A Month of Being Thankful "F" is for Family & Friends

Disneyland August 10, 2009

Thanksgiving 2008

August 2009 - Grandma, Grandpa with Mia and Wyatt

I am thankful for my family, today and everyday. I've been blessed with 2 very loving, selfless and amazingly generous parents and 2 sets of grandparents that we still get to spend time with, an aunt and uncle who had 11 kids giving me 11 amazing cousins who I was able to spend many summers with. When I was away at UCSD I met Cary and 5 years after that day we got married in 1999. The day we were married my family grew quite a bit and I received 2 sister-in-laws, a brother-in-law and 2 parent-in-laws. Six years after getting married we welcomed Mia into our lives in 2005 and 2 years after that we had Wyatt in 2007. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by love daily.

My parents have taught me thorough example to be a patient parent to my kids, to listen to what they are telling me, to always react with kindness, to appreciate every moment as they pass by so quickly and to love no matter how angry a situation might make me feel.

Cary has taught me to express my creativity, always ask questions, to be open to ideas, to be compassionate, to take a chance and to embrace change. Cary is kind hearted in all situations and I love his honesty. He exercises his honesty even in situations when what he has to say isn't exactly what I want to hear and I love him for that.

Mia has taught me to dance even if everyone is watching, wear whatever makes me feel good (for those of you who know her, she has quite a flair for fashion :)) and to always ask "why?". Mis is a free spirit that will spin like a ballerina one second and jump off heights that make my toes tingle the next. She has no fear and has a passion to explore the unknown. She is a fiery Leo and we definitely have a lot in common. I love her view on the world and her insight even at 4.

Wyatt has taught me to hug always, be optimistic with all situations (he has this mastered...I'm still working on it) and to go with the flow (again...I'm working on that). He is the most patient, loving and kind-hearted human I know always ready to do what's needed of him. He is the embodiment of peace and love on earth. I love his utter curiosity and give-you-the-benefit-of-the-doubt disposition. I am excited for all I have to learn from him in the years to come.

It is my hope that I be the kind of parent to Mia and Wyatt that my parents were to me.

Now...."F" also starts another very important word in my getting by day-by-day....friends. I love my friends. I believe friends help build your personality, your experience and in some ways help shape how you see the world. Life is unpredictable filled with extreme ups, days where it's feels a bit like groundhog day, and at times extreme lows. Friends (and it goes without saying, family) are always there to pull you through or to celebrate depending on the situation. What would we do without that one friend who we can call at 3 in the morning and know they will be there for you, no matter what? I have friends like that and love them for there love.

Now, on to another F that is far less important but a fun indulgence on more occasions than likely necessary. Fro Yo (frozen yogurt). I live in Encinitas, CA and for those of you who haven't experienced Berry Happy on the 101, you must. Tell them Kim sent you :).

A Month of Being Thankful "E" is for Exercise

Oh how I love exercise. Talk about a great way to give your energy a jolt and feel fresh and alive. I love running, biking, walking, kicking the soccer ball, anything that gets the heart rate up. This year I became a Mad Dog certified Spin Instructor and have had the best time motivating people to keep going even when all they really want to do is stop their legs and take a long drink of water. I was raised to love sport and hope to pass that passion on to my kids. Maybe Cary and I subconsciously named our daughter Mia thinking it would make her a world class soccer star, who knows.

Today at lunch I was reminded of just how much I need to burn energy when the pressure of the day is getting to me. I went to the gym at work and the class I wanted to take was full and what a huge let down that was and it was amazing just how it impacted my next few minutes.

This weekend I need to get outside and play!! Join me!!

A Month of Being Thankful "D" is for Date Night

10 year anniversary date night photo during dinner

Oh how I love date night. It's a single night that renews the spirit and refreshes the oneness of Cary and Me. When we go too long without a date night we can feel it...the pressure of work, responsibilities and life in general start to weigh on us and shorten our fuses. On date night we can connect, actually have a conversation without the interruption of the kiddos and talk without constantly re-starting our sentence with "What were we talking about?" Don't get me wrong, our nights together as a family are so very precious and moments often happen that I hope I'll never forget, but a night out with just Cary, my best friend, is amazing.

Funny side note, I'm home alone with the kiddos as I write this and they've called me from writing this no less than 10 times. God bless them. I hope they never change.

A Month of Being Thankful "C" is for Cary

"C" is for Cary and for him I am very thankful. I am so lucky to have him in my life, to share my everyday with. Cary is the most gracious husband and a very loving father. I love watching him with Mia and Wyatt and I love to see them learn from him. He is patient, loving, caring, honest and funny. He makes us laugh daily. Cary is creative and I admire his free spirit. I can't imagine a day without him and pray never to. After 10 years together it feels like I still learn something new about him all the time. To him I am very thankful.

Now, there are other C's I'm thankful for like chocolate, cycling, church, and let's not forget coffee (especially on the day's my kids decide 5:45 is a good time to get up) but nothing holds a candle to Cary. I love you sweets!!

A Month of Being Thankful "B" is for the Beach"

Although we don't take advantage of it enough, we love living at the beach. Last Christmas we took our photo at the beach. We have so many fun memories of the beach. Mia's 3rd birthday celebration was at the beach. We've celebrated the majority of the last 10 4th of July gatherings at the beach. In college I used to run on the beach. Audrey loves to play at dog beach. The beach always brings a smile to my face...just not when I forget my sunscreen.

A Month of Being Thankful "A" is for Audrey

We've had Audrey in our lives for 81/2 years now and she's still the same playful dog that she was at 3 when this photo was taken. Audrey loves to run, fetch, play and a good belly rub. She's the most loyal friend you could ask for and she always happy to see you. She's the 1st person to greet you when you get home and the last to nuzzle her nose under your arm to say goodnight. She loves fun. Audrey is 100% love. Audrey is so gentle to Mia and Wyatt and wouldn't hurt a fly although she belts out a heart stopping bark in the night at the slightest sound, so she a great burglar alarm too (she's all bark, no bite, don't tell). We all love Audrey. Today, we are reminded how thankful we are that Audrey is in our lives.

A Month of Being Thankful

Tis the month for being thankful and as I think of all my blessings I realize just how thankful I am for my life and the people in it. Everyday I'll chose one thing I'm thankful for as I walk my way though the alphabet. Today I'm thankful for my dog, Audrey, our first baby.