are you kidding me?

I just realized that somehow I have lost a whole month!! Well, of course I didn't lose it per se, but if I were documenting my life via my blog only, definitely the month was lost. I am now a member of myspace and facebook...I am convinced this is what is sucking my extra time away from me. It's like I can only update one thing at a time. However, I have just ordered my first laptop (literally just hit the "confirm order" button) so in a few short days I will be wireless. Surely this new addition will increase my online sharing, right? The funny part is, I am TOTALLY up to date on the 20+ blogs that I follow, crazy isn't it? Apparently, I think that other people's lives are much more worth my time then documenting my own. I know it isn't New Year's Resolution time just yet, but I am thinking seriously about making that mine.

So, what have I done in the past month? Well, of course we celebrated Halloween (those on my facebook/myspace have seen the photos). Xander was Mickey and Avery was Minnie...oh and Lucy (our boxer/lab mix) was a pumpkin. It was the most beautiful weather and we had a great time. Xander was about 2 houses ahead of us the entire time and Avery, while THRILLED with the first piece of candy she received, then had a hard time focusing on the task at hand when there was candy to be eaten. She did manage accumulating quite a stash as she wandered through yards to actually get an up-close view of the decorations while letting a dum-dum or two dangle from her mouth. She was VERY into the decorations! In fact, at our house I packed them all up the day after during her nap. When she woke up and for days afterward she would remind us "ween all gone"...man I could gobble her up!

A couple more weeks of being a single parent (mark was still out of town training for his new job) went by, filled with LOTS of leaf raking (oh and jumping in the piles too), cooking in the croc-pot, and being the early bird that I am, Christmas shopping. But finally mark is home and we are together again. We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday at my grandpa's house. It was a bit last minute but ended up being a really nice day. I couldn't help myself...I kept telling my kids and mark all day long how thankful I was to have them...I guess the mood had struck me. So that I don't forget:

in 2008 I am thankful:

-for a healthy, happy family

-for a loving (adoring), sensitive husband-who still gives me butterflies. For celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary, for taking the time to give me great massages when my terrible headaches strike :)

-for xander-who is one hilarious little boy, he tells great jokes, is very outgoing, and still lets me cuddle him when he is sleepy. i am so thankful that he loves to learn new things and is really always up for any idea, be it craft project, movie night, 20 questions or just writing letters to uncle ricky.

-for avery-who is the sweetest child ever born and yet doesn't let anyone step on her toes! she is my best friend and is learning to talk like a big person. she has so much to say and never lets a new person come and go without a little love. she is clingy to me when she is shy and i wish i could bottle the feeling of her needing me more than any other person forever....b/c i know it is short lived

-for a great job that supports my family during such a stressful financial period

-for wonderful friends and family (even though everyone lives too far away!!) who are always there to lend an ear or give support

-for living in a country where opportunity and freedom surrounds us

-for PB....