So… what I want to know is… HOW did Laura know I was going to write about my new laptop?

Ok, she probably didn’t know… but isn’t it funny that my Gratituesday post is identical to hers? (Well, it’s not slap your knee funny… but kinda mini-chuckle funny…maybe…kinda).

ANYWAY… Laura has HER reasons for being thankful for HER new laptop, and I echo all her reasons!

Well, except for the “blogging upstairs” reason – we don’t have an upstairs.

And I guess I can’t really echo the “blogging outside” reason – there is NO WAY I’ll be blogging outside anytime in the near future.  Blogging in 110 degree heat is not a preferable method of blogging for me personally.

You know, I guess I can’t really echo the whole “Matt and I can work at the same time” reason, since Matt working on his computer doesn’t really affect ME.

So… other than THOSE three reasons, I echo her gratitude for her new laptop.

My kids are pretty grateful too.  I haven’t let them touch my PC for ages, since I use it for work and if anything happens to it, I’m sunk.  We all know how good computer games are for computers (NOT), and since my kids just want to play computer games, the PC has been off limits.

But, with the new laptop, I’m allowing a few games (of my choosing)… which makes everyone SO happy.

I’m also REALLY thankful for my new laptop because it’s going to make my new job a lot easier.  (And I’ll discuss THIS topic another time in the near future).

AND, I downloaded the latest version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 7
the other night… and I’m SO happy to have a good working version that doesn’t crash on me or take fifty million years to load a file.  (And by fifty million years, I mean 5-6 minutes… but I was going for hyperbole there).

The latest version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 will come in handy for my new job (again, will discuss this another time), which just happens to be Digi Scrap related!

So… those are my reasons for being SO thankful for my new laptop.  If I were 100% honest, I’d also mention that it makes playing Farkle on Facebook a LOT easier and more fun now.  But, I wouldn’t want anyone to know how truly addicted to Farkle I am…

If YOU are thankful for something today, please consider writing your own Gratituesday post and linking up over at Laura’s blog…

P.S. Aren’t you curious about the new job now?  You’ll just have to come back to hear more.  I promise to tell you all about it as soon as I can share details.

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I have a lot swirling around in my head this week… little insignificant things, a few heavier things… mostly just things I need to pray about and then let go.

My Gratituesday post today is simple.

I’m thankful for Gratituesday.

Because of it, I have a specific reason to think about what I’m thankful for.

And I need that… don’t you?

Without it, I might have skipped thinking about my blessings today.  And that’s the last thing I need to do.

So… I’m thankful for Gratituesday.

What about you?

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(By the way, have I written a Gratituesday post about music before… if I have, just nod a grin through another one).

So, I have an awesome hubby (I know I’ve mentioned THAT before), and a year or so ago (maybe a little longer), he installed an under-cabinet CD player/Radio in my kitchen so I could listen to music whenever I was in there.  You know, cooking… cleaning… doing dishes.  The kinds of things he hopes I’ll do EVERY day.

ANYWAY, he is lovely, and because of that I have a lovely CD player right next to my head when I’m washing dishes.

Of course, the CD player is really NO good at all without a CD in it… and I have a few favorites I keep handy to keep me PUMPED UP during dish washing/floor mopping/counter wiping time.

I am a bit boring in my music selections in that I get “stuck” on a CD or two and rotate ONLY those two CD’s for… oh, six months at a time!

(And my family still loves me!)

Anyway, my two latest obsessions favorites have been the following CD’s:

Travis Cottrell’s Jesus Saves

and Point of Grace’s How You Live

I’ve been listening to the Point of Grace CD since Christmas time, so going on 7 months now.  Travis’ CD is brand new, so I’ve only been wearing it out for about a month.

These two CD’s speak to me right where I need to be spoken… they help me worship… they remind me what it’s all about… they make me cry and smile at the same time.

