Gathering Experiences

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

It's beginning to look a lot like Thanksgiving?

It's the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I'm sitting here on a quiet foggy morning typing away as my family sleeps upstairs. We aren't going any where this year in lieu of travel to Jay's mom's home for Christmas.

So what am I thankful for? A husband that I love more today than the day when I married him 10 years ago. Two beautiful girls, one who looks like me and acts like her father. Another who reminds me of me as a little girl. It makes my heart smile. They are both such beautiful little souls. A dog named Laila. For the first time in my life I have a dog to whom I am her alpha. She is my, not so little, white shadow.

Fate. Or whatever you want to call it that brought Jay and I together to live in a suburb of Chicago surrounded by all the amenities of a city, but still have a small town and rural beauty. Our neighbors and friends. The community at our karate school. (I'll write about that someday). My girl scout troop. While they make me crazy at times. I am thankful for the opportunity to get to know these little women to be and give them memories of scouting.

I am thankful for being a stay a home mom at this time in my life. (another gift from my darling husband). I get to spend extra time with my children, take care of my mental health and rediscover myself.

I am thankful for my family of origin that is so far away. I am fortunate to still have one living parent when some of the friends with whom I have grown up with no longer have their Mom or Dad to reach out to. I am thankful for my sisters and brother. We have a bond that I cherish.

Is that all I am thankful for? Of course not, it's just time to get another cup of tea and enjoy the quiet of the morning.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Egg Hunt 2012

Our family enjoyed some great times together last weekend. On Saturday we had our neighborhood’s annual Easter Egg Hunt. I am one of the parents who volunteers my time to stuff 2000 or so eggs. Thank goodness this year Jay and I had some help from Ava and her friend. I also volunteered to bake for the bake sale. Like many of you I have become hooked on Pinterest and had pinned a really cute idea for rice crispie treats with Peeps on them. You know, I had never made rice crispie treats before! How did I get to be a (young looking) 40 something person and had never made the all delicious treat is beyond me!

Easter was a great day. The bunny left eggs strewn about the house, toys and baskets filled with chocolate. Ava and Sarah quickly went on a hunt and found the hidden eggs. Even the dog had an egg filled with treats. It was a great lazy Sunday; I plopped on the couch and read The Hunger Games!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Beware the Emus of March

Yesterday I told you about our trip to Big Cedar Lodge. We live outside Chicago so it was an eight hour drive each way. On our way back from southern Missouri, we decided to take our time and make a pit stop along the way. We stopped at the Wild Animal Safari Park in Stratford, Mo. We had picked up a flyer showing a liger on it. I’d never seen a liger which is a hybrid cross between a male lion and a tigress. Next to Yertle and Snappy, engaging with these animals was a big highlight of our trip. The girls both fed the tigers raw chicken through their cage with a pole. How many people can say they have done that? My favorite part was feeding Sheldon - a sweet baby giraffe! There is a walk through part with a petting zoo (not the Lions, Tigers and Ligers) and a drive through where you feed animals that walk up to the car. We had just bought a new car so my husband was a little nervous about donkeys, zebras, camels and antlered animals coming up to the car for a treat. It all turned out well and having a zebra stick its head in the car was great, if not a little intimidating! Oh and the emus? They blocked the car until they got more treats! It was a beautiful sunny day and just the perfect cap off to a great vacation.