Thankful Day 30: Our Family

Today I am thankful for this little family. Our move has brought the four of us even closer- we have really depended on one another through this transition and I love that closeness. We have a lot of fun together and I love them like crazy! Thankful, thankful, thankful :)

Thankful Day 29: Christmas Excitement

Today I am thankful to be celebrating Christmas with our boys. I have always loved Christmas, but now that we have Jack and Miles the holidays are magic. This week they helped me fill the 25 tiny drawers of our Christmas Advent Tree with holiday activities we are looking forward to in December. Here's what we came up with:

1) Pick out our Christmas tree

2) Decorate the tree

3) Add this year's Christmas card picture to our yearly album

4) Write letters to Santa

5) Bake cookies

6) Mail our Christmas cards (better get going on that!)

7) Watch a holiday movie with popcorn

8) Take a drive around town to look at Christmas lights

9) Make a Christmas surprise to Grandma Eleanor

10) Eat a candy cane

11) Read a Christmas story (or 10!) with Grandma and Grandpa

12) Have hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles

13) Do a Christmas craft

14) Watch a a holiday movie with treats

15) Decorate gingerbread houses

16) Bake cookies

17) Pick out and wrap a present for your brother

18) Eat a chocolate treat

19) Do a Christmas craft

20) Take a picture with Santa

21) Donate canned food to the food pantry

22) Take treats to our neighbors

23) Take a walk through the neighborhood to look at holiday lights

24) Put out cookies and carrots for Santa and the reindeer

25) Merry Christmas!

Thankful Day 28: Jack

Today I am thankful for Jack. We really couldn't ask for a better 6 year old! He is (super) smart, funny, kind, athletic, and imaginative. He works hard at everything he does, and it shows. We are very lucky to have him in our family!

Thankful Day 27: Grandma and Grandpa Are Coming!

So, my planned "Month of Thanksgiving" posts has not exactly gone according to plan thanks to way-more-than-our-fair-share of illness lately! Let's just say that I visited the dentist and/or pediatrician 4 times in 6 days and I'm pretty sure that last week I spent more on co-pays and prescriptions than on Thanksgiving dinner- so sad. But, we're all on the mend- I sent both boys off to school today for the first time in way too long- so let's get back to it.

Today I am thankful that Grandma and Grandpa will be here for a visit in just a few weeks. The boys already have their entire week planned: first stop Chuck E. Cheese (according to Miles, "Grandma and Grandpa LOVE Chuck E. Cheese"). We are also planning on decorating gingerbread houses and baking Christmas cookies. I'm all for tackling some of those fun but messy holiday projects with my mom in the mix! And, it's not just the boys who are excited. Their visit happens to be the week of Evan's holiday party so we will be taking advantage of having the best babysitters in town and Evan and I will get to enjoy our first date night in a long while. Actually, I'm hoping that we may sneak out again for a movie or Santa shopping. The boys will have no complaints about us being gone when Grandma and Grandpa are there to fix their favorite dinner, give bubble baths, and patiently read 14 Christmas stories before bedtime!

Now that we live far apart, I am more appreciative than ever of the efforts my mom and dad make to be involved in our lives- we are lucky!

Grandma and Grandpa with Jack and Miles during their last visit to Georgia

Thankful Day 18: Grammy and Pop-Pop

 

One of the perks of moving cross country is that we now live much closer to Evan's dad and step-mom (or Grammy and Pop-Pop as they're know around here). As long as we were in California our visits were usually limited to once a year, but we're looking forward to changing that now that we live on the same coast! We enjoyed spending Easter week together in Florida, and were able to show them a little taste of Georgia when they stayed with us this past July. Today I am thankful that Jack and Miles have Grammy and Pop-Pop in their lives.

 

 

Working on the iPad together

 

 

 I think Pop-Pop listened to Miles read this "Big Cats" book about 100 times!

 

 

 Not only is Grammy a good jigsaw puzzler...

 

 

She ziplines too!

 

Grammy and Pop-Pop, July 2012

Thankful Day 17: Great Schools

Today I am thankful that both Jack and Miles go to great schools. They have warm, nurturing teachers who encourage them to reach goals and do their best. To me, their schools strike the right balance between hard work and the fun that comes with childhood. We are lucky!

 Miles performing with his preschool friends at this week's Thanksgiving program

 

Jack sharing what he is thankful for this year

Thankful Day 14: The Family Portrait

Today I am thankful for this keeper of a family portrait! I think my favorite part might be our matching smiles. Or, maybe Miles' yellow hair?

