Thankfulness...Day 50

Today I am thankful to be back in Beaumont for my precious nephew's 3rd birthday.  He is an amazing child and becomes more amazing everyday.  The little gears inside his head are always turning and I love to see how he views the world and the people in it.  I had not received a birthday invitation and his birthday seemed to be racing closer on the calendar.  I asked my mom about his party and she let me know that the invitations had finally been chosen and mailed out.  She had a kind of smirk on her face so I asked what had happened with the invites.  She informed me that Colton did not want to have a birthday.  
I said, "You mean a party?"  
Mom says, "No he does not want to have a birthday.  He says, 'I not get older.  I stay this old.  I not peepee in the potty.  I not go to school!  So his mom told him 'No birthay, No party, No presents.'  His response was, 'I no care...I NOT get any bigger!'  Can you believe it?"
I definitely could not believe it.  Who doesn't want presents...or I guess more appropriately who is so against getting older that they will turn down gifts.  In a word...Colton.  I am most certainly thankful for that boy.  He knows who he is...what he wants...and how to get it...so amazing!

Not our shaved ice...but how fun to EAT a rainbow!

I am also thankful for the snow cone stand by my house.  I promised Robin a snow cone after a play she attended with my mom, but they didn't get home until 9:30 and the stand closed at 9:00.  I decided to cruise down the street with the snow cone stand just to be sure they were closed and guess what...  That's right even though we didn't arrive until 10:00, the stand was still open for business.  Robin and I both tried new snow cone flavors (candy apple and wedding cake...both were DELISH!).  In so many ways large and small God looks out for me and my little angel.  It made her night...even though it was late and her favorite place should have been closed...she still got to have candy apple goodness before bed.


My aunt and I had a long talk last night about the role God plays in my life.  I have been struggling with the seemingly endless roadwork being done on my life.  I think I have a handle on the detours that I have to make for now and then another branch of the road gets closed and all traffic had to be redirected...AGAIN.  I consider myself a pretty flexible...roll with the punches kind of person...but everyone has a limit and I am rapidly approaching mine.  Madge tenderly mentioned that it might be possible that I am trying desperately to control an uncontrollable situation and if I would just truly turn it over to God everything would get easier.  So easy to say...Harder than hell to accomplish!  So everyday, I complete this exercise in thankfulness...but I also ask God to steer my life where it needs to go and help me to develop the trust and patience needed to simply close my eyes and put ALL my faith in him.  I'll keep everyone posted on my progress!
Good night all
Sarah


Quote of the day

 

Painting Rocks

Today Robin and I hung out at home and painted the rocks we hunted on Monday.  It was a simple fun project, but Robin and I had toooooo many rocks.  I think next time we will pick 2 or 3 and do them up right.  We spent lots of time watching paint dry...not really we would abandon our rocks and then come back to check the drying progress.  My friend Tish does this with her girls and the rocks they paint turn out so adorably precious!  So here is what came of our first attempt!  I did paint my rocks white to start...actually to start I painted 2 of them, one yellow...one red.  They looked TERRIBLE so I decided to paint them all white!  I am pretty impressed with how they turned out.  All I have left to do to mine is add Mod Podge...Robin still has some finishing touches to add.

Start with washed rocks...dirt does not paint well!  These are mine.

These are Robin's

Acrylics work well, because they don't take TOO long to dry.  Yes...that is an ice tray for the palette.

lots and lots of brushes

I painted my rocks white first so the colors would stay true!

Here are the ones I have finished...they still need a coat of Mod Podge.  I <3 the owl and the shoe!

Here are Robin's bug paperweights.  She is going to sell them door to door!

Thankfulness...Day 49

Today was such a chill day.  I am thankful that I had a day of relaxation and artsy expression.  I am also thankful for the gifts God has given me.  I have never thought of myself as an artistic person...sometimes I even doubt the creative label.  I am getting comfortable with both terms.  Just because I see an idea and tweek it a little to make it my own doesn't have to take away from my creativity.  So I am thankful for the ability to draw and paint and think something in my head and get it out...maybe not as perfect as I saw it in my head but at least out.  I can start out drawing a sloth and it ends up looking like a sloth, and not a park bench!  So that's all for now~
love to all
Sarah


Quote of the day!

