Giving Thanks...S

Here are 33 (his age) things, that I'm thankful for, that make up my spouse.

1) He's the main cook in our family. When The Lime was born, we didn't request meals to be brought over, since he wasn't the one that gave birth and was still able to provide a hot meal for us.

2) He makes me laugh, even when I don't want to.

3) He's the calm one that assures me everything is going to be alright.

4) Even though he hates short hair, he lets me do whatever I want with mine. As long as he can have a beard.

5) He kills spiders for me...with his bare hands.

6) He knows me far too well and can go Christmas and birthday shopping without a list, and get the perfect thing.

7) He can fix anything. The neighbor's garbage can had a wheel missing and The Lime said, "Daddy fix it?"

8) He gets sad if The Lime and I don't say goodbye to him in the morning.

9) He accomplishes things.

10) He wears delicious smelling deodorant.

11) Although a big guy, he can melt into a puddle of mush when The Lime is around.

12) He puts up with my craziness and bratiness.

13) He can be covered in dirt during the week but cleans up nicely for church.

14) He can fix our cars so we don't have to trust a sketchy mechanic.

15) When we want to make a major purchase, he researches long and hard to make sure we get the best one.

16) He's made a connection with the YM in our ward and wants to make sure they go down the right path.

17) He doesn't care that I have little boobs.

18) He goes out in the middle of the night to get The Lime medicine when he's sick.

19) He's taken me around the world.

20) He offers to give me blessings when I'm sick.

21) He forgives me time and time again.

22) He's gotten into Advent over the last few years, except he still won't wear his church clothes.

23) He rarely lets things bother him.

24) He drives a beater car so we don't have to have a car payment.

25) He married me in the temple.

26) He makes cute kids.

27) He has an eternal perspective on things.

28) He thinks my chocolate chip cookies are the best.

29) He's okay with our children having traditional German and Dutch first names.

30) He likes to have fun and joke around, and sometimes thinks I'm too serious.

31) He's a very thorough ironer.

32) He's willing to do whatever he has to to provide for our needs.

33) He loves me.

Giving Thanks...R

This song is not what I'm thankful for.

But I am thankful when people take responsibility for their actions rather than pointing the finger and blaming someone else

Giving Thanks...Q

This is not far fetched. I REALLY am thankful for...

I know I shouldn't do it every day, but I clean my ears the second I get out of the shower. Part of it is to get the water out but I also love the feeling.

Growing up, when my mom would still clean our ears, she would lightly moisten the clean q-tip with her tongue before she put it in our ears. We apparently hated the sound of the cotton rubbing our skin. I don't know about my siblings but I can't use a q-tip without licking it first.

When The Lime was still nursing, I'd examine his ears all the time. I could even be found with a couple q-tips sitting next to me, just in case I had some cleaning to do.

Such a handy little tool to have around. And with 500 in a box, they seem to last forever.

Giving Thanks...P

We love to eat around here. All of our big trips were planned around where we should eat. Food is our friend.

And one of our favorite foods is pizza. We probably eat pizza at least once a week, whether it's homemade or from a restaurant.

Years and years before The Lime came around, we would frequently visit Berkeley. Neither one of us was willing to backdown supporting our individual pizza shops (Blondies for me, Fat Slice for LaVor) so we would eat a slice at both places.

When we were in Amsterdam, we found a hole in the wall pizza shop that was amazing.  One guy holding down the fort while Johnny Cash played in the background. We loved the delivery truck, too.

One of our favorite local spots to go is Tony's in San Francisco. We went there after the first day of the Avon Walk this year, so I could load up on carbs, per Jared. There's always a wait but it's so worth it.

We made a visit to Pizzaiolo in Oakland last month. The pizza wasn't the only amazing thing...the salads were great, pasta was great, service was great, and they have their own garden in the back that you can admire and bocci ball to play. We loved our experience and will definitely be back.

I consider it a blessing that one of the foods The Lime will eat is pizza. That way he doesn't have to miss out on the deliciousness!

Giving Thanks...O

Being the youngest child, I got picked on quite a bit. But the biggest thing (no pun intended) that I got made fun of for were my teeth.

Let me take you on a 13 year journey to show you why.

Kindergarten: Cute little baby teeth!  Nothing wrong with these chompers!

