30 days of 

Day 3... Today I am thankful for the ability and stregnth God has given me! I love that I lead an active and healthy life. I am super thankful for the physical abilities God has blessed me with. I could not have gotten where I am today without his grace and guidance! I know first hand from a health scare 3 years ago how hard it is to function and be a healthy, happy person when your health is not cooperating! I am beyond thankful that my situation was just a scare and not a permanent situation!!

I have always been an athlete, playing all kinds of sports since the age of 5. So... as an adult I was naturally drawn to the group excercise formats because working as a team comes natural, AND I do waaaay better with others around to motivate me!!! And after years of wondering if I could, thinking I might, and then daring to try it out.. I got nationally certified as a group exercise instructor!! 

And I LOVE it!!!!! 

These girls here (and a couple not in the photo) keep me on my toes daily and drive me to do better and bring more to class every week!!!

I am so thankful for them!!!

Always - Abbey

30 Days of

For my 2nd day of thankfulness, I had planned to post this way earlier but the day got away from me in both a good and bad way!! Ironically it all comes back to what I am thankful for today...

Today, I am thankful to be a Mom!! 

I never imagined that having children would stir up so many emotions within me.. in fact I wish someone had dropped a few hints prior to the births of my boys so I could have been slightly aware of what was in store for me!!

Being a Mom has brought an amazing sense of pride and humblness to my life! My boys challenge me daily... well, more like by the minute, but either way it has given me stregnth I never knew I had! They have weaved such a big web of emotions within my heart that sometimes I feel like I am litterly taken over with the feelings I have for them. And I will admit... some of those feelings aren't all warm and fuzzy.. some are full of angst for them to do better, hope that they listen, dissapointment in decisions gone bad, or even crazed frustration when we all fall short!! Days go by and I fight to keep up with them and their questions, their requests, their energy, their sheer zest for life and the need to absorb every ounce of action around them... often times I feel the job is never done or that I always have more to work on! But.. out of all the jobs that I have strived to succeed at and busted my back to do good for, this job of being a Mom is the only job I can truely say has given back to me more than I have given to it! I am beyond thankful to be a Mom, and more than that I am blessed to be a stay at home Mom!! 

Every day I lay down with a thankful heart that I get to only juggle one job, the job of Motherhood! I have been where some of my dear friends are now, juggling a career and Motherhood... I tip my hat to them because I couldn't do it and keep up as well as they do on a daily basis! I know that if things changed tomorrow and I had to take on juggling more than one job I would jump right back at it, but I am thankful that for today I don't have to make that jump! 

So, even though I had a peaceful morning followed by a crazy, hectic afternoon with homework, cleaning, laundry, cooking, coloring, organizing the pantry, baths, stories, more homework... I wouldn't trade it for the world or all the money a career can give!! I am a Mom and it is a blessing that I proudly count in my prayers every night!!

One of the best and newest job skills I didn't know I loved is cooking... I tell ya, there is nothing better than finding a cool recipe, putting your own spin on it (or not) and it coming out fantastic... so much that your family devours every last morsel!!!!

Here was my sneak peek from yesterday's facebook post:

I found a recipe in the magazine All You for Sweet and Spicy Roasted Pecans... It looked devine, and a perfect/healthy snack for the cold weather rolling in!!! I put my own spin on it a bit and it came out awesome!! The hubster almost ate them all in one sitting...

Who knew I could be thankful for pecans!!! I am totally nuts, right?! ;))

Always - Abbey

30 DAYS of

I have seen people do this on facebook, in journals, as a family, etc...So I thought I would give it a try this year!! What better time than the present to count your blessings, say thank you and realize how good you have it!! 

I am a firm beliver that you should always cease every moment and live it to the fullest because you never know what God has in store for you, what is around the corner or when someone or something will go in or out of your life!!! So here is my day 1 of thankfulness thought...

I am thankful for love! 

You never truely realize love until you have it in your life, have been shown it by someone special or see it displayed by someone close to you! It is such an easy thing to have...some might think differently... but all you really need is an open heart, a forgiving soul, and a truely happy mindset! Love can come to you when you least expect it in a nice comment from a friend, a smile from a passing neighbor, or the gentle touch of an innocent hand reaching out for you! Love can be given by telling someone thank you, showing someone forgivness or understanding, or simply by just saying I Love You and meaning it!!!

I am thankful for the love I feel when I walk into our house and smell the familar scent that is my family's home! I am thankful for the love I have in my heart for my friends and for the love they give back to me when they don't even know it!! I am mostly thankful that I am blessed to be loved and to be able to give it in return! So many people take this term or act of endearment for granted or never have the opportunity to give or receive love... and for that fact, I am thankful for it every day!!!

And speaking of love... here's some craft love:

Here is my 2 month 'all purpose' wreath updated for November, as promised :)))

May all who enter our house be as thankful as we are!!!

Always - Abbey