thankful

so i'm jumping on the bandwagon and i'm going to write about the 30 things that i am thankful for...here. we. go. (in no particular order...as you will see)

1. butch. (warren vernon)  i'm pretty sure he is the only guy that could put up with my antics on a daily basis...and i his.

2. carrie & ella. i always knew i wanted to be a mother, i just didn't realize how much fun (or how crazy) it was going to be. it's been a wild ride so far. i'm so lucky to be their momma.

3. epidurals. although i love my children dearly, firing them out of my vagina was no picnic. i'm thankful for people that are smarter than me who created this miracle drug and thankful for the anesthesiologist who administered to extra large needle into my back.

4. coffee. every morning i look forward to a my cuppa joe. i can't imagine my morning without it. even after a night of no sleep, it never fails me...and plus, it tastes delicious.

5. george & deb. i am who i am because of them. i can only hope that i can be half of the parents to my kids as they were to me. plus, i hope when my children are of legal age, i can drink them under the table as they do me.

6. nate & keith. nate will always be the favorite, keith will always be the baby, and i will always be the only girl. my siblings are my friends. i love them and wish i could see more of them.

7. fen. (jen.) i never had a lot of girl friends growing up...but jen has remained a constant. we have shared so much with each other and i am so thankful that she is in my life. she makes me laugh with her ...and also gives me many reasons to laugh at her.

8. all of my other friends. people that make me laugh, seen me cry, helped me move, held my hair back when i had too much sauce, and most importantly were just there when i needed them. i'm lucky to have these people in my life, i wouldn't survive without them.

9. miss KK. i have a wonderful sitter, who cares for my children 9 hours a day...while i go to work and care for other people's children. she has 5 children of her own, and is crazy and enjoys wine like me.

10. teaching. i love what i do, and have met a ton of awesome children along the way. it is an emotionally exhausting job, as i have to take on many (many) roles throughout the day as a kindergarten teacher. however, kids are funny people...making it easier to deal with the other stuff.

11. shippensburg university. without my education, i wouldn't have my job...and i also wouldn't have met my friend lacy. she is one of the funniest human beings i've ever met, and i am so glad that we have remained friends over the years.

12. wine & beer. (liquor and i are no longer friends.) i enjoy either after a long day, or even just because. it's a delicious and easy way to unwind.

13.  sports. i enjoy them all, and all are excellent reasons to get together with friends, eat good food, and drink beer.

14. food. going out to eat is one of my favorite things to do, and i also enjoy cooking. i don't do it as much as i used to, but as the kids get older, i hope to have more time to do it.

15. sex. that's all i'm going to say about that...my parents read this.

16. penelope. our SPCA rescue dog has definitely taken on a different role since our children were born...but she is pretty much the only one that actually listens to me in the house. plus, she is a good running partner.

17. our cat. just kidding...she's an asshole.

18. schuylkill county, PA. (my roots) i have not forgotten where i came from, and am proud of the little bodunk town that i grew up in. it's filled with good people who have added so much to my life. i'm a country girl at heart.

19. maryland. living near the water is something i always wanted to do. it's pretty awesome. someday i want to live at the beach, but this is close enough for now.

20. uncle rj & aunt brenda. (and their kids) they moved from the skook to here prior to us moving down for teaching jobs. i don't know if we would've moved here, had they not been here. it's nice to have someone from "home" here...and they also feed us, take care of our children, and make us laugh.

21. music. i pretty much listen to music throughout the day, i love the way it makes me feel. i don't have a favorite genre...i enjoy them all. (well, most of them.) sidebar: i didn't like country music, until i moved out of the country. (makes no sense.)

22. running. one of my many vices, and something that i can do just for myself. i look forward to it, and feel better after doing it. bucket list: half marathon. maybe if i say it outloud, i'll actually do it.

23. curious george, mickey mouse, and dora the explorer. although this clan of cartoon characters makes me nuts half of time, they also give me a minute to get things done. they also entertain my child on long car rides...making it less painful for all involved.

24. hot bubble baths. i had to give these up for a while, due to time constraints...but lately i've been making time for them. i have to to lock both bathroom doors and pretend i'm taking a shit in order to not be disturbed...but it's totally worth it.

25. naptime. ella has always been a good napper, and carrie also enjoys a good rest. i love when they are awake, but it's nice to have a a minute to breathe when they are asleep.

26. clorox clean up and other cleaning products. there are not many things i enjoy in this world more than a clean house. i've had to "let go" some of my cleaning neurosis over the past 2 years, due to my kids making their appearances...but the smell of bleach or pine sol still gets me excited.

27. dancing. i only dance when highly intoxicated...however, i enjoy it.  a lot. pretty sure i look like elaine from seinfeld when doing it, but really...who cares. (not this girl.)

28. reading & writing. i've always loved books. i also enjoy sharing my own stories with people and writing has become something i really enjoy doing.

29. teachers i've had along the way. i wouldn't be able to read or write without them. (duh.)

30. laughter. funny people are my favorite kind of people. when people are miserable, i want to punch them in the mouth. life gives us so much to laugh about and if you take it too seriously, you will surely go crazy. don't go crazy...just laugh instead.


i told you they were in no particular order...as clorox cleanup has trumped teachers and epidurals have trumped my parents. anyway, hope you enjoyed the read. i'm very thankful for all of these things...and more. also, thanks to you for reading and laughing along the way.