Thankful 30-the final 11

20-Children that still believe in magic.

I've got to appreciate it now because I don't know how much longer it will last. Really looking forward to this Christmas season with two kids that believe.

21-Small miracles

Towards the beginning of the month I said we are now paying only $40/week for Jakson's therapy. Well, I was wrong. Last time I went in, the receptionist let me know that I had actually been overpaying (?!??!?). Now my co-pay is only $20/week.

Let's do the math. Utah therapy=$1200/month. Texas therapy= $80/month. That's a 93% savings!!

22-A new car

Goodbye you Stupid Subaru.

P.S. Come to find out, not only did the mechanics who replaced our transmission overcharge us, they also put the completely wrong transmission into our car. What a debacle. And these people call themselves professionals... So so so very glad to be rid of that car.

23-My mother

I've put this one off because I could fill pages and want to keep it short and sweet.

What a blessing it is to live close to my mom. She listens, she sacrifices, she cares, she babysits, she feeds us....it's wonderful. Thank you mom for 31 (almost 32) years of nurturing. If I do half as good of a job, I will be happy

24-Good neighbors

Somehow we left our garage door open after going to bed a few nights ago. Our sweet next door neighbor, Emily, came home late and texted us to let us know so that we could get up and close it. Nice to know that someone is looking out for us and our home.

25-A caring school nurse.

I've already received five calls from the nurse this year regarding various "injuries" that Jakson has been sent to her with. He's never really hurt (and never cries), but it's nice to know that someone at the school is concerned and will let me know what is going on.

26- Supportive friends.

I truly have some amazing friends. Many of them don't live anywhere near me (okay, MOST don't live near me), but through blogs, Facebook, gmail chat, etc, we manage to keep in touch . They've prayed for me, given me advice, let me complain, laughed at my jokes....I don't know what I would do without these girls. Most of them I hardly ever see. Some it's been years, but I know that I can count on them to love me no matter what.

27-Video chat

We weren't able to spend Thanksgiving with Zak's family, but we still got to experience their craziness through the wonders of the internet. Although Jakson and Tyler making faces at each other for 15 minutes straight isn't all that entertaining, I'm glad that the kids still get to "spend time" with the Vermillions through video chat.

28-Tithing

Over and over again, I've seen the miracles that paying a tithe can bring. I have a deep and unwavering testimony that it is a law of the Lord and that he will keep his promises to pour down blessings upon those who abide by it. The blessings are not always monetary and not always immediate, but they always come.

29-Spiritual guidance

Earlier this year, before our move to Houston, we were given an amazing job opportunity. It seemed to be the answer to thousands of prayers. But for some reason, we felt like it was not right for our family. I still don't understand all of the reasons why. Or even any of the reasons why. But I know that our family is now in the right place at the right time. I am grateful to have that assurance and to have the knowledge that my Father in Heaven cares enough about our family to lead and guide us.

30-My children

I can definitely be snarky about those two, but I have an enormous amount of love for them. Days may be difficult, sometimes I just want to go back to bed and get away from the whining and fighting, but I know someday I'll look back on these years with little people and have selective amnesia. I'll remember the wonderful moments. The cuddles, hugs, arms reaching up to be held, tears that can only be rid by mommy's kiss, and really miss it. I need to be better about living in the now and appreciating each stage as it comes (rather than wishing this three year old diva phase would hurry up and end!).

Thankful 30-19

Well, I've really slacked off. Things are just super busy with PTO stuff, photo shoots, holiday preparations, wrapping presents....I'm sure I have other excuses as well. I'm going to try and catch up to 30 in the next couple of days.

19-Bountiful Baskets

Part of the basket from a couple of weeks ago.

I had no idea when I started picking up a basket every Saturday morning that a few short months later I would be running my own site. But I love it. Because of Bountiful Baskets we have great produce to eat (which makes us eat more healthy), I have a chance to serve the community, and I have gotten to know some really wonderful people. It would be absolutely perfect if it wasn't so dang early in the morning and the truck would show up on time!

Thankful 30-18

Zak's flexible job

I'm sick. Being sick is no fun. Being sick and trying to wrangle kids is even less fun, which is why I was so glad to see Zak walk through the door at 11am with his laptop and a stack of roadway plans. He worked from home and I slept. So wonderful. Sometimes his long hours and late nights drive me crazy, but I'm grateful he can be here when I need him.

Thankful 30-17

That today is over

I have been dreading today for the past three weeks or so. I was put in charge of the teacher appreciation activities at Jak's school and I was told that the theme for this first event would be something about "coffee and desserts." This posed two problems: One, I know NOTHING about coffee and two, the desserts were to be donated by parents and I only had 6 sign up. And over a hundred teachers to be fed. Thankfully, I was able to get some bread/pastries donated from a local bakery and the custodian stepped in to make the coffee (trust me, you do not want this Mormon making coffee).

The best part? It's over.

