Blog Balm

Sometimes, most of the time, others can say it so much better than I can.

Usually when I'm down in the dumps, I read blogs.  I never even knew what a blog was or how to find one a few years ago, but now I roll in them, enjoying the shared moments of mommyhood with others.  After my "Miss Kennedy" blog last night I read this one this morning and it soothed my soul because, WOW! That's me! (almost even down to the age thing!!) 

Click below on Little Miss Momma's link and hopefully she will remind you that the "we" is so much better than the "me".

The Best of Life - Mommy Tales, My Life, Real Life - Little Miss Momma

Miss Kennedy

She's silly and loads of fun.

Bedtime is hard all of a sudden.
Church is excruciating.
Cleaning the house is hopeless.
Shopping excursions are painful.

Need I go on?  Miss Kennedy, as she's been called while still in vetro, is a handful!  She is stubborn, curious, strong willed and majorly independent.

I love her to death and can rarely stay "angry" with her for more than a few seconds because of her bouncing curls and mischevious smile, but GOOD GRIEF!



Yes, I'm sure my patience is a problem.  The here-and-now (messy house, screaming in church, etc...) is a problem.  But I don't think it's the MAIN problem.

So, what is the main problem??  Here we go.  I live in fear that my children will turn out to be wild hooligans that people will look at us and say "Holy cow.  What did you do to them!?"  Now I realize this is probably irrational, but to my irrational self, it makes perfect sense.  A mother's job is, truly, never done.

Whoever said parenting wasn't easy, was right!  Not only is it not easy, it is HARD.  We are constantly teaching, learning, experimenting, failing, succeeding and redoing.  We are cleaning, picking up and loving.  We are chasing, scrubbing, soothing and bathing. 

I know that the time we invest in their lives during these years will return to us, ten fold.  So, we must push on.  We have no other choice.  We WANT to push on....because we love our kiddos and care about their futures.

One day I know I will look back and never remember these years. I'm sure Jackson was just as trying, but the details are fuzzy. (Thank goodness! There's hope!) I know these years pass quickly, so "this too shall pass".

So tonight, I will go in and lay my hands on her after she's FINALLY gotten on that dreamland train and pray for guidance on how to raise this rambunctious child.  I don't want to break her...she'll need that fiery spirit one day.  I just want to do the best I can with her to prepare her for that day.

She really is beautiful...inside and out.

 

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."  Proverbs 22:6

 

 

To My Man

We've been married seven years, together for much longer, but you still amaze me. 

At times I want to ring your neck.  Like when you ALWAYS drop your clothes by the bed and leave them there until I say, "Whatever is dirty, put it in the hamper if you want it washed".  Or when I say "Look at that!" and you take 15 seconds to turn your head.  I just don't get the slow reaction! :)

Other times I want stand and applaud you for what a great husband and daddy you are to me and our wee ones.  Like when you start a water fight with the garden hose because Kennedy's expression is priceless and you want to see how long she'll take it.  Or when Jackson falls down and screams "I want daddy!" while I try to console him, to no avail.  Or when you do silly things in an emergency hospital room while we sit losing our second precious Heaven-baby to make me laugh uncontrollably to try and forget about the trauma for a little bit.  You are also a really good hug-giver and tear-wiper.  We've had it all.

You've had to wear many hats.  You've been good at all of them.  And you keep finding new ones! 

Thanks for loving me, making a special home for us, and for stepping up to the plate when I just had to stay down for awhile.  I think you're pretty great.

A Page is Turned

We made it!  We're in tact!  We didn't fall apart!  The countdown is almost over!  Oh the joy of reuniting our family after 4 1/2 months of chaos!

There were a few times I wasn't sure we would make it.
There were a few times when I thought I might go crazy.
There were a few times when I wanted to throw in the towel, lock the doors behind us and just run away with the kids in the back seat jamming to Veggie Tales.

Obviously, everything worked out and we are turning the page to another chapter of our little lives.  To me, the page is blank. White.  But to God, it's written in bold, black ink.  He knows the very next steps our family will take.  The people we will meet.  The road we will walk down. 

And for that, I am thankful.

About a Million Things I Remember

Just a few things I remember about my mama...

