A Monday of Thanks

Here is it...Memorial Day Monday and I am full of things to share that I am thankful for. I pray that this weekend was as relaxing and special for you as it was for me.

#21-40
painted toenails
intense bike ride
honesty
sunshine
texting
a hard-working husband
clean clothes
running skirt
garden tomatoes and fresh avocados
a blue sky with puffy white clouds
Memorial Day
selfless soldiers
Day off with the family
Dalton's smile after a new accomplishment
sweat from sunbathing
a baby's toes
First Landing State park's running trails
ice cold water
Sunday sermons
developing new friendships

So thankful for yet another week of blessings..................... :)

Everyday Blessings

My dear friend, Sue introduced me to the blog, A Holy Experience. Everytime that I click on it and consume what has been written, I tear up. The music that accompanies the gifted writing convicts me and I am completely in awe of what the author, Ann Voskamp has crafted. Each Monday is dedicated to a theme entitled Multitude Monday. This is an ongoing list of the multitudes of gifts that the Lord blesses us with each day.

I don't know about you, but life is difficult. Days go by and it seems as if busyness, responsibilities and just "stuff" always seems to get in the way. There are many days that pass where I don't know if I even realize the blessings that I am missing. My prayer is that God will open my eyes and my heart to recognize the special gifts that He bestows on me and that I can see, feel, hear, taste and touch every single one. Through the next couple of months, Mondays will be my day to reflect on the gift that life truly is and share it on this blog.

#1-20:

instant oatmeal
a hot shower
singing birds in the morning
flip flops
a hug from behind when all I can see is a student's sweet little hands
breakfast duty
A "good morning" smile
driving to school everyday with Dalton
lunch with colleagues
grocery shopping at Trader Joe's
fresh vegetables
reading about and relating to Peter
cheering with Landon for Dalton at his baseball game
watching the joy on Dan's face while he is coaching
seeing a friend I haven't seen in a while
feeling the cool breeze of a fan
alone time
seeing God work through this blog
bare feet
my sweet son sleeping next to me

Spring Break

It has been a great week!! This has been our Spring Break from Virginia Beach City Public Schools. A few weeks ago I was feeling sorry for myself that we were not going to travel anywhere. After this past week, I am thrilled that we stayed put!! Beginning last Friday, the weather has been perfect. By that I mean, no humidity, no rain and just warm spring air and sunshine. The boys and I have had a wonderful time together. We rode bikes, slept in, went for runs, traveled to Busch Gardens, and went to the beach twice!! I actually acquired a sun burn on my back!! This weekend I am looking forward to Landon's lacrosse games and relaxing until it is back to reality on Monday.
I am thankful for this past week as well. Dan had an accident at work on Tuesday where he shot a nail completely through his left hand. If you know Dan at all, he is NOT one to complain or go to the doctors or the hospital. I knew when the phone rang on Tuesday afternoon and he said that he was at the hospital that it had to be somewhat serious. The nail entered his hand through the palm and came out the other side. It was quite a sight which I was not able to look at for any length of time!! Hand surgery was being contemplated at one point, but then the emergency room doctor was able to remove it after going to his car and getting a tool on the end of his key chain. :) WOW!! So much for modern hospital technology!! Praise God that this nail did not hit an artery or go through the bone. It really is a miracle and Dan went back to work yesterday on a very high dose of antibiotics to combat any infection.
I am thankful that my diet survived the break and Easter too!! I am beginning my third week of Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman. It is a wonderful change and I am feeling the difference in my health. I have eaten no meat, dairy, oils or pasta for the past three weeks. I also have had no soda in three weeks, which for me is a feat in itself!! I also have lost just about 10 pounds and am feeling strong and fit knowing that what I am putting into my body is healthy and good for me!! I have found many blogs with recipes for vegans that I have tried and it really is a lot of fun. I am looking forward to talking to my friends Karen, Jen and Samantha at work about their successes over the break as well.
Just nine more weeks until summer.....it is a bittersweet feeling as I love my job and the children that I work with each day. It will be so comforting though to have that feeling of summer and not feeling pressured to be somewhere everyday at a specific time. I also am looking forward to spending the time with my family and friends as time ticks away way too quickly.

Valentine's Day 2010

Today is Valentine's day. I don't really know how I exactly feel about this day, but I do believe that it is important to show and tell the people you love EVERY day that you love them. You don't ever know when your last day will be, so telling those dearest to you that you love them is so important!!

My husband, Dan is not romantic. He never has been and I don't think he ever will be. This was difficult for me for a very long time. I really wanted to be swept off of my feet with kisses and roses and have surprises waiting for me around every corner. Well....it never happened. Over the almost 19 years that we have been married, I have had to get over my big bad self and realize that it is NOT all about me!! As much as I wish it was, it is NOT!! :) I will tell you though that my husband expresses his love for me and for his family in a completely different way than I wanted him to, but it is better than anything that I could have wished for.

Dan is a dedicated and hard working man. Whether it is for his business, for me or for his children, he does everything to the very best of his ability. He NEVER slacks off or leaves any task unfinished. He is trustworthy and does what he says he is going to do. He coaches his sons in baseball and wrestling, he serves on our neighborhood civic league, he is active at church and has led many bible studies, he constantly helps around the house to keep things tidy and neat, he gives of himself to neighbors and friends.

Today being Valentine's day, we returned home from church and he got dressed in his "work" clothes. He came downstairs and announced that he was going to clean the bathrooms. Now you are probably thinking....."ah, that is so nice for him to do on Valentine's day for you"and it really is, BUT Dan does this all the time for me, not just on Valentine's Day. I am not prissy about much at all, but I absolutely HATE to clean bathrooms...it really grosses me out. Dan knows that and he cleans all three of our bathrooms from top to bottom at least once or twice a month. It usually takes him a few hours and if you have been to our home, our bathrooms are not big...they are tiny. He takes the shower doors off of the hinges and scrubs them, he scrubs the grout, the toilet and the sink. If it is in the bathroom, he completely cleans it until it is void of germs.

Dan is humble and does it without complaining or murmuring things under his breath to me!! :) Because I can be very thick sometimes, I have finally realized that this is the way that he shows his love for me. Dan will do many things around the house that others may think are the woman's job and he always does it with a glad heart. Vacuuming, dusting, folding clothes, emptying the dishwasher, making the bed, etc, etc, etc it is always completed thoroughly and wonderfully!!

I am so thankful for this gift that Dan gives to me each and every day. It is not roses or candy, but something even better. Dan gives selflessly of himself to do something for me that I don't like to do. What better sacrifice can a husband give to his wife???

My prayer is that God will continue to allow me to realize what a gift my husband is to me, to not be self-serving and self-centered, and not to wish for roses and candy when I have so much more!! I am truly blessed everyday with Dan and not just Valentine's Day!!