Attitude Adjuster

I was thinking back to my childhood (which I tend to do a lot now as Avery gets older and is participating in and doing so many more things than I'm ready for her to) and I was remembering the paddle that hung in the kitchen with the bold blue letters that ran across it that said ATTITUDE ADJUSTER.  Just its presence was intimidating.  I think about those two words frequently because the older I get the more I realize just how much more my attitude still needs adjusting....  Although I had my fair share of attitude adjuster moments as a child, the experiences I have experienced this year have been the biggest ATTITUDE ADJUSTER for me!

I have been wanting to make a thankful post but really want it to be a little different because I feel our family has been blessed beyond what I could have ever asked for in the past 11 months!  So although I am thankful for my supportive family and friends, our home, every ward we have ever lived in, a working car, freedom, the gospel of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, good health, beauty in nature, etc I am going to make a "Not your Ordinary Thankful Post" of things that reflect my Attitude Adjustment... Here goes-

~I'm thankful for the Professors who assigned papers I was NOT thrilled about writing because it made me stretch beyond my comfort zone, become more informed, and understand new ideas from different perspectives.

~I'm thankful for the job around our old complex Joey was able to do to drastically reduce our rent although it came along with some pretty scary incidents including the dead man (overdose) he and the other maintenance man found. (that's for another post)

~I'm thankful that when I was sick during pregnancy with Ansley that it was always in the evening so I could get to school during the day and finish my last semester.

~I'm thankful for our old 550 sq. ft. apartment in Athens that so inexpensively got us through our last 2 years of school.

~I have never been so excited for wet diapers until this summer!  It means my baby has a fully functioning and healthy set of kidneys.

~I am thankful for Microbiology (wow never thought I'd say that) because it is the field Joey enjoys and an area for him to further his education.

~I am thankful to feel sore after a workout because it means I have a strong & healthy body that allows me to work out.

~I am thankful for the ways Avery tries my patience during the day because it helps keep me in constant communication with my Heavenly Father...
         -side note: I know I talk a lot about Avery and how she is difficult but she has lots of good moments and makes me smile multiple times a day.  especially when I get the random out of nowhere, "I love you mom"!  She's  a sweet girl:)  & man I see myself in her daily...

~I'm thankful for the sound of a baby crying even at 3am especially when the cry is in my house!  (it means the lungs are functioning and I have a baby alive and well WITH me)

~I'm thankful for spit-up (from Ansley) on a stretched out shirt (from Avery pulling on me) because it means I am fortunate to have children.

& last but not least

~I am thankful for the 4 1/2 years of wet towels on my bed ;) because it is evidence of my sweet husband who makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world!   after 2 years of telling and showing him where to hang his towel after his shower, I quit getting on to him. Now it just makes me chuckle inside!

Happy early-Thanksgiving Family and Friends!!!!  

My heart is full of an infinite supply of thank-you's for your love and support especially this last year!

Hide-n-Seek & Hairpulling

Highlights from our week:

Avery has learned to play hide-n-seek, but has not quite gotten the hang of it...

After the seeker counts and calls out, "ready or not here I come!", she immediately responds, "I'm right here."  This is frustrating yet funny for a competitive mommy who placed her in the ULTIMATE hiding place where I was sure daddy would never find her!!!

 The hiding place I concocted (in the storage closet wedged between boxes and the vacuum was in front of her)

 one of her hiding places

& the Fun Begins...

I am in the kitchen getting lunch ready and Avery lets out a loud shrill.  She runs into me sobbing because Ansley has pulled her hair.  While Avery was playing with Ansley, Ansley had gotten a good hold on her hair.  Sure enough when I went over to where Ansley was she had a good several pieces of Avery's locks in her hand.  I can't decide if Avery was more heartbroken that Ansley would do such a thing because she adores her little sister or if it really hurt that bad.  I explained to her that Ansley doesn't really know what she is doing yet and Avery seemed to be ok with it.  Since then she always asks me to pull her hair back before playing with lil sis:)  I got a feeling this time won't be the last!

One stinkin' CUTE "hair-puller"

p.s.  How I got outsmarted by a 3 year old this week:

Avery is our little 'aquaholic'.

I can NOT keep her out of the water.

It doesn't help that the only entrance to her bathroom is through her bedroom.

I am ALWAYS getting onto her about playing in the water.

So today when I'm feeding Ansley I hear the water running

for a LONG time

Finally I holler for her to come here-

She knows what I'm going to say to her.

When she comes around the corner to where I am

before I even get a word out she tries to convincingly tell me, "Mom, I'm not playing in the water, I'm just washing my hands 5 times!"  

She really keeps me on my toes...

To Grandma's House We Go!

 This move to Little Rock has made us only 3 1/2 hours from home!  & I LOVE it!!!  -so does Mom can't you tell?!?! 

 Ansley was such a trooper!  Excluding the ride to TX she was awesome; she was always looking around, giggling, smiling, and taking it all in.  The entire morning before we left, Avery filled her in on everything at Grandma's (Scruffy, Granpa, her Uncles- she thinks its so cool Uncle Ryan works at Chick-fil-A~her fav, the movie room, the stairs etc)

 Avery picking green peppers out of Grandpa's garden

 Ansley talkin' & gigglin' with Grandpa 

(excuse his shirt please, if you know my dad he has an unexplainable sense of humor...)

& of course Avery knows Granma ALWAYS has chapstick!

Some other highlights from the trip:

games til 2am

window shopping (Mom and I aren't the sizes we want to be yet...)

golfing (the guys)

Mingi (foreign exchange student from S. Korea) showing Avery his guitar, flute, and helping her on the piano- she was in heaven!

& the girls being spoiled ROTTEN!

Needless to say I am VERY excited we'll be so close for the next 4-5 years!!!!
Now, If only I can get my sisters and cousins closer...