(Just as a side-note, there is an incredibly awesome little snippet of Beth Moore speaking on Travis’ CD, and then she joins him in reading scripture during the song right after her little snippet.  I have listened to this countless times, and I cry EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I hear it.  Let’s just say I need to hear it every day, twice a day).

Anyway… thankfully, for the sanity of everyone in my family, my kids like listening to these CDs too. This is a big bonus since I subject them to the music on a very, very regular basis.

In fact, I think Point of Grace is going to be responsible for my children turning into “Holy Rollers” (no offense meant, btw, if you are a holy roller).  Both lil Allan and Martha like to sing with their hands in the air, WHILE dancing around the kitchen.  (And if you know anything about our little branch of “Christian-dom”, you’d know that waving hands and dancing is just is NOT done at a Church of Christ worship service). (Well, not at one here in Las Vegas, anyway).  (Surprisingly enough).

Ok, way off on a tangent there.  Bringing it all back now…

Short version – I love music, specifically worship music – uplifting encouraging music that you can sing and dance worship along with.

In fact, I think I’ll go turn a CD on right now!  It is sure to put a little “latitude in my attitude, and bring me a bit of gratitude”.

(Ok, done being cheesy now)

What are YOU thankful for today?  Please join us over at Laura’s Heavenly Homemakers blog for Gratituesday!

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You should go read her post too.  Go ahead… do it now.  She states that it’s the best Gratituesday ever, and I have to agree with her!  So, go… read… I’ll wait.

In no way do I want to steal Laura’s thunder (or Randy and Kari’s) by talking about my own journey through adoption, but since reading the post last night, I just haven’t been able to think about much else.  I’ve written about it before, last year around Mother’s Day.

I’m just so, so thankful for the miracle that is adoption.  I don’t know all the specific details about Laura’s family’s situation, but I do know that even under the best of circumstances, adoption is not an easy journey.  The rewards? Oh yes, they are worth the battles… but it doesn’t mean it’s easy.

And today… I’m just REALLY thankful for this moment, seven years ago…

And I’m thankful for the kiddo he is today:

Happy Gratituesday, everyone.  I hope you’ll go write your own post and link up through Laura’s blog.

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Over a decade ago, I decided I wanted to be a Stay At Home/Work At Home mom.  (Ok, that’s not true – I basically decided that like 20 years ago, but it wasn’t until a decade ago that it seemed like it might really be a possibility).

At the time, my then-husband and I began talking seriously about adoption, and as we began the long arduous process that THAT became, I also began creating a small home-based web design business.  My goal was to build the business to a point that by the time we were able to adopt, I would have something already in place, going strong, providing a good second work-at-home kind of income.

And that worked out really well!  I developed relationships with quite a few web design (and hosting) clients and by the time Samuel came into my life in 2002, I was a successful business owner.   I was lucky because a good many of my clients had become friends, so working around the demands of first-time motherhood wasn’t TOO traumatic for my business.

Fast forward a decade, through a divorce, a re-marriage, and two more kids being added to the mix – I still have a work-at-home business… and I’m still successful.  As a mom AND a business owner.

Now, some days I don’t feel like I’m succeeding at anything.  Orders are low, clients don’t pay, the kids are sick and I’m three days behind on laundry and dishes.  The last two years (ok, actually four) have been particularly difficult for me as a business owner (and human being!), mostly because the demands of pregnancy and babies meant something had to give.

I’ve managed to hold on to most of my most favorite clients and added a few more… and along the way, I’ve changed my focus almost entirely.  In fact my business today looks NOTHING like it looked in the days before and after Samuel’s arrival seven years ago. Instead of web design, I do mostly digital design… and in the last six months I have opened THREE (yes, three) etsy shops.

But CHANGE is a good thing.  And it was necessary… because being a work-at-home mom to one kiddo is VASTLY different than being a work-at-home mom to THREE.  For those of you who do it with MORE than three… my Mommy and Business Owner hats are off to you!

