Oh the Bliss!

Today I am so thankful for... 1. using walking (quickly while pushing a stroller, mind you) all around Disneyland as a means of exercise today. Carrie and I figure it is at least 5 miles, especially since we didn't ride the tram there or back to the parking structure. 2. not being stuck (at the very top) of the Flying Dumbo ride for very long. It was humorously scary. 3. Mark surprising me with stuff to make rootbeer floats, and then making them for us. So sweet! 4. having a little rest after Disneyland, enough to boost me up for the rest of the evening. 5. stickers, especially on letters from my mom. 6. one day closer to the starting of MOPS. 7. Mark's cousin Karrie finding out she's having a GIRL!! The first one in the Kuebler family and we are very excited for them. 8. pasta. 9. Mark getting "organic" popcorn because he knew I'd like it better and be preoud of him for reading the lable.Go Mark! 10. getting to watch a movie with Mark, i love him.

Today I am very thankful for… 1. really good oatmeal for breakfast. 2. having one of the hardest decisions I make each day be what to wear. 3. a great visit with the Russell family and for the sweet birthday present they gave to Ben. I admire, so much, the way they are raising their three kids. I am in awe of the love they show each other and Ben (and Mark and me too) whenever we’re around. 4. patient people in the loan office we were in this afternoon because we had a very unhappy Ben with us. It was his nap time and you know how he gets when its time to sleep! 5. living in the age of computers, which for the most part are extremely helpful and a valuable tool. 6. dictionaries, especially online dictionaries. 7. hooded sweatshirts. Did I say that recently? I forget, but I am really thankful for them regardless. 8. the clean house I’m going to have after I finish posting this and get to all the mess that awaits me. The mess, however, is a sweet reminder of all the fun Ben had today. I’

Tonight I am so thankful for… 1. going to the early service at church this morning because Mark didn’t work last night. 2. getting to take our friend Gordan to church with us this morning. It helped him out and it was nice to chat with him for the 10 minutes it took to get there. 3. the overflow room at church that lets Ben run around while we watch the service on a screen, this is when we don’t take Ben to childcare. 4. having a very clean kitchen and family room. 5. all the awesome lawn toys Tina brought for the party yesterday and left for Ben. He LOVES the car; he just sits in it and pretends to drive around. We played outside today quite a bit, I loved it. 6. Mark making a huge effort to be done with the open house he was doing so we could be at my parent’s house by 5. 7. chocolate and biscuits. Always a treat and I love the leftovers. 8. time with our whole family all together. There was even a brief moment when ALL the kids were awake and we were able to take some pictures, I’l

Gavin is going to tell us what he’s thankful for today… 2. your house 3. Daniel 4. Bethany 5. Sarah 6. Jason 7. Angela 8. my ball 9. Ben’s birthday 10. balloons 11. Mommy 12. Ben’s soccer ball 13. Danny 14. Mark 15. blocks 16. the chair 17. Diedrich’s Coffee Today I am thankful for… 1. a smooth day today getting ready for Ben’s party. 2. hanging out with Jason tonight, its been awhile since he’s been busy with the academy. 3. all the wonderful and thoughtful gifts Ben received tonight from our sweet family. 4. music 5. all our family being able to celebrate with us today. 6. my neighbors who always let us borrow stuff from them, like the picnic table we used today. my first “official” walk/run tonight after everybody left. I’m “in training” for a half marathon in June. I’m not a runner, by any means, and judging by tonight’s performance - I have a lot of work to do. 7. Mark coming out of the house and cheering me on every time I plodded by. 8. babies, I love them, they are so cute. AN

We had a great time today at D-Land! Darren, Dad, Jason and Mark, Pam and Luci too, you were missed! Today I am thankful for… 1. being at Disneyland with Jesse and my mom, what a treat. 2. God giving amazing singing, dancing and entertaining abilities to some people. We really enjoy the shows at Disneyland, those people are so talented. 3. not losing any of the boys today. 4. my time at my parents house tonight. 5. getting to hang out with just Pam after everyone went to bed. I love her heart. Pam is encouraging and real and challenging, all the makings of a good friend. Plus she's really funny and knows how to have a good laugh, I love her!! 6. my sweet friend Kelly Hanson who is celebrating a birthday today (this being the 27th, in my mind because I haven’t gone to bed yet.) Happy birthday Kelly!! 7. my mom making dinner for all of us and for having plenty of ice-cream on hand. 8. Ben going to bed so easily at their house, not one tear was shed. 9. my mom for always lending me w