Thankful 30-16

Friends who take pictures (and put up with my ridiculous triple chin rants)

My friend Sabrina was in town last weekend and took our annual family photos. She did an amazing job despite the fact that Jakson was super distracted by all of the fascinating spinning rides (that boy loves spinning) and Storey was being a little grumpy. I really love the way they turned out-she's amazing!! If you live in the Ft. Worth area, be sure to book a session with her.

You can see more here.

Thankful 30-15

G chat (Gmail chat, if you will).

I love G chat. Definitely my favorite technological advancement. It's the way that I communicate with friends far away, video chat with family, and talk to Zak while he's at work. It's probably the method I use to talk to him the most. We chat back and forth all day long.. It's nice to know that I have an instant way to communicate besides the phone.

Thankful 30-14

Pinterest

It's probably ridiculous to be thankful for a website, but I will never again lose my bookmarks when my computer crashes! I also love that my bookmarks are more visible because of the photos, which means I'm more likely to actually use them.

Like this one. I made Jakson his very own sight word parking lot this week and he loves it.

Thankful 30-11, 12, 13

Behind. Again.

Thankful 30-11

Running, clean water
I think we take this for granted. Correction: I think this is something I take for granted. Maybe you don't. I was thinking about it as I took a hot shower today. In many parts of the world, a hot shower is a foreign concept. Water period that hasn't been hauled in by jugs after walking a few miles is a foreign concept. Aren't we lucky???

Thankful 30-12

Health Insurance
Although our insurance in UT didn't pay for Jakson's therapy, I was still very grateful to have it when both kids had to get tubes, Zak needed blood work done, and every time someone got sick. Not I'm even MORE grateful fot it because instead of paying $1200/month for Jak's therapy, we pay $120. What an amazing blessing.

Too bad all of that extra money goes towards fixing the stupid Subaru (obviously, I have not found a way to be grateful for that car yet).

Thankful 30-13

Chocolate Chip Cookies/Sunday Baking Day
Earlier this year, I implemented Sunday Baking Day in an attempt to lose a little weight. I don't think it's working, but it is fun to contemplate what our dessert for the week will be. Today we made chocolate chip cookies because Zak's are the best. And sometimes that's all I need to make a day just a little better. We use this recipe sans the swirl chips (semi-sweet instead). Yum.

Thankful 30-10

Great In-Laws

I am so lucky. I have heard many horror stories about in-laws and I can honestly say that I love mine as much as my own family. They are awesome. And hilarious (mainly Zak's siblings-though when the snowflake sunglasses come out, all bets are off.). My mother/father in law are such incredible examples for us and for our kids. I miss them a lot. It was so great to be able to live close to them for a couple of years.

Thankful 30-7, 8, 9

I'm a little bit behind. I've spent the last two days up to my eyeballs in 80 lbs of chicken. Canning, freezing, making freezer meals..... I have a blister on my finger from cutting it all up. Battle wounds.

Thankful 30-7

Alone time
I'd never really had alone time before we moved to Houston. Now I have 8-9 hours/week!! It's amazing the amount of stuff I can get done. I've even been able to go out to lunch and once used the hours to go on a date with Zak. It's like an entirely new life. Of course, I've added enough responsibilities to my plate to successfully fill all of the extra time. One of these days I'll learn to relax.


Thankful 30-8

A clean bill of health
Every year Zak goes in to his gastroenterologist and every year they tell him the same thing---no problems, but come back in 12 months for more tests. I always feel very nervous before each appointment, thinking THIS is the year they will find something wrong. In March, rather than give the expected instructions, Zak's doctor instead told him not to worry about coming back. Ever. He should have blood work done every few years with the family doctor, but no longer has to see a specialist. The doctor is confident that there will not be a relapse. What an enormous blessing.

Now if our life insurance could just get on board and quit charging us so much for Zak!

**If you have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to Zak's health, you can read this post about it (and our dog who also suffered from an auto immune disease)


Thankful 30-9

My first nephew
My brother and sister in law just found out they are having a boy! Jakson will be so excited to have an impressionable young cousin to teach bad things (i.e. how to climb pantry shelves to get the snack you want). I'm excited to be an aunt again!

Thankful 30-6

Sundays

I love having a day of rest, although "day of rest" is a term I use loosely. Zak leaves before 8 for church meetings (which means I get the kids ready for church and there on time alone) and tonight we didn't get home until 7:30 from a meeting regarding our new assignment with the youth. BUT it's the one day of the week that I don't write a to-do list. No photo editing, no shop orders, no grocery shopping, just family and serving God. A nice break from real life.

Thankful 30-5

No more snow.

As I see the photos of friends and family in Utah from today (it's been snowing), I am reminded of how grateful I am that we will not be dealing with that kind of weather this year. It's a beautiful fall day in Houston. Our windows are open to let in the cool breeze, not a snow cloud in sight. I will NOT miss sliding all over the road or scraping ice off the car windows. Or bundling the kids in 6000 layers so they can go play outside, only to have them come back 5 minutes later and say they are done. Give me humidity any day....

