I am Thankful

Somehow I forgot to take pictures of Thanksgiving!  How unlike me.  We had 20 guests here on Thursday.  The food was good but the company was better.  The day was a mixed emotion one for me.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday as I am a firm believer in giving Thanks for all that we do have.  However the day brought bad news on 3 levels.  The worst being Deans grandma had a stroke and wasn't found for about 16 hours (they think.  We didnt find out about this until Friday morning).  The other two news tidbits were enough to make this non-cryer cry more than a few tears.

Life is a struggle at times and times like this really get a person down.  We have spent more than a few hours in the last 2 days coming up with a game plan.  We are exhausted, emotionally drained and without a lot of options. 

However, even in all this stress and uncertainty I will say this.......

I am so Thankful for my beautiful family and for this life I am blessed to live.  What a wonder life is and although its hard I look forward to many more blessings and trials. 

I am blessed and I am Thankful!

I am Thankful

Somehow I forgot to take pictures of Thanksgiving!  How unlike me.  We had 20 guests here on Thursday.  The food was good but the company was better.  The day was a mixed emotion one for me.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday as I am a firm believer in giving Thanks for all that we do have.  However the day brought bad news on 3 levels.  The worst being Deans grandma had a stroke and wasn't found for about 16 hours (they think.  We didnt find out about this until Friday morning).  The other two news tidbits were enough to make this non-cryer cry more than a few tears.

Life is a struggle at times and times like this really get a person down.  We have spent more than a few hours in the last 2 days coming up with a game plan.  We are exhausted, emotionally drained and without a lot of options. 

However, even in all this stress and uncertainty I will say this.......

I am so Thankful for my beautiful family and for this life I am blessed to live.  What a wonder life is and although its hard I look forward to many more blessings and trials. 

I am blessed and I am Thankful!

Snowed In

The wind was fierce last night.  Every time I woke up the house seemed to be shaking because of the wind.  We woke this morning to find a region wide blizzard alert in effect.  Basically said that no human should be outside unless their life depended on it.  So we hunkered down and spent the day inside....except for my brief foray into the wind (and 20 seconds of sunshine) for a few pictures.

{This is the view that made me bundle up and go outside.  If I could have taken a deep breath I would  have soaked it up.  However the wind was so fierce I was trying not to choke!}



{This drift winds itself around the entire west and south side of our house.}

{A relatively small amount of snow considering our door faces west, the way the winds blow.}

{Marigolds that until last week were actually still looking a little happy.}

{These last two pictures are to share with everyone just how drafty/windy our home is.  The top here is the plastic on the inside of the front room window.  If you look closely you can see it is pushed out at good 6-8 inches from the window frame.  The bottom picture shows the front door.  Notice the snow on the right hand corner?  This is taken after the kids went out and ate most of it.  The snow this morning went from one side of the door to the other.  It was about 4 inches deep and came away from the door about 3 inches.  Gotta love a nice square door and the gaping holes (that even weatherized) still let everything in.  This door/porch is #2 on our to-do list next spring.}



Hope you all are enjoying the weather wherever you are!

Snowed In

The wind was fierce last night.  Every time I woke up the house seemed to be shaking because of the wind.  We woke this morning to find a region wide blizzard alert in effect.  Basically said that no human should be outside unless their life depended on it.  So we hunkered down and spent the day inside....except for my brief foray into the wind (and 20 seconds of sunshine) for a few pictures.

{This is the view that made me bundle up and go outside.  If I could have taken a deep breath I would  have soaked it up.  However the wind was so fierce I was trying not to choke!}



{This drift winds itself around the entire west and south side of our house.}

{A relatively small amount of snow considering our door faces west, the way the winds blow.}

{Marigolds that until last week were actually still looking a little happy.}

{These last two pictures are to share with everyone just how drafty/windy our home is.  The top here is the plastic on the inside of the front room window.  If you look closely you can see it is pushed out at good 6-8 inches from the window frame.  The bottom picture shows the front door.  Notice the snow on the right hand corner?  This is taken after the kids went out and ate most of it.  The snow this morning went from one side of the door to the other.  It was about 4 inches deep and came away from the door about 3 inches.  Gotta love a nice square door and the gaping holes (that even weatherized) still let everything in.  This door/porch is #2 on our to-do list next spring.}



Hope you all are enjoying the weather wherever you are!

Seasons first snow

I always look forward to the first snow of the season as do the little ones in the house.  We had a dusting a few days ago but yesterday we woke to find everything covered in the most perfect snowball type snow.  I didn't waste anytime brushing my teeth or eating before I grabbed the camera and headed outside.  It was cold and brisk and felt so incredible I didn't mind that I couldnt feel my fingers.  It was snowing while I walked around the yard and I felt like a kids all over again.  I wanted to make snow angels and stick my tounge out to catch a few snowflakes. 

{This old grain silo is one of my favorite things on the property.} 

{After seeing this picture I had the strong desire to plant hollyhocks in front of the barn next spring.  Oh the photo ops I would have with that combo!} 

{Each morning I walk to the kitchen sink and just take in this view. Each time I am filled with peace for some reason.  It calms me and I feel like (briefly) that I can tackle what ever comes my way each day.  At  night, when the moon is bright, the scence is breathtaking and I don't mind having to be awake at 2 or 3 am.  In fact I look forward to laying Laina back in bed and grabbing a drink of water.  Just so I can look at the mountains.)

