Silent Saturdays! Handsome!

TYGF

So today is thank you God for day! I do so love these days it gives me a chance to focus on the positive. I love putting into words the things I am thankful for. It gives me a chance to speak out loud and praise God for the things I most often over look. It can be something as small as a fall breeze or as big as you surviving the terrible two's with your children. Just come on in and speak the words out loud and let us and Him know what you are thankful for.

So TYGF... Thank you God for loooong walks.

I have been taking long walks. Sometimes in the mornings when I wake up. Sometimes at night after the kids have gone to bed. Sometimes after I get home from work and the kids just aren't quite ready to go inside yet.

I love the weather being just right for stepping outside in jeans and a t-shirt or shorts and a sweatshirt (which seems to be my uniform most afternoons after work) and just picking a direction and walking. I love breathing the crisp cool air, taking in the leaves falling from the trees, my kids finding joy in a butterfly or a cricket.

It is so nice to just enjoy. To not be running from here to there. To just walk and take it all in. And hey here's hoping it is helping with the weight loss too!

What are you thankful for today?

Are we really one of the few?

"My husband and I have never considered divorce... murder sometimes, but never divorce."
- Joyce Brothers

5 years.

5 years has passed since I looked into the gorgeous brown eyes of a young man of 20 and told him I would love him for the rest of my life.

Josh and I totally missed our anniversary again this year. It IS important to us but I guess when life throws 2 kids and 2 full time jobs and a "NICE" hospital stay and the wedding of a sibling you tend to forget.

It has been a fun five years and a short five years and at the same time it has been a ridiculously HARD five years and a LOOOONNNNGGG five years. Isn't it amazing how it can feel like so many things all wrapped into one big giant ball of AHHHH.

We were sad to find out that out of all the couples that got married "around" the same time as us, a couple before a couple after etc. Only like 4 of those couple (out of 10) are still together. Two or three of those couples are probably reading this blog and the other we haven't seen or spoke to in almost 2 years and are assuming.

I guess I just missed the train on where it became so easy to stop loving someone. I missed the "easy out" way of thinking I suppose. I love Josh more than the world MOST of the time but there are those rare occasions where we grate on each others nerves and want to walk away...... for a few moments ... not forever.

My heart breaks for those couples who have already walked away. Sadly one couple made it one year and that was it. People say it is age, maturity or the infamous "these things happen". How sad. How truly sad.

That is why I love that quote above. Murder sure! Divorce never! He is stuck with me. Or at least until I off him.

Now I jest. I make light of what I don't understand and what I can't fix. In all honesty it is a hard and hurtful and ugly truth. To be honest I am sad. To be honest I am happy. Happy that it has been hard work. Happy that Josh feels the same that I do that our love is worth that hard work. Thankful that Josh is willing to walk away and walk right back. Here's to another 5 years. To the couples that I speak of my heart breaks for you it truly does. For the couples I know are reading this Happy 5 or almost 5 years and congratulations sadly/gladly we are truly one of the few.

Summing up my feelings this week...

Some houses try to hide that fact
That children shelter there.
Ours boasts of it quite openly--
The signs are everywhere.
For smears are on the windows,
Little smudges on the doors.
I should apologize, I guess,
For toys strewn on the floor.
But I sat down with the children
And we played and laughed and read.
And if the bathtub doesn't shine
Their eyes will shine instead.
For when, at times, I'm forced to choose
The one job or the other,
I want to have a lovely house,
But first I'll be a mother.

--Author Unknown

You Scream...I Scream... We all Scream...

Okay so you probably have guessed what this post is all about by now. You are right. ICE CREAM! I know ice cream in October? What is this you say?

You decided Friday night was go and return jeans night. (Leanna got some jeans that were WAYYYY to big for her skinny self... for. her. birthday. I know I am a slacker mom!). So we loaded up the van when I got home from work (Josh is off on Friday's) and we went to the store and did some shopping. Leanna got 3 pairs of jeans and Hudson even got a pair of jeans and two long sleeve shirts. I love fall clothes!

Well Josh then tells me that the kids ate a really good dinner (I had to work late so it was 6:45 when I got home). So he and I decided that they deserved a treat. That and mommy can't turn down good ice cream.

So we went to Maggie Moo's which is AWESOME! We had a good time the kids got to pick whatever they wanted (with some restraints). Leanna had strawberry ice cream with chocolate sprinkles and fudge ice cream with reese's pieces. Hudson well he copied sister. Maggie Moo's calls it the half-n-half. Leanna ate every bite of it. Hudson well he tried. I had the half-n-half as well (in a chocolate dipped waffle bowl...) but I had espresso ice cream with peanut butter and reese's cups with cheesecake ice cream with chocolate chips and caramel sauce (see picture below). It was wonderful!

Some pictures of our fun evening out....
Leanna enjoying her bowl of deliciousness

Hudson was all about the yumminess

My bowl of heaven (looks larger than real life)

Finally, a little bit of sweetness outside of an ice cream bowl...


Fun times! How are all of you enjoy the "end" of your summers?

Silent Saturdays! Siblings.

TYGF

Good morning to the two or three people who read my blog.
Today is Friday so that means... TYGF...Thank you God for...

The ongoing post that happens every Friday. To list off something that I am thankful for (please feel free to join me and let me know what you are thanking God for).

So today's post is an interesting one.
Thank you God for....

STUBBORNNESS.

Now why would Shay be thankful for that you say?
Well because I am please to announce to the blog world (my few but magnificent readers) that Josh and Shay Brewer have not purchased cigarettes in a week.

Josh is having some struggles but he is working very hard on quitting as well. So if you think of him say a few prayers for him please!

Now Shay hasn't smoked in 5 days. Due to sheer stubbornness and because I refused to look like I was a liar again. I know that I have said several times that I was quitting. I never followed through. My will power was no good. My stubbornness was not up to par for the course so to speak.

I wanted to do this for several reasons. One I have determined I don't ever want my children to do it. Two, I don't want to waste the money doing it anymore. Three, I want my husband and I to be healthier and around for a long time. Four, I want to be an example to the rest of my family (there are several that smoke) that if we can do it so can they. Finally, I want to make sure that everything I am doing is honoring and pleasing to God.

So this week I prayed for Stubbornness. Not patience or peace or to take the want away no for sheer will power and stubbornness. It hasn't been easy and it sure is easy to fall to the temptation when I see someone else or smell it somewhere. So stubbornness is what I needed for this.

So I am thankful for Stubbornness! What are you thankful for this week?