We had all of the Prince Grandkids over at our house today! Very fun. Crazy, but very fun. Little Ben looks a little worried about what his two big cousins, Gavin and Jesse, are smiling about. Ezekiel is just kicking back and Luci, the sweetest girl I've ever seen, is being her adorable, doll-like self. How wonderful! Today I am thankful for... 1. time with Darren and Pam, it was hectic at certain points, but it was still good to see them and hear Pam's infectious laugh. 2. the people who work at Wahoo’s Fish Taco. They are always very nice and helpful. Especially today when we were a bit overwhelmed with all the kids. The food is always really good, too. 3. Amanda Anderson’s easy-going personality. She’s considerate and sweet and I’m thankful she’s my friend. 4. Jesse’s imagination. He was riding a scooter around the backyard and at one point I said “Jesse, where are you going?” and to this he replied in a very deep voice, “call me ‘motorcycle man’.” So cute! 5. Lucia being s

My sweet friend Lauren is visiting Ben and me today. She has agreed to be my guest speaker. :) So, without further ado... Today Lauren is thankful for... 1.my sweet friend Sarah is #1! (and I’m quoting here, remember, so I’m not making this up.) 2. my wonderful husband Jordan. 3. chai latte. (see why we’re friends?) 4. there are so many things! I’m thankful for living in Southern California where it’s at least 70 degrees and beautiful outside, it’s picture perfect. (She’s a photographer, so you know if she wants to take a picture of it then it’s beautiful.) 5. a loving family. 6. wonderful in-laws. 7. two days off of work, in a row. 8. there’s so much BIG stuff, I’m thankful for a car to get me around wherever I need to go. 9. I’m thankful I have feeling in 9 of my 10 fingers. (This is kind of big, you don’t know how much you love the feeling in your fingers until it is gone. Just ask Tina Fitzpatrick.) 10. digital cameras and the ability to take photographs, conceptually and physicall

These boys had a lot of fun playing together. I'm very thankful for Amy, who brought herself and the boys down for a visit and for Tina and Paul for sharing them with us. (FYI, if you click on the picture you can enlarge it and see it more clearly. This works for all pictures posted on blogspot.) Today I am thankful for... 1.the plumber, Eddy, who is a really great guy, for fixing both of our bath tubs. One wouldn't plug and the other wouldn't drain, go figure. 2. the beautiful weather which allowed us all to play outside a lot today. 3. Michael’s artwork hanging on the sliding glass door. He colored some masterpieces for me. 4. the big hug Michael always gives me when he sees me, no matter how long it has been. 5. Paul and Tina coming down for the afternoon and helping us get started on packing up the house. 6. Amy’s help in packing up all the hallway stuff. She had little to no sleep last night, both of her boys were napping and she should’ve been too, but instead she gif

Before you read this, or afterwards, whichever, make sure you look at the other two posts I did today of pictures of our fun days we’ve been having. Today I am so thankful for… 1. taking a long nap today. 2. having Amy, Michael and Daniel here, spending the night and having lots of fun with us. 3. seeing Ben’s motor skills developing, he learns so much everyday. 4. making one of my favorite pasta dishes for dinner, one that my mom would always make for me, it wasn’t as good as when she makes it, but it was good. 5. little Michael’s excitement about our turtle. He says “Hi Turtle” every time he passes by Tiny. 6. Mark’s gifts in finances. 7. how cute Daniel is as he sleeps right next to me right now. 8. Amy’s attitude about just about everything. I love how I’ll ask her for some advice and she says “well, in Amy Land, I would…” 9. Mochi. (little balls of ice cream wrapped in rice flour.) 10. Amy’s love and respect for Mark. (and yes, she may have told me to say that.) But it’s true, I a

A few more pictures from our time at Disneyland. I'll do a thankful list tonight, I just had to get these out there, they're so cute...

Ben is opening a Veggie Tales mug, he's very excited about it. Having fun with little Daniel. Peek-a-boo! Here are some pictures from the good times we've been having lately. I'll post my thankful list later tonight.

Merry Christmas! Well, to us Fitzpatricks, that is. :) Here's what I'm thankful for today... 1. the three cousins playing so nicely together and having so much fun. (I'll post pictures tomorrow.) 2. the way Mark surprised me today, he knew I'd be so excited to see him (I drove out last night and he drove out this morning) so he just showed up an hour earlier than I was expecting. 3. all the really great gifts everyone gave and was given. :) 4. Michael sitting in my lap and letting me read to him. 5. a great dinner. 6. spending time with Howie, Nonny and Didi. I'm so thankful for the roll they've played in Mark's life and the roll they're playing in mine and Ben's life now. 7. the wind because it makes for beautiful skies. 8. laughing so hard my stomach hurt at/with Mark tonight. 9. the stars in the sky. 10. having really fun in-laws who truly are my family.

