Thanksday #49

I might have to officially move Thanksdays from Thursday to Friday. Would y'all be okay with that? I used to spend Thursdays alone at the coffee shop while Paxton was in MMO and Jaana was at school. Which meant I was alone and could just write. Now (gloriously and praise Jesus), Greg and I are spending those mornings together for date time. Not as sexy as a fancy Friday night out, but it's consistent and has been the highlight of my week.

Regardless, by the time our date mornings are over I pick up Paxton. Then get him home for a nap. Then take out Luke, who's been in the crate for a few hours. Then sit down to check on email and take care of a few work things. Then wake up Paxton to go pick up Jaana from school. Then stop at Ingles because I simply can't avoid the grocery store every.single.day. When we get home, we scoop up Luke to take him to The Meadow and run him like crazy since he had been in the crate for another our or so. After that, it's time for homework, dinner, baths, bedtime.

Then I crash on the couch with a cup of tea and try to stay awake for Up All Night, my current, most fabulous, most favorite show. (As a side note, I really want Christina Applegate's character to be my BFF.)

And that, my friends, is more information than you ever cared to know about my Thursdays.

Hopefully you're still there and haven't nodded off on your keyboard. The drool will kill your mother board.

My thankfuls for this week:

1. Date Mornings with Greg.

2. The Meadow. The Meadow is this huge clearing that was specifically designed to be a "backyard" for the neighborhood. It has streams, small ponds, picnic tables and tons of flat lands to run amok in. We've been taking Luke there regularly, and he absolutely loves it. I also bought a Chuckit this week (the doggie tennis ball launcher) and Luke has gone ballistic (pun intended) chasing that thing down. The Meadow is awesome. The kids love it, Luke loves it, I love it. And it'll be a perfect way to spend summer afternoons having lunch and playing in the streams.

3. Daniel Fast. Our church is smack-dab in the middle of a Daniel Fast, and have another week or so to go. At first, I balked: no meat! no dairy! no coffee! no fried foods! no sugar! But I soon made one quick heathenistic adjustment to the diet (guess which one), and now I'm loving the fast. Yes, I miss burgers and fries (I'm narrowing down your guesses here). But I do get to have hummus, which is now its own food group in our house. But really, I feel fantastic. I haven't needed a nap yet (even on Sunday, which is HUGE). I'm sleeping amazing at night. I have energy all day and don't feel bloated and gross after I eat. My skin has a new glow to it (which might be because of my new rejuvenating moisturizer). And I'm actually productive during the day (gasp! shock! awe!) Oh yeah, and the spiritual benefits have been ah-mazing.

4. A Calmer Pup. We finally got smart and realized our Luke needed some real training beyond getting him housebroken. We had (unknowingly) allowed him to be pack leader. To prevent ourselves being on an episode of The Dog Whisperer (you know…the paparazzi), we decided it was time to get serious. On Monday I decided I'd teach him to sit. 10 minutes later, he mastered it. Since then, between Greg and I, he's walking on a leash beautifully, sitting, staying and coming on command. And now that he doesn't have to bear the burden of being pack leader when he really didn't want to be one, he's finally calm and submissive. If we had a DVD of Doggie Einsteins he'd probably play a Beethoven score on command, too. Yes, I'm becoming that person.

5. Visits from Friends. Last weekend, our good friends Schtefanya and The Camera Man (names changed to protect the innocent) came to visit, and it was such a great time. We hung out, we had lunch, we shopped, we played. I hadn't seen them in ages. And since Schtefanya is pregnant, it was a good immersion into the chaos of what having children looks like. Just a little something for them to look forward to. (Maniacal laugh...maniacal laugh.)

6. Speaking of Maniacal Laugh. Did anyone see The Muppets? I never mentioned this, I don't think. But I AH-DORED the movie. In fact, I laughed harder than Jaana. In another fact, I didn't feel the freedom to laugh at first, because two 20 year-old guys that looked like Edward Cullen were sitting next to me, and I didn't want to look the Old Mom Fool. But at their first chuckle, I was free to let loose. (And the fact I hadn't seen a movie in months I'm sure did not factor into my glee one bit.)

7. Focus on the Family App. I have always, always been a big fan of the Focus on the Family daily broadcast. But it's hard to find on the stations up here. I discovered an app for it awhile back, and eagerly each morning play the day's broadcast when driving Jaana to school. I love the encouraging discussions, and it helps lay some godly foundation for Jaana, too.

8. My Precious Little Family. I know I frequently get on these little emotional kicks about my family. But really, I've had quite a few times this week where I'm just so full of joy. I adore my husband, my kids make me laugh every day, and our sweet puppy just makes it all feel so complete. I'm happy.

9. Candles and Flashlights. Our power went out this week during a rainstorm. You never appreciate these things more than if you live in the middle of nowhere, and it's pitch-black at night when the power is out. No streetlights, people. Not a one. (I was also grateful for my book light so I could read while sitting in the dark.)

10. Clearance Items. A cute home store in town had some adorable little ceramic pots on clearance for just $2, so I bought eight of them. They are a perfect fit for the short top shelf of the built-ins, which have needed something but I didn't want too much. Now, let me say…I'm not happy with what I've got going on on the rest of the shelves…I just haven't figured it out yet. And yes, I need to paint the back walls there. But in the meantime, the pots are a perfect fit and add just enough to the shelves. (And if you're dying of curiosity, the show on the TV is Tabitha's Salon Takeover. Luh-uv it.)

Your turn! Let me know what you're thankful for this week and share the love. Leave a comment below or link up with Candra. It'll bring as much pleasure to you as a big ol' burger and fries (with a fried green tomato…and pimento cheese…and applewood smoked bacon). Yep, for sure. It will.