•  watching "Days of our Lives" on her days off and eating Ritz crackers, bread and butter pickles and colby jack cheese (and being named after one of them!)
• raking leaves and burning them in the ditch...sometimes I even wore her jacket.
• hearing her yell "Go Bethie!" at my summer rec softball games and cringing every time
• crawling in bed beside her when I had a bad dream
• sitting on the bathroom floor while she took a bath, talking about my day, and NEVER being asked to leave
• trips to Jeff, just me and her, in the van and getting to talk the WHOLE way
• learning to drive with a very calm, cool and collected mama in the passenger seat
• driving around the block over and over as she taught me to parallel park, without giving up
• watching with awe as she turned my grandma's long, curled hair into the most beautiful bun every Thursday night in Grandma's bedroom
• her smell-a little like perfume and a little like soap.  It was all her.
• how her hair always looked exactly the same-never messy
• how she came to every school function, even in a wheelchair with a broken hip
• how she desperately loved my babies, and would sneak them whatever they wanted, without caring what her OWN baby thought!
• how she couldn't figure out the computer or iPhone and didn't really care to!
• how she let "kid-Kayla" wear awful make up to the store, without question
• when she took the checkbook from my daddy for my wedding and just kept writing
• when she did 32 donuts in the dune buggy and beat everybody!
• that our house was always clean, well kept
• how our clothes magically appeared in our room...CLEAN
• that she could "run" a business full of men and metal with a mama's hand and they loved her for it
• her intense love of all things Diet Coke
• that she called my grandma "Grandma"...to her face...for as long as I remember 
• that she had the same way of hiding her smile behind a fake face of displeasure just like my grandma...just like me
• how she made our home the "fun house" for all my friends
• how she intensely stood her ground over moral issues and I'm better for it
• when she would say "Blame me!" when I didn't want to do something but didn't know how to tell people
• how she always asked for prayer, because she TRULY believed in it
• how they somehow came up with enough money to take a family of 5 on AWESOME vacations...yes vacationS.
• how she devoted her nights to braiding my wet hair into Medusa braids so it would be "crimpy" in the morning
• how she devoted her mornings to curling my hair with hot rollers if I didn't want "crimpy"
• that she would listen to hundreds of chapter books being read out loud while she dried, curled and fixed my hair every morning
• our special way of signing letters- "LYLLYBLYLALP"
• our special way of tucking me in-"Love You Little, Love You Big, Love You Like A Little Pig"
• that I never knew when she slept, usually went to sleep after me and was awake before me
• that she collected creepy old people figurines and would give them "baths" in the tub with Kitchen Klatter
• that she gave our mini blinds "baths" in the tub with Kitchen Klatter too
• that she was a mad woman in the spring when she was cleaning, and so were we
• how the kitchen was decorated in blue with little white ducks for the longest time...and that always fit her
• that she didn't yell at me when I broke my arm in first grade but cradled me while we waited in the waiting room
• late night talks while she sat on my bed

Trudy Rosalee Albin Taylor was a good mama.  The best actually. 

 

Tattle Tongues

My tongue has been silent too long on here!  Where does the time go?

Notice that in my first sentence, I said "on here".  My tongue isn't ever silent for long!  A conversation with my 4-year old got me thinking about my tongue.  We always hear about gossiping.  There are blogs, devotionals, scriptures, songs, etc... written on this topic.  But our conversation wasn't about gossip.  I mean, really, what does a four year old gossip about?

Instead our conversation started like this...
J: Mommy, you know what _______ said to me at (the babysitter) today?
Me:  No, buddy.  What?
J:  She called me stupid!
Me:  Oh no...I'm sorry!  That's not very nice, huh?
J:  Nope.
Me:  What did (the babysitter) say?
J:  She made her sit in time out.
Me:  Oh, well do you ever have to sit in time out?
J: Nope!  I'm always good.  (HA!)
Me: Does Miss Kennedy ever have to sit in time out?
J: Nope.  She'd just get up. (HA! again!  He's smart!)

                  *names left blank to protect the "innocent" :)

Now I am sure my kid has to sit in time out just like all the others, but what I found funny is that he wanted to make sure I knew why the other kids were in trouble!  When we ask about his day, his response is ALWAYS "I played".  Real informative.  But if I want to get dirt on some other kid, I know who to ask!

