COVID-19 Day 249 - November 12 - I'm thankful for our puppies!

November 12 - I am thankful for our puppies, Harlee and Gabby.  They have been a part of our family for 10 and 9 years.  We intentionally got them before the kids so we could train them how to behave around little ones.  Harlee, our Beagle, is smart, sneaky, and stubborn.  I liken her to a cat, because she doesn't come when called, only when she wants something from you.  She is highly motivated by food and training her was very easy.  She's getting a little rounder these days, as we all tend to do as we age, but she'll still roll her fat behind over if you've got a treat for her.  However, she needs visual or olfactory confirmation that you do indeed have a treat.  She will not be fooled into performing.  Gabby, our Pointer Mutt, came from the Humane Society here in Wichita when she was a puppy.  She was found on the street and definitely bares the markings of a mixed breed dog.  She is dumber than a bag of rocks, but she is sweet.  She is jealous of attention and always under foot.  She's getting a little crotchety as she gets older, as many of us do.  The kids have to be a little more careful with her and can't rough house as much with her.  We love both of our fur babies so much and are thankful they are a part of our family!  ❤🐕🐺

COVID -19 Day 249 - November 11 - I'm thankful for Veterans

November 11 - I am thankful for Veterans and their families.  Thank you for your service to our country and for protecting the freedoms that we all seem to take for granted from one time to another.  You all are made from much stronger stuff than I am.  I am grateful for your service and your sacrifices.  Thank you.  🇺🇸  Happy Veteran's Day!

COVID-19 Day 249 - November 10 - I'm thankful for our photographer!

November 10 - I am thankful for our photographer, Courtney Unruh!!!  ❤📷  Over the last 8 years, Courtney has done nearly 20 different sessions for us.  It all started with a maternity session back in 2012 when I was pregnant with Avery.  Since then she's also taken newborn photos, 1 year old photos, family photos, another maternity session, a birth session, another newborn session, another 1 year old session, more family photos, back to school photos a couple times, more family photos, an extended family session, and more family photos!  ❤  She is the greatest!  I never would have guessed I would gain such a wonderful friend when I asked her to take those maternity photos over 8 years ago.  Many times when the kids were young and uncooperative, I worried that our sessions had gone badly and fretted over what kind of pictures we'd get back a few weeks later.  But Courtney always works her magic and they turn out sensational!  If there is one piece of advice as can give to couples/families it is to find yourself a great photographer and spend the money on the pictures.  At the beginning of our time together, I worried about the money, as we were young with a house payment and a baby on the way, and didn't have a lot.  But when I see the pictures in the end, I have never for a second regretted any of the money we've spent.  Thank you, Courtney, for capturing these memories and so many more!  We love you and are grateful you are a part of our lives!  ❤❤❤

COVID-19 Day 245 - November 9 - I'm thankful I live in Wichita!

 November 9 - I'm thankful I live in Wichita!

Michael

and I moved here 9 years ago to be closer to family and to find Michael an engineering job. We took pictures of all of our favorite spots in Manhattan before we left, because we knew we were going to miss it so much. Since we've arrived here we've bought a house, had 2 babies, had 10 different jobs between the two of us, and 4 different roommates. It has been a busy 9 years! When we first arrived, I looked on Google and Yelp and various food blogs to create a list of must-try restaurants. The last 2 years I've participated in the #BuyICT challenges. We've found our favorite spots all over town...

Breakfast - Dempsey's Biscuit and Homegrown

Coffee - Reverie

Burgers - Dempsey's Burger

Pizza - Picasso's, Ziggy's, and Piatto

Tacos - Taco Locale

Lunch - The Kitchen

Dinner - George's

Chocolate - Cocoa Dolce

Candy Store - The Nifty Nuthouse

Auto Shop - Yost

ICT Swag Stores - The Workroom and Lucinda's

Lawn and Garden Supplies - Valley Feed and Seed

Liquor Store - Groves

Farmer's Market - Old Town Farm and Art

Brewery - CSB and Norton's

Escape Room - The Room

Family Time Locations - The Sedgwick County Zoo, Exploration Place, and The Keeper of the Plains

And so many other places... I love the Douglas Design District and the beautiful murals all over. We've had so much fun just walking around looking for all the different murals and taking pictures! I love all of the community events! We had a great time at ICT Open Streets as well as RiverFlix and RiverFest. I'm wearing my Wichita flag shirt right now, and love seeing it and The Keeper of the Plains statues all over town. I love watching shows from MTW and can't wait for them to return. I love that IBA and Wichita have been chosen to host the NCAA tournament several times and I love the atmosphere that tourney, as well as TBT brought to our city. Wichita is a fabulous place to live! I love it so much here! Michael and I still intend to end up in Manhattan or right outside it to build our dream home, but I know there will be a a wall full of pictures in that home of all of our favorite Wichita spots, because this place truly feels like home.

