my hard work and efforts will pay off. That Bach degree is so close. Who knows maybe I'll get my Masters if I change my mind about law school. (And let me say that going to college full time while working and taking care of 2 kids is hard work. Going to nursing school while mommy and daddy pay all your bills so you don't have to work, collect welfare and child support, let someone else raise your kids and clean your house is not hard work. It's actually pretty pathetic.)

29. Thankful for our military. The Marines especially. I come from a long line of Devil Dogs. My Grandaddy served, my Dad is a pilot in the Marines and my hubby is a badass infantry man in the Marines. (And this week my stepson is entering Marine bootcamp! So proud of him!)

30. My OCD. Well yeah I'm a little thankful for it. It makes me keep a spotless (and I mean spotless, like not even fingerprints on the wall) house. I can't leave dirty stuff around so my house is ready to walk into pretty much anytime. And let me tell you with a messy husband and two messy girls this is no easy task.

31. My involvement in I AM THAT GIRL or IATG. It's kind of like girlscouts for college girls. It's all about empowering girls, supporting each other and making a difference in the world. I love our heartfelt, deep talks.

32. I'm thankful there are groups out there like Fathers 4 Justice, that support fathers, despise alienators and help fight for fathers that are getting screwed over by the system. Father's rights is a cause I've become very involved in and my research has uncovered some shocking stuff about corruption in family court, the out of control Child Support system and Parental Alienation just to name a few.

33. This might be a little conceited but I'm thankful for perfect teeth. Teeth are one of the first things people notice about you and I love being able to grin and not be embarrassed. My husband's grandmother use to say to him "Find a women who can cook and has nice teeth." I think he finally followed her advice when it came to me hehe!

34. Books. Yes I'm thankful for books. As a youngster I read all the time since we weren't allowed to watch tv. I read for school but I mostly read for fun. I went for several years after high school not reading much but this past year I made it my goal to read more. I put Read 100 books on my Day Zero Project Goal list. I've read about 10 books over the past couple months. My husband laughs at me and calls me a nerd since I read so fast. I had almost forgotten how nice it is to get lost in a book!

35. The view from my bedroom windows. We are in a canyon and sort of on top of a ridge, so it looks like we are on top of a mountain kinda. We have this long window in our bedroom, and at night it is breath taking to see all the lights of the city twinkling below us. We don't have any houses behind us so the view is looovely!

36. Chocolate! I'm a total chocoholic! So thankful God created it.

37. Scary movies. I love cuddling up with the husband, turning off all the lights and watching something scary. Afterwards hubby and I try to sneak up on one another and scare each other like kids. He always jumps before I do haha!

38. I'm thankful my husband was able to get a smoker for free. In his divorce the only thing he got besides debt was his grill. It was a nice grill but it finally broke for good about a year ago. Since then we have been oogling over nice grills and dreaming of having a grill/smoker combination. We never had the money to spend on one but a buddy from his work was moving and gave us his grill/smoker. It's the exact one we were dreaming about! A good scrub and a coat of paint has it looking brand new. We cooked some steaks on it for the first time last week and they were sooo yummy! It makes me happy when good things  happen for my husband. He really deserves it.

39. I'm thankful I got to travel a lot as a military brat. We lived in many different states and I got to see so many different places. Some people live in their own little bubble, like being born and then living their whole lives in the same town. I'm glad I got to experience the world and different cultures. Growing up like a gypsy gave me what I think they call "wanderlust". I don't like staying in the same place too long. I want to see the world!

40. And speaking of travel, I'm also thankful for GPS. I am super bad with directions although  I can almost always get back to somewhere I've already been before. Before we got a GPS I would usually end up lost and panicking anytime I went somewhere new.

Well that's all for this round! Feel free to comment below with anything you are thankful for!

100 Things I'm thankful for- 1st 20

I love seeing all these thankful posts on facebook lately. There is a thing going around called 30 days of thankful, where you post something you are thankful for everyday of the month of November.

I'm going to do something slightly different, since on my Day Zero project I have to make a list of 100 things I'm thankful for. I'm going to do them in sets of 20 so I don't overload you guys. And what better month than Thanksgiving month to do it in? The first ones are going to be pretty deep, but don't laugh if towards the end of this project I start saying things like I'm thankful for bubbles or something haha!

So here are my 1st set of 20...I'm thankful for

1. How God has blessed our family and been there even in the toughest of times.

2. A husband that treats me like a princess, is a good daddy and just a wonderful person to all who know him.

3. For a close relationship with my family. My parents are always there for me and even when I'm wrong they help instead of judge.

4. For smart, kind siblings. They would never abandon or hurt me like my husband's sister has done to him.

5. A God-loving, caring extended family who is always interested and keeps up with my life. I can always find encouragement in them.

6. A great relationship with my in-laws. They make me feel like a daughter. I know a lot of people who hate their in-laws so it is very special to me that I have amazing ones.

7. Friend that have my back and I know I can count on.

8. Starbucks! Or coffee in general. It saves my life in the mornings...and probably other people's too haha!

9. My red hair. It's unique and wild and I wouldn't change it for the world. Hairdressers say people pay a lot of money to get my natural color.

10. My oldest stepson Bryan. We have become close and after all the women in his life screwed him over, including his mom, I feel privileged that he loves and cares for me and that he has let me be a big part of his life.

11. My great metabolism. I do workout and eat fairly healthy but I always stay a good weight even when I'm lazy and eat like a fatty.

12. My wonderful, smart girls. People compliment on how beautiful they are all the time. They make me smile and laugh everyday.

13. My mustang. I always wanted one growing up. There is nothing like driving around with the windows down and a great sound system and pumping subwoofer turned up while you shift around town like a street racer.

14.  My amazing stepsons. They are so strong and courageous after everything they have been put through. Despite lies and manipulations, they believe what they see with their own eyes. I'm thankful for this because we have and amazing relationship. It is such a good feeling to be told how much they love me, admire me and look up to me. It's also a huge responsibility to be the kind of person they can look up to.

15. Thankful God has blessed me with a good mind. I've been able to make awesome grades even with my busy schedule, moving 5 times and attending 3 different colleges.

16. Thankful God has also blessed me with creativity. I love painting, designing and all things artsy.

17. Thankful my Mom made me take piano for years. Now that I'm older I appreciate it a lot more, and be able to read music is such a great skill to have.

18. The success of my photography. It started as a hobby with a little point and shoot camera. It grew with lots of positive reinforcement from my husband and family. 4 years later I have a top notch pro camera and many satisfied clients. I've been published in magazines, brochures, calendars and have met some B-list celebrities.

19. Thankful for the success of my blog. It also started as a hobby to keep far away friends and family up to date on our activities and how the kids are growing. I gradually added more categories like recipes and tips&advice. Soon companies started contacting me to review their stuff or do giveaways. Now I get a bunch of free stuff to try out and it's awesome!

20. My dog Chloe. I adopted her for free from a lady who had too many pets. She is a red heeeler and has been the best dog ever. She is super smart and well behaved and acts like a babysitter for my girls. She is in the process of getting certified as my "emotional support animal". Don't laugh! This means I can take her where ever I go even into stores and restaurants.

Well there is my 20 for this week! Feel free to add some stuff you are thankful for in the comments section below. Look for next week's 20!