Grateful

Being grateful. 

What does it mean? 

That's a huge lesson I've learned this year. I have really felt grateful lately. I have felt good. I know my life isn't perfect but God is good. So here are just a few things I am grateful for. 

Grateful for my husband. He works really hard to provide for our family. He fully supports me staying home with our kids. He never questions the decisions I make. He's always willing to give the kids a bath or take them out on a Saturday to run errands when I'm ready to pull my hair out. He loves me for me and he is still adorable to me. 

I'm grateful for my babies. They love me unconditionally. They follow me everywhere I go. They smile at me and make me feel important. Landry always tells me she wants to be just like me. Hayden says mommy at least 50 times a day. They make me feel like I can be and do anything. 

I'm grateful for my family. My parents who have an awesome marriage and have never made me feel like I was less. They have always supported me and guided me.  They always want to be with my kids.  My sister who tells me like it is. She's my best friend. She supports me.  She loves my babies like they're her own. My brother in law who's my buddy. Who always has a hug for me and is always willing to help me and laughs at the same things I think are funny. My new nephew who I'm in love with. Who smiles at me. Who is an answered prayer to our family. My in laws who love me like a daughter. Who are always willing to let us eat dinner with them when I have nothing to cook. My sister in law who loves me like a sister. Who loves my babies. Who is always willing to help me with the kids. 

My friends. All of them. Who show me what it's like to be a mama. Who let me text them and ask them random questions. Who are guiding me in my faith. Who show me what it's like to live out your faith fully. Who know me for who I am (and love me anyway). Who I'm lucky enough to do life with and raise our kids together with. Who's husbands guide mine and show him how to be a man of faith. 

My faith. I'm not sure why I have felt so grateful lately. It could be because I feel so content in my life. I have really felt like God has taken care of me lately. I have some pretty big prayers going up right now and I think sometimes I feel like they are bouncing off the sky. Like God isn't listening. But he is. He is all these things to me that I am grateful for. My caretaker, my cheerleader, my parent, my supporter, my buddy, my friend. 

So this Thanksgiving I am thankful for a lot. I have so much to be thankful and grateful for.  We are healthy. We have all we need. I hope when I look back on this time in my life I look back with a smile. I'm a pretty lucky girl. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

What's up Wednesday

Happy Wednesday! Today I'm participating in the What's up Wednesday series with Mix and Match Mama, The Larson Lingo and Pinterest Told Me To. I love these posts. A unique way to look into people's lives! 

What we're eating this week: 

Well with this being Thanksgiving week we are not cooking much. I made spaghetti on Monday night and our favorite breakfast burritos last night. Tonight we are headed out to dinner with my family. We do this every year on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. And then tomorrow is the best eating day of the year! And we celebrate twice so I get it on Saturday also! 

What I'm reminiscing about:

I was thinking the other day about Hayden and Landrys first Thanksgivings. Wow, just look at my babies!

What I'm loving:

I'm taking a new workout class on Tuesday mornings with a friend and I love it! We concentrate on one part of the body for three rounds and move on. I joined a new gym about six months ago and I love the classes they offer. 

What we've been up to:

Decorating for Christmas, planning my food for tomorrow and helping Landrys class with their Thanksgiving feast yesterday. 

What I'm dreading: 

Hmm, I actually am boring this month. I really don't have anything I'm dreading except maybe wrapping the rest of my presents. But I have a love/ hate relationship with that. 

What I'm working on:

I'm creating our Christmas cards this year so I've been busy putting those together. We got our pics back last week and I adore them.  Everyone looking and smiling, I'll take it!

What I'm excited about:

Tomorrow! I absolutely love Thanksgiving. Plus we have family coming in that we don't usually get to see so we are excited about that too! Here we are last Thanksgiving. Wow! It's crazy what a difference a year can make!

What I'm watching: 

I absolutely love Christmas movies. I've been known to watch them at other times of the year too. But this year Landry is really into them too and made us a list and we started with her favorite last night

What I'm reading:

My bestie Shay had some awesome book recommendations on her blog and I wrote a few down to pick up. I'm not usually much of a reader other than my quiet time but I do want to start. My mom and sister are big readers and my Maw Maw was an avid reader so it runs in my family. I just need to take the time to do it! 