Anyway, I started this post to say this – I’m SO thankful to be doing what I’m doing.  To be designing… to be creating… to be “working” from home, with my children all around.  Most of the time it doesn’t feel much like work (well, the HOUSEwork always feels like work, but my BUSINESS is pretty fun).  And more and more, I’m figuring out how to manage all the plates I have spinning in the air.

And to be HOME, with my kids, every day.  Teaching them, reading with them, hangin’ with them, napping with them – it doesn’t get much better!  And as the saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  Samuel is already making plans to be a big-time author and illustrator, and lil Allan thinks he wants to be one too.  They both love to get on my computer and “draw” and create, and I am looking forward to the day that they can create their OWN digital designs and pages, with no assitance from Mommy.

Pardon me while I channel Martha (Stewart, not my daughter) for a moment and say… “it’s a good thing”.

What are YOU thankful for today? Please consider clicking over to Heavenly Homemakers and adding YOUR gratitude to the list!

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So, lots of people driving around in Vegas don’t have air conditioning in their cars, I know this to be true.  We, however, have not been in that category.   Until two weeks ago.

Hubby was planning to go on a long weekend vacation to CA, and the DAY before he was to leave, the A/C went kerplooey in the car.  You can only imagine how HAPPY this made him.  I mean, we do live in Vegas after all.  And he was going to be driving across the desert to CA.  During the day.  When it’s HOT.

He took the car in hoping it would be a quick fix.  It was not.

It’s now almost two weeks later, and the A/C is not fixed.  Instead, we are quite a few dollars poorer, what with the car rental so he could go to CA, and what with the car fixer-up place charging us a LOT of money to tell us that they couldn’t figure it out and can’t fix it.

If I sound like I’m whiney, I’m really not.  I mean, I am annoyed that we had to pay to NOT have it fixed, but really, I’m counting my blessings.  (It IS Gratituesday, after all!)  Here’s what’s GOOD about this situation:

1. The A/C broke BEFORE he left.  It would have been a nightmare if it had broken on the way TO California, or while he was there. (Turns out there were also some electrical issues that needed immediate fixing – not related to the A/C).  I am so glad he and his dad and lil Allan were able to go to CA in comfort and that they didn’t end up stranded in the DESERT.

2. We still have a car. As difficult as the no A/C thing is, NOT having a car… would be much more difficult.

3. The weather?  In Vegas?  Has been downright LOVELY for the last week.  In a very unusual turn of events, we are enjoying 80 degree weather in JUNE in Vegas.  The no A/C thing has really not been an issue, since we have windows and a sunroof.  Normally it would be in the low 100’s this time of year.  There has been some discussion about whether God is altering weather patterns for us right now.  (I’m in the “I think He is” camp, btw).  If He IS, I wonder if He’ll consider doing it all summer long?  (Ok, so that is probably a stretch, but wow, wouldn’t that be cool?  Literally?) 

4.  I might get to buy a new scarf… or two.  So far the only major issue (for ME) has been the flyaway hair I experience when we are going places.  All four windows down and a sunroof open mean that I arrive at our destinations looking a little like the unkempt Bride of Frankenstein.  On Sunday, on the way to church, I used Martha’s blanket as a make-shift scarf to keep my hair in place.  It worked out ok, but I think Mama needs to go SHOPPING.  I’m contemplating getting one in pink and one in blue.  (I have a “boring” wardrobe).

5.  Our kids are learning about hardship and fortitude.  Ok, so it’s not really been THAT hard so far… and lots and lots and lots of kids have grown up without A/C in their car… or in the buggy behind the horse… or while WALKING uphill both ways to school in the snow… er, desert.  But, it’s still a good lesson for our kids that life isn’t always 100% pleasant and that sometimes you have to roll with it.  Even when it’s hot. And Mommy’s hair is scary.

