Yard Work

Ok so I am not grateful for yard work but I am glad I got mine started. I finished planting the garden today...beans, tomatoes, cukes, peppers and squash. We will see if it works this year...it should.
We also got the flowers planted...yes I know we are later than we should be but with being sick, out of town and rain we did not get to it before today.
Now I need to extend the work and start chopping back allot of the bushes etc.
I am grateful for the work out I got. Also for Randall who decided that he would go mow my mom and dads lawn since it was my week to do it and I was tired.

May 29th

May 29th is only the greatest day of the year. In some ways it is even bigger than Christmas.
It is looked forward with excitement all year long. Once it is passed it is thought of and compared to ones in the past.
It is the anniversary of a great event.
No not the liberation of a country, nor a heroic event.
It is not a sad memory
It is simply the anniversary of when Natalie my wonderful wife came into the world.
And for that I am very grateful!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Babe,

Memorial Day

Every year my mother and father go down to Fillmore to decorate family graves. My mothers side of the family is there. Grandparents, great-grandparents and many uncles and aunts etc. I used to go down. I guess I better go next year so I can make sure I know where they all are. Once my mother is unable to go any more it will pass to me. I am grateful for my family past and present. My grand parents and great grandparents have many spots in my memories.
And I must admit that I am who I am in part because of them.
Their sacrifice, trails and humor helped make my life possible and well worth living.
For that I am extremely grateful!

Morning routines

OK, Maggie is now on a morning routine. She is only almost 4 months old but each morning seems the same.
She wakes up at 5:45 am. Not crying or screaming, just talking in her crib.
I come in and say hello, she smiles big! I give her the Binky and go make a bottle.
She waits very quietly when I get back and smiles.
We then change her diaper, during which she stretches and smiles some more.
We then go into the family room, wrap up in a blanket and I feed her the bottle.
She finishes it and burps,
then cuddles into me and goes back to sleep.
I take her back to bed and then get in the shower and start my day.
This is great except for one thing...she doesn't know when it is Saturday or Sunday, let alone a Monday holiday...oh well, I would not trade these moments for anything.

rain

Ok so I have metioned that I like rain before...today we woke to rain. After being 95 the day before it was a welcome cool down. Not only did it clean out the air, cool down the temp it also made it so I don't have to worry about watering the lawn and for that I am grateful.

My wonderful Wife

I have to admit that my wife is by far the best thing to ever happen to me. With out her I would not be near the man I am.
She is the most wonderful mother. As she interacts with Maggie it is just amazing.
She is also very supportive of the other kids. (She has let me go to 2 movies with the boys) In fact Randall and I are heading to Indiana Jones tomorrow night.
So Over everything else I am grateful for my wonderful wife.

Garth Brooks

Ok So I am a Garth Brooks junkie. Last night I was happy to see that he was to perform on the CMA show. It was great to hear him sing and see how much energy he has for it. I also like Trisha Yearwood so when she walked out to join him for a second it was good.
I am always in hope that they will announce Garth coming out of retirement and a new Album being released.

sick or not

Well I have been absent from blogging this week but I have reasons....Monday night I got a bit sick and did not feel well. As normal for me I was over it by Tues mid morning. But Nat started feeling bad tues and it has stuck. (I think in the 10 + years we have been married I have thrown up twice and been sick for more than one day only once...I know I am blessed)

So the reason for not posting is no time. I went to work then came home to take care of Maggie so Nat could rest...well except today when I left work early to go to the new Narnia movie with Randall and Cody. Nat said it was ok so I went.

Well tonight I finaly got Mags asleep. right before I lay her down in the crib she stirs abit and then halfway opens her eyes, sees me and smiles then crashes back asleep. That made the week all worth it.

She also rolled over for the first time on her own this week as well...

I have to say I am grateful for not ever getting sick that much...it is amazing and a blessing!

My Mother

Mothers…I have to admit that I am very grateful for my mother and my grandmother. My sense of humor comes directly from them.(They were not as twisted or sarcastic as me but…)
My love of music, reading, and Broadway also comes from them.
As I grew up I never remember a time that music was not in the house. My mom played show tunes, Ray Coniff among others. My grandmother played the organ by ear and was amazing.
My mom hated going camping/fishing with my dad every summer but she went and took several books to read. She made it possible for me to not get in trouble for sitting by the lake, ignoring my fishing pole and being deeply immersed in a book.

I guess I am what I am due in part to a mother that was at home and took time to get involved.
For that I am grateful

Reading or TV?

Ok so it has been a few days since last I posted. That doesn't mean I am not grateful every day...just super busy!

The other night I took the time to read a book to Maggie, I thought it was going quite well then I saw a flash go off and Nat started to laugh. Guess Maggie was more interested in the TV than my story telling ability. Oh well I will not give up. I am grateful for a mother who read to me a lot and for the chance I had to read to my other kids. This will continue with Maggie, I guess I had just play it safe and turn off the TV next time!

Chopped Liver

Today Cody and Randall gave me a lot of crap about not mentioning them more in my grateful blog. Cody said they were just like “Chopped Liver”, Well, I have never mentioned chopped liver in any blog I have written. I also do not like chopped liver but I love my kids. Today as we were going to the park for a family thing the boys started rapping in the back seat. This is after they changed their clothes as we drove there. The rap was funny. After the park we played some dumb word game as we drove home.
So I am grateful for Laurie Jo, Randall and Cody (also Josh). I am grateful for their humor and the way we all get along. Of course Maggie is probably still my favorite. Just kidding I love them all.

Being a geek

Last night at 12:01 am Randall and I sat with great anticipation in a dark theater wanting as the previews started before Iron Man. All I can say is WOW!!! Not only was the movie great but the preview of the new BATMAN Movie was worth the ticket itself.
Not only did Randall and I enjoy the movie and the way to stayed true to the comic, but being the geeks we are, we were able to understand it better than others. (namely the group behind us). Also you need to make sure to stay for after the credits if the name S.H.I.E.L.D. means anything

My Snow Baby

Today it is Maggie’s 3 month birth day. I know it isn’t a big deal but it is. When she was born Feb 1 we had a lot of snow,(in fact her birth mom was out shoveling snow when she decided it was time to come into the world. Then on Mar 1 it snowed on April 1st no snow but I could tell it was thinking about it, and this morning as I left for work it was snowing. She is my snow baby. (I have kids book in mind about this whole idea I will post later) Now I know it will not snow the first of every month but I am glad it snowed today. It is very unusual to have snow in spring, but Maggie is a very special baby and I am grateful for the reminder of that this morning.