It got me thinking about when does "tattling" start?  Jackson's been at it for awhile.  His friends, me (biting my nails...sheesh), his sister (his favorite I think), daddy, and anyone else he sees doing something he thinks is naughty.  But you know, I think Kennedy does it and she doesn't even talk!  If Jackson tries to get something she has, she yells at him and yells at me to look! 

By the time I get them in third grade, they are pro's at this thing called tattling.  They will rat out their best friend or their archenemy for accidentally stepping on their toe to cheating off their paper.  One of my teacher friends conied the phrase "ask tattling".  This is when students say "Are we supposed to get a drink during the test?" when they are no where near the water fountain but another kid happens to be there.  Talk about throwing somebody under the bus!

And man!  Can we stick it to each other as adults.  Tattles can take you a long way if you don't get caught.  You may look angelic, but you may also lose a lot of friends along the way.  Ever heard "the squeaky wheel always gets the grease"?  If we tattle enough, someone is going to do something just to get us to shut up!

Sadly, I don't know the cure for the "tattling tongue" except holding each other accountable and soul searching prayer.  If you aren't sure whether you are a tattler or not, ask yourself "Am I just trying to get this person in trouble?"  "Could that action cause bodily harm?"  "Are they breaking a real law/rule?"  "Does my opinion just clash with what is happening?"  "Am I trying to get ahead by broadcasting someone's mistake?"

No show of hands necessary.  I know.  It's a gut-check.

Check yourself and I'll work harder too.  Somewhere along the line, we CAN break the chain.  'Cause who likes a tattler?

Little Piece of Perfection

Just when you think life is perfect, just when you think life is easy...God says, "Hang on honey".

Instead of boring you with all our "new normal" things, you can check it out here or here.  Now to add to our ever changing lives, we are HAPPY (and scared to death) to announce that Baby Barnard #3 is on it's way, making his or her appearance in December!

Let me tell you...the emotions that have run through this house over the last few weeks!  We are scared, excited, blessed and nervous about all these changes.  Isaiah 55: 8-9 says: 

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

No, this was not planned...in our books anyway.  But His ways are always perfect.  He always knows the bigger picture.  This baby was never unplanned, never unwanted, never had bad timing. 

So now, we're thankful. 

We wait on our third little piece of perfection with joyful anticipation. 

What a joy to share this news with you!  Please pray with us for a healthy baby, healthy mommy and healthy pregnancy.  I go to the doctor on Monday and will hopefully have more information then!

God's been good!  For you, mama.  I know you'd be proud.

Tick Tock, Goes the Clock

Everyone keeps asking "How much longer?" 

I never have the right days, weeks or even months to tell them.  Counting days is too hard! 

So, today I sit and try to figure out exactly how many more...

* 17 more days to teach at my sweet elementary school

* 17 days before I turn my little ducklings free to become "too cool" 4th graders

* 5 days until we wrestle 175 third graders through the gates of a Springfield Cardinals game and remind 175 kids NOT to pick the grass on the field

* 4 more Sundays of driving back from a united weekend

* 4 more weekends of living with our parents

* 4 more weekends of scattering my kids' clothes here, there and yonder

* 30 more days until we (supposedly) close on our FIRST home!

* 30 more days until Jeremy has a massive coronary from signing our lives away! (okay, not funny...but kinda)

* 30 more days of packing up a home (oy vay!) and only 17 more to pack up a classroom and move it to storage!

* 110 days until I start teaching at my old stomping ground of California

* 110 days until we HAVE to have another babysitter (sniff!)

* 3 1/2 more weeks of missing Sunday and Wednesday night service at LBC

Wow!

Some numbers are staggering.  Others are exciting.  Some I want to make time stand still.  Others I want to spur along.

So many changes, all measured by time.

We've got this.  It's already been 94 days since everything changed.  Pfft-we're on the downhill slide!

And you know what?  We're okay.

That's What Friends are For

I believe God is trying to mold me into the type of friend I see around me.  He is humbling me by putting obstacles in my path where I need others.  He is showing me how to see beyond myself.

At first I thought, "Wow...these people must love me so much!  All I have to do is ask and they rescue me!"

Now I think, "Ouch...would I be so kind and giving?  I hope so.  I want to be."

For example...hmmm-where does one start?  This lesson has been repeated many times in my life. 