Today I am thankful for... 1. a second Christmas Eve. 2. pepperoni pizza. 3. Nonny letting me give her a hard time, and laughing with me (most of the time). 4. my love for music. 5. not living in fear of my husband. You laugh, but I wonder how many women do. 6. seeing Michael and Daniel's cute little smiles in person! 7. seeing Amy and Todd's cute little smiles in person, too. 8. cold, but beautiful weather. 9. feeling peaceful. 10. having a great day.

Today I am thankful for... 1. two new (to me) books I'm anxious to read. 2. hanging out with Mark a lot today, he makes me happy. 3. going out to lunch with Mark and Ben. 4. being able to rest this afternoon while Ben rested too. I don’t think either of us fell asleep, but it was relatively quiet for a solid hour. Sometimes a rest is just as good as a nap. 5. avoiding a HUGE traffic jam on the 5 freeway by taking the 55 instead while going to my parent’s house. (It was a last minute decision to take the 55, after I made that choice I heard on the radio that the 5 north had all lanes blocked off due to a felony car stop. I would’ve been stopped dead on the freeway for an incredibly long time. Having Ben with me, I couldn’t help but shout “Praise the Lord!” as I learned of the catastrophe that was avoided.) 6. the awesome dinner my dad treated Ben and me to at Chili’s. 7. the years I spent waitressing, it taught me invaluable lessons in customer service and in serving others in gener

Today I am very thankful for... 1. going to D-land with Carrie and the boys. We went on fun rides and both Ben and Gavin had a great time. I think Ezekiel had a good time too. Carrie and I sure did. 2. being able to see Mark today while he's on duty. I get so proud. I want everyone around us to know that the hot police officer in the uniform is taken by ME. :) (I feel that way when he's in plain clothes too.) 3. living in such a fun city where there are so many things to do. 4. Ben having a great attitude all day today. 5. Carrie's encouragment to work out. 6. "Unplayed Piano" by Damien Rice. Check out the story, the song and the video at: http://www.actionburma.com/ It'll be well worth your time, and it'a a beautiful song. 7. high speed internet. 8. 'lil smokies sausages. I had some today with mac' n cheese. The flavor was very reminiscent of my grade school cafeteria, but I loved it. 9. hot tea. 10. my mother-in-law, I am so blessed to have her.

Today I am thankful for... 1. the great idea from my mom to take Ben to the Library. He had so much fun, I can't believe I had never thought to bring him there. I hope there's a library close to us in Mission Viejo. 2. Mark making time to read the Bible to me today. It’s my favorite part of the day when that happens. 3. apples (fugi, to be specific) 4. realizing that Amy and fam are coming THIS weekend, I was still thinking it was far away. I can’t wait! 5. living without addiction. I can’t imagine the battles people with addiction must face, everyday. I’m so thankful to have lived a life free of that strife. 6. that the Fiztpatrick Christmas is FOUR days away. That’s right, I still have another Christmas coming my way. ;) 7. knowing that God has a plan for my life and that He sees the bigger picture. Did I say that yesterday? I’m still thankful for it then. 8. all the times Ben barely bumps his head instead of cracking it open. I hold my breath at the near misses I see all day

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) There have been many times lately where I have removed Ben from a situation and he has thrown a big fit about it. I move him away from the edge of the street, I take away something sharp or dangerous that he’s holding or eating. And he falls to the floor as if I’ve taken away his only joy in life. Other times, however, I try to give him something that I know he’ll like, but he just won’t listen to me. For example, the other day we were walking through Costco and a lady was handing out samples of waffles with syrup and whipped cream on top. I knew Ben was hungry, I knew he would love the taste of the sweet syrup and the feeling of the whipped cream on his tongue. But he wouldn’t try it. I stood there saying, “Ben, I am trying to give you something great, I know you will love it, just trust me and take a bite.” Jeremia

