Helping Hands

We were not meant to walk through this life alone. 

God designed friendships and families to keep us connected, and we are better because of it. 

Sometimes I have a hard time recieving help. 

 I like to be the helper, but I get prideful and don't want to ask for help,  or take it when it's offered. 

But, when you have a baby the truth is- you need lots of it.

Today I'm grateful for help. 

I hope I can give back a tiny bit of what I've recieved in the years to come.

Thankful for my hubbs.  He has put up with A LOT of mood swings throughout my pregnancy, he supported me through labor and delivery, and he continues to be loving throughout the postpardum hormone extravaganza.  Love him for it.  This was the last picture of us as a family of 3- just before I went to the hospital. 

So grateful that my mom could come all the way from MT to help me for a week.  Cecily couldn't have asked for a better playmate, and I couldn't have asked for a better mom.  So giving and loving and helpful.  This is grandkid #21 for her- and she is as excited about him as she was about #1.  (and thanks to my daddy for letting her come and missing her for a whole week)

Thankful for the nurses and staff at LDS hospital.  Wierd that I don't know any of them personally, but I shared a really personal part of my life with them.  Speaking from my experience with Cecily (not as great) it really makes a TON of difference to have a supportive medical team who listens to you and doesn't make you feel like you don't know what's going on with your own body.  The whole staff was fab.  Loved it. 

I don't have any pictures............

but I'm also grateful for the meals, the phonecalls and the love and prayers from neighbors, relatives, friends, ward members, and loved ones.

Sometimes it's ok to accept help and give up the "I can do it myself" mentality.  It has blessed me over the past week, and hopefully I am a bit more humble and grateful in the future.

 

2009

I am grateful for 2009.  Here are some of the reasons:

I got pregnant in 2009.  Anyone who says that creating life isn't a miracle is seriously crazy (or sadly misinformed).  I am grateful that I've been given this beautiful experience.

I watched Cecily grow and learn a million new things.  She can identify all her letters, she's working on her numbers, she loves to sing and dance, she is full of energy, and tons of fun to be around. 

2009 moved us to Utah, and I am grateful for the new friends and experiences we've had here. 

2009 was full of fun experiences, and not too many sad ones. 

I am excited for 2010 and the good things it will bring.  A baby boy, a completed MBA degree, and more fun.

Thanksgiving

I am blessed much more than I deserve. I am a mormon (go here), and I am thankful today, and every day, for that. It makes me happy and enriches my life much more than anything else I have ever tried. Part of being mormon is believing in The Book of Mormon. There was a prophet named King Benjamin who summed up how I feel today. He says :

-I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—

- I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

-And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

- And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

- And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?

-And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you.

" I say unto you, that there are not any among you, except it be your little children that have not been taught concerning these things, but what knoweth that ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are... (mosiah, chapter 2 if you want to look it up)


I am indebted to my Heavenly Father and to Jesus Christ. Much more so than I could ever repay.


Here's this years "THANKSGIVING LIST" although, isn't that what this blog is? But anyway....

I'm thankful for:
mike and cecily and my boy growing inside me
the ability/opportunity to grow a baby
my health
food
my apartment
my parents, siblings, and other extended family
mike's parents, siblings, and other extended family
computers
showers
art
music
good books
an education
a stable income
a comfy bed
God, Christ, and a knowledge that there is a plan and purpose for my life

A smattering of gratitude

Tonight I'm grateful just to be me. Nothing too specific, but I'm happy with my life.

I have joy in my husband and my child. I have joy in the baby growing inside me. I am grateful to know what a gift and blessing that truly is.

I am grateful that my parents taught me right from wrong. I'm grateful that I didn't grow up with a lot of money.

I'm glad that I can find happiness in hard work. I'm glad that I can find happiness in being lazy when the work is done.

I'm grateful for God. I'm grateful for Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for my turn on earth.

Little Boy Blue

I have known for a week that Michael and I are having a baby boy. I'll be honest: at one point, part of me was hoping the ultrasound tech would tell me we were having a sister for my Cecily. I love sisters. Then, as I looked over at my beaming -and by beaming I mean GLOWING, GRINNING, BRIGHT EYED and JOYOUS- husband, all my longing for a girl was right away forgotten and swallowed up in my beaming about my tiny dude inside.

Today, I read this post from CJane, who's blog is the most fun to read- she's such a great writer. Gratitude and excitement for my boy was renewed again. I even cried a little. So unlike me....... ok, just kidding....... exactly like me.

Today I am grateful for one of each. That is definitely something to be grateful for.

Good Entertainment

The other night I watched "My Girl" on netflix. I LOVE netflix, but that's another grateful post entirely. After I watched it I felt good. I felt like it was just a good movie with good things in it. Nothing earth shattering, just cute kids and a nice message about putting family first. The little girl in it (who was 11) was portreyed as a LITTLE girl. Not a "tween" (who came up with that anyway?), and she didn't act like an 11 year old trying to be 17. I am thankful that there's still great movies out there to watch and good books to read, and I'm glad I can pick and choose what I want to see. And PS- I bawled like a baby.

Be Thou Humble

Today was "one of those days". One of those, "why did I decide to give up a career and be a stay at home mom?" days. One of those "My pants seriously don't fit?" days. One of those "I really can't quit crying and I'm not sure why, but if I don't find out soon I'm gonna gouge my eyes out" days.

I was just about to pull my hair out, and then I heard a song called "Every Breath" by Jenny Phillips. The words to the first few verses and chorus go like this:

His hands are catching your tears

And even without any words, He hears

You feel so far, but he's right where you are and He knows

Every Breath

Every pain

He knows your heart and He knows your name

Giver of life, light in your soul.

Oh, come home,come rest

Let Him bless

your every breath

Silence your voice and be still

And even without any words, you will feel

You think you are far, but He lives in your heart and He knows

Every breath

Every pain

He knows your heart and He knows your name

Giver of life, light in your soul

Oh, come home, come rest

Let Him Bless

Your every breath

I realized that I gave up my career to stay at home with my girl because I love her and in the long run, I will be more fulfilled and happy as a mom than as anything else. I realized that I don't fit into my pants because I'm so lucky and blessed and happy to be pregnant. I realized that I can't quit crying because sometimes you just need to get it all out, and atleast I have an avenue to do that. (hormones may have played a small part too)

And, so, here I am grateful that I was humbled by a song. Grateful for the bad days becuase without them, we don't appreciate the good ones. Grateful for a merciful God who knows and loves me in spite of my serious, serious weakness and catches my tears even when I'm too caught up in life to get on my knees.