So Thankful

Every year at Thanksgiving, we all go around the table to announce what we're thankful for. I think I always say something like "my family, my friends, etc." (Although now that I'm aware of that, I'll probably change it up this year!) The thing is, sometimes we have to really think awhile to fully realize our blessings. After giving it much thought, here's what I came up with. Oh, and yes, some may seem like a joke, but seriously - I'm thankful for everything on this list! (And much, much more, I'm sure)

1. God (I mean, obviously. And it would be weird if I didn't list Him first)

OH BY THE WAY - these are in no particular order, so don't get all worked up about it.

2. My husband. Jason is the best guy in the world. He can be all studly and go work all day and then come home and play babies with his daughter. Oh, and he can cook really well. Oh, and he's hot.

3. My parents. Not just because they're great people, but because they taught my sister and me how to have a great family. Thirty one years of unconditional love - it's the best.

4. My sister. Mindi and I are the best of friends. And that's all I have to say about that.

5. My children. All 4 of them. They're healthy, they're happy, and they are sweet, sweet kids.

6. My church. Jason and I could have never imagined finding such an incredible church when we moved here. Awesome people, awesome place.

7. My friends. There are some that I hardly talk to, but when we do, it's like it was yesterday. There are some I talk to everyday. There are some who are just like me and some who are nothing like me. Some are young and some are old. But they're there. Always.

8. Diet Coke. My other best friend.

9. A house to live in, a car to drive, food on the table for every meal.

10. My dog. He's kind of ugly and smelly, but he's fun. And he sits in the window like a cat waiting for me when I'm gone. My kids don't even do that.

11. Stretch pants. I don't even do yoga, but I LOVE me some yoga pants.

12. Target. My second home. They are super-cool about coupons, so I shop there for free (or REALLY close to it) quite often.

13. My life. It's really great. I don't live in a huge house or drive a fancy car, BUT....I get to be with my babies every day. All day. Even with my part-time teaching job, I get to hang out with them. I couldn't ask for more, and my husband makes it all possible.

14. My neighbors. Most of them are elderly, so 1. It's quiet. 2. They sit on their front porches every day and watch my kids while they ride bikes. It's free babysitting, really.

15. My washing machine. Thank you dear mother. I can now cram approximately 84 items of clothing into my washer.

16. Knock-off purses, wallets, sunglasses, t-shirts, etc. They're the only way to go. Illegal? Maybe. But I'm not the one selling them.

17. Tide Stain Release gel-pacs. With 4 grubby kids, they're a must. Oh, and Oxi-Clean. Same reason.

18. Freedom. I cannot imagine life without it.

19. Anything with the word "instant" on it. I try to shoot for the organic instant, but in a pinch, I'm thankful for the chemically loaded stuff as well.

20. Peyton's continued health improvement. Having a kid with food allergies is not exactly easy, but oh well! He's so much better off than he was at the beginning of the year.

21. Along with #20, I'm thankful that I can easily find allergen-free foods. I cannot imagine having to deal with this 10 years ago.

22. Crayola Color Wonder. If you don't know what that is, you quite possibly don't have a 2-year old like mine. They're markers, etc. that only work on special paper. Thank you Crayola. From the depths of my heart.

23. My kid's teachers. They. Are. Amazing.

24. The kids in my class. And their parents.

25. The kid in my class that informed me that when I bent down real low, he could see my bootie. At least SOMEONE had the guts to tell me. Geez!

26. My boss. If my kids are sick and I have to call in, it's no big deal at all.

27. Coupons. They are now my life, and I love them. The latest have been my wipes purchases. $0.27 per box (see #12). Oh yeah.

28. And last, but certainly not least: I am so thankful that I wake up each day with the people that I love. I am thankful for the assurance that even though I don't know what life will throw at me, God is in control. He provides for my needs, and comforts me. I can stand on His promises and never fear. And for that, I am eternally thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

What I'm Thinking Right Now

I have such random thoughts sometimes:

- There is no Diet Coke in the house. Must run to gas station before Jason goes to work so that I don't have to load 4 kids in the car to satisfy my caffeine fix.

- I really wish my 11 month old would learn to find his own paci in the night. I mean, seriously, it's 2 stinking inches from his face! I know I could just leave him to figure it out on his own, but whatever.

- The weather turned out perfectly today.

- I have a great husband.

- I took a bite of my husband's ice cream, which TOTALLY grosses him out. I didn't tell him immediately, either. I'm such a rebel.

- My kids are awesome.

- I'm still laughing at the fact that when Peyton saw bras at Target, he called them boobs. Close enough, I suppose.