Duckpond - Day 2

Yesterday we went back to the duckpond with an almost full loaf of bread.  Robin informed that the sell by date passed "Over a MONTH ago....MOM!"  So the ducks got slightly stale...but NOT moldy bread.  They were perfectly pleased with the bread.  Rosie stayed home, so I could really enjoy all the wildlife without my sweet puppy chasing the birds and squirrels away.  Robin was able to feed several geese by hand and I think maybe even a duck...I drew the line at squirrels.  I think they are precious as long as they stay about arms length away from me.  I'm sure they are no more dangerous than the geese I let my child hand feed...they just seem sneaky.  We saw so many birds...and my little naturalist loved pointing out the different species and genders of the birds.  She even fed a sad looking little grackle.  "Mom it is so skinny...it might be starving! OH look it took my bread....AWE look it's limping!  What can we do?  Mom....what can we do?"  I love her tender heart and sweet nature with animals.  My aunt just looked at her as she retold the grackle story and said "I just can't wait to see what you decide to be when you grow up."  I can...she is already too grown up for me.  I miss the toddler that needed me for so many things and the young child that looked to me for so much information.  There are days where she still looks to me...and seems to think I am sort of cool...but those days are spacing themselves out on the calendar.  Oh well...she has to grow up and I guess I am anxious to see what she makes of all her imagination and heart!

before we left the park...Robin had named each duck

the black and white one is...Lightning

Goldie

Right after this...two little girls ran up and scared six of the geese back into the water.

a duck with a bouffant...so cute

This is the squirrel Robin was trying to feed.

I hate to admit it...but that is a really cute face.

We also found a statue of Mark Twain at Trinity Park.  To be honest I had seen it before, but I thought it was Albert Einstein.  My mom was sweet enough to point out that it was probably Mark Twain given he was holding a book and not a beaker.  I think it was an honest mistake and Robin agrees that if the moustache was a little bushier and the hair a little crazier it could totally be Albert Einstein.  

When we walked up on the statue a squirrel was under the bench cooling his belly.  It looked like he was listening to Mark read a story. 

Robin Laughed at Mark's joke...and

I told him a secret!

 Sometimes it's fun to be silly no matter who might be watching!

Another quote:  There are cypress trees all around the duck pond and if you don't know this the roots of a cypress tree poke up out of the ground and they are called "cypress knees."  Upon leaning that information Robin said:  "Well if the saying 'bee's knees' means cool...then I think 'tree's knees' must mean LAME!"  So I hope all of you are the bee's knees.

LAME!!!

love to all

Sarah

Thankfulness...Day 48

Today I am thankful for pajama days with Robin...30 day drawing challenges that facilitate conversation between Robin and me...three toed sloths...and yummy dinners that I make from scratch (you won't see me be thankful for this one very often).  

Today Robin actually took her shower tonight and changed from one set of pajamas into another (clean) set of pajamas.  These are her absolute FAVORITE days...really and truly I should try to give her at least one day like this a month.  I got dressed for about 2 hours and went to the grocery store.  It was really nice to shop without my preteen in tow.  She tried my quiche tonight...she was not a fan...direct quote..."There are too many things going on in my mouth.  I mean I could see where other people might like it Mom."  I guess that will have to do.  I told her I would try to find a recipe with fewer ingredients to please her easily overwhelmed mouth.  Oh well I tried.

See Kristen mine overflowed too...and I bought the deep dish pie crust.

lovely little trees...ready to be dismembered for the quiche.

Quote of the day:  I saw this quote on pinterest but I thought it needed a little oompf from picnik!

1mt1mt

Alright...I just heard about this and I HAD to share.  I have been working my way through a set of YouTube videos.  The creator of these videos is Josh Sundquist and when he was nine he was diagnosed with cancer and ultimately lost a leg.  I have been amazed by so many things about him...his sense of humor...lust for life...rockin' 6 pack...dreamy blue eyes...the power of his positivity and the contagious nature said positivity.  Today I watched the most meaningful 2 videos yet...he is putting out a animated series based on his book and this weeks episode is great...also a video called 1mt1mt.  

This is the book...a great read and so funny!

What is 1mt1mt?  Well it means "1more thing...1 more time!" Brilliant...right...so perfect for everything!  I need to cover my house in post-its with that initial ism.  Sometimes it is hard for me to wrap my head around how many more times I will have to subject my body to the toxins of chemo...now I can just say to myself "1mt1mt."  Giving up my classroom has been extraordinarily difficult...now I have it covered..."1mt1mt."    Robin refuses to get ready in what I consider to be a timely manner...yup..."1mt1mt (or maybe with this one it will be 1mt1,000,000mt)!"  I had to share this, because has brought me peace already, and I learned it 15 minutes ago.  I hope it can help any of you that might be struggling with something or even on the verge of giving up...just remember 1mt1mt!