Today I am thankful for... 1. cute little Benny 2. getting a lot done today 3. (this is an add-on to yesterday's #8) my mom, because not only did she do all those things last night, but, I came in the kitchen this morning to see that she had put my muffins in a bag so they wouln't dry out AND refilled my Britta water pitcher. She's so good. 4. my Aunt Sarah, who I just found out reads this! (Hi Auntie Say-Say!!) She has been a great love and support in my life and especially in my mom's life. I love her very much. 5. Mark playing with Ben outside so I could get stuff done inside. 6. dinner with Jason and Carrie and Gavin and (smiley) Ezekiel. Mark would like to add "I'm thankful that dinner was sushi, it was good, I liked it a lot. Hee hee hee, whoo whoo whoo." There you have it. 7. allowing time for Ben to play in his crib this morning when he was suposed to be taking a nap. Instead of just figuring he wasn't going to nap, I let him holler out a few o

Today I am thankful for... 1. Mark and I playing with Ben (and a hundred other kids) out on the lawn today after church. I loved watching families play together and hang around after church let out. All that was missing was some fried chicken and baked beans. 2. Jesse calling me wanting to talk to baby Jesus. Unfortunately baby Jesus was unavailable at the moment, but it's nice to know little Jesse thinks baby Jesus may live here. 3. chatting with my neighbors. We dealt the neighborhood a blow today when Mark put up the “for sale” sign in their yard and then told everyone we’re moving too. I miss this street already. 4. buying a bunch of healthy food today and having Ben actually eat some of it. 5. preparing a new recipe and doing a pretty good job at it. 6. my parents coming over for dinner and trying the new recipe, I think they liked it. 7. Mark’s animation when he talks about real estate. You want him to open up? You ask him his thoughts on the market. 8. my mom, who, while I w

I watched an interesting documentary on the 7.6 earthquake that rocked Pakistan and India on October 8 of last year. 1,800 people in India died as well as 75,000 people in Pakistan. Did you know that? I had no idea. Due to the overwhelming media coverage of the Tsunami and hurricane Katrina, news rooms across the US felt our country was on “disaster overload” therefore giving the quake –where 3x the amount of people were effected than in Katrina- some, but little coverage, leaving the devastated lands falling short of the much needed aid they must have in order to survive. Watching this program brings up many issues, but I don't really want to get into all that right now. I was moved by an interview with a Pakistani-American Marine who is serving as a translator in one of the many makeshift hospitals/triage centers the US set up in Pakistan. When asked how he got his position this was his reply: “After the quake I heard rumors that they were looking for Pakistani-Americans to go t

The month is nearly half over, I can't believe how fast time goes. I did forget to say a special "Happy Birthday" to Cameron Russell who turned one yesterday. He is the son of our mentor couple, and friends, from Mariners. It was the neatest blessing to be mentored by this amazing couple and be pregnant at the same time as Heather. God really had His hand guiding us together when they picked us to mentor for a year. What changes that year brought all of us! Today I am thankful for... 1. being able to see God maneuvering people in our lives to be with us at perfect times. 2. fevers; because a fever is a sign that the body is working exactly like God planned it too, it's fighting off some greater sickness and keeping Ben from potentially greater pain. 3. my mom letting me be Ben's mom and not telling me what to do even though I'm sure she holds her tongue more than she'd like to. I know she's always there for me when I don't know what I'm doing,

Today I am so thankful for... 1. a safe drive to Simi Valley 2. getting to see Thompson and Ben play together. 3. Mark calling me when he has exciting news, it makes me feel special. 4. Paul and Tina watching Ben so I could scrapbook over at Taylore's house. 5. Tina being very vigilant over Ben because he developed a fever today. 6. being able to belly laugh with Taylore, just like the good old days. 7. Papa Paul getting to spend time with Ben and for Ben falling asleep in Paul's arms. 8. confidence in Christ. 9. the One Year Bible online so I didn't have to miss a day because I'm not going home from Simi until Friday and I hadn't planned on staying. 10. Paul and Tina taking good care of me and Ben even though he's not feeling well and I didn't bring any over night stuff. They sure do love us.

