Thankful

Now that November is coming to an end and I've yet to write about all the things I'm thankful for...I'd like to take the opportunity to do that now! I have a great life. I am so blessed.

I'm just gonna start from the top and work my way down!

1. I am thankful for a God who loves me unconditionally. He is my fortress and my strength.
2. I am thankful for the most amazing parents. My mom and dad have always been supportive, understanding, strong and patient. My mom is someone I can always count on to help me out and make me laugh. My dad is the first man to ever love me and because of him I'm not afraid to try anything. He has always been my number one fan!
3. I am thankful for my little sister. She is an amazing young woman who is one of my best friends. We love to laugh and enjoy getting together to make fun of our parents!
4. I am thankful for a husband who is kind and strong. I have known him since we were 12 years old, but after 9 years of friendship followed by almost 6 years of marriage...I am still learning about him. Did you know he can juggle? Who knew? I sure didn't! I swear I fell in love with him all over again when I saw him do it for the first time!
5. I am thankful for two beautiful little girls. They drive me crazy but I'd go crazy without them. They are my world.
6. I am thankful for the most stupendous in-laws. My mother-in-law and father-in-law are a gift from up above. They love me and support me and they will drop what they are doing to come and help me out. My mother-in-law and I talk often and I get very sad whenever I realize that its been days since our last conversation.
7. I am thankful for my sister-in-law as well as all my extended family. I'm tellin' ya...so blessed.
8. To the friends I've known since junior high as well as the friends I've made since becoming an adult...I am so thankful for each and every one of you. You have all shaped me into the woman I am today.
9. I am so thankful for pizza...that's right. If you know me, than you know my favorite food is pizza. Italians=culinary geniuses.
10. I am so thankful to be a military wife. I am so thankful to all the men and women who choose that path in life. You are true heroes. As are your spouses.

That is my short list! I have so much more to be thankful for: hot water, Netflix, electricity, Cheez-its, The Wiggles, etc...but those are the big ones!

Emily taking a ride on Rocky!

Here is a video of Emily taking a ride on Rocky!

Emily and Rocky

My cousin Hannah and I took the girls to ride her horse Rocky. I've heard many many times that horses are often used in therapy with children with special needs. I wanted to see this for myself. Could riding a horse really have a positive affect on my Emily? Was I ever amazed! We were at the ranch for two hours and Emily did NOTHING but smile and laugh! She had not ONE tantrum or meltdown. She spent an amazing two hourse petting horses, cows, goats, dogs and sheep. She ran around through the fields and didn't even cry when she fell! While riding Rocky...she was completely content and at ease.

I am now a firm believer in the theraputic nature of horses. And we WILL be going back!

Sisters

I just had to share THE BEST picture ever taken of the girls! This photo is simply beautiful and I love it.

235 years old today!!!

Happy 235th birthday to the United States Marine Corps!

OORAH!!!

USMC Christmas

I've been busy making my Christmas gifts the past few weeks and it got me thinking about this Christmas and how different it's going to be. When you have a husband who is deployed during the holidays, everything seems to shift into something that's almost surreal. He's really NOT going to be here to help decorate the tree? To help pick out presents for our girls? To help wrap them? To watch as we let them rip into them Christmas morning? NO. I am doing the shopping alone, I will be wrapping alone and I will be watching their eyes sparkle as they see what's under all that paper...alone. I miss my husband. The girls miss their father. We want him home.

The good thing about this Christmas? I am blessed to have an amazing family and the girls and I will be traveling to see everyone! While I wish the love of my life was by my side, this is the second best thing. To be surrounded by those who love me, who (to some degree) understand how I will be feeling this holiday season, and who will do their best to make it a special and wonderful occasion for the girls and I.

And finally...I've had some trouble while putting Blain's Christmas package together! I mean, what do you send your husband when he is off 'fighting bad guys' (as Madison puts it)? You can't send him that new video game he wants...or even anything that won't fit under his bed! You have to remember that he has to bring it all back with him eventually...so what is out there for my Marine? I think I have finally figuered it out! While I'm not going to gush about the creative and awesome things I'm going to send him (in the off chance that he actually decides to check this blog) let me just say that I am a super cool wife and he will hopefully love all the little things I've found for him!

So...you know you want to pray for us...RIGHT? Well, I have the perfect prayer request! Please pray that the girls and I will be able to enjoy the holidays without being thrown into a pit of depression. And even more important than that...pray that Blain will find comfort in knowing that we are safe and happy. Pray that he is not brought down with despair while spending the holidays apart from...EVERYONE. I can't imagine what's it's going to be like for him to wake up on December 25th and know that he can't spend Christmas with his children...but rather, be sent off to work once again. Pray for him...please please please...pray for Blain.

Miss Maddie

Yes, I spelled it Maddie and not Maddy. That's because yesterday I took the time to 'get to know' my daughter! You see, I've realized that with everything that's going on with Emily, Madison sometimes gets pushed to the side. Well, not this week. Maddie is home with the flu, poor girl. And so she's been getting more of my attention. She wanted me to ask her questions, so I started alittle survey on who my daughter is...this is what we've got so far. (But then I realized that she is 4 and so some of these answers differ every day...but as of yesterday):

Favorite food: Mac N Cheese

Favorite treat: Lollipops

Favorite snack: Goldfish

Favorite person: Daddy (I love this girl)

Best friend: Julia and Maggie

Favorite color: Pink

Who do you want to see right now: Daddy (Love her more!)

Favorite sister: Emily (She giggled when I asked this...like 'duh mom')

Do you like school: Yeah

Favorite toy: Ladybug pillow

And when I asked her if she wanted to spell her name M-A-D-D-Y or M-A-D-D-I-E...she said Maddie...so there we go!

A look into the mind of my Sweet Pea. We are on day 3 of the flu...prayers for her would be appreciated!