Thankful

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family in the US. This is a little late but I was busy enjoying the break with family. Hardly spent time on the computer over the weekend break.

DH was off for 2 straight days. It's been a while since he's had a day off so this was a welcome break. I think he most welcomed the chance to sleep in. :) Starting December, his crazy 3-week rotation schedule is back so it's going to be crazy busy again until March. I'm a little anxious about this change. We had gone through this sked earlier this year but I was not pregnant then. And we were not homeschooling yet. Despite my worries, I know that God will take care of us as He always have.

Back to our Thanksgiving celebration...

We kicked it off on Wednesday night by watching some videos of the kids when they were younger. Oh, so much laughter there! So much fun!

Thursday, DH had to work. He was home for Thanksgiving dinner with us. It was just us this year. I did not invite anyone else. This worked for me since I don't really consider this "my" holiday. I did not feel like slaving away in the kitchen. I got a half turkey from Trader Joe's, made some croissant rolls and green bean casserole. For dessert, we had my chocolate pecan pie. It was a good Thanksgiving dinner, with lots of love to go around. :)

The next day, we started our day late and hit some stores for black Friday shopping. In the evening, we had a post-Thanksgiving celebration with our group featuring Thanksgiving leftovers!

On Saturday, we took DS to his friend's birthday party and then took off for Riverside to pick up MIL's car. She flew to the Philippines for the holidays. While she's there, the car will be with us.

Today, Sunday, DH is back to work. :( The rest of us are enjoying the day lounging around the house and doing some chores. I don't want to go back to our regular sked tomorrow but it must be done. It was a nice break though. Looking at our schedule for December, I can see that it is going to be crazy hectic with Christmas celebrations and fieldtrips for the kids.

Indeed, there is much to be thankful for. God has been so good to us. I hope you are able to recognize God's goodness in your lives too.

Gratitude Poster

Gratitude Poster

I got this idea from Becky Higgins. I thought that it was an awesome idea to do with the family.
I did a mini thanksgiving album last year. It was easy to do once it was assembled but there was some work on my part in putting it together. I was not really keen on doing it again this year. Thankfully, this idea from Becky Higgins came just in time. I actually like this idea better because it is a poster that I will be hanging on our wall instead of an album that will sit on a corner. Don't get me wrong, our scrapbook albums get a lot of loving from the kids. They enjoy looking through them. However, having this gratitude poster up on a wall where we can see it everyday will make us even more aware of the blessings we have received.
I'm keeping the poster "open" for more blessings until the end of the year. At the start of the new year, I will put the glass on top then hang it on the wall by the stairs. This way, we will be reminded every day of the goodness of God. Next year, at about the same time, we will start on a new poster for 2011. When it's time to put down the previous year's poster, I'm planning to laminate it so that it will keep better.
Hopefully, this will be a holiday tradition for our family. Can you imagine how precious it will be to look back 10 years from now and read what the little ones were thankful for? We'll also have a record of their handwriting and the little ones' kiddie drawings.

One Thousand Gifts (3)

One Thousand Gifts (3)

I'm having one of those days - when I feel like I'm not good enough. I wish I were a better mother, a more responsible mother. I wish I were a better wife, responding to my husband with love and understanding. I wish I were a better housekeeper, keeping the house spic and span. I wish I were more chic so that my home would have more character in terms of design and decor. I wish I were so much more than I am right now. I wish I were more fit and active. But I am not. And I need to accept myself for the good that I have inside and the good I can give to others. And I wish other people will accept me and love me regardless of whether I meet their expectations of not. But I have no control over that. While that makes me sad... really really sad, I am pushing myself to see the good in my life and focus on that. Despite the hurt I have in my heart, I want to be thankful to God because He has blessed me beyond what I deserve. And so I continue with my quest to list a thousand gifts. I've made it to 40 so far. Let's see how many more I can add today.

41. School books that I can share with students who will be able to make use of them in the Philippines.
42. I was asked to take graduation pictures during the homeschool graduation mass last Thursday.
43. And I was given a $15 Target GC for my services!
44. The Lakers back-to-back championship
45. Summer vacation is upon us!!!
46. foot massage
47. my parents are in good health despite their advancing years
48. DS expressed his interest to be homeschooled
49. building friendships with other homeschooling moms
50. encouraging stories from other homeschooling families
51. my sweet sweet DD3 who peppers me with questions alongside hugs and kisses
52. how God teaches me lessons through DD3
53. this blog post that has put tears in my eyes and a yearning to be more like the mother God wants me to be
54. emotional and spiritual healing for a dear someone has begun
55. exciting times ahead for SIL
56. Facebook
57. fieldtrip to Amy's Farm
58. Lord's Day celebrations with the family
59. DS is now a Webelo
60. the girls memorizing Scripture verses because of their Little Flowers activities

Happy Thanksgiving to all my US friends

Happy Thanksgiving to all my US friends

Happy thanksgiving to all my friends who are celebrating this US holiday. In the spirit of giving thanks, here is a random list of blessings in my life this past year. They're in no particular order.

I am Thankful

I am Thankful

Yes, we're celebrating Thanksgiving in the US today. And although I have no special affinity to this holiday, not having grown up here in the US, it's still nice to celebrate it - to pause and give thanks for the blessings of the past year.

I am thankful ...
1. for a healthy baby girl and a healthy, albeit dramatic labor and delivery
2. DH has graduated from PA school and passed his boards
3. DS and DD1 are both doing well in school
4. my bro is here for a visit
5. my mom was here for several months
6. my parents' immigration visas have been issued
7. for my marriage - we have disagreements, we push each other's buttons but we've always come out of them as a stronger couple with a better appreciation and understanding of each other
8. for friends who are always ready to support and comfort and give me a little whack on the head when I'm being stubborn
9. for paid blogging opportunities
10. for the opportunities that have come to me in digital scrapbooking - being in creative teams have really pushed me and expanded my horizon
11. for my Nikon D40x - yes, this deserves a special mention! LOL!
12. for online friends - it really is fun to get to know people I would not have had the chance to know in real life
13. for good health
14. that God has continued to provide for our needs
15. for my life as a stay-at-home mom - it isn't easy but having 4 young ones isn't that terrifying as I had imagined it to be! LOL. This is the best life for me and my family.