Seasons first snow

I always look forward to the first snow of the season as do the little ones in the house.  We had a dusting a few days ago but yesterday we woke to find everything covered in the most perfect snowball type snow.  I didn't waste anytime brushing my teeth or eating before I grabbed the camera and headed outside.  It was cold and brisk and felt so incredible I didn't mind that I couldnt feel my fingers.  It was snowing while I walked around the yard and I felt like a kids all over again.  I wanted to make snow angels and stick my tounge out to catch a few snowflakes. 

{This old grain silo is one of my favorite things on the property.} 

{After seeing this picture I had the strong desire to plant hollyhocks in front of the barn next spring.  Oh the photo ops I would have with that combo!} 

{Each morning I walk to the kitchen sink and just take in this view. Each time I am filled with peace for some reason.  It calms me and I feel like (briefly) that I can tackle what ever comes my way each day.  At  night, when the moon is bright, the scence is breathtaking and I don't mind having to be awake at 2 or 3 am.  In fact I look forward to laying Laina back in bed and grabbing a drink of water.  Just so I can look at the mountains.)

Gratitude

Gratitude is always on my mind this time of year. I always have an internal list going of what I am thankful for.  I used to have a list posted on here as a way to remind myself exactly how blessed I am.  I took it off months ago because it was starting to frustrate me! (Hows that for thankful huh?!) At the time I was having a very hard time coming up with anything new I was thankful for and honestly I had a really crappy attitude that really wasn't thankful for much.  Ever get the have-nots?  Yeah it hit me hard.  Anyway I took the list off after I saved it and haven't thought too much about it since.  I still have the list running inside me and until tonight that is where it was going to stay.  However tonight I sat with a bunch of women and heard a talk about gratitude.  The talk was simple and nothing profound was shared but I felt like crying!  Right now life is beyond stressfull for us, it has been for months, and I am desperately missing "home".  Yet I do have so much to be thankful for.  My life such as it is, is filled with amazing people and experiences.  I need to be thankful for those each and everyday, especially when I don't think I should be.

So I have started the Gratitude list for myself.  I plan on changing it every week so it is always fresh to me.  I don't want my thanks to become stale, after all there are new things everyday to be thankful for.

{Sweet baby, nearly a year old! Where has the time gone?}

Gratitude

Gratitude is always on my mind this time of year. I always have an internal list going of what I am thankful for.  I used to have a list posted on here as a way to remind myself exactly how blessed I am.  I took it off months ago because it was starting to frustrate me! (Hows that for thankful huh?!) At the time I was having a very hard time coming up with anything new I was thankful for and honestly I had a really crappy attitude that really wasn't thankful for much.  Ever get the have-nots?  Yeah it hit me hard.  Anyway I took the list off after I saved it and haven't thought too much about it since.  I still have the list running inside me and until tonight that is where it was going to stay.  However tonight I sat with a bunch of women and heard a talk about gratitude.  The talk was simple and nothing profound was shared but I felt like crying!  Right now life is beyond stressfull for us, it has been for months, and I am desperately missing "home".  Yet I do have so much to be thankful for.  My life such as it is, is filled with amazing people and experiences.  I need to be thankful for those each and everyday, especially when I don't think I should be.

So I have started the Gratitude list for myself.  I plan on changing it every week so it is always fresh to me.  I don't want my thanks to become stale, after all there are new things everyday to be thankful for.

{Sweet baby, nearly a year old! Where has the time gone?}

Putting the fields to sleep

The harvest is over and most of the fields around us lay quiet now.  There is still some field work to be done but most have finished.  We are surrounded by an alfalfa field right now.  A couple of weeks ago they were still watering the fields and now all is put away.  The winds have come and with it a bone chilling cold.  This old house creaks and moans like I have never heard before.  The windows rattle with each pounding the wind gives.  And yet oh how I love autumn!  

{The wide open space here is quickly becoming something I look forward to seeing in the morning.} 

 

{Fallen leaves outside my door make me smile.  We never rake because I love fallen leaves.  The winds have scattered the leaves every which way now.  I love watching them dance and fly in the wind!}





Putting the fields to sleep

The harvest is over and most of the fields around us lay quiet now.  There is still some field work to be done but most have finished.  We are surrounded by an alfalfa field right now.  A couple of weeks ago they were still watering the fields and now all is put away.  The winds have come and with it a bone chilling cold.  This old house creaks and moans like I have never heard before.  The windows rattle with each pounding the wind gives.  And yet oh how I love autumn!  

{The wide open space here is quickly becoming something I look forward to seeing in the morning.} 

 

{Fallen leaves outside my door make me smile.  We never rake because I love fallen leaves.  The winds have scattered the leaves every which way now.  I love watching them dance and fly in the wind!}





Caitlins Scripture Bag

Caitlin will be turning 8 in December.  For her birthday/baptism present we bought a set of scriptures for her.  I checked out the bags when I bought the scriptures but they were Blah! (a huge understatement actually).  So I picked up fabric and made my own.  I love they way it turned out, and oh so very Caitlin.