Our TV

True, our TV is not one of those high-definition super-light flat-screens. 

But our TV is ours, it works, and we got it for free from a friend and former co-worker of mine.  And that makes it wonderful!

One day, I'm sure we'll get around to upgrading.  I do like the idea of being able to mount the tv on the wall (especially now that Baby Girl can stand up and press all the buttons...).

But until then, we will enjoy and appreciate the TV we have.  Because it makes at-home date nights with movies and ice cream quite enjoyable.

And for that, I am grateful.

What are you grateful for today?

Our Changing Table

Our changing table was a gift from several of my former co-workers at the funeral home.

Prior to receiving this changing table (a true surprise indeed!), we didn't have any intentions of actually getting one.  We figured we could fashion something to use as a changing table... or use the floor.

But now that I know the joys of this changing table, I just don't think I could ever go back!  I use this changing table about 6 times a day:  for diapers, changing clothes, drying off after a bath...  It is definitely one of our most well-used baby items! 

And I love that it comes with a hamper for baby girl's clothes.  That is just so nice and convenient to be able to toss her dirty clothes in there.  It keeps her stuff separate from ours (which is only really significant when some of her stuff requires a delicate wash, but it's nice that I can just throw her whole load in on delicate wash and not have to sort out the delicate items).  And it's also nicely equipped with drawers for her diapers, wipes, and burp rags! 

I'm pretty much grateful for this changing table every day.  It has been, is, and will be saving my (old-lady) back for a long time!

What are you grateful for today?

Cell Phones

True, I've been grateful for texting in the past...  Which is pretty much impossible without a cell phone...

But today, while I was walking around Costco and remembering I was supposed to buy a pair of jeans for my husband...  my cell phone came to the rescue!

See, I totally forgot to actually write jeans on the Costco list.  Which means I also forgot to write down the size of jeans I'm supposed to get.  And men's pants are all complicated-like.  With two numbers to remember, not just one, like for women's pants :).  I thought I remembered the numbers.  But then you also have to remember which order they were given.  Because one means waist size and one means length. 

And I couldn't remember which was which.

So who could I ask?  Who would know which number was waist and which was length?  Well, a guy would be my best bet. 

But what guy could I get in touch with from Costco?!?  My husband doesn't take his cell phone to work with him, so I couldn't ask him.

And then I remembered Jon.  My reliable best Juliebean's hubby.  So I shot a text to him.  And he shot one back to let me know the first number is for waist.

Yep, Jon and my cell phone totally saved the day today.  And yeah, it's true I got one of the numbers wrong (bought one size too big in the waist), but considering I almost bought some that were too small in the waist and 2 sizes too long in length...  I think I didn't do too badly.  And now I know!

So I'm grateful for my cell phone, that enables me to call -- or text -- from almost anywhere to almost anywhere when I need some help :). 

(Though we haven't yet taken the step into the world of smart-phones, which would also have been helpful today!)

What are you grateful for today?

Play Time With My Baby

This evening, in the 30 minutes after eating dinner and before I went for a walk, I sat down to play with my baby.

And as I made her bunny hop-hop-hippety-hop over to her and kiss her...  As I made her dolly play peek-a-boo from behind the bunny...  As I heard her giggle and squeal in delight over such simple actions on my part...  Well, I just knew that was my grateful for today.

And I also realized that I am taking these moments for granted.

How easy it is to get swept up in all the doing. 

The laundry must get washed and folded...

The dusting must get done...

The dishes must get washed...

The dinner made...

The exercising (miraculously) accomplished.

I want the quilts to get progressed...

The cross-stitch ornaments to get finished...

Don Quixote to find its way back onto my bookshelf (or maybe into a donation pile!?!) and finally off of my to-read list...

The cookbook to be completed...

And play-time starts to fall by the wayside. 

Because it's always an option, right?  It'll be there tomorrow, won't it?

But there will be a tomorrow when it won't be, of that I am sure. 

And so today, as I listened to my sweet girl laugh...  As I watched her clap while I rolled the "rain-stick" ball her way (and watched her bat it -- not necessarily back towards me ;))...  As I observed her find -- and eat cheerios that had been on the carpet since lunchtime in between playing with Mommy...  I realized what a joy it is to play with my little angel.  What a privilege it is to be one of her favorite playmates.  Today, those moments of playing were the second best of my whole day (second only to the sleeping snuggles right before I put her down for the night...  Because I think those will always be my most treasured moments, for as long as she'll allow me to have them).

