A Life of Gratitude

We ordered our 2nd grade Homeschool curriculum a few days ago and it has arrived! Dylan and I enjoyed opening the box and looking through all of the Sonlight 2nd grade books! We could barely get the box open before Dylan started squealing with excitement. He loves books, which is one reason I picked this curriculum, so all these books just made his day! I've been researching Christian Homeschooling Curriculums for quite a while. Since we'll be starting second grade in the fall I wanted to find a curriculum that was Bible based and would be enjoyable for both Dylan and myself. Sonlight uses lots of amazing literature that will make learning exciting. There are no boring textbooks! This curriculum is grounded in and motivated by scripture. Students learn history in a way that makes the past "come to life!" There are so many wonderful things about this curriculum! Can you tell that I am excited?? He is SO excited!!!! Look at all of these books! Dylan

I've haven't written in a few days because one of my little munchkins chewed on the power cord for my laptop and ruined it. My laptop was completely dead and still would be except that my husband bought me a new power cord. Thanks Honey! This evening, while we were preparing dinner, Dylan decided he really wanted to help. So for the first time ever, Dylan prepared a salad for dinner. He cut the cucumbers all by himself and helped cut the tomato. He also put everything into the bowl and mixed it up. Too bad he wouldn't try it! After dinner he was a huge help with cleaning up all the dirty dishes. He took the dishes off the table, rinsed them in the sink and placed them in the dish washer. He also wiped the table. Evan even picked up on what his big brother was doing and helped but a bowl or two in the dishwasher! Today I cannot believe how fast my biggest boy is growing up! I am thankful that he is so helpful and eager to learn. He was

This morning, during our worship service, we sang a song that really touched my heart. We've sang it before and I've always liked it, but today was different. Part of the song says, "Christ is enough for me. Christ is enough for me. Everything I need is in You. Everything I need." As I sang those lyrics, I began to ask myself, "Really? Is Christ enough for you, Tori?"  I've been having such a hard time with this pregnancy. I've been so sick and weak and just plain tired. I've also been battling doubt and frustration over my seemingly never-ending worker's comp case. Plus, we've been searching for our next home and we're having a difficult time finding what we need in our price range. This has caused me to feel very panicked. It's no excuse, but being pregnant has really added to my impatience and frustration. Every mom wants to be settled in her own home when a baby comes and I'm no different. I'm just being honest wh

I am 10 weeks along in my pregnancy today! As I was reading a weekly update on the baby I saw that he or she is the size of a kumquat. I immediately thought, "what in the world is a kumquat!?" I asked Bryan and he didn't know either so he googled it and came up with this picture and many others like it.  Now I know that a kumquat is a small citrus fruit but more importantly, this picture gives me a good idea of how big my 3rd child is right now. That is so exciting for me! This baby is growing!! Just last week it was only the size of an olive.  Can you believe that this little miracle is already swallowing? He or she is kicking up a storm too! It's vital organs such as kidneys, intestines, and brains are already beginning to function. The inner portion of the ear is complete so this little cutie can hear me! And believe it or not, this sweet baby even has fingerprints!  The updates also say that many women will experience some nausea during these last

This has been another rough week. Yesterday was one of the worst days I have had with this pregnancy so far and today wasn't much better. When Bryan is working from home he is able to help me quite a bit but when he has to go into the office, I'm left alone with the boys. Don't get me wrong, I love being with my boys, but its hard to be this sick with a 2 year old and a 5 year old. Last night before the boys went to bed, Bryan asked them to be my helpers today since he wouldn't be here. They promised they would!  My little guys kept their promise! They were so good today. They slept in until 8:30am, which is absolutely unheard of in our family! When they did get up, they came and laid in the bed with me for 45 minutes. It was precious. Dylan was a big helper today and Evan followed after his big brother. They both took very good care of me!  This afternoon I was feeling really bad and it was obvious that Dylan felt sorry for me. He kept rubbing my face and aski

We had planned on visiting a local nursing home on Valentine's Day but 9 inches of snow kept us from it. Dylan was bummed because he made tons of Valentines to hand out. So, this afternoon we decided to take our to trip Abbots Creek Nursing Center. The boys really enjoyed themselves. They handed out over 30 cards and brought a lot of joy to the residents. Evan was a little shy but Dylan went right up to each person, told them his name and also introduced his brother. He also answered their questions and explained why we were visiting. I loved watching him interact with the elderly. He has visited nursing homes his entire life so he isn't uncomfortable around these sweet people. I also loved watching the faces of each recipient of a valentine. Maybe it was better that we couldn't go on Valentine's Day. This way they received some joy and love on a random Sunday as well! Today I am thankful for an enjoyable time at Abbots Creek. All of the r

