As much as I dislike to admit it, today was a “typical” Monday – boys were late to school (no worse than usual at least), didn’t get as much done around the house as I’d wanted to, and both boys had a not-the-greatest day at school. It was a rough Monday indeed. But, now it’s bedtime, the day is done and behind us and a fresh start will come with the morning :-) Oh, and tonight I finally managed to take a fairly decent picture of the surprise from Friday night so that will be the final thing on my list tonight!

Today I Am Grateful:

1) That the weather took care of clearing the ice off of both vehicles overnight so neither hubby nor I had to deal with a bunch of scraping and running of vehicles to clear windows

2) For taking a small leap of faith today regarding one of the places I’m waiting to hear back from about a job and getting the feeling that it was absolutely the right thing to do

3) That no matter how rough of a day my kid or kids may have had, I can always hug them close at the end of the day and remind them “No matter what, I Love You!” before I tuck them into bed

4) For a peaceful ending to the day after all the Monday weirdness

5) That they boys are still loving the surprise Daddy put together for them back on Friday – it’s their very own “tent” to pull around part of their bed (they currently share a large futon by choice) – it gives them their own little world and it’s been so many things already – a command center, a cave, a private movie theatre, a private library and so much more I can’t even keep up! Here’s the pic I managed to take tonight. (Yes the sheet is a jungle style print which they also get a huge kick out of). I’m so thrilled to see them enjoy something so simple yet it fuels their imaginations so much! Thank You Daddy for putting it together! (it’s actually not quite done, we have to put the “roof” on yet but for now they still love it as is)

Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.
~ Albert Einstein

The boys were up bright and early again this AM too, but once again they snuggled up in my room with me for a little while so it made it a little nicer at least. The rest of the day went pretty well, the boys played again most of the day. Daddy came home with a free movie rental from redbox for them and they were excited to be able to sit and watch it with their own bag of popcorn and everything. I still haven’t been able to take a decent picture of their surprise, but my hands are getting steadier so perhaps tomorrow I can get it done :-)

Today I Am Grateful:

1) For snuggle time with my boys. As they get older I cherish every moment I can get!!

2) For the weekend spent recuperating and slowly feeling better for it.

3) For getting back to some of the things I love doing.

4) For the sound of my boys’ laughter – especially when it’s pure, absolute from the belly laughter or shrieks of delight as they have fun with something of their own doing – beautiful sounds and moments I store in my heart with gratitude & Love

5) For telling myself it’s okay if I give myself one more day to heal tomorrow and then go back to the gym with my Dad on Tuesday instead. I know he’ll understand – I’m so proud of the way he’s been taking care of himself this year and helping me as well ♥

The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind. ~ Caroline Myss

Well, I will never learn my true boundaries if I don’t push them some right? Well, silly stubborn me pushed a little too far 2 days in a row and today I am paying the price. I have been sore all day but have still made myself get up and move around the house. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking for me to take a picture of the boys’ surprise for you, I’ll try again tomorrow. I will admit even typing this tonight is making my fingers hurt a little too much for my liking. But, live and learn right? Lesson learned!

Today I Am Grateful:

1) That even though the boys were wide-eyed and bushy-tailed around 7:30 this morning, they agreed to snuggle up in bed with me till around 8:30 before we all got up for breakfast. Thank You for that extra hour boys, Mommy really appreciated it!

2) For the boys playing different games all day, not just on the computer or their tablets – they were still playing good ol’ fashioned Cops & Robbers style games with their play guns and such. Yeah, the bickered a bit more than I would have liked, but, they also worked together too.

3) That they boys still love the surprise Daddy put together for them. It’s amazing how something so simple can inspire so much imagination and fun!

4) For being a little silly tonight and making breakfast for dinner because it was faster, simpler and a little more fun :-)

5) That there is still one more day to the weekend, one more day for me to heal more before it’s back into the swing of getting the boys to school and such. Thank Heavens!

The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.      ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hubby was off today so it was errand day for us. We had a few plans we wanted to try to do, especially a special surprise for the boys! So to find what we needed we headed off to our favorite Salvation Army store. Struck out on what we were originally looking for, but found a few inexpensive treasures instead! Awesome! Headed back to school to pick up the youngest, let him in on the secret and headed off to the other Salvation Army store – JACKPOT!! Found exactly what we needed as well as a few other little treasures again and were done. Went back to school to pick up the oldest and then headed to the final stop for the last few pieces for what we’d need – found it all and headed home. Stayed home for all of 20 or so minutes before the boys and I headed back to their school for a free Family Movie Night – they had a great time & while we were gone hubby not only set up the surprise but also made dinner! Now the grown ups are exhausted and the kids are super excited with their surprise and of course wide awake! LOL All in all, as exhausted as I am, it’s been a pretty darn good day ♥

Today I Am Grateful:

1) For safe travels everywhere we went today – the roads were all cleared and salted well and traffic was just light enough every time. That was a big blessing all day!