6.  Our kids are learning all about WIND.  So, who knew that a hardship like losing our A/C could turn into a science lesson?  But, it has!  Daddy explained all about weather fronts and weird stuff like that. (He really may have been making it up as he went along).  Regardless, it made for very silly, fun chatter in our car, especially because the kids thought it was HYSTERICAL to watch their hair (and Mommy’s) fly all over the place in the wind.  MORE WIND, they said.  Only kids would ask for MORE WIND…

Obviously I realize that there are FAR worse things that could happen than losing the A/C in our car.  If I had to pick, I’d say THAT is the number ONE thing I’m grateful for today…that with everything we COULD be facing, the worst of our current family problems are that Mommy needs a scarf and we all sweat a bit more on the way to church.  Now, I can’t promise to be this glib a month from now when the thermometer reads 115 degrees.  But I WILL try to be thankful for our blessings.

And the kids laughing hysterically at the wind blowing in their hair will help a whole bunch, I’m sure!

So, how about you?  What are you thankful for?  Join in the gang over at HeavenlyHomemakers and tell us all about it!

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And Gratituesday posts are hard for me to write!

Again, not because I’m not grateful… but rather because I usually get overcome with emotion when I try to put into words the things for which I’m thankful.  If you know me in person (all five of you that read this), you know I cry easily (and often).  Writing a Gratituesday post is a sure way for me to get the waterworks going.

And this week is no exception.  I honestly don’t know how to write what I’m going to write, so I’m going to do a list format and see how that goes…  it will probably be a bit vague if you don’t know what’s been happening in our lives lately, but I REALLY don’t have the words to explain it better today.  Maybe eventually.

Anyway, here’s my Gratituesday “list” for today…

1. I’m thankful for the unexpected…

2. I’m thankful for a spiritually discerning and loving husband, who was unafraid to listen to what He thought the Spirit might be saying to him, and who was unafraid to act on it.

3. I’m thankful that my husband and I were IN TUNE when we were faced with an unexpected and important job.

4. I’m thankful for my children, and their loving, sweet, open hearts.  For their willingness to let our home be upended in a way none of us expected.  For their ability to roll with it, and even ask for more.

5. I’m thankful for new relationships, deeper connections, and more love in our church family.

6. I’m thankful for my parents and Allan’s family, who like my children, “went with it”, even when they weren’t sure or had concerns.

7. I’m thankful… really, really thankful… that my “little sister-in-Christ” April is in Heaven, with no more pain or cancer.

8. I’m thankful for Audi and Nate, and for everything they brought into our lives in the few weeks they were a part of our family.

9. I’m thankful, so very thankful, for God’s love and provision and will – and for what he has worked out for everyone.

10. I’m thankful for peace.

And now that I’m crying, I can’t type anymore.  What are YOU thankful for today?  Won’t you share it over at Laura’s blog for Gratituesday…

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Ok, I have more than one word, or this would be a very short post.  Bear with me as I gush for a few moments.

In case you are new or don’t know what’s been happening in my life (which is possible, since I have been posting about once a month)…  I got my CPAP machine last night, for my sleep apnea problems.

And now I know what a person is supposed to feel like when they wake up RESTED.

Even though this is a “gratituesday” post, let me just list the cons for one minute, ok?

Cons to the CPAP:

1. It’s a little weird to wear a mask on your face to go to bed.

2. It’s a little weird to have a tube running from your face to a machine on the nightstand.

3. It’s hard to cough, clear your throat, or scratch your nose while wearing the mask.

Um… I think that’s about it! So, the Pros?

Pros to the CPAP:

1. SLEEP

2. My body relaxed EASILY

3. I could SLEEP on my back

4. I could SLEEP on my side

5. Dreams…. ah, sweet dreams!

6. Did I mention SLEEP

7. Oh yes… NO SNORING!

I think I mentioned sleep in that list, right?  And seriously folks, about the dreaming?  It’s like my subconscious realized what was happening and said, “Really?  We get to do our thing?  We get to DREAM tonight??  OK THEN!  Let’s PAR-TAY!”

