Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

The words to one of my favorite songs resounds through my head as I approach this Thanksgiving holiday. Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One, give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ His Son.
And immediately, my heart begins pouring out the many things for which I am thankful:

1. Thankful for the 3 little voices playing in the room next to where I sit and type this.
2. I am forever thankful for my hard-working and honest husband who loves me despite my faults.
3. Thankful for loving parents who gave (and still give) so much love to me and now give their love to my husband and our children.
4. Thankful for the time I have to be home with my children this week and for the beautiful day we spent running errands and playing at the park.
5. Thankful for my health so that I can run and work and spend time with friends and family.
6. Thankful for food, a warm house, a reliable car, and a great job.
7. I am thankful for friends I can laugh with, talk to about anything, run with...Friends I can rely on and trust and know that no matter how much time passes, we can pick up right where we left off.
8. Thankful that God allowed me another day...TODAY.

And if He chooses to give me TOMORROW, I will give thanks for all He has given to a very undeserving sinner such as I.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, Nicole

Home Sweet Home

I sit at my computer right now listening to the rain falling outside, and I am so thankful to be in my house. Warm, protected from the weather, kids in the bed, and me ready for bed...reflecting on the last few weeks' events. Wow! Time sure passes quickly right before your face.

Halloween 2012 was a blur, but we sure had fun!

A stealth ninja, Pikachu(from Pokemon), and Rapunzel

A little trick-or-treating...

Mary Claire loves Ms. Andi Katherine!

After trick-or-treating, we were off to our church for the Fall Festival.
My kids were EVERYWHERE having fun, playing games, jumping in the bouncy houses...I have hardly any pictures due to the fact that I tried to stay "centrally located" and watch all three from my spot.

Soccer season has ended, and we had our awards ceremony yesterday. This was my K4-K5 team that I coached this year. Mark my words, it might be a LONG time before I coach my daughter again. To say it was difficult(and I've coached middle school girls before), is putting it nicely.:)

Jonah participated in the Twinkie eating contest. He almost won, too. I would have given him the award for the best expression while stuffing the Twinkie in his mouth and eating it!
(That is maybe the 2nd Twinkie he has eaten in his enitre life!)

John Owen's team won the "wrap the coach in toilet paper" contest!

Before Halloween, we gathered in Somerville to celebrate my grandmother's 92nd birthday!
This is all of the great grandchildren (minus 2 more boys) in birth order. Starting with Mary Shields (age 16), all the way down to Henry (age 2).

Silly picture time!

When you turn 92, you can blow your own birthday horn as loud as you want to!:)
Jenny surrounded by her great grandchildren as she celebrates her birthday.

Aunt Dinah brought pumpkins from their pumpkin patch and the little kids had fun decorating them!

Last week, I was preparing for Jan's birthday and a half marathon on Sunday when something I wasn't prepared for happened...

A trip to the doctor with Jonah, then he was admitted to the hospital, and kept there for two days.
Asthma is the culprit. We could not leave until his oxygen level came up and stayed up without the hepl of the oxygen machine. Breathing treatments around the clock, and little to no sleep for Jonah or Mommy.:)

Happy to see sister and vice versa.

After several rounds of checkers, someone was feeling better! And trying to hide from my camera...
We got to go home late on Saturday, Jan's birthday.
I had no cake, but I had managed to call and order a chocolate pie from a local restuarant which my mother willingly picked up for me. Thank goodness for take-out, too! On the way home from the hospital, I called and ordered two of Jan's favorite things from another local restuarant. Not exactly what we had planned, but thankful to all be home and healthy more than anything.
I rested much better that night  and got to run my half marathon the next morning! Surprisingly,  it was my best time for 13.1 miles!! Probably still running on adrenaline or something after being in the hospital for 48+ hours with a child "hopped up" on albuterol and steroids. And no, I didn't take any of his meds. :)

Glad to be home sweet home! 

Good iMOM Articles

The latest iMOM articles are really good, especially for you working moms like me!:)

Hope you enjoy them, too!
http://imom.com/mom-life/mom-management/work-the-4-myths-of-work-life-balance/

http://imom.com/mom-life/mom-management/home-4-strategies-for-two-career-family-sanity/


Nicole