2) For amazing finds when you’re not looking for them – we found two different series of books perfect for our budding reader – one full set of Scooby Doo books (12 in all!) and a set of The Magic School Bus (Books 2, 3, and 5-12) so we know he’s going to love them – best part was they were only 25 cents each (and might have even been less if they considered the book tags white which was their half price tag).

3) That the youngest loved what we were trying to do as a surprise for he & his brother and gladly taking part in helping us find what we were looking for – what a fun treasure hunt it was!

4) For finding the *perfect* items at the second stop as well as a few more little treasures that made everyone happy by the end of the day.

5) For the enjoyable evening at the school for the Family Movie Night – the boys and I enjoyed watching “The Lorax” for the first time. They were amazingly well behaved for me as well – I was very proud of them! Then we came home to Daddy having dinner made and waiting as well as the surprise put together (easier than he first thought too! LOL)

6) For anticipation! I’ll share what the surprise is tomorrow when I can take a few pictures to share – I’ll bet it takes many of you back to your own childhood memories :-) Until tomorrow my friends…

We must teach our children to dream with their eyes open. ~ Harry Edwards

I woke up this morning hurting more than I have all winter – then again today was the coldest day so far. My hands were the worse so I asked my dad if he would please make sure the boys got to school safely & on time. Then I asked if he would come back and pick me up so I could still drag my butt to the gym. Thankfully, he did both.

Today I Am Grateful:

1) For my Dad – he safely got the boys to school on time and even came back for me so we could go to the gym. Thank You Dad! ♥

2) That hubby & I were able to pick up much-needed supplies for Smokey (our cat) earlier today – he needed both food and litter and we got a good deal on both – Wyatt even helped!

3) For having a fairly good time at Half Price Books with the boys – we took them over so they could finally use their gift cards from Christmas and they both came away from the store happy and with 75 cents left on the cards! LOL

4) For picking up a few $1 clearance books myself – including one on how to help kids learn how to understand and deal with their emotions.

5) That hubby, even though he’s sore and tired from a long week at work, got dinner made for us after we got home. Thank You Gene! ♥

Never Let The Odds Keep You From Doing What You Know In Your Heart You Were Meant To Do – H Jackson Brown Jr

I finally made it back to the gym with my Dad today – as sore as I was it felt good to do. Depending upon how I feel in the morning I’m planning on going again.

Today I Am Grateful:

1) To have enjoyed my 40 minutes on the treadmill today, watching as little snowflakes gently fell from the grey sky. It made me doubly grateful to be walking indoors in a comfortable climate.

2) That my Dad reminded me (by having his radio today) to come home and find my mp3 player to charge so I can have it to listen to tomorrow – I have two discs of an unabridged book on CD ready to listen to tomorrow while I walk. It’s a book I’ve been wanting to either read or listen to and it looks like I’ll finally get to listen to it first!

3) For a new round of books borrowed from the library and the previous round safely returned. This round has a number of books on how to beat Arthritis – I will find a way to make myself stronger!

4) That I already know the areas I’d like to specialize in, to earn some of my Continuing Education hours in, once I get my MT License number. It feels good to have a direction planned no matter what. (And yes I have a few library books on those subjects too LOL)

5) For actually being a little under my calorie range for today and not feeling hungry at all. I had a decent breakfast, a warm & yummy lunch and a simple yet filling dinner. I had dessert after lunch and can actually have another smaller dessert now and not go over my calorie range – that’s a good feeling!

Ability is what you’re capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it. ~ Lou Holtz

Motivation is what gets you started.
Habit is what keeps you going. ~ Jim Ryun

Today was the coldest day here in Chicagoland so far this winter. When my hubby left for work his car’s thermometer told him it was 1 degree outside at 5:50 AM. By the time I was getting the boys moving for school the thermometer on the screen saver told us it was 0 degrees out at around 8:15 AM. Around 2 PM we’d finally warmed up to about 9 degrees. Now at 10:30 PM it’s a balmy 10 degrees! LOL Hardest part to today was that I could literally feel the cold through my whole body – bones ached, muscles were sore and tight and Ray was in all his glory causing me pain I’m still not quite used to. Despite that I got some little things done around the house and honestly just enjoyed the time to do some leisure reading that I haven’t done enough of lately. That’s always a plus in my book!

Today I Am Grateful:

1) For quiet time at home this morning. Walking at the gym may have helped me some today, but it was nice to stay in where it was warm and just enjoy the moment.

2) That although the aches and pains were more uncomfortable today than normal, I still made myself get up and move around the house every hour or so just to make myself move. It wasn’t easy but it was worth it.

