Stuffs & Thankful

Charlize is back at school.

(she missed all last week because of the snot and coughing, apparently due to seasonal allergies, which she's now on Claritin for!)

The kids have Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off this week.

I'm going to ask to take the boys Thursday night and Friday instead of Friday night and Saturday, the drive to Rochester for Thanksgiving with Dad's family is hard on us all, and it will be a little easier with 2 less kids.

Last year we made it a weekend trip and went up the day before to visit Strong Museum of Play (incredible place, BTW, if you ever get a chance, GO!!), so at least the driving was broken up into two 3 1/2 hour trips instead of 7 hours all in one day. I'm also really hoping Dad's RV is fixed by then so we can just drive to his house and then ride up in their massive camper.

I've still gotta work on more Christmas shopping, mostly for all the boys.

I've gotta get the Christmas photo shoots done with the boys this afternoon so I can have Christmas cards printed up SOON.
I'd really *like* to do a little photoshoot with each of Linda's boys, too (I did one with Melissa a week or two ago), but that might not happen (she's not incredibly cooperative when it involves work on her end LOL)

I usually hand them out at Thanksgiving with Dad's family, it saves on stamps :o)

I can't believe Thanksgiving is in a few days.

That means Christmas is in a month.

Yikes!

We've gotta finish up our handmade ornaments and get the tree up and decorated.

Trying to figure out what to do with our kids table, cuz that's really the only spot for the tree.

I got a lot done yesterday.
Not AS much as I was hoping, but hey, progress is progress!!
Is progress!!!

I was trying to figure out how to go about posting pictures on my blog, given that I've deleted my facebook.
I decided to make a new photobucket account, my old one was full.
A year's fee is only $24, with unlimited storage, and you can upload pictures at twice the resolution... so when this account is full, I think I might just pay the fee. It's not a bad price, being that you can upload as many pics as you can!

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I've been thinking about what I'm thankful for lately, with the kids bringing home Thanksgiving crafts.

There's a really long list, when I sit down to think about it.

Most of all, I'm thankful for my kids.

They drive me absolutely insane sometimes, and I've wanted to rip my hair out several times a week at least for over 6 years now.

But they are amazing kids, gorgeous, sweet babies who remind me of their daddy in so many ways.

I'm thankful for my mom, who is always here for me, no matter how much I drive her nuts.

I don't know what I would do without my mom.

She is my rock, my biggest support, and I love her that much more now that I have kids of my own.

I'm thankful for my Dad and stepMom, who love my kids like no one else.

They do things for my kids that I could never do, and they'll never know how much that means to me.

I'm indescribably grateful for my relationship with my stepmom, which was really rough for a very long time but has grown so much over the last several years.

I'm thankful for their support in everything that I do.

I am thankful for the few wonderful friends that I have, who love me not in spite of everything I am, but because of everything I am.

I am thankful for my sister, who I can talk to about anything, and for my stepsister, for her faith and trust in me.

For my extended family, and for Anthony's family.

I am thankful that despite everything we don't have, we have everything we need and some of what we want.

I am thankful to always have a fridge and cupboards full of food.

For a big backyard and a playground for the kids.

For my pets, new and old.

I am thankful that my kids are all (reasonably) healthy, smart, and beautiful.

I am thankful for their amazing teachers, we have been so lucky to have them.

I am thankful for my van, because I don't know what we'd do without a reliable vehicle that can seat all of us.

For TLC and the Discovery Health Channel.

For Zoloft.

For my blog, my outlet, my release.

For the beautiful weather here in upstate NY.

(although I'm sure I'll be retracting that statement by January)

I am thankful for the 5 years I had with Anthony, and for everything he gave me and everything he taught me.

I am thankful for the few relationships and dates I've had since then, that have taught me that I can 'move on', that I am capable of loving again.

I am thankful for my camera, and for my pictures.

I am thankful for our past, and for our future.