Move Update

     We've been here in Independence, MO for about three weeks now. Dane has been here longer, but as a family, three weeks. It's really nice up here. I really miss friends and family, but I have really enjoyed it here. Quick fun fact: Independence is the 4th largest city in Missouri. The humidity is much lower here, and it's just a smidge cooler. I am NOT looking forward to the colder weather in the winter though. I hate cold weather. We probably will not stay in Independence, but this is where our apartment is for now. Did I mention we're renting an apartment? Just until one of our houses sells and then we will buy something. Dane's office is in Independence, but all the suburbs of Kansas City are so close that it won't matter. There are a couple of areas that we like better. I am looking forward to continuing to explore up here.
      We went to the zoo on Saturday and it was huge. I should have worn my running shoes. It was a little crowded because they were running a special that day where all teachers and three guests got in free. So you can imagine. Our favorites were the polar bear and the hippos. Hollis especially liked the polar bear.
     The mall in Independence is cool because it has a kids play area that will be great for something to do when it gets cold outside. Hollis has already enjoyed it many times. :)
    We have enjoyed living in the apartment so far, because there's no maintenance for us and because there's a pool and a hot tub and a gym. So, we kind of feel like we're on vacay. I haven't been into the actual city yet, but look forward to doing that soon.
     I have been very lonely, but my kids bring joy to my life. We tried out a church for the first time on Sunday and we really like it. We'll probably try a couple more but we might have hit a home run on the first try. I'm looking forward to that so that we can make new friends and hopefully I can find some other SAHMs. Dane really likes a fellow manager up here and it seems they already have a "bromance" going on. :) I'm glad.

More Gratefulness

                      Thank you Lord for HOLLIS:

• Thank you for the way he says "Good Mornin' " EVERY morning. (This is essential for me to start my day because I am NOT a morning person and this just makes my heart smile every day!)
• Thank you that even though we've had several "scares", medically speaking, with him, nothing has turned out to be significant.
• Thank you that even after THREE surgeries before he was two years old, they were nothing life threatening. (Crazy, I know!)
• Thank you that he LOVES to snuggle.
• Thank you that recently he told me, "You're the best mama." I asked around and no one had told him to say this. Makes me tear up every time I think about it!
• Thank you for his sweetness. I think he's really going to be a lover of people. He's always concerned about others.
• Thank you for his intelligence. He is always asking me something, wanting to learn something new. Although his inquisitiveness can drive me nuts sometimes, I'm so proud of him.
• Thank you that he's growing to love his little sis more and more every day.
• Thank you for the way he makes me laugh constantly.
• Thank you for giving him blonde hair and brown eyes, just as I had always imagined my little boy. 

                    Thank you Lord for LEILA:

•  Thank you for her little high pitched squeal, that lets me know how happy she is.
•  Thank you for her beautiful blue eyes, just as her daddy had hoped.
•  Thank you for her friendliness. She is always quick with a smile, no matter who you are.
•  Thank you her tiny little features. 
•  Thank you for her health.  She's been so healthy her entire tiny life. 
•  Thank you that she is becoming a little bit of a mama's girl. I can't help but love this!
• Thank you for her precious little giggle.

                   Thank you Lord for my family!!!!!

Thankfulness

The past two years God has been showing me a lot about gratefulness. Thanking him for even the tiniest of things that you would never think to thank him for. Little things from "thank you for coffee ice cream" to big things like "thank you for my children". Just being in constant prayer to him, thanking him for every detail of my life. Now, I'm not a very quick habit maker. I'm stubborn. Also, it's hard to thank him for the bad things too, but that's what he's been showing me. "Thank me for every part of your life, good and bad, because you are on my path." PHEW, that's a hard one, Lord! These next few posts are going to be about the things that are easy for me to thank him for though. One post for each member of my little family and how they bless me (no particular order).

                           Thank you Lord for DANE:

• Thank you that he can always bring my stress level down a notch and make me realize that it's not that bad.
• Thank you that he's always trying to do what's absolutely best for our family. He takes such good care of us.
• Thank you for his smile that lights up the room (for me anyway).
• Thank you for his big strong arms that can wrap around me and make me forget all my troubles.
• Thank you for the way he loves our children. What a loving father he is.
• Thank you for his big heart that doesn't know how to say "no" to anyone. 
• Thank you for the way he irritates me, for without this talent our arguments wouldn't end in laughter so often.
• Thank you for his caring disposition that makes him likeable to everyone. 
• Thank you for his laid back ways that have helped me relax so much over the years.

       Thank you Lord for Dane!!