Thankful Thursdays - 38

I always think about how I will tell my kids the story of my life. Like what things I will choose to omit, because there are just some things you dont tell your kids, and what stories I will tell over and over again, because there are some lessons your children need to hear from you so they wont make the same mistakes. So this week I am so so so thankful for everyday that I live and the things that I learn along the way to teach or tell to my kids as they grow. Who hasn't asked their parents about the day they met, or how they did this or that in a certain situation. I am pretty close to positive that my kids will be the same way. I expects thousands upon thousands of questions about any and every thing you could ever think of from my kids. And I am so looking forward to answering them.

336. I'm thankful for my memory. There is hardly anything that I can't remember. So recalling things from my past for my kids should be relatively easy. And even if its not, I write almost everything down. If not on my computer then in one of the various notebooks that I have around the house.

337. I'm thankful for photographs. I know things written down can tell an amazing story because I am a reader and a writer and there are so many ways to add description to a story and make it just as good as looking at a picture. But what great fun it is to have pictures to go along with my stories right? That's why I try my hardest to capture everything on film AND paper.

338. I'm thankful that Ryan and I have a good story to tell our kids. Our story may not be so exciting to Max as he gets older because he is a boy, but for Gabriella it is sure to be magical the first time she hears it. A story of two people who went every way but to each other for a while and they still ended up together is a fairy tale if I've ever heard one. =D I am waiting patiently for the day when she starts asking me those kinds of questions.

Do you ever think about what you will tell your children when they're older?
Talk to you soon,
J

Batter Up!

I dont know if I've ever really said how obsessed with sports my husband is. He can talk about them to anyone, anywhere, anytime. He can watch them all day and then before bed he can watch the recaps on ESPN and the other sports channels.

So ever since last year when we took Max to our little nieces baseball game and he announced to us that he wanted to play baseball like his cousins we have been dying to sign him up. That's also when we started talking about Ryan signing up to be coach of his team! I mean really who could do it better right? So last week when we got the flyer saying that it was finally time for sign ups to begin, we jumped at the chance!

We have Max already all signed up but of course the process for Ryan to be coach is a little more that just signing up. There are finger prints, back ground checks, and interviews to do as well. Luckily for us, Ryan has no criminal record or anything like that so I'm almost positive that he's going to be able to be Coach Hill!

I am so excited for Max to play his first "organized" sport and even more excited that Ryan is going to be there with him every step of the way. It just makes it that much more special for me. Back when it was just me and Max I never thought I would be able to give Max all the things a father would generally give him, because I am a woman. But by giving him Ryan I have done more than I ever thought possible. Nothing in the world can make me happier than knowing that even thought Max didn't start his life with a daddy, at least he has an amazing one now and for the rest of his life.

I'll keep you posted on if he get's the spot or not! Fingers crossed and prayers said please! I'd hate to have my hopes up so high, just to get them shot down. Oh, and by the way, Max has no idea! I don't ever tell my kids anything until right before its going to happen, just to avoid any heart break. So it's going to make it even MORE exciting when we finally do tell him!

Talk to you soon,
J

Something New

So I was browsing around on some other blogs and found one that I totally fell in love with! (click HERE to check it out) The design is super cute and the posts are right up my alley. Anyways, as I was reading I came across a really neat format and decided to give it a try! I thought Monday would be a perfect day to start since its the beginning of the week. =) I'm not sure if I'll keep it up every week but I know Ill give it my best shot!

So I shall call these posts...Here & Nowwwwwww....I promise to love faithfully(faitfullly), just kidding just kidding! I'm just going to call it Here & Now.

So here's the first installment.

Right Here & Now I am...

Obsessing Over: The Hunger Games trilogy! I've only finished reading the first book, but if the other two are anywhere as good as that one, I'm in for a treat! I was hoping I wouldn't have to buy the other two online because I am a fan of instant gratification buttt our WalMart only has the hard back of them...and the first one I have is paper back so I'm trying to get them in all the same sizes haha, my OCD in one of its finest forms. I'm going to check out Target and if I strike out there, then I'm ordering online.

Thinking About: Seriously how sad divorce is. Some couples work as hard as they can to make it work and it just doesn't work. It breaks my heart. I know I obviously dont know Seal and Heidi Klum but umm...who saw that one coming?! What a sad day for all of us romantic at heart's when we heard the announcement that they were splitting!

Working On: My fitness...literally. Haha! I am not even going to lie. I am not an active person...AT ALL. My husband on the other hand, spends two hours in the gym nearly every day. SO...I've been slowly making changes in my own life so I can try to transform my body to something kinda like what it used to be. I walk to pick up Max from school everyday. Now dont let me fool you into thinking its far...cause its not, about a half a mile round trip, BUT its a half a mile more than I was walking before. So I'll take it. Also I got an exercise bike...and I've been doing that almost every day 6 to 7 miles at a time. I was at first able to do 10 miles...but then my legs started laughing at me.

Anticipating: The whole month of February! It's not only my birthday month, but also the month for LOVE to come out in full force! I just love seeing people in love and expressing it! So we have a lot of plans for the next few weekends to keep up busy and what not! I dont want to give it all away right now...I need stuff to talk about later guys!

Listening To: My Britney Spears Pandora station. I've had the same one for like four years now and it literally only plays songs I like. So right now its actually playing "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" by En Vouge. Who doesn't love songs like that from the 90's?!

Eating: Sigh...nothing at this moment. I had an all natural strawberry yogurt this morning...and thats it. Trying to change the way you eat is terribly hard and really emotional surprisingly. Hahaha! Maybe its just emotional for me because of my love for food and the fact that I cant eat a majority of the things I love...like chocolate...and Dr. Pepper. SIGHHHH...

