Grateful for...P

This week has been a park filled week.  Some days, we even went twice; once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  I'm trying to get as much park time in before it gets too cold and rainy.

We are super duper lucky to live so close to so many parks.  We have two within walking distance and several within a couple minutes of driving.  The Lime has always loved parks but they weren't as readily available in Livermore.

This week, The Lime wore his fireman outfit and went all out with his imagination.  He had poles to slide down, a truck to drive, houses to save.  I found him at one point with three other little boys following behind him as they went to put out a fire.

Sometimes there's an alligator chasing us and we can't touch the ground.  Other times we're pretending to be the dogs on Paw Patrol and we have to help someone.  Today we switched roles and The Lime pushed me on the swing, since that's his least favorite activity at the park (the swings).

I'm grateful we can go to the park whenever we want, that there are safe parks where we can play, that The Lime makes little friends while we're there, and I'm especially grateful when The Lime doesn't throw a tantrum when we leave the park (like he did on Thursday).

I'm also grateful when I see other kids throw tantrums and the parent walking away, hoping the child will follow.  Then I know I'm not the only one who has a kid that would rather stay at the park than go anywhere else.

January 2011

January 2012

March 2013

Grateful for...O

While I was making lunch for The Lime today, I offered him an apple, banana, grapes, or orange.  He chose the orange.  He finished his tamale and asked if he could have his treat but I told him he needed to eat his orange first.  Apparently I wasn't supposed to cut it into little pieces but leave them in slices, because he didn't want them anymore.  I cut up an apple for myself but ended up giving him some of it.  I didn't want the orange to go to waste so when I finished the apple, I ate the orange, too.

Boy, did The Lime miss out.  When we were at my grandma's house yesterday, my dad filled a bag of oranges and tangerines for me.  I love summer because of all the amazing fruit but winter brings citrus and you can't beat a good orange.  Juicy, sweet, extremely fragrant.  

And it's only the middle of November.  I can't wait to indulge in the oranges in a month or so.

Our loot

Grateful for...N

It took me about 6 years before I spoke to our neighbors across the street from our old place.  The husband was outside multiple times a day, smoking a cigarette, and we'd wave to each other but never once said anything.  Then there was a shooting on Easter and the neighborhood united.

The day we moved, I pulled into our new driveway and was immediately greeted by Phyllis, our neighbor across the street, who had a plate of cookies for us as well as a sweet note welcoming us to the neighborhood.  I told LaVor she stopped by and he said, "Oh yeah, I met so and so from next door."  What?!  Who are these people and why are they so friendly?!  It wasn't that our old neighborhood wasn't friendly; they were, it just took a while for everyone to break out of their shells.

Phyllis, our new neighbor, expressed to me that she prayed and prayed when she saw our house became vacant because she wanted a "good Christian family to move in."  I think we answered her prayers but then I told her The Lime's toy cat is named Lucifer (after the cat from Cinderella) and she wasn't amused.  Whoops!  She did notice we leave around 8:30 every Sunday for a couple hours and I confirmed to her we were church going people.  She liked that.

It's always comforting when you can trust a neighbor with the news that you're going out of town for a few days.  I'm grateful that I'm surrounded by good people that will keep an eye on things for us and vice versa.  I don't know what everyone does for work but out of our immediate neighbors, there's usually one that's always home which is comforting, in case I need help while LaVor is at work.  Several have also volunteered to watch The Lime for us if we ever need a baby-sitter.  And we don't have dogs barking at all hours of the day/night.  That is the biggest blessing of all!

As The Lime and I were leaving the house this morning, the vacant house on the corner had some appliances being delivered.  I have a feeling we'll be getting some new neighbors soon and I can't wait to welcome them to the neighborhood.  And it won't be in 6 years.

Grateful for...M

"You see how picky I am about my shoes and they only go on my feet."

Gosh, I love Clueless.

And shoes.  Especially my Miz Mooz shoes.  Because just like Cher, I'm extremely picky about my shoes.  But Miz Mooz seems to satisfy all of my crazy requirements.

