Day 30: Peppermint Ice Cream and Jillian Michaels

Ok...so this is the last day of November so I'm going to make this one a silly thanks but a thanks none the less.  Today I am thankful for peppermint ice cream and all other desserts.  They have made this November a November to remember!  I have had one too many desserts probably every day.  So that makes me thankful too for Jillian Michaels.  Because starting December 1st I will be doing her videos every day to help work off all those delicious desserts.  I'm going back on the bandwagon folks!

Day 29: Old Friends

I am thankful for old friends. My friend whom I've kept in contact with the longest is Camdin. And I'm lucky enough that when she came into town this past weekend she came and visited my little family. And we had a blast! We spent 3 hours together which it seems like in the world we both are living in is unheard of but I'm so glad that we got to. And it was nice that even though we haven't talked for an extended period of time in awhile we were able to pick up where we left off. And just so you all know...she's amazing and just got a new job with Linked In and lives in Chicago currently working for the Tribune. Yeah. For real. And she reads this blog so I'm sure she's thoroughly embarassed but I don't care! She's pretty awesome in my book because not only did she leave to go to college she left from there first to Dallas and then to Chicago. So I'm a little jealous of her jet-setting ways but glad that when she comes back to Derby to visit she comes and sees me! So I'm definitely thankful for her!

Camdin with Jacoby

Day 28: Proximity of our city to a bigger city

I am very thankful that we live in a little city (town) that is very close to a bigger city.  So we are able to have the luxury of living where the school system is better but still be close enough to go to work.  We also have the opportunity to go to the different things in the city that we don't have in our little town such as the zoo, children's museum, etc.  And we live about 3 hours from an even bigger city where they have pro sports teams and lots of other cool things to do.

Day 27: My hubby's job

I'm thankful for my hubby's job because it is pretty flexible.  He is no longer in the retail division of the bank where he works and so he is quite lucky when it comes to time off.  He was able to take 2 weeks of paid leave when I had Jacoby and he was able to save 3 additional vacation days to take the day after Thanksgiving off so he has a 4 day weekend to spend with us (and his family!) and he is taking the Thursday and Friday before Christmas off so we can go visit his family for an extended weekend.  Plus he is able to take time off if the kiddos are sick and his boss is pretty cool about that.  So I am very thankful for that!

Day 26: Holidays

I'm thankful for the holidays because that is the time we get to see our extended family!  We got to see the hubby's side on Thanksgiving day for lunch and then for the evening we saw mine.  And then for Christmas we will see a lot of both of our families.  And I love it!

Day 25: Sweet Boy

I'm thankful for my sweet boy Leo.  I know I was already thankful for him once but on Monday I had the WORST migraine I've had in about a week (gotta love not being able to take your migraine meds when you're breastfeeding and can't take anything stronger than Tylenol).  But this one wasn't like the others...this one came in the middle of the day so I couldn't just sleep it off when everyone was sleeping too.  So the hubby told Leo that I didn't feel well and he was quiet and good ALL. NIGHT. LONG.  He even went to bed without any complaining or anything.  There were a few times he even came in my room and stroked my hair and kissed my forehead telling me he loved me.  That's the Leo that I love and I wished everyone got to witness him like that.  Not the heathen that likes to show off for anyone and everyone!  So I'm doubly thankful on the days that he acts like this!

Day 24: Food

I am thankful for all the good food my family will get to eat today (and every day for that matter).  There are too many people in this world that will not get a good meal and we will get more than our share.  So I am very thankful for that.  I am also thankful that I have the opportunity to help people get food to eat through many charitable organizations.  Some that I actually given food to and some that all you have to do is "like" them on Facebook and they'll make donations. 

Day 23: Sleep

Today I am thankful for sleep.  I haven't gotten a lot lately but just in the past week has Jacoby started sleeping for longer than 2-2 1/2 hours at a time (knock on wood).  He's sleeping in 4ish hour stretches at night and let me tell you the difference it makes!  And here's hoping there is more sleep in my future!

Day 22: Caffeine

I am thankful for Diet Dr. Pepper/Diet Dr. K (the generic brand!).  These get me through the days that were proceeded by loooong nights made possible by little boys!

Day 21: My BLOG, post 500 and a giveaway!!

