Oh the Bliss!

What? I MISSED a day??? How can that be? I've NEVER missed a day since the start, way back in November. But alas, life caught up with me, my laptop doesn't work at my parent's house and "someone" messed up their computer and it was shut down. There was just no way I could get to a computer yesterday. I was thankful yesterday, and here's the list to prove it... 2/27/06 yesterday I was thankful for... 1. spending time with Carrie, Gavin and Ez at their new house. I love how they've already made it their own in so many ways. It looks great! 2. Ben taking two really good naps. 3. Mark fighting the traffic so he could spend time with me and Ben before Ben went to bed. 4. THE RAIN!!! LOVED IT!!! 5. home cooked meals 6. time just with Mark at Diedrich's 7. the really comfortable bed we get to sleep in at my parent's house. 8. Amy calling to ask me what kind of shampoo and conditioner I want in my bathroom for when I'm there (in three days). Sure, the...

Today I am thankful for... 1. the many walks my mom and dad took ben on throughout the day. 2. the new Tigger toy my mom bought to keep at the house for the grandkids to play with. Ben can sit on it and it rocks and plays music, right up his alley. 3. no terrorist attacks on the Olympics. 4. a little rest before ben woke up from his nap. 5. being able to listen to my pastor's sermon via the internet. 6. laughing a lot with Mark tonight. 7. getting to visit with the Hanson family and getting to bring them dinner. Kelly looks so good after just having a c-section a little over a week ago!! 8. Ben trying, and coming very close to, saying "baby" "bird" and "bubble". I think he likes the "b" words. 9. Gavin having a good first night in his new house. I really wanted him to like it there, and I think he does. 10. my parent's watching Ben tonight so we could go to the Hanson's and stay longer than 5 minutes because we went right at Ben's...

(again, no spell check, so sorry) Today I am thankful for... 1. Ben sleeping well last night and waking up so happy to be at his Nana and Papa Dan's house. 2. my parents who watched Ben for a few hours so I could go to our OLD house to help move us out and Jas + fam in. 3. a smooth day of moving in and out for our families. Litte to no hicups, that I'm aware of. 4. Carrie's excitement about moving into the Pua house. It makes me feel good that something we had a part in is making her so happy. 5. all of Jason's work building the Pua house when we bought it 2 years ago. Who knew he was working on the very house he'd live in someday. 6. My time w/mark this morning. I'm even more thankful, however, that he has 5 nights off starting tomorrow!! 7. Heather Russell calling to tell me she's praying for me and my family during this hectic time. It was a perfectly timed call, as prayerful calls tend to be, and it really means a lot to me. It made me think of how often...

Please note... there is no spell check ability on the computer that I'm doing this on, so be gracious with me, spelling just isn't my thing. Today I am SO thankful for... 1. Paul and Tina's hard work helping me pack, watch Ben and clean our house. We're basically out, except for a few things we'll do Saturday morning. 2. never really feeling stress over and during this move. Maybe that's because I've had an amazing amount of help, and they do most of the stressing for me. 3. my sweet neighbors who let me borrow anything anytime, and I did tonight - for old times sake. I really hope our new neighbors are at least half as cool as the Pua ones. 4. Carrie being so sweet and considerate of other people's feelings. I can see where Gavin gets his sensitive heart, what a great quality to pass along. 5. Natalie Carol's 3rd birthday! Happy Birthday, darling! 6. Amy being excited to give Mark a birthday present. It's makes me smile. (March 2) :) 7. My paren...

One of the things I love most about Mark is his love for his mother. I've never seen him treat her poorly, he talks openly with her and respects her. They joke with each other and tease each other (in love, of course) and he has never said one negative thing about her to me - or to anyone else for that matter. A favorite aspect of their relationship for me is the way Tina loves Mark. I know that by the way she talks to him and about him she loves him so much. He's her little boy; it is a very special bond that they have. As strong as that bond is, however, Tina has NEVER made me feel anything less than Mark's #1 woman. From the very beginning she would call me to make plans, to tell Mark things, to just chat for a bit. She includes me in every family event, whether or not Mark will be there. Above all of the amazing things she does is probably one of the most meaningful things a mother-in-law can do, she lets me be his wife. She doesn't butt in, she doesn't take his...

Today I am thankful for... 1. Ben not being allergic to peanut butter. He's had it three times in the last week, loved it, and showed no signs of any allergies. This is great news because I'm always looking for new food he'll actually eat. 2. the laugh fest Ben and I had at dinner tonight. He was in one of the best moods I've seen him in lately, it made me almost tear up because he was having such a good time with me. 3. the fish bracelet I bought in Prague. It's special and meaningful to me, and I'm proud that I haven't lost it in 8+ years. (Misplaced, yes, but never lost.) 4. sweet Marie's message on my phone. We missed each other today, but I know that we'll get together soon. 5. Mark hanging out with Ben and me this morning. 6. MOPS being tomorrow 7. pinto beans and cheese 8. Heathers love for animals. It teaches me and it's pretty funny at times. 9. Dove white bar soap. 10. finding ten things to be thankful for today.

