30 days of Thankfulness....

I started posting one thing a day on Facebook -- I have way more than 30 things I'm thankful for, but this year (the past 6 months) have truly reminded me what IS most important in my life...My family, friends and the ability to focus on the positive ... everything happens for a reason and God will carry us through the good and not so good times...

1. Thankful for my little brother and celebrating more birthdays (11/1/11 was his 41 birthday)!
2. Thankful to have a job where I can flex my schedule and take my kiddo to school.
3. Thankful to work for a company that promotes safety, health & wellness!
4. Thankful for the gift of CaringBridge.com
5. Thankful for the father/daughter bond that Victor/Charlotte have.
6. Thankful for a little extra sleep and a kiddo that slept in despite the 1 hour fall back today!
7. Thankful for a kiddo who is MORNING child!
8. Thankful for all the fire/rescue and police out there that put their lives on the line for us everyday!
9. Thankful for eHarmony.com!!  All I wanted was a nice guy who makes me laugh...he finally stopped and asked for directions!
10. Thankful for all the occupational & physical therapists out there, they help so many re-learn so many things after a serious illness or traumatic injury.
11. Thankful to all the men and women who have served our country so proudly and put their lives on the line for our freedom!  Veteran's Day 11/11/11.
12. Thankful for my love of all things crafty!
13. Thankful for all the friends I've met/made through Intel over the past 20+ years!
14. Thankful for all the reconnects I've made thanks to Facebook!
15. Thankful for our HOME!
16. Thankful to live somewhere GREEN!
17. Thankful for POSITIVE attitudes!
18. Thankful for my in-laws and celebrating 44 years of marriage!
19. Thankful for an amazing Relay family and getting to hang out with 750 of our Relay peeps!!!
20. Thankful that my brother and family were her for over 9 days!!
21. Thankful 171 days later, my mom walked herself into her HOME (to stay)!!!
22. Thankful for three little cousins getting along so well!
23. Thankful for being a MORNING person!
24. Thankful to have many family and friends together for Thanksgiving!  Life is a precious gift!
25. Thankful for more time with family!
26. Thankful for extra long weekends with just the three of us hanging out TOGETHER!
27. Thankful that my folks are slowly but surely getting back to a routine at home TOGETHER again!
28. Thankful for over a week with my brother & his family - a most excellent time was had by all!
29. Thankful for paper calendars and that I don't have a Smart phone!
30. Thankful for the out pouring of love, prayers of support for my mom/dad during my mom's recovery....we found out today that she will have her Ilizarov removed on Friday, exactly 6 months to the day of the crash...HUGE answer to prayers!!!

Thanksgiving 2011...

So many photos taken, not ready to post any of them, especially since one of them is our Christmas Card...which I successfully mailed out on Saturday!!! LOVE Costco!

This has been a tough year for so many of our friends and loved ones. Despite the crash and life being thrown upside down for our family, we are STRONGER and CLOSER than ever before. Mom remains a rock and doesn't complain...We can ALL learn something from her.

You really do own your own happiness.  If you remain focused on the positive, even in the dark times, you will make it through....Life is a gift!

Silly faces are so much easier than all smiles with open eyes...

She's HOME!!!

HOME and with the puppies on her lap!!!

Mom walking in thru the garage...

Bestest steps EVER!

Kiddos and mom hanging out tonight!

Star student of the week...

Each kiddo got to be "Star Student" of the week....Charlotte's was the week before Thanksgiving....They got to have a big poster about them & their family, along with bringing the bear home...fun times!

What happens when the 5-year old takes the camera...

Self portrait in mirror...

She really wanted to take a photo of the postcard from Disneyland..

Mom and I were talking, realized what she was doing when she said "Cheese"...

And apparently she liked Grandma being out of bed...

Wordless Wednesday...

Ten on Tuesday...