Ben and Joe then... - and - Ben and Joe NOW!! Is that the same baby? I'm so thankful that Ben will grow up with friends that have known him since birth, and Joe is one of those exceptionally great friends we are thankful to have; for us and for Ben. Today I am thankful for ... 1. the apparent return of the morning nap. I thought I had seen the last of it, but Ben has taken one every morning this week, so maybe he's back to two after all. 2. our neighbors using Mark to list their house. (Anyone looking for a 4 bedroom in Huntiongton Beach???) 3. lunch with Marie and watching her sweet dreams for her future unfold. I'm thankful to be a witness to it all. 4. the beach. It's just magnificently beautiful, everyday, without fail. 5. the sweet little 14 month old girl, Alex, that Ben and I met at the beach. Ben marched right up to her and gave her a kiss, maybe she's his soul mate. :) 6. NOT getting a parking

First, I want to tell everyone that one more thankful person has jumped on the bandwagon!! Carrie's mom, Sherry Gregory is now a blogger. You can check out her blog at www.sherrygregoryblog.blogspot.com Alright, anyone else??? Mom? Heather Russell?? :) Although Lisa Gomez isn't sitting right next to me, this comment is so sweet I'm considering her my guest speaker for tonight. Thanks to a little copy and pasting, here is what she, and her husband Nick, are thankful for tonight... "Hi Mark and Sarah! What a great husband. We enjoyed the combo blog. I usually don't read it to Nick, but it was a special occasion. 1.Nick says he's thankful for Markie-poo, 2.Sarah-poo, 3.Benny-poo, 4.and Mark's mom making sandwiches in high school. 5.I am thankful for our great friends, 6.and for Mark picking Sarah. Love you guys, Lisa & Nick-poo" I love our sweet friends and look forward to living a lot closer to them when we move into our new house and they move into

Hello Everyone, This is Mark typing because Sarah is very tired and is resting. I am her guest for the Thankful List today. Since I am usually a man of too many words I will get right to it: 1. For Todd getting me the full Adobe Acrobat software. This is expensive stuff and has proven to be invaluable to my business. I can't imagine what I would do without it. 2. For finally having the same day off as my partner in the traffic division. We were able to have dinner together with our wives last night. We usually have to work opposite schedules. 3. For Gary Watts who always gives the best real estate predictions. I hope he is right about 2006. (Says Orange County will see another 15% increase in property values in 2006). 4. For my good health. And my family's good health. What a blessing. Its better than being a sick billionaire. In other words, I'd trade a billion bucks for my good health. Thanks be to God. 5. For my dad coaching me when I was little. He wo

Today I am thankful for... 1. the great news that Tim and Taylore are expecting their second baby, making Thompson a big sister! 2. having a yummy, country style breakfast with my dad & Ben this morning, his treat! We split a HUGE cinnamon roll, biscuits and gravy and a cheese and bacon omelet! I was full as a tic!! :) 3. visiting my mom today at her work and having her show Ben off to everyone. 4. Ben taking a long nap today!! 5. talking with Amy on the phone and getting really great helpful hints as to how to change with my changing son. 6. Mark getting to write an offer for a client on the first day of taking them out to look at houses. 7. having Steve and Barbara over for dinner. 8. doing all the time consuming little things before they got here. (Like grating the cheese, setting the table - another helpful hint I learned from Amy Abbott.) 9. Steve and Barbara's eagerness to play Settlers of Catan with us. 10. getting to go to bed right now because I am really sleepy! Goodn

The Happiest Place On Earth!!! My parents gave Mark and me Disneyland anual passes for Christmas; what an awesome gift! We went for the first time today and had a great time. Jason and Carrie received passes too so they were there also. I am looking forward to many fun times ahead at the Magic Kingdom. I, myself, had an anual pass for many years growing up, so it was a lot of fun to take Ben and watch him having such a good time. So if any of you want to go... we're there! Today I am thankful for... 1.Ben having a MUCH better day today than yesterday, or any other day this week for that matter. (Thanks Amy, that was good napping advice.) 2. asparagus and kiwi becuase they are the only things Ben would eat tonight for dinner. At least one of them was a vegetable. 3. Mark's grilling abilities. 4. Jason and I sharing memories today of our times at Disneyland growing up. I'm sure my mom has to choke back tears knowing that Jason and I actually choose to hang out together now.

Oh, big news!! And you were starting to think the "thankful list" was just a fad... my sister-in-law Carrie, Jason's wife, has joined in on the thankful fun. Visit her site at www.carrieprinceblog.blogspot.com . I talk about her all the time, so I really don't have to tell ya'll how much I admire and love her. Right now there's a really cute picture of Ezekiel posted, so go check it out. Now who's next??? Pam? Lauren????? :) I kid, I kid. I am so thankful for... o. Carrie's new blog, I'm so proud. :) 1. my mom being such a trooper and a hard worker at her job. 2. the BEAUTIFUL, 80 degree + weather we had today. 3. Mark's calm demeanor. 4. Mark putting another house into escrow tomorrow for a client! 5. Kelly sending us the cutest, sweetest, "new house" card. I loved that she started it by saying "hi neighbors!" She is so thoughtful. I'm sure as soon as I got off the phone with her she made that card and put it in th