What I'm listening to:

Oh I love this station! It's on my kindle or phone at all times. I'm a huge Christmas music loving girl. Tim, not so much. But he's really great about turning it on for me to listen to. 

What I'm wearing:

This month I had a random assortment of outfits. Some were gym days, some running errands days and a few event days. I've said this before but I try and wear clothes that are comfortable but cute. 

What I'm doing this weekend:

We are headed to my parents house tomorrow night to stay the weekend. We have another Thanksgiving on Saturday with my moms family and then we might try and get some shopping done on Friday. I love getting out on Black Friday to shop but I wait until after lunch when the really dedicated people go back home and sleep!

What I'm looking forward to next month:

Christmas! I love December. On top of Christmas it's also my hubby's birthday month. So I get to celebrate him too! 

What's your favorite Christmas tradition:

Hands down its looking at lights. We load up with our Starbucks wearing our pajamas and drive around looking at lights. My kids are really into it this year and I can't wait! 

Happy Wednesday! 

Our family date

This weekend was so much fun! I mentioned on Friday that we were going to decorate for Christmas. Well Tim waisted no time and as soon as he pulled in Friday started bringing my boxes in. 

My house is small. I really don't have a lot of decorations but I do have specific places for my things. I'll take pics of it all completed soon. Here are just a few of us actually decorating. 

Landry begged to do the tree this year and I handed over the reins. I'm kind of a control freak about my tree so every time she put two of the same color or five ornaments in one spot I had to look away, but the sheer joy on her face doing this tree made it worth it. 

And yes she is wearing a hat. She found it in her old bin of baby clothes I keep and wore it most of the morning. 

Hayden helped too. I say helped. I let him put one ornament on and he got bored and was done! Ha! The attention span of a two year old!

Here she is, so proud of her tree. 

Also, our elf showed up early this year! I tell you what. I need to find a way to keep him all year long. Landry was so well behaved all weekend! She just knew he was going to tell Santa if she wasn't being good!

After we were done we decided to go run some errands and spend some time together. We never really do this. Hayden is going through a phase where he hates the high chair so eating out is super fun. But we had the great idea of putting him in a booth next to me and it worked like a charm! And Landry loved it because Tim always plays the menu games with her. 

After dinner we went and got some yogurt. A Smith family favorite. My kids love yogurt and so do Tim and I. 

It was a great day together just the four of us. I love my people and spending quality time with them is pure gold to me! 

Friday Favorites

It's Friday! It's less than a week until turkey day and we are in full Christmas mode in the Smith house. Since next week will be pretty crazy we are decorating the house for Christmas this weekend. It's a lot earlier than I usually like to have my decorations up but it'll save my sanity come Friday morning! Plus, I just get that much longer to enjoy it! 

I'm linking up with Narci, Erika and Andrea once again with my favorite pictures from the week. 

Math day...

Last Friday since Hayden was at my in laws I took advantage and went and volunteered at Landrys school for math day. Now, if you know me at all you know math is not my best subject. Let's just say I graduated on a wing and a prayer with my math scores! But, I can handle first grade math. I love going into Landrys class. All the students come running up to you and hug you and asked me a million times if I was Landrys mommy. I just love being with her at school. She is so smart and loved showing off her math skills for me. Luckily, she got Tim's genes!

Elton 2.0...

So, I never know what to expect from Hayden when it comes to Brody. I mean, he's obsessed with him. On Monday, I was doing laundry and had Brody laying on the couch and Hayden was playing in the living room. I came back and found this

I immediately sent it to Dani and she was cracking up. Those glasses go everywhere with him so the fact that he let Brody wear them was so sweet of him. Just love him!

Little mama...

No explanation needed for this next picture. It's just where you will find Landry and Brody every afternoon when we get back from getting her from school waiting on Dani to pick him up

We should be covered...