• Let me start with the birth of our first son.  Our next door neighbor/dear friend that I still cling to (Bonnie, please never tire of me!) came and cleaned our house, took out the trash and even sorted the recycling while we were at the hospital!  All we asked for her to do was let out the dog!  She went above and beyond and it's something I will never forget.  She saw what needed to be done, and she did it.
• Family has cleaned an apartment, a duplex and a house, moved our little family 3, almost 4 times in the 7 years we've been married.  That deserves a gold star!
• Church family, friends, and real family have watched our kids whenever we need an emergency sitter. 
• People have brought meals to our house after births, deaths, sickness, new chapters of life beginning, etc... We have been well fed!
• Fellow teachers have graded papers, watched school kids, grabbed me a Diet Coke from Sonic "just because" or taken my lunch duty when I was SO pregnant I couldn't even waddle down the rows of tables.
• Just this morning I had a flat tire, no husband, no tire iron and a broken jack and a friend turned around on her way to school, came back and loaded me and my two kids in her van to take us to school and the sitter.  Now she gets to drive us back home!  (You're a jewel Suzanne!)
• Now I have an old church friend coming to my house tonight to fix my flat tire!

Honestly, my list could go on, and on, and on, and...well, you get the idea.  He is trying to teach me to step out of my comfort zone, help a friend in need without thinking of the inconveniece to my own schedule so my FRIENDS will know that they can always count on me, for sure.  Because that's what friends are for.

P.S.  I'm sorry if I'm taking a long time to learn this lesson.  I'll try to do better. 

I Want to Be Like Her

I'm slightly obsessed with this new blog I've found.  I admit it.  I'm a "bloggy". *chuckle, chuckle*

I've written a bunch about grace for mamas and this post just made me smile.  I wanted to go out and hug the first ones I could find and say "You're doing great!"

Read Lady With the Glasses and show a little grace today.

Loneliness...

It creeps in undetected. 

It nestles down deep, getting comfortable. 

It waits for the right moment to strike.

And when it does, you know it's been there the whole time.



This new feeling of loneliness is not my friend.  The sleepliness nights.  The dreams.  The shaky feeling inside.  The tears sitting just behind my eyelashes.  The stomach pain.  The knot in my throat.  The silent screams that reside in my head.

 In the room with 2 or 100 people, I still feel lonely.

With others who share their story of their own loss, I still feel lonely.

With others who truly want to help, I still feel lonely.

Especially when I turn out the lights and crawl in bed, I am wrapped in loneliness.

As I type this I know I sound crazy, ready for the institution really.  But I'm not.  I am finally grieving.  I grieve over the loss of a church home, my comfortable family unit, my job and my beloved mama.

Sometimes I stare blankly through people and don't even know it until it's time to add my two cents to the conversation and then I'm scrambling.  Sometimes I clench my teeth together so tightly my jaw hurts.  Sometimes I abruptly end conversations because I'm about to bust out into tears, and I'm not comfortable there.  Sometimes I so DESPERATELY need to talk, I call 14 people in a row just to say "Hi, umm...no, I didn't really need anything."

Nights are hard.  Church is hard.  Home is hard.  Riding in the car is hard.  Being together is hard.  Being apart is worse.

I remember saying just a few months ago how easy life has been for me.  Just like everyone, we've had our sad times.  When we lost our first baby in a miscarriage, I knew God was carrying me. He had a greater purpose. Truly, I have been able to lend an empathetic ear to other hurting mamas. My glass is always half full or better yet, overflowing.  But now I'm struggling.  I KNOW I'm still beyond blessed.  But that doesn't make it hurt any less.  In fact, I think it stings worse.  I'm used to happy.  I'm not callused.  Thankfully, my heart is pretty smooth.

I know He's carrying me now too.  It's just the process.  So, I wait.

Even wee ones...

Tonight as I lay in bed with Jackson, begging him to quit crying and to go to bed...something that is happening more often than EVER, I finally realized...

even wee ones hurt.

Maybe I'm over feeling the situation.  Maybe I see my hurt in him.  But I believe he hurts too.

I saw the acting out as a sign of hurting.  I saw the tears during her service.  But tonight I lay beside him as he cried and he put his hands on each side of my face like he used to do to her in bed and he bawled. 

My tears flowed, as they are now, unashamed.  He wiped them away and we hugged. 

Even the wee ones hurt.