That's right, folks, we're moving again!! Funny how less than a week ago I wrote in one of my lists how I'm thankful we've been in the same house for one full year. We plan on moving in the middle of February, that's a little over one month away! Yikes!! Today I am so thankful for... 1. the return of my sweet sis-in-law Amy's blog!! I've missed it and I was so excited to see a new post today. Her words, I'm certian, are are a sweet, sweet sound in Christ's ear. 2. my fun time with Leslie, Tyler and Avery. I love how excited Tyler gets about being with Ben and Leslie is doing a GREAT job of juggling her almost three year old and her ity baby of only 9 weeks. I really value her as a mom and a friend and a sister in Christ. 3. the way Kelly Hanson got soooooooooo excited when I told her we're moving to Mission Viejo, just a hop skip and a jump away from her in Aliso. Good times are ahead, I'm sure!! 4. Mark calling his parents and inviting them

This is Tiny Roy Fonzerelli. He's so cute! Today I had the pleasure of watching Gavin ALL day! I must say, I have a new found awe for mom's with more than one kid!! It was a lot of fun, he was so great with Ben. I'm so thankful for the quality time I've been blessed to have with Gavin since he was an infant and I wish, with all of my heart, that I could have that same time with Michael, Daniel, Jesse and Luci. I love being an Aunt!! Today I am so thankful for... 1. getting to read Marie's "thankful list" that she's been quite regular in writing lately. 2. once again, the funny things Gavin says. Today I smelled something very stinky radiating from somebody's bottom. I started to check Ben and as I did Gavin says, "no, don't check Ben, it was probably me." Sure enough... He cracks me up. :) 3 the amazing way God works everything out in His timing. It's really so perfect, it's a wonder why I ever question Him. 4. oh, this is big

Today I am so thankful for... 1. once again, another fun time with Carrie, Gavin and Ezekiel at the mall. 2. gift cards to places I never have enough money to buy things from, like Williams&Sonoma and Sephora. I'm like a little kid in a candy shop knowing I can buy something great with those cards. 3. Gavin saying the funniest things. Today, after telling us that he was hungry he went on to say "probably need to find me a bagel." So matter-of-fact like. It kills me! 4. Mark still having seven more days off of work!! Yea me! 5. the beef stew I made tonight without a recipe, just threw a bunch (and I really mean a bunch) of things in a pot and let it cook. I felt like a real cook because I would taste the broth and add a little of this and a little of that to make it good. It wasn't to die for, but it was hearty and homemade. 6. the REALLY GREAT news from Jason and Carrie tonight about a potentail, long time in the making, new job for Jason. 7. the very meaningful c

Today I am thankful for... 1. Mark starting to read the one year Bible. 2. less than 20 days until Amy, Todd, Michael and Daniel are here!! 3. my parents coming over and bringing dinner. 4. Ben giving me lots of hugs and kisses tonight. This, coming from a very busy and not so much cuddly boy, is very much welcomed and cherished. 5. a long, nice phone call from Leslie. 6. my dad putting togethter a really cool New Years card from him and my mom. It's really well written and the pictures are great! 7. having all my Christmas decorations down and (almost) put away. 8. a clean house, that I cleaned!** 9. never playing video games growing up, so when I played one last night at the Dimitri's house it was a total novelty and I had a LOT of fun. 10. THE RAIN!!!!! (** I emphasized "I" not to make a point that it was me who cleaned and not Mark, rather that it was me who cleaned and not the cleaning lady, whom we no longer employ. Just a little FYI.)

I realize that it is really the 2nd day of the new year, but I haven't gone to bed yet from the first day, so to me it's still the first and therefore I haven't missed a day. With that said... Today I am so thankful for... 1. the awesome weekend with Mark, visiting friends and being together. 2. the time Ben got to spend with his Gma, today while Mark and I were out gallivanting about. 3. Pat and Casey, who are expectine their first baby in July, for coming over to see Ben and spend more time with just us this morning. 4. Nick and Lisa for coming over for breakfast this morning (remember, I'm talking about Sunday morning here.) and spending more time with us today. The Third time this week we've been lucky enough to see them!! 5. Trevor and Coryn for having us over for a lovely afternoon which consisted of, but not limited too, a puppy to play with, a warm fire in the fireplace, pizza for lunch and an excellent game of Scrabble. I, of course, lost by MANY points and