- I love my job.

- I'm really ready for my parents to move here. 7 months and counting. I've made fabulous summer plans for myself.

- I have approximately 82 loads of laundry to do tomorrow. Approximately.

- I need to find Halloween costumes for the kids and myself. I hate that Halloween costs as much as Christmas. That's just wrong.

- Ribs or Swedish meatballs for dinner tomorrow?

- Decide about dinner tomorrow before 5:00pm tomorrow.

- I'm trying to figure out why Addison only eats one really good meal per day.

- Logan is such a smart kid.

- Why do people think it's so "trendy" to say things like "Oh, my life has been so crazy lately!" or "Oh, it's just been so crazy around here". It drives me nuts, really.

- I would REALLY love some donuts right now. White frosting with sprinkles. They've been my favorite since I was 2.

- Logan's birthday party is Saturday. We should probably get planning on that. My sister made KILLER invitations.

- I should really go to bed now. I always stay up too late. I mean, you know....my life has just been crazy lately.

Such a Slacker

I am the ultimate blog slacker. I look on my friend's blogs, and on their blogrolls, I am always at the bottom. Well, maybe I'll be at the top for a few hours!

I'll try to give an update without being too boring. Grab a snack, this could take awhile.

Let's see.....first of all, I'm working part time. I'm teaching preschool again (3-year olds) three days a week. Peyton went to the school last year, and I loved it so much that I decided to go too. It's been a huge blessing in so many ways. I get to do what I love, I only work about 18 hours/week, the 3 younger ones are right there with me, and I'm getting paid for it! Peyton is in pre-k (we decided to wait on Kindergarten, since he just turned 5 on August 6), Addison is in the 2's class (which is just 2 doors down from me), and Austin is in the "Bunnies" class.

I knew Addison would be fine - she can totally hold her own. Austin was the one I was worried about. I have never left my kids at that age, so I was quite nervous at first. Well, I had absolutely no reason to be. He is seriously in a dream situation. First of all, there are only a few kids in there. Second, his teacher is TO DIE FOR. Third, he's spoiled rotten. When we get home, he expects to be held and cuddled every stinking minute! Fourth, the nursery room is super fun and cozy. Basically, it's probably better than home. Especially on
Fridays, when it's just him and one other baby. He doesn't know WHAT to do with himself!

**Just a side note: If you need a preschool and you're in Springfield, MO, you MUST, MUST, MUST go to RidgeKids at Ridgecrest Baptist Church. It's amazing. Seriously. Words cannot describe. And I am majorly picky. OK - just wanted to share. :)

Jason is doing really well with work. He continues to be busy with Handyman Connection, but because he's so freaking awesome (aren't I so nice?), he's building quite a customer base of his own. We've had several people from church hire him, and then you know how good word of mouth goes! It's been great for him.

Logan is doing great at school. He's in 2nd grade now and just turned 8 on October 9. I had a little moment with that one. You know, mom issues. And mark my words - the boy will be taller than me before too much longer. I realize that's not saying much, but still. He's very smart and kind, and he's just as sweet as he's always been!

Peyton continues to be the funniest thing ever made. He never quits. Come to think of it, he's been going since he was born. He absolutely loves school, and the highlight of his day is after care. Yes, you heard that right...my kid WANTS to go to latchkey. There is nothing wrong with latchkey at all. The point is that he's obsessed with it. My dad came in for a visit, and Peyton practically ignored him because he was on a very serious mission to get to after care. He goes for about 20 minutes after school while I finish up in my room. Also, he wants to be a truck driver when he grows up, live in the trailer park on the outskirts of our town, and drive a bright yellow low-rider truck. That's all I have to say about that.

Addison is 2, but Jason and I are convinced she already has the hormone thing down pat. I always wanted a girl in my mix. The more girls, the better. Well, I got my girl. I got my girl who wears her ballet skirt and tights with no shirt and a baseball cap on backwards. I got my girl who is so independent, she does things that most 4 year olds don't do for themselves. I got my girl who loves her baby dolls, but also sings songs to the Rescue Heroes. And finally, I got my girl who will wear her pretty black shoes straight out the back door and straight into the biggest mud puddle she can find. I guess that's what having 3 brothers will do to you!

I know I already talked about Austin in the first part, but here's a little more info. He'll be turning 1 next month (boo hoo). He looks like the perfect mix of Logan and Peyton when they were that age. He growls. Alot. I don't know why, but he does. Also, he loves peas, but not carrots. That probably doesn't seem like a big deal, but I am the only one in my house who loves peas, so I'm super excited.

I'll stop for now. (Do I hear shouts of joy?!) Be back soon!

