Give thanks with a grateful heart

Yes, you are right again. The previous title was, "Give thanks with a grateful fart". My husband's look after sharing that with him had me changing it to something a little more mature, for fear of a roundhouse kick to the face.

Anywhosies, leading up to Thanksgiving Julius had to travel for 5 weeks in a row. This to say I was ready for a relaxing Thanksgiving of him not leaving  me and the kids, and as little chaos as possible. So I got my way and the 4 of us headed away to Blowing Rock for a cozy mountain getaway to a quaint mountain cabin tucked away from civilization.

We left Wednesday morning and our first stop as we arrived was Mast General for some nostalgia and candy.

  Side Note: We are anti sugar for the most part(It  helps grow the cancer. Folks i beg you do the research and save your life).Henceforth we limit what we give our children, but there are a thousand factors which make it  next to impossible for them to never have any.  Factor #934 Their biological parents take them to a candy store.Their Halloween candy was soon forgotten after trick-or-treating because it's hidden and the tyrant that i am makes them drink a glass of green juice before candy. "Carey that sounds like abuse to me!" Please settle down. My kids love and chug it. So really Halloween is a time of promoting health. I will put  the leftover candy in their stockings. When that is hidden and forgotten I'll put it in their Easter baskets. And so the vicious cycle continues. Now how is that for taking the fun out of things and saving a couple bucks?

If you are in the market, I use a Breville Juice Fountain and have been very pleased.

 

We then ate lunch at Macados where Jet was sobbing the whole time in desperate need of a nap. For dinner we went to Woodlands for some BBQ and live music. Something came over me and I needed the whiskey sour drink special. I had to chug it because my kids were reaching and fighting for the cherry in the bottom. I then felt strangely calm and happy. Then Jet grabbed the Tabasco with no lid. He playfully began swinging it all over the place. My shirt and  the bottom part of my hair was soaked with red sauce. I didn't let that kill my buzz. What killed my buzz was when I heard the little girl at the table behind me say, "Mommy you have something red all over your purse." My heart sunk as I half turned and noticed her Coach purse covered in Tabasco as well. I could have died. I started reaching for my purse to get out my check book while I made Julius initiate conversation with them. I then immediately turned around and started my apologies only to see that it had also gotten on her fur coat. But my, what grace they did display. I didn't get chewed out as I had braced myself for and I never did end up cutting her a check. The daughter said, " At least our shirts aren't completely covered like yours" so I said "Oh but child, my shirt cost about 1/19th of your mothers purse". Why I can't have the finer things in life Reason #426: In case open bottles with red liquid inside are in reach of a little boys hands.

 While driving to and fro our cabin, several times as soon as I would start to be frightened by the windy and steep mountain roads that I thought my husband should have been going a few miles slower on, I would almost start to pray aloud as Jet from the back seat having the same thoughts would intercede with "God, please make daddy not drive off the road."

We made a Thanksgiving meal. Twas joyous to have made the pumpkin pie and green beans from some of our preserved summer crops. Jet was ripping them left and right at dinner.

Whilst I dislike the hot stank mosquito infested humid summers, I  totally dig the harvest.

Earlier Thanksgiving day I was joking with Julius about how we should knock on the other houses around our mountain just to say "Happy Thanksgiving" then break out in Christmas carols to make things uncomfortable.(Side not again: When I was 12, a couple girls and I went Christmas caroling spur of the moment. I came home with a wad of cash. If you are short on cash this month and have kids, send them out singing. If you don't have kids, borrow someones). So we finished dinner with only a few bumps and bruises. I got a bite on the shoulder and a head butt in the gut. Spankings and time outs were served. Consequences must prevail. As I was putting dishes in the sink I look out the window above the sink into the dark night and see Christmas carolers right in front of my face. I screamed bloody murder and ran and hid behind Julius. I thought because we are in the middle of nowhere that these people are going to stop mid song and take out machine guns and shoot us. Julius went to check out the scene and said, "It's Emily and Todd". They are my cousins and live in the next town but they didn't know we were in town nor did a single one of our family members know our exact location . My first thought was, "They are going to freak out when they realize we are in town and happen to be staying here since they are randomly out caroling." Not so. Todd works for the Property Management company who we were renting our house from and saw Julius' name on the rental agreement and was all, "That's my cousin". So they came to surprise us and grace us with their presence and bear us a gift basket. They have a CD out that we all love and Jet knows all the words so we got our very own concert. At one point amidst the music you could faintly hear in the background a child screaming, "CAN SOMEBODY WIPE MY BUTT!". At least his toots were not done in vain at the dinner table.

