I am Thankful...

• For my husband! I am so blessed to have married Jon and to call him my husband. I know I wouldn't have gotten through these last two years without him. He is my best friend, the one I lean on, my cheerleader...well you get the point. I'm so head over heels in love with him that it's not even funny. I love him more today than I did on our wedding day. I don't know what I would do with out him and I tell God that on a daily basis :) And I also thank God that he never answered my prayers all those years ago when I prayed that I would marry all those other boys (you know the ones ladies...all those boys you had crushes on growing up)...and I know some of them are married now too and I would bet that they are glad that God didn't answer my prayers too! :)
• For my job! With the economy the way it is I am so thankful that I have a dependable job and that my clients still need their hair done! I truly do have the best clients in the world and I am not just saying that! Thank you to all of you for sticking with me and for supporting me and showering me with love over these past years...you guys are the best!
• For my family! I love you all and thank you for being there for Jon and I...not just through the hard times, but all the time. We are truly blessed! I can't wait to spend more Thanksgivings with all of you!
• For food! Not just at Thanksgiving but all the time. You know...I always pray for my food before I eat but sometimes I have to admit that I kind of just go through the motions of it..."Lord thank you for this food...please bless it to my body." But when I really stop and think about it my prayers are definitely more grateful...I am so blessed to have a hot meal at every meal...and snacks in between! I definitely could probably go without a meal too! That would probably be good for me :) But I am also thankful for the spread at Aunt Pearl's I am going to have today...I am one blessed girl! Yum!
• For my home! I am so blessed to own my home and have a warm place to come home to! I know that I may complain about it being small sometimes...so feel free to kick me in the butt when I say that! I love my little house and it has been the perfect place for Jon and I to make a home together!
• For my friends! Again I'll say it...we have the greatest friends! And we are meeting new friends all the time! I have made some great friendships because of Emmalee, Owen, and Cooper and I will forever be grateful that we went through our trials because they did bring some amazing people into our lives! And for our long time friends...well...I love you guys! Thanks for all your love and friendship!
• For scrapbooking supplies! That's right...I had to throw it in there...I must be thankful for it 'cause I sure spend a lot of my money on it! Plus...it really is a good hobby for me and I love to do it!
• For my kids! I am so thankful that God blessed me with my children even if they couldn't stay with me. I thank Him for even allowing me the blessing of being pregnant and feeling my babies kick inside of me. I feel so blessed because I know that there are those out there that never got that opportunity and wanted it. Sometimes I don't think people really appreciate it the way they should or realize how awesome of an opportunity that they have been given. And I'm thankful for all the lessons I've learned because of my children and for the lives that their little lives have touched...they were truly special. And I can honestly say that my children are perfect!
• But most of all I'm thankful for the HOPE that I have! I am so thankful that Jesus came to earth as a wee little baby and died on the cross for our sins at the young age of 33. Because of Him I have the hope of seeing my children again. I have the hope that I will be reunited with all my loved ones that have gone before me. I have the hope that this world is not the end...that I will live eternally with my Lord and Savior...and up there there will be no more tears, no more fears, no more pain, no more sickness...well you get the point. It will be perfect. I hope that you know the hope that I am talking about...if not...and you want to know...let me know...and I will share it with you. It's great! If I did not have the hope that I have...I would not be where I am today...I would not be as strong as I am...in fact I'm pretty sure I'd still be in bed and not writing this blog post.

Well...Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you have a wonderful day! What are you thankful for?!? Oh...and another thing...my sis-in-law Britt has a blog and her question was who are the 5 people...living or dead...that you would like to have dinner with. I'm still trying to figure out my list but I think that will be a fun one to read the answers too...so hop on over there and give your list!

I have made my mom proud!