COVID 19 Day 242 - November 8 - I'm thankful for quiet, peaceful mornings.

November 8 - I'm thankful for quiet peaceful mornings. Many mornings I opt for the extra sleep and don't force my body out of bed when the alarm goes off, but when I do, I'm glad I did. When I'm up early I have quiet time to myself to drink my coffee and wake up before I'm waking the kids up, fixing everyone's lunches and breakfasts, reminding them to brush their teeth and get everything ready for school, cleaning up from breakfast, packing school snacks and folders, etc... It starts my day off in a much better way to have some time to focus on myself and wake up before I have to interact with other, lol! Last year I focused all of October and November (and I think some of December until I finally fell off the wagon) on getting up an hour early each day and writing down 5 things I was thankful for each day. It really put things into good perspective. Perhaps I should revisit that challenge. But, for now, I'm thankful for quiet mornings, hot coffee, and not being a grouchy mom. ;)

Generally, I think back on the day before and write about something from that day that I was thankful for.  However, I've had such a nice morning drinking my coffee and blogging, that this is what I choose to be thankful for this morning.  Of course, there was lots to be thankful for yesterday as well...  I'm thankful for Sundays in Towanda, for family time, for good food, for football, for a Chiefs victory, for warm weather, for the kids playing together so nicely, for glowsticks in the dark and running around the back yard after bedtime, for bedtime snuggles, for the kids loving each other so much that they want to sleep in the same room, for Lily, for Avery showing such great responsibility in caring for her, for the kindness of my children, for our soft, cozy bed, for dozing off to tv show reruns...  There is always so much to be thankful for, isn't there?  <3

COVID-19 Day 242 - November 7 - I'm thankful for quiet days at home

November 7 - I'm thankful for quiet days with my family. There have been plenty of negatives to come out of 2020, but I have to admit, I have enjoyed the more open schedule the last several months. I'm no longer booking some activity every night of the week for our family. We have more time to spend together and are not constantly running from one place to another. I love that. I enjoy going out, don't get me wrong! As an extrovert, I love activities out and about! But I can certainly appreciate what my introverted hubby sees in all this quiet home time.

On Saturday we spent most of the day at home, just relaxing. The kids played on their tablets and in the back yard. Michael and I watched news coverage of Biden being the projected winner of the election. It was just a nice, calm day. At the end, we went to the Old Tokyo Steakhouse to celebrate Avery's birthday. Obviously, we celebrated in October as well, however, on the night that the 4 of us went out to dinner on her choice, she picked Red Robin because she wanted to go to a Hibachi place with Grandma Marsha and Papa. Then, when they took her out, they weren't sure about the social distancing, or the place on the east side was still closed or something, and they didn't end up going to one. I told her we'd make it up to her and then I kind of forgot about it. But Saturday I remembered and we were able to go. We had a delicious dinner and they were running a special so that the fried rice was free ($12 savings), the soda was free ($7 savings), and you got 20% off your bill ($15 savings). So we saved a whopping $34!!! It was awesome!! Then we came back home and played a game online with Sis and Adam. It was a nice quiet day, and I loved it. If there's one good thing to come out of this pandemic, it's that I never want to get our schedule as full as it was before COVID hit, ever again.

COVID 19 Day 242 - November 6 - I am thankful for my mom and for her health!

 November 6 - I am thankful for my mom and that she is healthy! It's been over a year since she was in the hospital and almost a year since she had open heart surgery. Last year was such a scary time. I had a tremendous support system who loved on me and my family, helped take care of the kids, brought meals, worked extra hard so Michael and I could miss work, and checked on our mental health while I spent hours, days, and weeks at the hospital being part of her support system. In the year that's followed her surgery, the world has certainly struggled, but I am so incredibly thankful for God's timing, and that she got sick when she did, months before COVID-19 came to the United States. We were able to be at her side nearly every waking hour last year. Her team of doctors, at least a half dozen of them, were extremely attentive and dedicated to finding out what was going on with her and to making her better. That would not have been possible 6 months later. So, although the situation was terrifying and uncertain, God's timing was so so perfect!

Since then, she has healed and gotten strong again. She's been able to get off nearly all of the medications she was on. And, while adhering to COVID restrictions, she is living a normal life again! She and I even met

Stephanie

for lunch and went shopping for Christmas gifts yesterday. I love her so very much, and in November especially, I'm reminded of how thankful I am to have her in my life and now, a year later, how thankful I am that she is healthy once again!