12 years ago today Bryan and I went to dinner at Arigato's Japanese Restaurant (my favorite place) to celebrate Valentine's Day. We had already been dating for 6 years because we were high school sweethearts. I had received flowers from Bryan earlier in the day so I wasn't expecting anything else and honestly, I was a little sad because I had been hoping for a while that Bryan might "pop the question" soon. As silly as it sounds, I had known for  years that Bryan was "The One" so I had been waiting for a long time to hear that question! So, we had a nice dinner and at the end of the meal Bryan pushed his chair back and got down on one knee. I was totally shocked! I could barely comprehend what was happening. He told me that I didn't have to wait any longer and he asked me to be his bride. I was so surprised that I couldn't even form words. I remember him saying, "is that a yes?" I just started saying, "yes, yes, yes!" I was a

Today has been very exciting for our little family! The boys have been so happy about all this snow! We have over 9 inches! That is unheard of in this area! I honestly don't remember it ever snowing quite this. The boys had a blast sledding, throwing snowballs, and building a snowman. This was their very first snowman! We've never had enough snow to actually build a snowman before. I wouldn't be surprised if we end up building another one tomorrow! My boys and their snowman! This afternoon one of our neighbors decided to brave the roads and drive somewhere. She got about about 50 feet before getting stuck in the snow and ice. We noticed what was going on outside the front door because there was a crowd gathered around the car. They were trying to shovel the snow from around the tires. Dylan was busy making Valentine cards when he decided that he just had to go outside and help. He was adamant about it. About that same time a snowplow showed up and scrapped just enoug

If you haven't heard Plumb's new song, "Don't deserve you," please take a couple of minutes to listen to it. You won't regret it! It is my favorite song right now. Sometimes songs are exactly what you need during a season of life and this is definitely the song for me right now! I've felt so useless lately since I've been so sick. I've had a hard time feeling like I am worthy of much of anything. I think that is why I love this song. It reminds me that I never have deserved God's love and no matter what, I can't lose it. When life feels like its falling apart, His arms are open wide. He gives me all I need. He has chosen to love me. And when I am wandering or losing focus, He runs after me. How amazing is this undeserved love? Today I am thankful that when everything else seems to be going wrong, God's love is sturdy, stable, and unchanging. I am grateful for His wide open arms and His willingness to love even me. I am also g

Bryan and I surprised the boys with Circus tickets tonight! When we told them we were going, Evan kept saying, "We're going to see da andimals!" Dylan was super excited too. I don't think either of them really had any idea what to expect. Dylan went when he was 2 years old but doesn't remember it and this was the first time for Evan. It really was a great show! Bryan and I enjoyed it as much as the boys did! As I watched these awesome animals do tricks and the acrobats push their bodies to such extremes, I was completely taken back. Our God has created so many wonderfully amazing creations! Who knew a 7,000 pound elephant could do a headstand? Or a ferocious tiger would give his master a kiss? On the way home Evan said that the elephants and the tigers were his favorite things of the night. Dylan loved the acrobats and the motorcycles. Today, I am thankful for the ability to take our boys to see The Greatest Show on Earth. They really

Today was pretty nice out. Still chilly but pretty nice. This afternoon we went to the park for a little bit. The boys played on the swings and the slide for a while but their favorite part of the park was the open field nearby. They ran and ran as Bryan and I just watched them. Then they started rolling down the hill. It was hilarious. Dylan figured out how to do it pretty well but Evan was basically doing sideways, half cartwheels. He said, "ouch" after every flip. It was so much fun to watch them. Who knew that an open field could be more fun than than a very expensive playground set. Today I am thankful for the wide open spaces that God created for us to enjoy. It must bring joy to His heart to watch his little children enjoying the simplicity of a wide open field. Its definitely nice to see them having fun in nature instead of just being mesmerized by the TV, Leap Pads, or one of our cell phones. I am also grateful for a "warm enough" afternoon to s

Thankfully my doctor has prescribed some medication to help with this horrific morning sickness I'm dealing with. It doesn't make take the nausea better but it helps me to keep some of my food down. The only problem has been that my insurance company would only approve 4 pills per month. Yes, that says 4! I was prescribed 60 pills per month and given only 4.  I have been praying that God would provide and give me what I need to make it through this pregnancy. Without fail, He came through again! Today I was able to pick up a full bottle of my prescription! One of the nurses at my doctor's office was on the phone with my insurance company for an hour fighting for me. Bless her heart! Some people do still do their jobs! God sure did use her to bless me this week! Today I am thankful that in a world of people that are barely doing their jobs, there are some folks who still do their jobs to the best of their ability. I am also thankful that my God is so faithful

Almost 3 years ago we decided to put our house on the market. When we made that choice, I would have never guessed that it would take 2 and 1/2 years to sell.  At least a thousand times during those 2 and 1/2 years I questioned God's timing. I hate to admit it but I was angry because it was taking so long and frankly, God wasn't moving at my pace. Now that we are past the selling of our home and living at my mom's while we search for the perfect home, I am so grateful for God's timing.  Since we moved in with my parents 2 months ago, my grandfather passed away, my stepdad found out he had cancer and had a major surgery, and I found out I'm pregnant. Without a doubt, I can see why God wanted us here for this season of our lives. My boys have brought joy to my mom while she has grieved the loss of her dad. We have been able to help as my stepdad has recovered from surgery and most recently, my mom has been able to help me. Being 2 months pregnant with