Thankful Mondays

12. Some energy after work this evening.
13. The automated mailing machine at the USPS, for late night mailings...
14. Friendly, helpful co-workers.
15. A dishwasher.
16. Sparkling dishes.
17. The Internet for visual inspiration.
18. My favorite blanket.
19. Cell phones.
20. Kinders and their cute little hugs even when they are being turds.
21. Friends that don't mind sharing their great ideas, inspirations, and motivators.
22. 4 wonderful 'cousin kids' Saturday night. Lots of smiles, hugs and warm cookies!
23. Bath and Body Works plug in scents
24. Dinner in the fridge.

This week.

This week I have worked really hard at a few things.

1. Remembering what I need to do. Each morning when I get to my classroom I write a 'To do' list. and I keep that list in my eyesight all day, and cross off things as I do them. It has worked great! For some reason I always think I can keep things in my head and I won't forget. It doesn't work. I forget things.

2. Remembering to be really grateful. In the moment, grateful. It has helped turn my attitude around more than once.

3. Posting to my blog. I like the idea of having a blog. and I like the results of having a blog. I don't always like the actual writing part, but I want to be better this year.

4. Journal. I dug my journals out and will start writing in them more. I am really excited to be inspired again.

5. Keeping my desk at work cleaned off. I am going to work hard to stay organized (hence the to do list) and keep my desk available. I am going to deal with things as they come up, put things away right away, etc. Wish me luck! haha

I am excited for this weekend, tomorrow is Friday and I am ready for a break. Brandon and I agreed to sleep in on Saturday and do some relaxing. I am hoping to try out my new sewing machine, cleaning, reading, etc. It is going to be great! =)

Gratitude....my word for the year.

1. Air fresheners in our home that smell good.

2. Homemade Taco soup. A recipe from friends, more friends to share it with.

3. Two wonderful hugs from kinders at school today.

4. Loving phone calls from my husband.

5. Quiet time at the end of day to calm down.

6. A new magazine in the mail.

7. Fresh sheets and a perfectly made bed.

8. A special keepsake arriving from Pottery Barn that I will get to give away next Christmas.

9. Decisions made: my word of the year and a paint color for my craft room.

10. Time with our family over Winter Break.

11. Long hugs from family before we left after two weeks of visits.

Happy {5th} Birthday sweet Mason!

Five things Becky and Brandon LOVE about Mason:
1. Your ambition
2. Your smile
3. Your 'awareness' of the surroundings.
4. Your sense of humor
5. Your realization of the importance to sit back and observe for a bit before you dive right in.

Brandon and I would love to have Mason up for a 'snow day' over the break. We can come get him, or your family can come up to the house for some 'brush pile fires', snowmobiling, sledding, or road grading! It will be so much fun!!! And if that doesn't work out (because mason, I think mom and dad might be a bit busy with moving) we can think of something else some other time.

I am Thankful for many things

1. I am thankful for my husband. He cares for me and wants me home each night so we can spend time with each other.
2. My kiddos at school. Lots of big hugs and smiles!
3. Technology. It is so fun to send an email, say hello on Facebook, or send pictures digitally to be printed.
4. Relatively good shopping. Target and Safeway are my friends.
5. My friends. Comments on this blog, on Facebook, and phone calls on weeknights are treasures.
6. My mom, several phone calls home this week while I was trying to give my dad a Happy Birthday over the phone.
7. Listening to the rain from my warm, cozy house.
8. Brandon's family. His brothers find me to chat online, and give me big hugs when I am sad. We had dinner with one brother tonight and it was great!
9. I am thankful for this day off to rejuvenate myself and catch up on some chores. Right now I am in my warm house watching the rain fall, thinking about getting my book or working on a project.
10. A wonderful weekend on the Oregon coast with my husband- thanks so a generous mentor of Brandon's.
11. Dr. Beth at the Vet.
12. A home cooked meal at home.
13. The love of books.
14. My eyesight.
15. Sleeping in.
16. Wonderful parents of my students.
17. My car and Brandon's pickup....getting us where we need to be safely.
18. Sunshine streaming into my classroom.
19. Some time to work in my classroom.
20. Thankful for my friend Kelly and our dinner date tonight!
21. A reason to celebrate tonight- the wedding of friends!
22. Pot roast in the oven and homemade cornbread!
23. A two day work week.

right now

I'm Reading: A book my mother in law gave me.

I'm Enjoying: my job as a teacher of {43} kindergartners and my time with my husband at night.

I'm Learning: that I need to be careful of what I say, how I say it, and to whom I say it.

I'm Watching: my life and love blossom with my husband.

I'm Anticipating: No school on Friday- a chance to get our house back in order.

I'm Realizing: that circumstances do not make me, they reveal me. William James.

I'm Pondering: what am I presenting to the world?

I'm Wondering: If I should do something differently than I am to let the people in my life know how important they are to me.

I'm Remembering: the people in my life, those I can see and those I can't.

I'm Praying: for patience and love.

{family} pictures

Brandon and I went home this weekend to see family and to have our 'family pictures' taken. My friend Lindsay was gracious enough to take them for us, and I am so excited at how well they turned out! I can't wait to see the rest of them in a few days.
The rest of our weekend was pretty great also. We watched my cousin play football (it's his senior year at Pilot Rock) and I got to see some of my aunts and uncles, my grandpa, my dad and Brandons' folks. We went on a little hike up behind Brandons' house, visited the old tree house, lit some slash piles, swung on the rope swing, picked wild apples, went to dinner with my dad, saw Lindsay and her family and just had a fun time! We are home now and my mom and grandma stopped by to see our house and to see my classroom. My grandma hadn't been to Albany to see us yet, so it was so fun to show her our new 'home'. What a great weekend!