Love to all
Sarah  


Oh why not...here's another quote...now I can ALWAYS say I'm fine

Thankfulness...Day 47

Another wonderful day today.  Robin and I fed the ducks at the duck pond before it got too hot to be outside.  Even thought the day started quite a bit later then we expected there was great cloud cover so the sun wasn't around to roast us out of our skin.  I am thankful that I have found so many new and exciting things to experience in my hometown.  I also got to help a good friend with computer issues and enjoy a home cooked quiche.  Another night filled with stories and laughter...and several more places to explore during the last few days of summer.  
Love and sunshine to you all
Sarah


Quote of the day...

Thankfulness...Day 46

Today was such a great day.  Robin and I set out early with Miss Rosie (our cocker spaniel).  We explored the duck pond...Trinity Park...and Fort Woof (our local dog park).  Right now I am listening to Robin read Kat Kong to Rosie.  I love that she treats Rosie like a little sister...She even gave Rose a bath after her excursion into the Trinity river today.  Anywhooo...today I am thankful for geese that swim a little off kilter...other geese that are willing to get close enough to eat out of your hand...and the tiny itty bitty shade trees at the dog park.

I almost forgot my quote...

I love this...and I am trying to remember it everyday!  It is so true...it bothers me SOOOOO much more when I am trying to explain to Robin why her behavior is making my left eye twitch uncontrollably and she simple stands there smiling!  I want to run screaming tearing the new growth of hair out of my head...when she gets equally angry...neither one of us get anywhere!

Love to all

Sarah

Walk at the Park

Thankfulness will come later today...um...just a little later today.  I had to post this video of Miss Rose.  She did this once before when we had our hot tub.  We were in the hot tub and the jets were off so the water was calm and flat.  She got up on the top and then wanted to come over and visit us on the other side.  It was like watching a child stumble and fall on their knees...I knew what was going to happen, but I couldn't do anything to stop it.  She "walked" out onto the water and took a nose dive.  She came up sputtering and looking around to see who pulled the floor out from under her.  


Today we took her to Trinity park to see the ducks and geese.  Robin found some bread and was feeding the geese.  One goose got close enough for Robin to touch so Rosie went over to see what that bird was all about.  The goose swam away and Rosie wanted to follow...again I knew what was gonna happen, but I couldn't do anything to stop it.  Here's the video.

this made my day!

Love and sunshine to you

Sarah

Thankfulness from Friday

I thought I might add a couple of old thoughts per day until I get caught up.  I really want to have my year of thankfulness in one place so I can look back on it during my darker chemo days. 

 A couple of years ago Robin and I found a tiny batman in a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (see Candice that cereal has always been good to us), and we decided he needed to see so much more than the inside of his box.  His adventures started when we were still living in Beaumont.  Here are some of the pics...

Any activity I planned always went better with Miss Robin if Batman could tag along.  Well in the move Batman got lost in the shuffle, but I found him last week!  Yesterday I chose to walk at the botanic gardens here in Fort Worth.  It is such a calming place, with all the green things and wonderful flowers, it truly makes my heart happy.  I decided Tiny Batman needed an outing so I took him along to the Botanic Gardens.  He had quite an adventure!

I am the tiny master of all I survey!

I will reach the summit....

alright...um...now what?!?

ehem...little help...please...

oooof....nevermind

we meet again...FOUL beast.

oooooo...fishies....oh.uh..ERRHMMM I mean FISH!

little close

hanging at the pad...or maybe my lair!

heeee...tiny batman is so fun. 

So onto  the thankfulness

Friday I was thankful for my precious petite Rosie (clean bill of health from her vet).  She has been such a blessing for me during treatment.  She knows when I feel the worst and she curls up behind my knees to sleep on those nights.  If is am really sick she waits outside the door with her little paws coming under, just so I know she's there.   I can't have any more babies so the fact that she managed to stay under 20 pounds makes her the perfect size to cuddle.  She has made the entire cancer journey a little bit less terrifying for me.  She is a sympathetic ear, and I don't have to worry about scaring her with the dark thoughts that sometimes creep in on me...thanks Rose!

this is my all time fave of her...I picked her up and she is snoozing next to my croc...sweet puppy

here she is with miss robin...they really are like sisters sometimes...Rosie likes to poop on Robin's floor if she (Rosie) feels neglected...hee

here is an almost current picture of her.  She has the sweetest little face!

Quote of the day...My sister in law pinned this on pinterest earlier in the week...but because the nausea is finally gone I think it is a fitting quote!  Thanks Brandy...you have no idea how much light this brought to a truly crummy day!

have a great day...love and sunshine

Sarah