Because the dreams?  They were vivid.  They were many.  They were WILD.  (In a nice CHRISTIAN wild kind of way, mind you).  I was flying… I was running… I saw lots of pretty colors… there was lots of fun dialogue.  I even made a cameo appearance in my sub concious’s version of  “Star Wars”. (I’m sure this is because we’ve been joking for awhile that I’ll be like Darth Vader while wearing my mask – how could I NOT dream about Star Wars).

I had high hopes for this CPAP and the changes it might bring to my life, and I am no longer hopeful, but now am SURE.  I woke up after the first two hours of sleep with the mask and I KNEW I was going to be better.  I felt better after two hours of sleep than I normally do after 6 or 7.

And my relaxation time?  Practically zero.  I usually have to do relaxation techniques all night long to get ANY sleep.  I do a technique where I start at my toes and tell all the parts of my body to relax (in a nice soothing inside my head voice).  Last night, I started this twice.  The first time I think I might have made it to my ANKLES… as in… toes, feet, soles of my feet, ankles…zzzzzzz.  The second time I know I made it to my calves.  Toes, feet, soles of my feet, ankles, calves…zzzzzzz.

So, to sum up.  Sleep… it is GOOD.  CPAP machine… it is GOOD.  Weirdness factor of wearing a mask to bed?  Who CARES!!!!

And I don’t to promise anything, but I’m sure hoping that once I get a week or two of GOOD sleep under my belt… I’m hoping I can get back to regular routine things like BLOGGING and such. (gasp!)

Have a super duper healthy happy day today, folks!

Oh, and you can check out all this week’s Gratituesday posts over at Laura’s blog.

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There have been several times in last several months that I have skipped writing Gratituesday posts, or I have struggled with finding words for posts because I was struggling to find my gratitude.

This week is NOT one of those weeks.

Actually, I AM struggling with finding words this week… but not because I’m coming from a place of pain, but rather because I have SO much joy and SO much gratitude flowing right now, that words just don’t seem adequate.  Maybe I should just write a few words in a list, and then try to explain.  So how about these words:

• 100% black-out
• cancer free
• chemo was a complete success
• REMISSION

Isn’t that a beautiful list?  Those were the words I heard from my sister Sarah today when she called after her oncology appointment.  The results of her PET scan are in, and it was a 100% black-out, which means there were NO little lights (which signify cancer in the body) showing on the scan at all.  None.  No little ones, no big ones.. NO CANCER.

NO CANCER.

The pathology report stated that chemo was a complete success.

Her oncologist declared her in REMISSION.

This comes just 6 1/2 months after we heard the dreadful news of “stage four breast cancer”… “it’s in the lungs”  “in her lymph nodes”… and the doctor basically said that remission doesn’t happen in these types of cases.  He said we had time, but he couldn’t promise how much time – hopefully months to years, the doctor had said.

And then we started praying.  Our family started praying.  Our friends started praying.  Church families and friends across the country started praying.  My 3 year old and 6 year old prayed EVERY night for Aunt Sarah.

My husband told me over and over again that she was going to be FINE.  That we were going to pray BELIEVING that she was going to be ok, and that God would heal her.

And folks, I tried to pray that way.  I tried to pray with belief that she would be ok.  I KNOW Allan prayed with complete belief, even while I struggled and prayed with my fears and my lack of faith. Deep down I doubted, but kept praying and trying to find belief, like the father in the Gospel of Mark.

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

If there was ever a time for a husband to say to his wife, “I told you so”, today was the day, and Allan enjoyed it completely.

I’ve been in tears most of the afternoon and the evening.  Happy, joyous tears of relief and… gratitude.  Lil Allan (3 years) was curious about the tears, especially when we were doing happy dances in the living room THROUGH the tears.  “Happy tears” didn’t make much sense to him, but he danced with me anyway.

