{ Thankful Thursday }

I love thursdays because it makes me more aware of the things I am so thankful for each week and each day! This week I am so thankful for the nice weather we are going to be one tanned family if we keep this up the kids just want to be out in the pool, I finally brought the play dough out too outside on a table they played for 2 hours straight on that and I didn't have to worry about the mess in the carpet or anything it was awesome!!! They would go at 8 am if I let them. But I'm trying to do some learning school stuff for a bit, get some reading in and get things straightened up before we head to the back yard! They are having so much fun. And is there nothing better then kids playing and laughing and having fun together!

This picture looks like he is trying to save the pool from falling over!

This morning I was getting ready and I heard the little kids in the tub Lauren says to masen I love you! and Masen says to Lauren::: I lovs yu twwo!! So nice to hear among all the fighting sometimes that they do. They are just so cute sometimes. Thank goodness because sometimes I could pull my hair out!!

ex. before

After - Result of fighting over the chair it was kind of funny though my cute little niece really wanted the chair and she did have it first and Masen really wanted it too so this was the result!
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I'm also thankful for something that happened last night, something unexpected and something I always wondered how it would be. Let me give you a little background first though . With each of our children we only send pictures and letters at certain times, for a certain length of time to each of our children's beautiful birth mothers.It works for us and that's just how it was all organized and worked best for our situations. We have never seen any of our birth mothers ever since placement. UNTIL last night of course in walmart where else eh, I was walking along and there she was she looked so beautiful and so happy and it was just easy to say hi and talk. You have to understand that seeing these girls before at the hardest time they probably have ever had in there life from our face to face, to placement is the only times we have seen all three birth mothers. SO seeing this birth mother was a joy to see how beautiful and happy she looked she couldn't believe how big the child had gotten and how he looked like so and so. We hugged and went our way but for me it was something I always wondered if I would feel threatened or not fully my child's mother if she were around. But I only felt a strong love for this girl a girl I have only spoken to twice before but felt a very strong connection to because she is the reason I have this beautiful child I call my own who is here where __ is because of Her. It was a nice relization that I didn't feel nervous or scared or threatened I guess more of a special connection because of what we share. I'm thankful for her and for this experience.

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I'm thankful for the time outs I've had over the last couple weeks to go with my sisters {missed you Holli} and with friends. I love laughing and doing fun things we don't usually do just feeling relaxed and not having to stop the food throwing or cutting someones food or stoping the yelling or whatever fun it usually is when you go out to dinner with kids. Its nice to get out once awhile by yourself we all need it!!
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I'm so thankful for family, extended family there are so many things that happen in large families kids, accomplishments, hardships, trials, birthdays, weddings, baptisms all sorts of milestones, holidays, jobs, etc etc etc. But it is nice to know that they are always there for us and us for them. Happy for them in there lives and sometimes we all get busy in life and don't see them that often but its a blessing to me to know that we all have each other forever. I'm so thankful for the Gospel and for the knowledge to know that when we die and move on we will all be together forever so we have plenty of time to spend together here, now and for eternity. There is nothing more important to me in life then family and how we treat others, how we live our lives and what we learn and take from it. I'm so grateful for the examples of those in both my families for the way they live there lives and what they teach me through there example and lives. All of them mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, the kids {in laws all of them} I hope they know how much I love them! I'm blessed with a large family and love it.

Not even all of us in D's family!

My family without the spouses and 9 kids between us all I don't have a recent picture of us all together so this is last year.

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Lately there has been alot of sad things happening in people's lives and as bad as some of our days are there is somebody worse off then us. Praying for those people and doing something about it helps. But it makes me more then ever thankful for the hard working husband I have, for the love he shows me and our children, for the good and not so good mom days because as bad as some days are there are alot worse things going on out there.

I'm thankful for my children, for the gospel, for good parents, family and where I live. I'm thankful for good friends and for the girls who just feel like talking to someone this week. I've had some great conversations with some friends going through some hard times and it was a blessing to me to talk to them and that they feel they can come to me. It helps me to realize how blessed I am and that maybe something I can say will help in some small way.

We go through things in life, trials, hardships, and joys and its what we learn and take from them that helps others going through the same things or learning through others examples. What we do with it makes the biggest difference our attitude defines our altitude right. I guess I'm just thankful for alot this week cause this is turning into a big long post.

Have a great day make it a great one!!