The Tough Side of Parenting

My family members' lives have been turned upside down lately. 

Daddy lives in a different house and we only see him on the weekends.  He is a VERY involved father so I feel the extra load and my kids have a missing piece to their daily puzzle.

My sweet, tired, ill mama went home to be with our Lord one week ago today.  We spent many days (and nights) in the hospital waiting room, while my kids spent many days (and nights) with my in-laws.  Bless them! She was my mama, but one of my little boy's favorite people.  Man, do we miss her.

We travel every weekend, where we sleep in a different bed every time. 

We have a new church home (that we love!), with new church members which means a new Sunday School teacher and nursery workers.



Some days it takes everything in me to drag my body out of bed, crawl through the day, limp home and tell myself "You get to do this again tomorrow!". 



I understand when my laid back boy throws the major tantrums that make my skin crawl, because sometimes I want to throw one too.

I understand Kennedy bawling her head off when I leave her, because I want to go bawl my head off even though I know she'll be fine in 5 minutes.

I understand when Jackson pees the bed 6 nights in a row after he's been potty trained (without ONE pull-up) for a whole year.  (This one, I have no connection to thankfully.)

My life is different than it's been...ever.  Thankfully I haven't felt the sting of judgment too many times, but I'm pretty sure I've inflicted it before without knowing her story.  My story is now different, therefore my kids' story is different. 

As we raise two kiddos, an almost 4 year old and a 1 year old, we're getting into the tough side of parenting.  Jackson didn't get to play his DS, watch Power Rangers or eat his cookie that he cried and had an F-I-T over last night.  Kennedy got her hand lightly swatted when she kept splashing in Wrigley's water bowl after being told "No".  She cried with her head on the floor, and my heart hurt that I had to leave her there.  Don't worry...Jackson got his cookie this morning.

But, I'm doing the best I can.   

So, I'm sorry for looking at your screaming child and tsking you.  I know you're doing your best too. 

And that's OKAY.  We'll get through this, you and me, parents of great kids who are just having a bad day or a rough go.  They're learning how to be big people and you know what?  So are we.

There's a Peace I've Come to Know

Mamas are your first friend, your first confidant, your first everything.  You hide in their skirt folds.  You hold their hand in the mall.  They teach you to wear makeup, do your hair and countless other "firsts".  They listen to love woes.  They wipe tears.  They (lovingly) tell you when to 'buck up'.  They coach you through baby jitters.  They smile when they feel like crying.  They give up their slice of pie, when they really want to eat the whole thing.  They teach us, girls, how to be women, wives, mamas and friends.

To those who never had the privilege of knowing their mama, I am deeply sorry.  To those who only got to know them for a short while, I am deeply sorry.  To those who have been mothers to the motherless, bless you. 

So seeing how important mothers are to us, how can you explain a peace in your soul after losing your mama?  You can't.

I CAN say that "there's a peace I've come to know, though my heart and flesh may fail.  There's an anchor for my soul, I can say 'it is well'." 

I don't have to say that I like it. 
I don't have to say that it's easy. 
But, I can say "it is well". 

Even when my heart is breaking.  Even when my flesh feels angry.  My soul grabs on to that anchor that steadies me while I learn to cope again.

"Jesus has overcome and the grave is overwhelmed.  The victory has won, He has risen from the dead.  I will rise, when He calls my name.  No more sorrow, no more pain.  And I hear the voice of many angels sing, 'Worthy is the Lamb'. And I hear the voice of every longing heart, 'Worthy is the Lamb'."

Lord, You are worthy.  You are holy.  My heart hurts, my tears fall, normal is long gone.  But Lord, YOU are worthy all of honor, all glory and all praise.  In You I find the peace that passes ALL understanding.  Thank You, Jesus."

My Little Valentines

We're not a sappy couple.  We never have been.  We, like others, love year round.  But Valentine's Day takes on a whole new meaning when you have little ones to love.  I wanted today to be special for them. 

Jeremy knows I don't need flowers.  There were plenty of sweets at the school party.  I got to eat school lunch with my man. Hmmm-romantic!  :)

However, I wanted my babies to go to their party at Miss Margo's. 
I wanted them to have the Power Ranger and Hello Kitty cards to hand out. 
I wanted to give their own goodies-Jackson's was Batman stuff and Kennedy's was Princess stuff. Awww...:) 
But most of all, I want them to know today and everyday that they matter more to me than all the flowers, chocolate and fancy dinners in the world.  I want them to feel loved forever...unconditionally...deeply. 