So, Tim and Hayden and I had all had our flu shot but sister was still needing hers. So I took her out of school Wednesday morning to get it. Then I took her to McDonald's for lunch and took her back to school. She loved the little break. And just a side note about the doll you see. It was mine. I got her when I was three for Christmas and held onto it all these years. She's still in really good shape and Landry loves her as much as I did! 

Starting early...

I began wrapping presents this week. I sat on the floor for two hours during Hayden's nap and could barely get off the floor when I was done. I bought the cutest paper from Landrys fundraiser this year. It's Christmas vacation theme!

A hat kind of day...

I never wear hats. I'm not sure why, they just aren't something I put on. But, I go to Insanity class twice a week and I love wearing them there because they hide a really bad hair day and you sweat a lot in one class!

Crazy boy...

So, we've established that Hayden loves sunglasses and Santa is working on getting him his own pair. Poor boy just has sisters hand me downs to wear and it cracks me up to look in the back seat and see this!

One more week until Thanksgiving! I can't wait! Happy Friday! 

Friday Favorites

Woohoo! It's Friday again. This week flew by me in a flash. This weekend I'm off duty. Each of my kids are going to their grandparents house so Tim and I can get some shopping done. I love my babies but I'm also excited to sleep in, drink my coffee and be with just Tim. 

Oh who am I kidding? I'll be up by 6:30 and FaceTime them every chance I get! 

It's Friday favorites time. I'm once again linking up with Andrea, Erika and Narci with my favorite pictures from the week. 

Finally some colder weather...

Sunday was finally a nice chilly day. I mean we are two weeks away from Thanksgiving, it should be right? I love pulling out my boots and scarves this time of year!

Loving one another...

Sunday night my parents were over and when my mom comes over Landry loves to give her a pedicure. It's super cute and my mom will usually give her a dollar. Hayden saw my mom in the chair and decided he needed a pedicure too!

Boy mom...

I'm used to stepping on dolls and crowns and other things like that. I'll find pictures on my phone of Landrys baby laying in a stroller. But this is new to me. I was going through my pictures and saw this. I guess I should get used to it?

Punky Brewster...

Landry is her own person. She marches to the beat of her very loud drum. Because of that I let her dress herself on occasion. Usually she looks like Punky Brewster (who by the way she asks me every time who that is and I decided Netflix needs to add this show!) and I don't mind but on this particular day I thought she looked super cute and still a tomboy in her own little way. Love this girl!

Big cousin...

I've said it before but Hayden loves Brody. He's always so helpful with him and yesterday he wanted to feed him. I sent this picture to Dani because I like to send her pics throughout the day and we both agreed that Hayden is going to be such a good cousin to Brody!

One on one...

I finished my womens bible study this week and needed something until we start our new one and went back to one of my favorite studies. No matter how many times I do this, God always seems to show me something new in his word. I go in my closet where it's quiet with my coffee and meet with God to read. I'm loving it!

Here's to a great weekend!

Keeping Brody

I've got a new job!  Well it's not really a job per say but more of a privilege. You see, two days a week I get to keep this precious boy. 

Last month, I was talking to Dani and Bobby about where Brody was going to go while Dani worked and they hadn't quite made up their mind yet. They were going to have him go to a friends friend and I knew that me keeping him would be beneficial to all of us. I'm home with Hayden during the day and I thought it would be a great opportunity to get to see Brody more. Little did I know that Hayden would become attached to this lil guy.

He loves him! I had no clue how Hayden was going to do with him coming into our routine but I had nothing to worry about. He's attached to him while he's here. If Brody moves he moves. 

He gets me diapers, he takes his empty bottle to the sink and he always wants to hold him. Tim and I are certain our family is complete and I was a little sad Hayden would never be a big brother but now that Brody is here a few days a week, he has taken on the role of big brother and protector. I love it. 

When Landry gets home she wants to hold him and feed him too. She is such a little mama!

I love being an aunt. Brody is the sweetest boy and Hayden and I get excited when we know he's coming. 

We couldn't be more excited to keep him!