I didn't want to share too much of the nitty gritty on Facebook of just what all was happening a year ago.  How Mama was in the ICU 3 different times, the last of which lasted over 2 weeks.  I didn't mention how the doctors really never completely figured out what was going on or what caused her to get sick.  I didn't mention how the surgery resulted in a new heart valve and a pacemaker.  It's better to keep things light on FB.  Last year was a truly scary time.  We all put on brave faces, but it was difficult on all of us.  All of that makes me so much more thankful that Mama has come so far and recovered so well in the past year.  Honestly, if you didn't know what had happened a year ago, you'd never know by looking at her just how sick she'd been.  She's come so far, recovered so well, and as much as they can be, things are back to normal.  I think this month and this holiday season, this one right here is what I am the absolute most thankful for.  I'm thankful that God guided us through that dark season.  I'm glad it's behind us.  I'm glad Mama is so much better.  Love you, Mama!  ❤

COVID 19 Day 242 - November 5 - I am thankful for my job in the library!

 November 5 - I am thankful for my new job in the Sunflower Elementary Library! It has been a joy and a privilege to work at Sunflower that last 2+ years. I enjoyed most of my time as a para and loved getting to know a few students very well as I worked with them multiple years. I don't get to know those select kids as well anymore, but I do get to see every kid in the school now, and that's so much fun! I'm still struggling to learn all of their names, as I can only see half of their faces, and only have them in the library for 30-60 minutes per week, but I am sure trying!

I couldn't ask for a better teammate in

Karla

! She is fun, hopeful, motivated, a visionary, a team player, an advocate for our students, progressive, a lifelong learner, diligent, a problem solver, and an extremely hard worker! She put so much work into making the library a great place for our students. It is a true joy working with her. This new job has changed my at work days and hours as well. Instead of 5 days a week, I'm only working 3 days a week now. While it took a little while to get used to not going to work each day, it's really been a nice blessing. Now I get to work for 3 days, have 2 quiet days to myself, and then have the weekend with

Michael

and the kids. It's been working out really well and I'm loving the new balance. I sort of fell into this job this year, hoping to move into it eventually, but never dreaming it would happen so soon. I love Sunflower, the staff, the students, the environment. I'm grateful to be working there and I'm so thankful for this new position in the library, which I love so so much!

15Linda Voss, Tara Grisier and 13 others

COVID-19 Day 242 - November 4 - I am thankful for Michael's safe, stable job.

November 4 - I'm thankful for Michael's job at a safe, stable, and respectful company in the aerospace industry. I've always known the aerospace industry was fickle, so I knew when we came to Wichita that the job market may be up and down for him here. However, I wanted to be close to my family, and aerospace is the best market for a Mechanical Engineer in Wichita. While his lack of experience was a problem the first couple years, he eventually made it to AeTR after a tremendous assist by Uncle Ed when we were in a really difficult spot. Since then, things have not always been easy, but the job has been stable. It breaks my heart when I read about Spirit, Hawker, Boeing, Textron, or Beechcraft laying off massive amounts of workers, with no regard for the people, their situations, the time of year, the financial climate, their years of service, or the situation the world finds itself in. I always stop and pray for those families, because I know that if Michael hadn't found his way to AeTR, it could have been him on the chopping block. But his company is different, small, stable. The people there care about their employees and they have taken care of us. We haven't had to worry day to day, month to month, or year to year if he'll have a job or not. I'm certain he could be making more elsewhere, but the job security is worth so much more than a few extra dollars a year. I am so thankful for this job and for Uncle Ed for laying the foundation for Michael to be able to get it. Having a steady job can bring calm to many a storm. He's been there for almost 8.5 years now, and I anticipate many more to come.

What I didn't add on Facebook is that I'm irritated with his company because he was supposed to get a raise at the beginning of June and it's been 5 months and we still haven't seen that raise. Of course, like I said in my FB post, the job security is worth it. But it's not because they don't have the money... It's because the boss is dragging his feet. The good news is that the company wants some equivalencies done in a hurry so they can stop losing money on this piece of equipment they're fixing for people. So, in order to get that done in a hurry, they are incentivizing the engineers to come in early, stay late, and work extra quickly on these parts, with a bonus. There are 50 parts they need to get completed and they have 3 engineers working on them. Michael thinks they'll be done in about a month. So that will be really nice to get a bonus right before Christmas. We'll see how things go. So far, Michael is mostly going in early and just staying a little late. He typically leaves the house before 6am. Before the bonus was on the table, sometimes he wouldn't leave the house until 7:30am (although he preferred to leave closer to 7). Anyway, that's what's going on. Michael also asked his boss for his raise and asked for a specific amount. But the way he asked was by going into his office, closing the door and saying, "Hey, do you have a minute to talk?" I'm sure the boss got a little nervous, as Michael is one of their best engineers and makes a ton of money for the company in the work that he does. So Michael himmed and hawed a bit and then finally said how much he wanted. The boss said he'd see what he could do. Michael thinks that raises can't happen at this time because the company is not having a good season. However, he thinks that the bonus is the boss's way of making up for it until this project is done, the company financials start looking better, and maybe the raise can come in January or so. Who know? We'll see. The good news is, that he has a good, stable job in a time when job security is very low for many mechanical engineers in Wichita. So for that, I am thankful. :)

