Vida. Risa. Amor.

So I know I've been slacking a bit on my little tiny piece of the blog world...and I have to admit it's partially due to the fact that I have been a little intimidated to write.  (I also apologize that this is a little longer than usual but I evidently had a lot brewing in my mind tonight).  Blogs can be so many different things for people these days, and since I have never been good at drawing "attention" to myself I find myself analyzing and critiquing every word I write.  Every time I start a new post I try to remember that this blog is mostly about my family's memories or just quirky little moments to look back on and get a laugh from later.  It's my hope that what sounds stressful now, will be hilarious tommorrow, and I hope the words I write are carefully expressed with both honesty and humor.

It's the week of Thanksgiving, and I can also admit that part of my attention has been getting sucked into the "Pre-Christmas-sales-chaos", and with 4 kids to shop for, it's definately in our benefit to compare prices and check out the deals.   I'd like to be able to say that we are going to make a better effort this season to simply spend less, but it's kind of hard not to get sucked in.  Both my girls like the idea of waking me up at 2 a.m. to go shopping on black friday not because they really want to buy anything,  but they just like the excitement of it all...and my boys even read and circle the pictures in the target ads to tell us what they think they'd like from Santa.  But I've been thinking, (probably too much), that Christmas for my family really shouldn't be about overspending in the crowded malls and turn gift-giving into a source of stress, so this year it's my hope to try and focus less on presents and more on giving our presence.  (Of course Santa can still leave a few gifts)...but what I think makes the holidays most memorable is to spend it with the ones you love...and my family is so very precious to me.

And so we sometimes don't take time to say it, but here's what I am thankful for this year...

Tommorrow is also our 14th anniversary and I love my husband so much.  I know I probably make him as mad as he makes me some weeks, but we are each others best friends and he's my favorite person to be with.  I met him at age 18, 18 years ago, so I've known him half my life....and he's definately my better half.  So tommorrow with preschool, work, and soccer schedules to work around, we're happy enough to just get out and enjoy "la hora feliz" together and have dinner alone...I am thankful for the simple things.

I'm thankful for my daughters who borrow my clothes and make me laugh and cry and try harder, and for my boys who smooch and hug me 100 times a day and tell me they love me....and eat my hot dog or chicken nuggets dinners I make them on a more than regular basis.

I'm thankful for the girls in my family:  my sisters, Mom, neices, Aunts, and sister-in-laws....they make me feel accepted, liked and thought about.  Pedicures and desserts are the best enjoyed with them.
And the guys too:  My Dad, Grandpa, brother, nephews, and brother-in-laws, I think I somehow amuse them...not sure why, but they're fun to go to movies with.

My friends...near and far.  I love not feeling alone on this journey called motherhood, and I'm actually thankful for facebook that keeps us connected better...it's fun to read posts from them about the funny things their kids do or how boring laundry is.  I love that the friends I've known the longest are still my closest friends too.

And I am thankful for my two favorite drinks:  Chai Tea, and Diet Cherry Coke.  My days wouldn't be the same without them. 

And then most of all, I am thankful for God's love for me.  I know I don't deserve it, and some days I don't understand it, but without Him, this life I'm living would feel pretty empty.