3) That I am taking care of myself in my own way – yes I’m hitting the gym with my dad when I can, but I’m also exercising my brain with two books I’m using to help me on my weight loss journey: “A Course In Weight Loss” by Marianne Williamson and “The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Size” by Julia Cameron (if you’ve read the book “The Artist’s Way” yes it’s the same author) – Both books are amazing at helping with the mental side of lifestyle changes because there is often a lot of mental clutter that needs to be cleaned up as well. Give them a read, they’re worth it.

4) For being active on my SparkPeople SparkTeams today – it felt good to interact with other people who are on the same journey, just with a different point of view. What an amazing group of people!

5) For the countless numbers of possibilities and opportunities that tomorrow always brings with it – what will I see? what will I learn? what will I chase after? What might Life bring to me??

You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside. ~ Wayne Dyer

Today is Martin Luther King’s Day – what an inspiration that man’s whole life was. His whole life was a message – not just his most famous speech.

Today I Am Grateful:

1) That the boys and I slept in a little this morning – they weren’t up as early as usual but they didn’t quite sleep as late as I’d hoped either LOL

2) That the boys and I spent part of the day all settled in on my bed reading – Will for school, Wyatt just for practice and me because I have a number of books I want to get through :-)

3) That hubby had an okay day at work and came home at a nice hour today – he hasn’t had much sleep the past few days so I knew he was tired.

4) For the safe travels of everyone today in the bitter cold that finally bit into the Chicagoland area

5) For my Dad taking Gene & the boys to a fun indoor mini golf place today – one final fun thing on the long 4 day weekend before they go back to school in the morning. They had quite the time too from what I’ve heard :-) I haven’t gotten to the pictures yet, I’ll take care of those tomorrow

You are not just a mind & a body, you are born of God, you are a soul of eternity, remember this when life seems dark. ~ Spiritual Truths (found on twitter at ‏@TheGodLight )

I took my time with myself this morning – hubby was at work and the boys had spent the night with my parents – so I slept in some and used the rest of the morning to either meditate or think about where to go next and what to do. Surprisingly it was a peaceful morning.

Today I Am Grateful:

1) That I was blessed with the opportunity to sleep in, after the shock from last night I needed the time to heal from that wound a little…

2) That I took time this morning to meditate on where my path is headed next…

3) For some ideas that came out of those moments of meditation – now to figure out how to put them in motion…

4) For Faith – it’s not always easy to hold on to, but it is always the best thing to hold on to when all around you seems uncertain…

5) For dreams – because without them, life would truly be boring. Sure some dreams are just that, dreams that are pleasant to think about. But other dreams are signs from God about where you should be heading next. That’s where faith steps in and they work together to help get you where you need to be.

Only you can decide what is best for you, others are merely signposts on the path of life, you must choose your direction. ~ Unknown

Wow. I’m sitting here in a little bit of shock after getting a phone call from the woman I interviewed with yesterday – the one who was so excited about how much potential I have and who, within about 5 minutes of me working on her said she wanted to hire me. Well, because I was honest about waiting to hear back from one other place first and then asking if it would be possible to work part time for both places (she originally said it should be do-able) now suddenly she’s nervous about it. She’s been burned in the past by people who have taken advantage of her time and her training just to jump ship a few months later for somewhere that payed better – so she’s worried I’d do the same. That, among a few other reasons, lead her to make the decision to say “Not right now, the time just isn’t right after all.” As for the other place? Well, they needed to delay their answer because one of the two owners is sick and in no mind to talk business so the one called to ask me to give them till maybe Wednesday for the other one to get better so they could still talk about it. Talk about being up in the air and not being able to see a net or a parachute! Wow!

Today I Am Grateful:

1) That I made it to the gym with my Dad today, all be it a little later than our norm, but we still went and got our time in. It felt good to do too. Thanks Dad!

2) For hope – thin as the ray of hope may be with both places right now, there is still that thin ray of hope that things may turn out all right in the end after all.

3) That, though I am sitting here a little shell shocked, I’m already thinking ahead to Tuesday and where I can go to drop off more resumes – the places I didn’t get to earlier this week. I have a little more foot work to do while I wait – no time to be idle.

4) That my family and friends are all behind me, supporting me still, that I will find the right place and hopefully sooner than later. Hearing/reading their words of support right now is really giving me some extra strength – Thank You!!

5) For my internal optimist who is still looking for the positive and the silver lining in all of this – there is a lesson to be learned and I will find it and learn from it.

“Sometimes you’re the windshield Sometimes you’re the bug…  Sometimes you’re the Louisville slugger Sometimes you’re the ball…” ~ Unknown for certain

Mary Chapin Carpenter – The Bug