And even if I'm staying up late to finish the dishes or fold the laundry or sew that row of the quilt...  I know I chose the better part.  Because my sweet baby is more important than any of those things.  And I hope I can always remember that.

What are you grateful for today?

Dental Care AND Dental Insurance

I have this horrifying recurring dream.  Or maybe I should say nightmare.  It changes in detail, but the gist of it is that my teeth start falling out.  I'll be flossing or something and start noticing my tooth is loose.  And then another one is loose.  And they get more and more loose until they fall out.  One after another after another.  And I can actually feel the tender mushy flesh where my teeth used to be after the teeth fall out. 

It creeps me out.

Those dreams have definitely helped encourage me to be an avid teeth-brusher.  And I'm working on the flossing thing.  One of my goals this year is to floss daily.  I'd say I'm at about 75% success on that.  At night, I'm lazy.  I brush my teeth and don't want to spend the extra 3 to 5 minutes flossing (sad, I know).  So I've started brushing and flossing mid-day.  Makes it so I'm more hit than miss.

Those dreams also keep me making -- and keeping -- my 6-month teeth cleanings.  And that's just what I did today.  I had my preventative care appointment.  Which makes me ever so grateful I live in a time when dental care is a topic of importance.  I'm grateful we know how important tooth-care is to our general health.  I'm grateful that there are dentists and dental hygienists who care about helping people take care of their teeth!  I'm grateful for technology and knowledge that allows cavities to be filled before they become horror stories.

And I'm grateful for dental insurance.  It helps me keep those appointments, because most of the time, if it's just a routine visit, the cleaning is covered at 100%.  During the times when I didn't have dental insurance and didn't feel I could afford even the cost of the cleaning, I would let those appointments lapse.  Which isn't really the best plan, but sometimes...  Well, sometimes you make sacrifices becasue you must.  I'm also grateful that, when it's not routine (though recently this hasn't been an issue... another thing for which I am grateful!), my insurance usually covers a large portion of whatever the cost is for fixing a problem. 

Because, frankly, I'm grateful for my teeth too.  And I hope to keep them for all my life.  And to not have the horrors of my nightmares become reality!

And I'm grateful that I can, because of dental insurance, also begin preparing to give good dental care to my daughter.  And I'm grateful to have a sister-in-law who is a dental hygienist and who gave us a little toothbrush and a finger sock to brush our munchkin's teeth until she's old enough to use the toothbrush.  And I love that my sweet girl already knows what it means when I don that sock on my finger and hold it up to her mouth.  She opens wide and lets me do the brushing! 

What are you grateful for today?

Stake Conference

Today was Stake Conference at church.  What this means is that several different congregations (known as wards or branches, depending on size) of our faith in our area gathered together in a meeting and listened to our local leaders give us direction.  This event happens twice a year.  When we were in Alabama in November, it was happening there.

Stake Conference is always a blessing.  True, it's a little harder these days with a 9 month old who isn't so interested in staying in one place for 2+ hours... 

But it's ALWAYS a blessing.

It's uplifting and beneficial.  And I am taught much.  I am given the opportunity to reflect, to contemplate.  To examine where I am and where I want to be. 

To ponder who I am and who I want to become. 

For me, this time, the things that stood out to me were these:

1.  To stand for truth at all times.
2.  To be more benevolent.  Which includes disposing of the envy and jealousy to which I am often easily prone.
3.  To take better care of my physical body through exercise.
4.  To be the hand that helps and the heart that knows compassion.

These are the ways I can improve right now.

I believe that our leaders receive revelation from Heavenly Father.  That they share messages the Lord wants us to hear -- that He wants me to hear.  And I believe that I am better for having attended Stake Conference and heard the counsel shared there.  I am grateful for Stake Conference.  To me, it is a joy.

What are you grateful for today?

Afternoon Naps

On days that start early with not-your-every-day work activities...

And that end later-than-anticipated...

And with lots of good stuff in-between (like dinner out with the husband and baby...  and Stake Conference...  and cleaning up from last night's dinner...  and sewing rows of quilts)...

On days like this, I'm grateful for afternoon naps.  They refuel me and help me make it to midnight, even when I was planning to be awake at this time! 

And since tomorrow we have more Stake Conference for church, which means morning church instead of afternoon church...

It's looking like I will be getting another afternoon nap tomorrow!  (As long as I can convince Baby Girl that naps are a great thing!)

What are you grateful for today?