I love Summer.

We had such a great weekend - I hope you did, too! We spent 2 evenings at our friends' house, and the boys had quite an experience. ALL of them. By that, I mean that Jason helped our friend (along with several others) put on one amazing fireworks display. It seriously was right up there with the ones that an actual town will put on! Of course, I was scared to death. I could just see Jason getting on one of those "I Can't Believe I Survived" shows - you know the kind where they look so bad that you really CAN'T believe they survived?. And then I would be on one of those incontinence commercials. And it would say "This is not an actor...". You get my point. It was a great time, though. Logan and Peyton set off several explosive devices, Addison ate enough cookies to feed an army, and Austin just sat there smiling and drooling all over the place. Oh, and threw in some occasional massive spit-up, of course.

Our family has been having such a great summer. Jason has been super busy with work - mainly constructing an addition on our local dance academy. It looks awesome. If you live around these parts, you need to get your booty up there - it's called Jenks Dance Academy. You can thank me later.

The kids and I have been having a blast. The routine of the school year is good and all, but I so enjoy having them home. We all hang out in the morning while watching either Boomerang cartoons, Thomas, or Barney - depending on who got lucky enough to grab the remote first. Then it's a leisurely breakfast (a definite change from the school year!) and usually a day filled with swimming, swinging, playing in the sandbox, hosting playdates, or taking trips to the library. It's all flying by much too quickly.

On another note, thank you for the numerous e-mails about Peyton. We are so blessed to have many amazing people in our life that care so much about him. He is doing very well - I cannot even describe the difference. I am learning so much, too. Just a quick tidbit: Did you know that food allergies can even cause nighttime problems? Peyton was having nightmares (almost a night terror-type) and pains in his legs quite regularly. Taking him to the chiropractor helped, but as soon as the casein was gone, it all stopped. CRAZY. He's becoming quite educated as well, and it's incredible how quickly kids can figure it all out. Just tonight, I decided to get them kid's meals for dinner. This is a RARE occasion in our house, so it was met with loads of excitement. Logan said he wanted McDonald's, and Peyton replied quite indignantly "Logan (pronounced Wogan) - McDonald's fries have casein in them. We're NOT going there."

Well, I should hit the hay I suppose. Jason's working late again and it's always hard for me to get to sleep. I'm such a pansy. Good night!

Peyton's Final (hopefully!) Update

I know I haven't posted in a month - I guess I've just not taken the time! Peyton and I went to the specialist today, so I have great news to share!!

First of all, the appointment got moved up by 2 months, which was a complete blessing. I'm telling you what - you have to get just a little bit psycho (well, politely psycho) to get your voice heard! My friend's dad is a doctor, and he really gave me some excellent advice. Thanks Lloyd!

Second of all, there are two of these specialists in the state of Oklahoma, and I was so thrilled to be 15 minutes away from one of them. I love how God works - even in the small things!

Over the past few weeks, we have done an intensive/extensive elimination diet. No soy, gluten, eggs, casein (protein from dairy), or nuts. Let me tell you that I thought we might not have much to eat! Basically, if it came in a box or bag, we didn't eat it. After several days, we began to add in 1 possible allergen at a time. We were to watch for reaction(s) and then re-eliminate the food for 2-3 days, followed by another re-introduction.

I won't bore you with every single detail, but when we got to the casein, things went downhill BIG TIME. Since you probably don't care to know the consistency, color, smell, etc. of my child's poop, I'll spare you the nitty-gritty. I will say that he had a large amount of blood though, and that's definitely a problem.

We pulled casein back out and he did great. We felt like we probably had our answer, but we had to go to the specialist anyway. There was still a chance he had other problems (disease, disorder, etc.) . Jason and I firmly believe that this is where our prayers and the prayers of all our friends and family were answered. Peyton was supposed to have a scope done to find the rest of the problem.

Well, as of today, there is no need for a scope. After much discussion (and the fact that Peyton gained 2 whole pounds!), the doctor diagnosed Peyton with casein allergy. That's it!!! In fact, if he has another flare-up, he'll undergo more extensive allergy testing - nothing very invasive. We are SO thankful. Yes, having a child with a food allergy will involve more diligence and proactive care on our part, but who cares? In the grand scheme of life, it's just so minor.

One more thing - our nutritionist is the BEST. I love her so much. We really hit it off from the beginning, and she is incredibly knowledgeable. If you're in the Tulsa area and need a good one, her name is Amy Puls.

Again, thank you for praying for Peyton. Those prayers were answered today.

Just some fun pictures

Just thought I would post some fun pictures! Have a good night!