First grade: My front teeth are loose, one so much that it's literally hanging by a thread.  But I refuse to let anyone touch them.

Second grade: Front teeth are now in, one more than the other, and they're BIG.

Third grade: Lost more teeth, which created more room, which created a gap.

Fourth grade: Still losing teeth, still have a gap, still HUGE.

Fifth grade: Lost canines so I now have big teeth and big holes in my smile. But at least the gap in front has closed a bit.

Sixth grade: Bad picture, still bad teeth.

Seventh grade: Same as above.

Eighth grade: Bad, all around. I believe all permanent teeth are in and it's not pretty.

Ninth grade: I had just gotten my brackets on for braces, but no wire. My teeth felt 10x bigger than they already were. I practiced this "no teeth" smile in the mirror and thought I looked cute at home. Not so cute on film. I wrote "blah!" on the picture in the yearbook.

Tenth grade: Braces! And another gap! I had lime green bands on for most of my treatment.

Eleventh grade: Your average ortho patient, that just happens to look stoned. But I wasn't.

Twelfth grade: I had an ortho appointment about a month before my senior pictures. I asked the doctor when he thought I could get the braces off and it was music to my ears when he told me in a couple of weeks.

I'm guessing it's because of my job but I'd say my smile is the #1 thing I get complimented on and I always tell people, "It was a long process to get to this point." In fact, I should print this post and keep it at my desk.

But I'm grateful my parents decided teeth were a top priority because I couldn't imagine still looking like my eighth grade picture. *shivers*

Giving Thanks...N

My first experience with anything Niles Canyon was in the 8th grade, when my principal dressed up as the White Witch. The legend goes that a young girl was on her way to a wedding, through Niles Canyon, when the horses that were drawing her carriage were startled by an oncoming car. The girl was thrown out of the carriage and hit by another oncoming car (it supposedly took place in the 20's). People have apparently seen her on the side of the road, wearing a white dress, hitching for a ride. Others have seen her in the backseat of their cars, while driving through the canyon.

My dad and I used to take Niles Canyon to get to the Goodguys Car Show in Pleasanton. I scrapbooked about one experience, where we spoke German the entire way.

One time, my brothers let my sister and me tag along to a youth dance in Walnut Creek with them. Their friend was driving that night and decided to go through the canyon. I'm surprised I'm alive to tell about this because while it was happening, I was certain I was going to die. We were passing cars when there weren't broken yellow lines, we were going so fast that my face began to get tingly and finally went numb, and I swore from that moment on that I would never drive with that friend again. I did, but he was much safer the second time.

When LaVor and I started dating, Niles Canyon became the popular route between our houses. My mom didn't appreciate me driving late at night through the canyon, by myself, but I did it anyway. I never looked in my rear view mirror though, in fear that I'd see the witch.

I loved having an area among crazy city life, where trees actually changed colors and there were cows grazing up on the hillside. The winter and spring produced a rushing creek that ran through the canyon, creating an even more peaceful scenery.

I also love seeing the Christmas train every year, covered in lights as it makes its way from Sunol to Fremont. And my excitement is hardly containable as my friend has graciously offered her train tickets to us for next week.

It will be nice to enjoy my favorite driving spot from the other side of the tracks, while singing Christmas songs with my two favorite boys.

Giving Thanks...M

I was a bit worried when we got married, about what I would do with my make-up. I wasn't a big make-up wearer but I had to wear something so I didn't look like a ghost in my pictures. My friend volunteered to make me look pretty and she did an excellent job at not making me look like a drag queen.

Six years ago, I could get away with not having to wear make-up every day. But I've aged since then, and had a kid, so I need something to make me presentable.

I was doing my niece's hair last week when she said to me, "I can't wait to wear make-up!" I told her it sounds exciting now but when she has to do it each time she leaves the house, it will become a chore. But it's a chore that sometimes needs to be done.

Like in my case...

I try not to leave the house like this but it happens every now and then (minus the curlers). When I do go out in public like this, I pray that I don't run into anyone that I know.

I much prefer to see people when I look like this.

When I came out of the bathroom, The Lime looked at me and said, "Lookin' good my lady!"
We always say, "Lookin' good my man!" to him.

All I can say is...God bless make-up. And let's hope I never have to take a mugshot. Yikes!