They are called 'Battle Victorious' and if you want crack for your ears, check them out on itunes. They are ah-mah-zing. 

 If I had to end with one word of advice... it would be if you are Christmas caroling stay away from my house. I may run and grab a gun out of fear. But seriously, I am so undeserving of every good thing in my life. I am shown grace more than I can handle at times. For that I am grateful, so as always, a song from my childhood.                                                                                                          

GIVE THANKS
WITH A GRATEFUL HEART
GIVE THANKS
TO THE HOLY ONE
GIVE THANKS
FOR HE'S GIVEN
JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON
AND NOW LET THE WEAK SAY
I AM STRONG
LET THE POOR SAY
I AM RICH
BECAUSE OF WHAT
THE LORD HAS DONE
FOR US

 

This post was brought to you today from the NRA and the film Fat, Sick and nearly dead. God bless.

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates...

You never know what the beep your son will say.

That son is Jet. I know people love their own children. I know people rant and rave about their children(gag). Oh I'm sorry did I say that out loud? But because I blog a total of never, I am going to write a couple of things from the past couple of weeks that Jet has said, in hopes of not gagging anyone in the process. Because really I do love my children, and they do crack me up.

Some nights it is a long process for 3 yr. old Jet to go to bed. He'll come out of his room several times after we have discussed the day, prayed, read books, sang songs and so forth. "I'm hungry." "I'm thirsty." "I need to pee." "So mom, I want to see if you're doin good" "I want to give you 5 hugs but don't count." These are all amongst the usual excuses of why he is out. Before you think I am a lax parent, rest assured that there are consequences for this naughty behavior. However, some things are too funny to get mad at. For instance our most recent fact we learned from him when he should have been in bed, "Hey dad, poop smells bad but dead squirrel smells worse." Thank you son, I will remember that for when I'm a contestant on Jeopardy next month.
- "Scents for $500 Alex"
-"This smells worse than poop."
 "What is dead squirrel?."
-"You are correct and now take control of the board."

Some days I wake up in the morning to Jet standing on the side of my bed staring at me. He waits for me to open my eyes and immediately tells me something interesting like, "Mitt Romney" and then will walk away. Last week it was "Denise is your friend." This is funny because the end of September he saw this picture below and wasn't familiar with Denise so he made it a point to remember her name that day. Multiple times that day he wanted to look at the picture and tell me her name. He hadn't spoken of her since that day but I guess wanted to remind me that morning what otherwise I would have forgotten.

"Yes Jet. She is my friend. Now go make me an espresso and some focaccia"

While I was cooking i felt a presence staring at me so I turned around. It was Jet. He said, "Obamaphone" and then left the kitchen.

Jet has been reciting Deuteronomy 6:5 for probably a year now. But recently, every time he hears Mitt Romney he says, "Mitt Romney 6:5" and I have been thinking to myself, "Ok, maybe he has learned some facts about our presidential nominee and maybe Mitney has a stature of 6ft 5in. He said it again last night in the car but Julius was there this time. He busted out laughing. I said, "What did you teach him Mitts height or something?" He said, "No, he thinks he is saying a verse." So I said, "Jet say the whole thing." And he is like "Mitt Romney 6:5- You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength. Mitt Romney 6:5". Such confidence for being so wrong.

Eating dinner Jet threw his arm around his daddy and said, "Dad we're best buds. Mom take our picture." So after I demanded some manners, I did.

Monday my dad and I both needed to go to Costco so we decided to go together. As soon as he walked in Jet said, "Nonno, only the doctor can touch your penis. If it hurts, the doctor can make it better." This kid is a slew of information.

Forever grateful for Costco's large carts and samples.

 

And forever grateful for my children. They truly are a precious gift. Jet is a non- stop singer like his mother so it only fits that I end with the song that has been on his lips all day today. We had a praise session in our kitchen this morning while listening to this song. Him standing on the counter with his hands raised high and me crying over the sink overwhelmed with God's love and grace and abundant blessings. "Mommy are you crying cus you are happy or sad?"

So happy sweet child of mine. So happy.

 

"10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)"

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes


Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find


Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore


Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name
Lord, I'll worship Your holy name

Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name
I'll worship Your holy name