I had to call Samuel to tell him (he was at his other dad’s house) – and he just kept saying, “YES!  YES!  WOOHOO!  YES”.   (And then he wanted to know if Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ron and Austin and Hailey could come for a visit now that Aunt Sarah was not sick anymore).

When I told lil Allan that God healed Aunt Sarah, he said, “God is a good Daddy, isn’t he”.  (We had just talked on Sunday morning about how God is our Father, and that’s the same as being our Daddy – he apparently remembered).

Yes… God is GOOD.  And I am humbled and grateful today.  Grateful that God heard our prayers and gave my sister a second chance.

I am going to continue praying for her, because although this battle is over, her chances for more battles in the future still exist.  She has a rare genetic defect that can bring cancer back.  She’ll be having surgery to help eliminate some of the risks, but the risks will still exist.

But now when I pray for her, I will pray with BELIEF… and thanksgiving.  If you pray, please join me in praying a pray of thanksgiving and continue health for my sister.

May God bless you and yours this week…

(And be sure to go read more Gratituesday posts linked up over at Laura’s blog).

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It’s been a tough year, hasn’t it?  I don’t know of ANYONE in my life that hasn’t had a few extra downs this year – financial problems, health scares, failing relationships, unexpected tragedies – it’s just been one of “those” years.

For the last month or two, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the start of 2009.  I’ve begun pushing 2008 out of my mind and trying to distance myself from some of the tougher moments.  But during our Christmas trip to CA, when I ended up spending so much time in bed, I had a little EXTRA time for reflection.  (And yes, I managed to do some thinking and praying in between all the sleeping).

Turns out, I’ve had a pretty bad attitude.  And I’ve wanted to skip all the gratitude and thankfulness, and just be down in the dumps instead.  I’ve actually caught myself enjoying the misery a bit too much.  Did you know you can do that?  Oh yes, you can!

But no more… because…

…Although our kids experienced pretty significant health issues this year – croup multiple times, reaction to peanuts which ended up with a severe peanut allergy, ER trip after ER trip – every incident turned out OK.  God was watching over us, and I have continued to feel the protecting arm of Him and His angels especially since Martha’s diagnosis.  We’ve made it through six months with the peanut allergy, and no epi-pen yet! (YAY!)

…While we have continued to experience the joys of home-ownership, we’ve had a few extra head-aches.  Allan and I prayed pretty intensely when a plumbing issue first arose in October, because we weren’t sure how bad it was going to be or how costly.  This issue in particular became a disguised blessing, when our insurance company provided enough to cover the damages AND then some.  The leak in the bathroom was repaired, and there was money left over for a much WANTED (not needed) home improvement project.  (Which MIGHT get done on the first day of 2009, if all goes well).    We were so thankful to have such a blessing for an outcome.

…Although my sister was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, she has had a remarkable six months in treatment and the current prognosis is good.  The doctor was hoping to reduce her cancer to less than 50% with chemo, and while we don’t yet know number (hopefully next week), the physical exams lead us to think it has been reduced MUCH more than that.  I have a whole lot more to say on THAT subject, but it’s too hard to type through tears in my eyes.  Suffice it say, God is GOOD, and prayers are being answered.

This year, through hardship after hardship, in our family and in others, I have watched God triumph.  Some relationships are still difficult (at best), but God is bringing about good where satan wants evil.  Family members who were lost to tragic means are missed (greatly), but God is healing those left behind.  Financial issues for some are TOUGH… VERY, VERY tough, but we all still have roofs over our heads, blankets to keep us warm, clothes on our backs, cars to drive, and enough food to eat.

Yes, it’s time for a new year… and I’m mighty thankful about that… and I resolve to do better about being thankful for each new day in 2009 – no matter WHAT comes our way.

God Bless You and Yours this New Year’s Eve…

(and I promise we’ll get back to talking digi-scrappin’ in 09!)

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