Wishing: I could make up my mind on when...or if we even should, have another baby. My husband is all about it. He says the more kids the better...I say...smart planning makes smart parents. But lets face it...I'm getting older and I refuse to have any babies after I turn thirty. So I really only have like two more years to get knocked up...or just one if we want to have two more kids. Whats a girl to do?!

Whats on your mind today?!
Talk to you soon,
J

Thankful Thursdays - 37

With a new year comes new challenges and as I wind my way through the ups and downs, twists and turns of life I always remember to be thankful. There are just so many things to be thankful for.

332. I'm thankful for being able to go to my first spa. It was an amazing birthday present from my friend, and the best part of it was getting to spend that quality time together and getting reminded why we have been friends for so long.

333. I'm thankful that even though I may not have a whole lot of friends, I do have friends that I can trust completely. They are friends I've had for years, and no matter what road life has taken us down, we have stayed close. I can count on this handful of friends to do more and be there for me more than a thousand "kind of" friends would be.

334. Speaking of friends. I am beyond, beyond, beyond thankful for the relationship I have with my husband. Don't get me wrong, we are just like any other normal married couple, but we are also friends. We do our best to keep each other clued in on whats going on in our respective lives. I know though that when it really comes down to the nitty gritty, he is my absolute best friend and I his. There is no one else in the world that I'd rather spend my life with.

335. I'm thankful for the way my mom raised me. I always think how different I would be had I been raised by anyone else...and I'm thankful that I wasn't. My life was challenging for a reason...and I have learned a thousand things from my troubles. Without my moms early guidance and her obvious strength in the face of adversity, I wouldn't be who I am, and I am strong.

What are you thankful for today?
Talk to you soon,
J

Choices

My mind is so full of ideas for posts. There are so very many things that I want to talk about and to share with the world, but I cant figure out a way to get them out of my head. I want to talk about my kids, my husband, my family, my life...just everything. Anytime I start typing something out though I delete it. Nothing sounds right anymore. Everything feels like I've already said it...but at the same time I know I haven't said everything. So today as I sit down and type this out, whats on my mind is the way I was raised, and how different I would be, and my life would be, had my mom made different choices.

Really, if you think about it, life is all choices. There is nothing that is not directly affected by any choice you make on any given day, when you do any given thing. If I had not decided to go to the races with my friends I wouldn't have made such a quick connection with my husband, I would have just met him in passing on another day. If I hadn't have decided to try those dreamsicle's, I wouldn't have developed such a craving for them so often. If I had let my body do the talking while I was pregnant with Max and not rushed my pregnancy I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have ended up with a c-section. And so on and so forth.

I've made it my mission lately to make sure I am making what I think is the best choice in any situation. Not only to make sure I end up with the best outcome, but to make sure my kids end up with the best outcome. I would hate to think that one faulty choice by me could impact the rest of their lives. I not only want, I NEED my kids to be successful in life. I need them to feel as though they have been given every opportunity possible to live their life to the fullest they can. I couldn't live with myself if something I did ended up hindering my children. That's not to say that even when you make the best choices, you end up with fabulous results, because sometimes they're horrible results. But I know that if I try and I keep praying, then my children will be fine and will be guided by not just me and Ryan, but by God as well.

So when my kids ask me for a cookie before bed, I say no. When they ask me to let them play outside, I say yes. When they are doing something unacceptable, I stop them. When the sign-up for various sports and other activities open up, I will sign them up. I will make sure to give my children enough to do that will not only keep them active, but also give them the tools they need for a successful social life, for good college applications, and lots and lots of distractions when it comes time for them to start paying attention to the opposite sex. (sigh....SO not looking forward to that)

What are you doing to ensure your children are going to be successful in life?
Talk to you soon,
J

It's That Time Of Year

Hi there!!

I know this blog has been completely lacking lately. Its like every year around Christmas time I lose the interest I once had for my little blog. The end of year madness and the beginning of the year calmness take over my life, and I develop some serious writers block! EEK! What to do then? Starting right now I am going to force myself to get on this computer and bang out a blog at least weekly, but hopefully more often than that. I have a ton of things to say, (like you didn't already know that haha!) I just have to figure out how to get them out of my head and onto this screen in an intelligent and understandable manner haha!

So for now I'll leave you with that because there are things to be done and babies to be taken care of this morning. Oh and also, if you're reading this, THANK YOU!! I hope you will share this blog with your friends and they might share it with their friends. And follow it! There are instructions once you hit that follow button to create a blogger or google account. You dont have to have a blog of your own at all. =)

Talk to you soon,
J

My 2011 Reading List UPDATED!

I know its still hot like its summer but technically in our house it isn't since Max is in school. So I changed the title of this post to My 2011 Reading List that way I can keep updating as I have been with books I want to read and crossing them off as I do read them. This list is going to end up being SUPER long haha! Everyday I find another book I want to read. Nothing wrong with that!

• Sue Monk Kidd - The Secret Life of Bees
• Candace Bushnell - Summer and the City
• Candy Spelling - Candyland 
  
• Sara Shepard - Twisted
• Kathryn Stockett - The Help
• Bristol Palin - Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far 
• Jessica Simpson - I Do: Achieving Your Dream Wedding 
• OJ Simpson/Released by the Goldman Family - I Did It: Confessions of the Killer
• Celia Rivenbark - You Can't Drink All Day If You Don't Start in the Morning 
• Judy Blume - Smart Women
• Billie Letts - Where the Heart Is
• Debra Borden - A Little Bit Married
• Celia Rivenbark - Belle Weather
• Elizabeth Joy Arnold - Pieces of My Sisters Life 
• Nicholas Sparks - At First Sight 

Some of these books I already have and some of them I still have to buy. Either way I will read them all!

Talk to you soon,
J