I'm grateful Santa has been so generous in the past and surprised me with a pair of Miz Mooz heels and boots.  I'm hoping I've been extra good and will find a pair of red Miz Mooz flats under the Christmas tree this year.  Especially since my current pair of red flats are on their last leg and my toes are poking through holes that aren't supposed to be there.

These will do

Or these

One of the reasons I'm grateful for Miz Mooz shoes is their unique style. While browsing the shoes at Nordstrom Rack, I can always spot a Miz Mooz. I'm also grateful for the delicious leather I get whiffs of throughout the day while I wear a pair. They're also extremely comfortable, even when you step in a puddle and fill your shoe with water.

Another thing I'm grateful for?  Although they're extremely expensive, if you wait a season, you can usually find the shoes on sale.

Shoes...on sale, specifically Miz Mooz shoes on sale...I can hear the angels singing songs of thanks.

Grateful for...L

Every week, The Lime and I try to make a visit to LaVor's work, at least once, for a lunch date.  We would do it in Livermore, too, but they seem more special now.

Every morning, when The Lime wakes up, he asks if Daddy is home.  He also asks when Daddy can stay home with us (the weekends don't last long enough).  Our lunch dates are a brief opportunity for The Lime (and me) to get our Daddy fix in the middle of the day.  It's also nice that once we get home, The Lime takes his nap, and then it's just an hour or two until Daddy gets home.  I think LaVor also likes it because it gives him an excuse to get out for half an hour.  The Lime also likes to visit with his "co-worker friends".  He's adopted all of LaVor's co-workers as his own, and they're also his best friends.

I'm grateful LaVor works close enough that we can have our little lunch dates and that his co-workers don't mind we sometimes crash the office.  As long as we don't bring fish, they said we're always welcome.  That means we'll be having lunch dates indefinitely.

Grateful for...K

I've noticed a pattern with my grateful posts...they include a lot of memories.  Unfortunately, this one falls into the same category.

When my parents moved from our house, I had taken a video on one of our last days there but I haven't been able to find it since then.  I got out our small camera the other day and there it was, on the camera and not on the two memory cards.  I was so excited!

This video means nothing to anyone else but I love it.  I love it because it's in our kitchen, where so many other memories took place.  We had thousands of meals in this room, numerous discussions, millions of fights, lots of hugs and kisses, a few broken ribs, lots of rollerskating (when it was raining outside), it's where Indy slept when he was recovering from his numerous accidents, where friends waited for us to finish getting ready, it's the light that we always left on if we were going to come back home after dark.

I think it's a worldwide thing that kitchens are where families and friends tend to congregate the most.  And I can totally understand why.  Who doesn't want to be where the food is?

But even if there's not always food, I hope our family is as fond of and grateful for our kitchen as I was for mine.

Grateful for...J

Shortly after we moved here, there was a knock on our door and naturally, I answered it.  It ended up being two Jehovah's Witnesses, going around the neighborhood, sharing their message.  I always think of our missionaries getting doors slammed in their faces so I patiently listened to what the women had to say, accepted their pamphlet, and they went on their way.

That initial visit has turned into about three or four additional visits.  Each time the Jehovah's Witnesses come over, I end up being the one that shared a message.  I've shared with them the Plan of Salvation, my experiences with family history, our beliefs about what happens after we die, I've shared quotes from Apostles and scriptures from the Book of Mormon.  Our next visit will be about prayer.

I don't know much about Jehovah's Witnesses and their religion.  I had a friend in high school who was killed in a car crash and I attended his memorial service at one of their church buildings.  What little I do know about their beliefs, I don't understand completely.  And I guess I won't any time soon, as long as I'm the one sharing the messages.

I do know that they don't celebrate holidays or birthdays, but can they accept gifts?  I hope so because I'd love to have a Book of Mormon or Christmas DVD ready to go for the next time they come over.

After General Conference, I was feeling the pressure to get out and share the gospel.  I also feel extremely guilty when the sister missionaries strongly encourage us to provide them with a name of someone to teach.  Do you know how hard that is when the only person you interact with on a daily basis is a 3 year old who already attends church?  But when my Jehovah's Witness friends stop by, I have the opportunity to share my testimony and plant a little seed.

And I'd like to think that counts, even a little bit.