Thankful Day 13: Tooth Fairy Visits

Today I am thankful for this toothless grin! It is a little sad to see those baby teeth disappear, but he was ready. 6 years old is turning out to be such a fun age. These days he is just the right mix of little and big :)

Thankful Day 11: Games

 

Now that the boys are getting a little older they are turning into great game players. Our new house has a convenient downstairs closet that we have designated for all of our games and puzzles. Something about the combination of easy access and growing interest means that getting a game  or two out to play has become a first choice activity. I love it. Just this weekend we enjoyed Bingo, Hullabaloo, and our current favorite Uno, all in front of a cozy fire. Sometimes when Miles is napping I'll play a round of Monopoly with just Jack, and when I'm busy making dinner the boys love to play Connect 4 with each other (much to Jack's surprise, Miles is really good at this game and is often the winner!). Today I am thankful that we get to spend time together like this as a family. Any favorite games to share? I have a feeling that a few new ones may be making an appearance under our Christmas tree.

 

P.S. Games aren't just for the kids you know. When Julie and Kathryn were out to visit a few weeks ago, we had a few Trivial Pursuit battles. It wouldn't be a family visit without a Trivial Pursuit showdown.

 

 

Thankful Day 10: Soccer Saturdays

 

Today was Jack's last soccer game of the season and we're all a little sorry to see it come to an end. We were lucky to be paired with a great coach and a really fun group of kids and families. After the game all of the families lingered at the pizza party for a good two hours- a sure sign of a good group. Today I am thankful for being part of such a great community.

 

Jack and his team with their trophies (Miles thinks he's a member of the team)

 



A team picture following the game- we won which was a nice way to end the season

 

 

Jack in action

Thankful Day 8: A Look Back

Our boys are growing up quickly. All of a sudden we have a 6 year old who reads, writes, adds, subtracts, helps in the yard, rides the school bus, and seems to be more independent every day. Wasn't it just last year that he looked like this? Today I am thankful that we captured sweet moments like this one- it really does go by so fast.

P.S. Can you believe those cheeks?!

Thankful Day 7: Nana

 

We talk about Evan's mom Kathy (Nana) pretty often at our house. Jack, especially, has sweet memories of holiday dinners, birthday parties, and summer swimming and barbecues at Nana's. But, I think we miss her the most at the holidays. Nana was an amazing cook and hostess and her talents in these areas made celebrating the holidays at her house so much fun. Today I am thankful for how much she loved our boys- we miss you Nana!

 

 

We took the boys to visit Nana's grave last year at Christmas.

 

We left a pretty poinsetta with a special note from Jack.

Thankful Day 6: Miles

Today I am thankful for Miles. These days he loves going to school, playing with Jack (on non-preschool days, Miles asks "When will my Jackie be home?" every 15 minutes all day long), swinging in the backyard (he can proudly pump on the swing all by himself VERY high!), riding the ATV, writing his name, playing superheroes, reading books, and building with blocks and legos. We still get a kick out of his determination and independence and are very lucky to have him in our family!

Thanksful Day 5: The Best Family

Today I am thankful to have the best family. Moving cross country this year has been a big change for all of us and they have been nothing but helpful, supportive, and accomodating all the way through. We are so very lucky. And we miss them like crazy!

 

Jack and Miles with Aunty Julie and Aunty Kathryn

October 2012 

 

"Hulk Faces"

(Are these the best aunties or what?!)

Thankful Day 4: Brothers

Today I am thankful that Jack and Miles have each other. Let's just say that these two know how to have a good time together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thankful Day 3: Saturdays

 

I love Saturdays. Today we all slept past 7:00 (a minor miracle!) before enjoying bagels and coffee (thanks Evan) and cartoons for the boys. We cheered Jack on at his soccer game and spent the rest of the day in the yard- raking (21 leaf bags were full by dinner time!), throwing the frisbee (Jack and I are determined to make 20 throws/catches without dropping and we're almost there), and kicking the soccer ball around. Evan grilled burgers for the kids and steaks for us and we sat down to dinner as a foursome for the first time this week (many late nights at work lately for Evan). We ended the night with a bubble bath for 2 grubby little boys followed by stories- I read a few and then Jack read a Star Wars book to us. Saturdays are our best day :)



 

Thankful Day 2: Fall...in Georgia

 

Fall in Georgia is beautiful. Everywhere you turn there are trees changing color and the weather is ideal. Warm sunny days and cool, crisp nights that are appreciated all the more after the sticky heat of a Georgia summer! Come visit- you won't be disappointed.

 

 

The trees in our backyard are beautiful right now (even if they do require many hours of raking!)

 



 

The boys are thrilled to spend their afternoons raking giant piles to jump in, and I can't think of a better way for two little boys to spend an October afternoon.

Thankful Day 1: My Very Own Superheros



 

These 2 take their crime fighting seriously! They also fill our house with laughter and fun and we can't imagine our wild and crazy life without them.