COVID-19 Day 237 - November 3 - I'm Thankful for the Right to Vote

 November 3 - I am thankful for the right to vote and make my voice heard on who will lead and represent my interests in the large stage of our government. I know this is a privilege that many around the world do not have. I am thankful for the kind, open, and genuine conversations I've had leading up to this day. I'm thankful for the people who have different opinions without being smug, self righteous, condescending, or aggressive. I am thankful that each and every vote will be counted and that all voices will have a chance to be heard. I'm thankful this season is almost over, because it's been hard. I am thankful that my hope doesn't reside in a man in a white house, but in a Father on a throne. Whatever the results, this too shall pass. I'm thankful for my right to vote. I exercised that right and I'm proud of that.

It's not over.  Every vote will be counted.  The gaps are getting smaller.  I remain hopeful.

COVID-19 Day 237 - November 2 - I'm Thankful for Avery

 November 2 - I'm thankful for my sweet baby girl and so proud of her! A little over 8 years ago, Miss Avery Rose made me a mom. Our girl is kind and spunky, thoughtful and silly, hard-working and understanding, persistent and fierce. We love her so very much! We are also incredibly proud of the young lady she is becoming and of her hard work in school. The most recent example, obviously, being her Happy Hedgehog pumpkin. When we brainstormed what she might like to do for her project, she originally thought of DogMan. But then Mrs. Skibba found the book, The Happy Hedgehog, in the library and set it aside for her,, knowing she'd enjoy a story about a hedgehog after getting one for her birthday. After reading the story,, she was determined to make a hedgehog pumpkin. We discussed a plan and how she might accomplish just that. Then, over the next couple of weeks, she spent her spare time adding layers of paint, poking in several hundred toothpicks, and creating "Fuzzy Friends" from pom poms and googly eyes when she realized we'd have left over supplies. As I have already completed 2nd grade, I wasn't going to do her project for her. It's a hard line I draw in the sand when it comes to my children's school projects, even if they are done at home. I handled the hot glue gun, to keep her safe, and the rest of the work was her own. I love our sweet girl, her vision, and her work ethic. It is almost always a joy being her mother, because our girl exudes joy constantly. I tell Michael it really should have been her middle name, because joyful is one of the best words to describe her. A little over 8 years ago this sweet girl made me a mom, and I am so very thankful to have her in my life.

COVID-19 Day 235 - November 1 - I'm thankful for time with family, vacation, and making lemonade out of 2🍋2🍋

Good morning!  We're back from our vacation to Colorado and it was wonderful!  We had a fabulous time getting away for a bit and spending some time with Glenn and Linda, who we haven't seen in quite a while.  The kids got spoiled with candy from everyone and probably fared better than they would have on a normal Halloween.  I'll make another blog post all about our trip, but for now I want to start my annual November tradition of spending each day being thankful for the blessings in my life.  I write all of this on Facebook as well, but I thought I might copy and paste it here as well and write a bit more in some cases.  Last night after we got in we spent some time unpacking and cleaning the house up before heading to bed, so I didn't write yesterday, but I caught it up early this morning and I think the sentiment still holds, despite being 6 hours late.  ;)  Here's what I put on Facebook...

That time of year again! I know 2020 has been rough, so all the more reason to stop and take time to remember how extremely blessed I am.  

November 1st - I am thankful for time with family, vacation, and making lemonade out of 2🍋2🍋. I know that the number of Halloween celebrations with my kids while they're little are limited and growing fewer very quickly. We didn't even buy costumes this year, because it seemed cruel to get the kids all excited that way, when I knew I wasn't going to allow them to trick-or-treat this year. But God provides small blessings and I am trying to take note of these. So when Glenn and Linda invited us to Colorado for a weekend, it was the perfect distraction for this year when I knew Halloween would look different. Our little mini vacation was so much more than a distraction from Halloween though! It was so much better! Traveling, seeing the beautiful Colorado mountains, hiking, crafting, playing games, cooking, exploring, playing, shopping, eating, talking, relaxing, curiosity, and wonder, our small vacation was filled with so many things. We had an amazing time! So thank you, to my wonderful in-laws for facilitating this special trip, for your company, and for the memories! I am very thankful for you both! Happy November, Friends! ❤