1. Haven't done a list in a bit...thought it was time.
2. So looking forward to having next week off work and lots of time with family!
3. Can't believe TWO radio stations are already playing 24-hours of Christmas tunes.  I LOVE Christmas, but can we please enjoy regular tunes until AFTER Thanksgiving??
4. American Cancer Society Summit is this Friday/Saturday.  Can't wait to see so many Relay friends from all over Oregon & SW Washington...Dream It!  Hope It!  Cure It!  We certainly are working on it!
5. Super busy next few weeks at work...between Thanksgiving Warmdown meals, Craft Fairs, Holiday Buffets and more, I'm worn out just thinking about all of it...but it's all GOOD STUFF!
6. Breaking Dawn Part 1 premieres Thursday/Friday...can't wait to see it!!!
7. Charlotte passed the $1,000 mark in her FUNdraising for ACS yesterday...she's our 2nd Grand Club Member this year...with many, MANY more to come!
8. I have so many creative ideas for FUNdraising popping around in my head, sometimes it wakes me up at night....
9. Typing out my 30-days of Thankfulness on FB this month...when I'm all done, I'll post them on the blog.
10. Mom continues to get stronger and stronger each day...we are so blessed!  Since we will have so many of us around the week of Thanksgiving, she'll be HOME Monday - Sunday..YAHOO!!!

Who's ready for Relay Summit???

We are, we are!!!

Dream it!  Hope it!  Cure it!  The Magic of Relay is the theme....I saw purple mickey ears at another Relay event and I decided, why not do that with some BLING?  So, our Beaverton peeps, along with three of my other Relay buddies will be wearing these awesome purple ears....

Charlotte gets to do a cheer at some point on Friday night and she will also be making a return to the runway Saturday afternoon donning her 2012 Grand Club t-shirt....GO RELAY!

HOPE for the Holidays Bazaar 2011...

Great time in Vancouver at the Relay bazaar. Rosemary & I got to sit next to Libby, Leann, MJ & Jill. We had a GREAT Day!

Libby, Jill, MJ & Leann...the pom pom girls!

Rosemary & I sporting our DGI (Darn Good Idea) for 2012 Relay season...

The girls and their goods...

Libby, my complete VEGAN friend!

MJ & her cutie patotie grandson Wyatt!

Humor de Jour...

Tigger gloves (oh my) for JD

Waz and his Turkey Trot hat for Thanksgiving Day run...

Libby's custom made Turkey Trot Fancy Fan Fingers...

Who would have THUNK that stacking turtles could be so much fun???

AND the backside...

11.11.11.....

On this Veteran's Day....

Winterhawks in the house....

Intel house that is...we gave out over 350 tickets today...it was a FUN day!   We had four of the Hawks at the Aloha Campus today.  They were SO polite and SO quiet, painfully quiet...they were great signing pennants and talking to employees.

Winterhawks and our awesome volunteers!!!

Hawks and our friend "celebrity" Jerry Bell!

Hmm...what are they wearing on their hands I wonder?  :-)

Start of the line....it actually got longer, then under control.

Wordless Wednesday...

River time with Team SOAR (Survivors On A River)...

This morning I had the honor of finally rowing with part of Wasabi Team SOAR.  I know a lot of these ladies from Relay.  Sharon and Pat had been asking me for the past 2 years...TODAY was the day. It was raining and chilly, but fortunately I purchased a pair of water proof pants at Freddies before I went to the Willamette River. GREAT TIME today....THANK YOU ladies!

Amazing Ladies...

View of Portland today...little soggy.

Walking down to the boat.

We were on one that looks like the one closest to the dock.

Coach Corky giving us some helpful tips!

Wordless Wednesday...

Hello November...

This was taken before school...you would think I was torturing her or something...

What happens when you are sick ON Halloween...you bring all the pumpkins home the next day...

Working on her "The Story of Jack"...much better while wearing her pumpkin heat hat!

Etsy.com goodness via snail mail...Turtles, wonder who that is going to??