Thursday Thanks!!

We are two months in to this new schedule of Mike's job. Not sure I will ever like it, but I try to remain positive and make the most of it! I have learned that Thursday tends to be my "longest" day each week. After having him home Saturday night and all day Sunday, I do pretty well Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday gets a little long, but Thursday seems unbearable. The kids miss him so much...I am at the end of my ability to pull any more patience from within...I'm sick of eating dinner not as a family and fighting the "I don't like this" battle on my own...Saturday seems like an eternity away...I've run out of exciting ways to use the evening hours and long overused any exciting meal ideas..and I just want to snap my fingers and wake up from the bad dream. So, I've decided that Thursday's will be my THANKFUL post! If I focus on the great things happening around us, it may help carry me a few more hours without losing it! This week, I'm thankful for...

* My husband! I often tell him that if he were not so helpful when he was home, I probably wouldn't miss him so much when he's gone. He works his butt off for his family. He knows how to love his kids deeply. He knows how to cherish our relationship. He tries to keep me focused on the right perspective. And EVERY night, he goes to bed first, on MY side of the bed

so that when I'm ready to sleep...it's already warm!

*Paige's school. I have spent so much time in prayer for her this past year. The move was tough on her. Starting school in a strange place with no friends was tough. I had some concerns early on about social interactions and simply just wanting her to be confident. We are all amazed how far she has come and her teachers assure me she is most certainly not a student that "follows" others, rather she is one of the most independent kiddos in her class, but can also engage and interact with peers very easily. Thank you, Lord! Although she does well academically, it's not my concern for her.

That stuff will come. I want her to know how to make friends. To learn how to be a good friend. To know how to pick good friends. I know she's young and these are life-long lessons to learn (and re-learn), but I feel like she is starting the foundation now and want it to be solid!

* FRIENDS!! New friends that are starting to feel like true friends. Old friends who continue to check-up on me and remind me that we are not forgotten. I am still longing for that sense of connection I feel to my old friends, but have hope that it will come in time.

*The mail-lady! She's a crazy driver who barely speaks the language and will put letters in the box, drive a few feet and walk a package to my door without realizing she could have done it all in one trip...but she brings me cards and letters and goodies from people who love me deeply just to remind me of that!

* The Fisher Price Imaginext Castle I bought on EBay for Nathan's birthday! *(I won't go into the fact that I probably paid more for it there than I would have if it were still being sold in stores, but it was worth

every penny!)* Not only is it his most favorite toy, but he is so darn cute to watch as he tries to shove his large toddler hands into the dungeon and makes monster noises for his dinosaurs. It's a toy that allows us to play like little boys...not something we have a lot of in our home! Along with that, he and Paige will play together for long lengths of time, giving me a few moments of sanity when I think I may lose it.

Ahhh...I feel better already!