I am Thankful for

… my sweet husband; he is the very best husband and dad that I could have asked for.  I love that he gets to stay at home with our girls every day and be there for every little (and big) moment; their first steps, first word, first hug, the list goes on and on.  These girls and I are so very blessed to have him.

… Emma and Everly and the impact that they had on my life; before having them, I didn’t know it was possible to love two little munchkins so much

… raising our kids in the Catholic faith.  Of course, they don’t understand much yet, but my heart swells with joy when we see them saying their prayers (Emma) or clasping their hands together and saying ‘men (Everly).

… little moments in life (sleeping babies on my chest, being called mama for the first time, open mouthed baby kisses, having a potty trained toddler are some of my favorites for sure)

… having the opportunity to travel with Wes; we had so much fun traveling to Seattle this year and we can’t wait to knock a few more places off our list next year!

… having family that lives close by; I love love love that my girls get to see both sets of their grandparents on a weekly basis

… international business trips that strengthen not only my work/life experiences, but the bond I have with my family (also, it was pretty amazing to be able to visit Asia- not something that I had ever dreamed of being able to say!)

… sisters that work close by (or with me!); it is such a special time in our life to have coffee/lunch dates just to catch up on all things life

… intentional moments (zoo trips, Starbucks dates with my dad, taking the girls to the park to feed the ducks, date nights with Wes)

… twinkling Christmas lights; how can you have a bad day when those bright twinkling lights are staring back at you when you get home

… birthday parties; I know that some people might say my love of birthdays is a little over the top, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Birthdays are a special event and only happen once a year and they should be celebrated as such J.

… coffee; as trite as this may sound, I look forward to my morning cup of coffee every single morning (I am not particular as to whether it comes out of our coffee pot at home, the Keurig at work or an occasional Starbucks run; I just love me some coffee!).

… Bailey; our first born has endured a lot throughout the last four years with the addition of Starbucks, Emma and Everly to the family.  Even though he is a little lower on the totem pole, he will always be our beloved “dog dog”

… healthy kids; my heart aches for them when they get the slightest tummy bug, I am so very thankful they have never been really sick (or had to take any type of antibiotics!)

… a Catholic preschool that we just love; Emma has really thrived in the school environment and we owe everything to her sweet, sweet teachers

… Taylor Swift; I just adore listening (and jamming out) to her music. I can’t wait until Wes and I get to go see her in May!
... sister relationships; the bond I have with my own sisters and seeing the bond develop between Emma and Everly
... mornings that I get to sleep in (I am talking 7am ;)); on the weekends, Wes and I normally trade off- one of us wakes up early with Everly on Saturday and the other one on Sunday- grabbing that extra hour of sleep really makes all the difference
... long family walks around the neighborhood
... family traditions; visiting Port Aransas at Thanksgiving, Sara Lee coffee cake on Christmas morning, cinnamon rolls with my girls on Saturday mornings, Christmas Eve with my in-law's, balloons on birthday mornings
... the chaotic and exhausting days of raising little ones because even in the roughest moments, I know how truly blessed I am that I get to call them mine :)