Thankful 30-4

A husband who puts up with my harebrained schemes.

Zak says I just randomly decide to do things. Like start a Bountiful Baskets site, or an Etsy shop, or bust a hole in the wall under the stairs to create a play space, or contrive an entire two week three state, vacation during sacrament meeting complete with hand drawn calendar---I wouldn't say I'm spontaneous because an enormous amount of research and thought goes into the plans before they come to fruition, but the ideas do tend to come out of the blue. And Zak just rolls with the punches, supports me, pitches in, and we make it happen. I love him for that.

Yesterday, I was hit with another insane/possibly awesome idea. I came up with a way to make a Disney trip for our family happen this year. Our funds will be sucked dry by the unexpected purchase of a new car (stupid Subaru. I'm tempted to go kick its tires again. If it wasn't late and I wasn't lazy, I would.), which makes me very sad. When I told Zak, he told me to go for it. So, we're going to try and round up a bunch of photo sessions in Las Vegas on the way to Disneyland to pay for our vacation. I know, pretty nutty. If you happen to live in the area and want a family shoot the last weekend in February, let me know. bethvphotography@gmail.com

Zak is a good and patient man to put up with me.

Thankful 30-3

Funny kids

My kids drive me crazy but I have to admit, they are hilarious. The laughter around here balances out the insanity.

How can she even see? Did that not bother her at all?!?

Some examples of late (sorry if you read these previously on Facebook. I add them there first so I can remember them for the blog later).

9/29/11
Looks like we won't be moving to the Hamptons so that Jakson can play tennis after all. Apparently, I misunderstood him. He doesn't want to play tennis, he wants to play ping pong. That's right, my five year old wants to play competitive PING PONG.

10/12/11
During Jakson's parent teacher conference today, we discovered that Markdrew, the kid Jak always talks about is actually TWO people. Twins, in fact. Not sure how to break that to him.

10/20/11
Storey informed me this morning that I'm "like, 40 million inches tall" When I asked her where she found the tape she was measuring with, she said "my office."

Didn't realize we had so many rooms in our house.

11/3/11
Scene: Walking out the door on the way to preschool this morning. Storey is carrying her monkey, a bear, and a purse full of odds and ends she's hoarded.

Me: Storey you cannot take all of that crap with you.

Storey (as she drops the bear): I'm just going to take 2 craps. My monkey and my purse.

Thankful 30-2

A sense of permanence

Living in Utah was a struggle for us for a myriad of reasons, but a big one was the state of limbo. Because Zak was constantly applying for jobs and we were always hoping to get one, I had issues signing the kids up for classes or buying theater tickets in advance or even planning a vacation. It was very very annoying. Not a way to live.

I'm so relieved to finally be in a place where we are not constantly wondering what the next month will bring. I know where we will be living, where the kids will attend school, and that we can purchase a cruise for next spring without moving in the meantime across the country (I CAN do this in theory, but our bank account is holding us back).

Until the next move.....

Another perk of living in one place for a little while-we can plant things! And they grow!

Just in case you're curious: Today we counted cars, bikes, strollers, and scooters. Things that get us around. Eleven pennies for the jar. Though I was tempted to only count the Subaru as half a penny. That stupid car.

Thankful 30-1

I look forward to November and December as months to reflect on the year's blessings and do a couple of service projects as a family. Thankful 30 has sort of become a November tradition for me. It's nice to really focus on the positives-we are so very blessed.

Jakson's teacher

Jakson's first day of full day kindergarten was today. That may sound odd, but he's been on a parent-inflicted shortened schedule until now. The original plan was to keep him at the half day until after Christmas, but we also decided that if he ever expressed the desire to stay the whole time, we would revisit the issue. Last Thursday and Friday he suddenly started asking to stay. In fact, I got a note from the teacher letting me know that he had started to cry because he wanted to continue the day at school when I came to pick him up. After a long discussion, Zak and I are willing to have him try it out. His teacher has set up a "break room" for Jak and we are in constant communication about how he is doing. I would not feel comfortable with this change at all if I didn't know he was in good hands.

If there is a picture in the dictionary next to "kindergarten teacher," it's probably of her. I'm so glad that she enjoys having our quirky guy in her class.

P.S.-Today we are starting a little family service project. Every day in November we are going to be counting a different category of items in our home and putting a penny for each one in a jar. For instance, one day we will count all of the puzzles/games and put that many pennies in a jar. Another day all of our jars of peanut butter, etc. At the end of the month, we will be donating that money to a local food bank. Depending on how much it is, we may replace each penny with a nickel or dime. We think it's a good way to remind our children (and ourselves) of the many material things we have been blessed with. Just in case you are curious, today we're counting shoes.