Wow!  Look at me...I've gone 3 weeks of being thankful for something!  And today is no different.  I am thankful for my blog.  Not only has it given me a place to spill my guts and get out my frustrations but after a little bit I have come to realize that even though I don't have a lot of things that I like to do I really like to write and so blogging has become my hobby.  It also gives me a place to throw out some things that my little heathens are doing and so my family that reads this can keep up on what is going on in our little world!

So with saying what I'm thankful for here comes the fun part...this is my 500th post!!! I've been blogging for 3 years and I feel like this is a little bit of an accomplishment!  Outside of work and school I'm not sure I've really stuck with a single thing for this long!  So I think that this would be a perfect opportunity to do my first GIVEAWAY!  Woot woot!  And I've seen some other giveaways (and unfortunately mine isn't sponsored!) but I've seen some really cute stuff from ETSY so from what I've seen recently I'm going to give you readers a choice of what you want if you win!

You will have the choice of stationary (either the personalized or monogrammed) from Oh Louise Designs

My favorite design is this:

OR

You can choose from either of these 2 ring bowls from Say Your Piece:

Check out both of these options at the website above.  They are under the wedding gift/keepsakes tab. 

Of course both the stationary and ring bowl are on my Christmas list but unfortunately I can't win my own giveaway! 

So here is how you can enter:

1 entry for following my blog and leaving a comment
1 entry for tweeting this giveaway and letting me know you did it!

And that is it!  I will end the giveaway on Monday, November 28th at 4pm so get at it!  Good luck!

Day 20: Health

I am thankful for my health!  Knock on wood but I don't remember the last time I've been sick.  And it's AMAZING! 

Day 19: A Home

I am thankful for having a home to come home to every day.  Not everyone is as lucky and even though we are not always as satisified with the amount of space and the quality of some of the things in our home (because for realz...I'm pretty sure our appliances were built with the house...in 1950) I am thankful that I don't have to worry about where my family is going to sleep.

Day 18: Maternity Leave

I am thankful that I am able to take 10 weeks of maternity leave.  After reading on some message boards I know not everyone is as lucky.  And I'm thankful that because of saving up my sick leave and vacation all of it will be paid.

Not only am I able to spend the time with Jacoby I am also able to spend additional time with Leo as I am keeping him home a few days a week.

Day 17: A Happy Marriage

I know my #1 thing I was thankful for was my hubby but not only am I thankful for him I'm thankful for a happy marriage. We know people who have divorced and we've talked openly about the arguments we've had with each other. But we've also always talked about how even though we sometimes get super mad at each other and sometimes just want to walk away we always know that life would be so much worse if we did that. We enjoy each other too much (most of the time!) that I'm pretty sure my life would suck without him.

Throw in 2 kids and to me divorce is pretty much out of the question. That was one of the things we discussed before we got married and I'm holding on to that. My family is #1 and so I would do anything to try and make it work before throwing in the towel. Also...I think I would make a terrible single mother so yeah.

Day 16: Breastfeeding

Ok so this one is kind of strange but I'm thankful that I am able to nurse Jacoby. I wasn't able to with Leo and while it's not my favorite parts of the day it saves a lot of money and I really feel like he is getting all the right stuff from me. And hopefully he will have a better immune system because of it.

Also...I'm waiting to see the weight fall off because of it! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Day 15: Dependable Vehicles

I am thankful for the fact that both my car and the hubby's are reliable. His more so since it's new(ish) but I've had mine since 2002 and it really hasn't had many problems. (Knock on wood) And it's also really nice to only have one car payment. So I'm keeping mine til the wheels fall off!

Day 14: My Job

I am thankful for having a job. Maybe not specifically my job, but I am thankful that when I return from maternity leave I will still have a job. And in the world we are currently living in I guess that is something to be thankful for!

Day 13: Netflix

I know I said I was thankful for cable already but Netflix is pretty awesome too! Especially since I found out Glee was on there and I have been watching the crap out of it. Let me tell you...And yes I know I'm 2 1/2 years late...but it's a pretty good show!

Also, Netflix has given me the opportunity to brush up on my Power Rangers knowledge. Did you know that since the series began there have been eleventy billion different versions of the Power Rangers and Leo likes them all? You didn't? Well let me tell you...you're not missing out! :)

Day 12: Weekends

I'm thankful for weekends with my family. Especially with the hubby's job and him having weekends off it makes the time together even better.

Day 11: Veterans

I'm thankful for all of the veterans that have served our country. Without all of them I probably wouldn't have the opportunity to voice my opinion on this little ol' blog of mine.