Thankful....yes I am

So, in the past year I have - lost a home but gained a job.
I have lost a few pounds and gained a new liking for donuts.
I have gained a new respect for K teachers and lost respect for our
judicial system. I have gained a garage full of inventory and lost
an office space. I have fell more in love with my son and husband
and found a new level of disdain for Bank's in general. So...end the end
with such a wide spectrum of emotions how does one stay balanced? Thankful?
Grateful? I don't know! I really don't. I go some mornings to work
in such a deep funk that I sometimes "wake up" at my street in Oxnard and feel like
"wow"...did i really just travel 42 miles and not remember it? Other days, I see
the gorgeous mountains that shelter my precious son Mason and view at the ocean as I drive down the Conejo grade and feel so fortunate to have a job and the ability to
bring income into our home again. As I prepare for another day on this earth and
look out at the things (yes things!) I still have I realize that I do have so much to be thankful. I do have a warm home and a church that continues to support us with groceries. I have a healthy amazing son lying next to me sniffing his nanny girls.
I have a dog who is a FREAK and makes me smile at least 20 times every day, AND I have a husband who left again today...to early to even know (5am today) to go out and WORK. HARD!

How do I sum up this entry into my blog in a manner that allows you the reader to feel a conclusion has been met....I don't know. I just know that this morning, I am again dealing with the extreme emotions that this economy has brought upon me and my plan today is to again cast these fears upon my Lord and ask Him to help me get through another day.

:-) thanks for reading.
Julie

My niece Sarah made me do this...so hold her accountable :-)

So, this past week my niece Sarah Mae Christine Pellerino Thompson the first started a blog. I loved reading her words and "feeling her seebsness" in the words and thoughts. That evening I pondered some tips for parenting and that led me down a path of being amazed how quick time fly's in this parenting world. To quote my sister Brenda, being a mom goes by soooo fast, ONE LONG DAY AT A TIME!".

As a result while having a cup of coffee this morning (that I misplaced!...while I was taking out some recycling with Duncan...and he spent 10 minutes explaining to me how he really didn't want to throw away the empty boxes, cause he wanted to make them into a rat trap (insert 5 min of really detailed box instructions from a six year old) and then when said rat is secured in the box of death, he will bring it over to his cousin where (and I quote) "cousin Brennan can bash it with a shovel")... back in the house, ready to have that coffee...standing in my pj's rubbing my eyes...where is my coffee? Ron - blank stare (well, not blank he's watching the tivo'd LAL vs PHX game w/ only 1:11min left in the 4th..so I get his lack of any interest in the missing coffee/rat bashing discussion). But, Duncan bless his hearts retraces my steps...MOM...you had your coffee when we took out the recycling ...DUH! (yes, he says DUH), back to the garage and ahhhhh there you are sweet liquid of morning. And here I am just a short 15 min later...ugh coffee is cold. DANG IT! Oh well, I'm drinking it and pretending it's a fancy drinnk from Starbucks that supposed to be lukewarm.

So, here's what I'm gonna blog about today... funny things D and I talked about this week ...
A) Rat and Box (see above)
B) visiting a toothpick factory. YES a toothpick factory. we toured our local fire station with his school last week and this week on our way to school one morning he says out of the blue "mom, wouldn't it be awesome to visit a toothpick factory?" ...Uh yea son that would be awesome! What do you think it's like? Well, I think it's full of pencils that they are sharpening and sharpening until they are toothpicks. (Well, OK then, he's been thinking of it!)
C) My rice vs Panda Express rice... Made chicken and rice for dinner on Thursday. While eating it Duncan observes that my rice isn't as good as Panda Express and then he states "Mom -- you need to get a rice maker and make good rice for me, not this rice ok Mom!" Well...ok chef Duncan I'll hop right on that.
and...
D) God should have made us with out our middle fingers Mom so we wouldn't be tempted to use them in a naughty way.


There it is just a few tid bits from that glorious son of mine. I'm gonna go make some HOT coffee, enjoy this rainy day and perhaps...pull those boxes out of the trash can and see if we can't catch a rat this week :-)