Giving Thanks

Me and our niece (God-daughter) Ashlee.

I could list a million and one things I am thankful for, but it wouldn't be a complete list, just the first million plus one. I could hardly sleep Tuesday night after the great delivery. I was anxiously anticipating seeing my other half the next day. Up and at 'em early I was and we made our 6 hr journey to Council Bluffs IA to see my hubby and his family. Our first order of business (at least that would be appropriate to mention) is to get our new rings. When we got married we bought our wedding bands and work rings -solid white gold rings engraved with our special saying inside. We didn't want to ruin our pretty wedding bands and my cute little diamond ring working as paramedics when we wed. Well, Shawn has misplaced his white gold work ring and instead wears his Tungston steel ring I gave him we we got engaged (it's indestructible) and my ring is worn so often that no matter how often I get it re-dipped it's yellow by the end of the month. So we decided for our 2nd anniversary we would get new Tungston work rings. We pick them up in December - can't wait!! That night we met up with his folks, his sister's family and kids for dinner, relatively uneventful except that I was completely embarrassed multiple times by comments about things I wouldn't have talked about at a table with a 4yr old and 8yr old. Thanksgiving the next day was pretty neat. Shawn's parents, me and my mom, his sister and husband with their two kids (one of which is our God-daughter) and a family friend of theirs with their two boys. Lots of food, wine and good times. I played a wii for the first time and although I was beaten badly by a 3 yr old in mario kart it was still fun. Our evening was topped off watching Kung Fu Panda with our niece and nephew although we were to only ones awake at then end of it. My mom and I went shopping in the black Friday mess after taking Shawn to the airport. 36 hrs with him just isn't enough but it's better than nothing. I was glad he went home when he did and picked up the little ones - Wrigley was super sick when he picked them up which resulted in an emergency vet visit last night four medications and ear cultures and an E-collar (which she won't wear). I need to be home with my little ones and my big one. It's too hard on everyone for me to be gone like this and it's only been 3 weeks. Shawn has been doing such a great job doing everything at home and has even managed to swing by the house during work hours to check on the little ones.

I said my mom and I went shopping on black Friday but we didn't spend thousands on Christmas gifts like my mother in law and we didn't hit the stores at 4am either. We just went to a couple places looking for just a couple things and then we hit the fabric store to buy yards and yards and yards of fabric marked 50% off. I have some how been coerced into making my first quilt (to add to the 4 generations of quilts I will inherit one day), so I had to pick out 15 different fabrics, my mom is making a quilt with me so there is 15 more fabrics and we decided while we are just whipping out these quilts we should make one for grandma too - another 15 fabrics. I'll be happy just to finish cutting all the pieces of mine. All the way back to grandma's we stopped at different places to look for more fabric trying to find the perfect fabric patterns and colors to complete the collection for our new masterpieces. Wish me luck.

36hrs may not have been enough but I am thankful for that small amount of time to spend with the person I love more than anything in the entire world and I am grateful he made it home to save our Wrigs. 4 more weeks and I am back home for 4 days. I hope they go super fast and then I will give thanks for that too.