Okay...I should probably clarify that I tend to think that I always make my mom proud...and I think she would write that in the comments section for me...but I've taken another step in my life that I think makes her really proud of me. You see...for my 20th birthday my mom gave me a sewing machine. I was super excited about getting it...I was living out in South Dakota that summer and they came out to visit and celebrate my birthday with me. I was so excited that I went to the little Ben Franklin (anyone remember those?!?) out there to start buying supplies 'cause I was going to sew. Well I got my stuff bought...and then I realized...I don't know how to sew! I mean...yeah...I can follow a line and put my stitch in but really...I don't know how to sew...let alone operate this sewing machine my mom bought for me. So you know what I did?!? I didn't even open up the box...I didn't take it out...I just left it in there! I have had moments in the last 8 years that I have wanted to take it out...but never felt I had the time. So...a couple weekends ago my mom and I finally got together and she taught me how to sew and how to use my machine...and let me tell you...it's a lot easier to use than I thought it would be! I know how to thread it and how to put thread on my bobbin (not bobber...I had to remember that!)...those were the two things I was really worried about learning. Well I'm not saying that I am an expert by any means but...I think I did a pretty good job for my first time! I still need to learn to control the speed of my foot pedal and my stitches still need a little work to stay in a straight line...but I think I'm getting the hang of it...which I'm really glad for 'cause I've seen a lot of cute projects that require sewing so now I can attempt to do them! :) And I want to give back to the hospitals 'cause they gave so much to us when Emmalee, Owen, and Cooper were born...we got special blankets with each of them that people donated...so I want to be able to give back because I know how much it meant to us to have them. But man...the one real thing I learned about sewing is that fabric is expensive! WoW! Oh well...it's the price you pay when you have a hobby...am I right scrapbookers!?! And really it's a small price when you enjoy something and you know your work is going to a good cause. So anyway...here's my work:



This was my first project...a quilt made out of scraps that my mom had at her house...I think it turned out pretty cute for only being scraps! But it was a nice way to learn and piece fabrics together...I was pretty proud of myself (if you can't tell!)



Then we went shopping and I picked out some fabric for myself...I had seen this blanket (or one kind of like it) in a magazine...I just liked that it was colorful and all the fabric had polka dots (if you can't tell...it's a little hard to tell from this picture and I think it's so much cuter in person!)...so I made this for hopefully a little one of my own someday...but until then it actually is a very nice little lap blanket...I was way proud of how this one turned out! :o)



Then I just wanted to show you the underside of the blanket...its called minkie (I think) and it's really soft and is textured with...polka dots!




Then I attempted to make a purse...not bad, eh?!? I'm going to keep working on my purse skills and maybe look for a different pattern...but I think it's pretty cute! Okay...I'm done patting myself on the back.

In other news...well there really isn't any other news. Sorry I've been MIA again...just sorting through things and really...it's been busy around here. I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is this week! Crazy! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you...where are you going to be? Hopefully surrounded by family, friends, and lots of good food! And then with Christmas only being 4 weeks away...yes I said it!...work is getting awfully busy...so I'm sorry that I haven't gotten on here to give any updates. No real updates on adoption...the baby girl is still with the friend of the birthmom and supposedly they are going to be adopting her now...and changing her name...which was a big sticking point with the birthmom (she was dead set on us keeping her name)...so why they are changing it now...I don't know...but I do think more and more that we were part of some twisted game that this friend was playing with us. Poor baby girl...I hope she makes it through life alright. Jon and I were looking through the foster care website MN has and it just breaks my heart to see all these kids in foster care...they are mostly teenagers...their parents obviously thought they could raise them and then couldn't...messed most of them up for life by the sounds of it...one little girl can't even go to a park with a lot of people there 'cause she gets too scared! One little boy can't have any other siblings in a home because he needs that much one on one time! I don't know...my heart breaks for them and yet right now I personally don't think that I have the energy it would take to bring one of them into our home. Maybe someday. I just hope that they all get placed with good families...but I know that's just wishful thinking. I just wish that our laws looked out for the innocent children instead of the birthparents who really don't have any business becoming parents...I know I know...everyone has a right to become parents...but look at these kids and tell me that they don't deserve a chance. I have heard it said before in the adoption circle...if people who had these children had to go through the paperwork and all that we've gone through there would be a whole lot less messed up kids in this world...and sorry to say...I think it's true. Anyway...I'll get off my soapbox...I sure do get up there a lot on here don't I?!? Anyway...we are still praying for a Christmas miracle...wanna help us pray for that! My dear friend Chelsea said that they are praying that way...thanks Chels and Phillip! And I thank you all for praying for us and coming along side of us through this journey. You know...maybe kids aren't what God has for us and I think that will become clear someday if that is true...but right now I don't believe that and I think someday we'll be blessed with a houseful! Well I guess that's the news on our end...I probably left something out. Hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I'll try not to make it so long in between next time...I know I know...I always say that! Take care!