Sometimes I feel like I fail.  Sometimes I succeed!  Sometimes, I just don't know.  Sometimes, I need help.  Here are 100 ways to be kind to your child.  I've already found about 100 I want to try tonight! :)

Maybe we can do one a day.  100 days of kindness.  Wouldn't that be nice?  Oh, and then REPEAT!

Love to you and your little boogers!


*Singing His Praises*
~Jeremy keeping the kids Sunday for the church party, but sending me home early so he didn't have to worry.

~A snow day all by myself yesterday!  What a treat!

~Parents and in-laws who will keep grandkids at the drop of a hat.

~Jeremy driving all the way here just so the kids could have their Valentine's party with their little friends.

~Jeremy eating school food with me, just so we can have a Valentine's "dinner".

~Getting to spend an evening with my little Valentine's

~Take out food and paper plates for a busy and tired mama

The Snowy Day-Today and Five Years Ago

Today was a snow day.  School was cancelled, the kids and I played CandyLand and watched way too many episodes of "Power Rangers" on Netflix. I caught up on Words with Friends and uploading pictures during naptime.  Laundry isn't done, but it's going.  The house is clean(er) and the dishwasher did my duty for me.  Pretty good day!

However, five years ago today the infamous "Ice Storm of '07" made her appearance.  Jeremy and I lived in Bolivar in our tiny apartment, where many of our close friends lived also.  I taught 4th grade at Fair Play Elementary and Jeremy worked at Radio Shack.  We were kid-less.  Young.  Adventurous.  We survived five days together, without electricity, heat, and showers (well...I took an ice cold one after eating breakfast in a smoky diner on day three.  I thought I would catch pneumonia and die but it was better than smelly like an ashtray.).  Our food was put in a cooler outside our door. 

We had one of our biggest disagreements when I went against my husband's wishes and stood in line for half a day to buy a $100 kerosene heater.  I still bear a scar on my left thumb where a sheet of ice slid off my back window while unloading that thing.  It was our battle that we never spoke of during that time, but was the big white elephant in the room.  Part of me wanted him not to enjoy any of the heat, while I knew part of him would rather freeze than warm his toes by the orange flame. Funny!

We had friends over to sit around a candle laiden room to eat sandwich meat and crackers.  I read oodles of books by sunlight and flashlight.  I used the excuse of "maybe we'll have school tomorrow so I don't want to leave", just to see how long we could make it on our own without freezing to death.

I saw God's handiwork in nature so heavy with clear ice that whole trees were uprooted and laying across roads, yards, houses.  We took pictures of little Charlie Brown trees on SBU's little campus.  We had that eery feeling of being totally alone because at night every light in the town, even Walmart's, was silenced.

Jeremy and I got to spend five days together since neither of our workplaces had electricity.  I learned to be thankful for enough money in our bank account so we could eat out for almost every meal and enjoy a little warmth once a few parts of town regained power.  I felt bad for those who had kids to feed and keep warm.

I really "met" one of my now dearest friends when I went to take a shower at their place and ended up talking for hours at her kitchen table.  We eventually moved right next door to them.  Although we've moved away from each other, we can still sit and talk for hours.

So many things have changed in five years-the loss of our first little one we learned was on it's way shortly after this ice storm.  The birth of our two beautiful babies that make me immediately start packing my bags to go someplace warm when the lights even flicker!  Houses, friends, jobs...the list of changes could go on and on. 

Many things have not changed though.  Mine and Jeremy's stubborn streak, for instance.  (Yep...I admit it and gladly admit Jeremy's as well!)  I will say we are more likely to talk things out and see each other's side now than we did then.  I still marvel at the beauty of snow and ice.  I also remember the power of a whole bunch of tiny rain drops and snow flakes mixed with below freezing temperatures. 

Those few days were long, fun, almost unbearable at times and memorable.  I am constantly amazed lately how I can see God using even these things for His good.  Even in the ice storm of 2007 He was teaching us to be thankful, dependent, and weaving friendships to last a lifetime. I am thankful for snowy days and all the memories...or lessons...they hold.