Today I am thankful for... 1. talking with Amanda on the phone this morning. I happened to call at the perfect time for us BOTH to vent our morning frustrations. I'm thankful for listening ear and her sweet heart. 2. Ben enjoying Veggie Tales so much. 3. chocolate chip pancake mix from Trader Joe's. It doesn't make just pancakes, either, it makes a multitude of yummy breakfast treats. 4. a nice chat with my biggest brother, and Luci and Jesse too. Jesse was singing songs and making up words to those songs, he is very entertaining. 5. Joe coming over and watching Ben again today. They had a good time together, I think, and I was glad to have a little break. Although, by break consisted of going to the dentist and Costco, so I don't know how much of a "relaxing" time that was. 6. the nice experience at the dentist. It's probably one of my least favorite places on the earth, but it wasn't so bad today. I'm good for another 6 months. 7. Mark coming hom...

Today I am so thankful for... 1. another beautiful baby being born today, in the wee hours of the morning. Beth (a lady at my MOPS table) and her family welcomed little Kiana Grace. I'm so excited! 2. Joe coming over and helping Mark put a bunch of our heavier furniture into our garages for storage until we move into the new house. 3. Jason and Carrie letting us use 1/2 of the garage for storage for a few weeks. 4. our awesome vacuum, not as cool as as the "Rainbow" but still very nice. 5. Joe staying to watch Ben (well, sit while Ben slept) while Mark and I went to a birthday party. 6. Mark being home a lot today. Even though he was still working pretty hard, it was nice just to see him and know he's close by. 7. Steve and Barbara inviting us over to celebrate Barbara's birthday. It was so nice to get prettied up and go out with my honey for the evening. 8. my friend Crista, a makeup artist, who showed me that to cover up red spots on my face using a green cover ...

Woo-hoo do I have a lot to be thankful for today! Tina, Howie and Nonny came to our house today and boy, is that one of the greatest gifts or what? They brought food (courtesy of Nonny) clothes, (courtesy of Tina) and $2 bills!(courtesy of Howie.) What a treat! Today I am so thankful for... 1. Mark being able to sleep in this morning. 2. the rain last night and the brief shower this morning. It left the skies an amazing shade of blue with gorgeous white billowing clouds. Very picturesque. 3. the AWESOME shoes Tina found for Ben at one of her "special stores" (i.e. garage sale) they are perfect for him and exactly what I had in mind when I put in my request. 4. the bag of clothes for Ben, also found at a "special store". She already washed them so they're ready for wearing and they are GREAT. 5. cheese burgers, grilled by Mark. 6. cheating today when I was supposed to be packing -I had a cup of tea and read my book for a little bit first. The truth comes out! Yes...

Today I am thankful for... 1. my neighbors going to see our new house with us today because they are excited for us. I will really miss them, they are so great! 2. Mark's little touches on the house that I know he did just for me... for example, not putting any over-head lighting over the bed, he knows I'm not a fan of that. :) 3. Alfredo, who smiles all the time and teaches Mark Spanish, he is such a good guy. 4. my parent's watching Ben tonight and doing such a great job at it. I'm so thankful that they know each other well, what a blessing. 5. the time I spent with Kelly and Brent at the hospital, holding their 1 day old son, Jack. So precious. 6. Lactation consultants 7. JT warming up to his new little brother more today. 8. Kelly feeling (and LOOKING) so well after her c-section yesterday. 9. watching some of the Olympics with my parents tonight. And for the running commentary my mom and I had throughout, although I'm not sure my dad loved it. 10. sharing a bla...

Today I am thankful for... 1. baby Jack Hanson being born into this world, and into one of the finest families I know, this afternoon at 12:20pm. :) 2. inside jokes with old friends * (I should note that roughly 7 of my 10 things have to do with Heather Heintz, one of my dearest friends, whom I spent quite a few hours with today, which is a first in a while. I'm very thankful for her.) 3. Quality time with Heather and Chris today. 4. Heather meeting and falling in love with a really great guy. 5. laughing so hard tears poured from my eyes. 6. being able to talk with Heather about our friend Addison (who died 4 years ago, but sometimes it feels like yesterday...) and share stories that keep his memory strong in our hearts. 7. my laptop allowing me to type this out as I lay in bed because I'm so sleepy 8. a visit to the Gypsy Den, a great coffee shop that consumed many hours of my time during college. Heather and I took Chris there for some of the best hummus in town. 9. Ben danc...

Today I am so thankful for... 1. MOPS. I'm going to say it every Thursday, I love it so much. 2. memories of good friends 3. Leslie's going to Trader Joe's for the FIRST time, believe it or not, and finding out that I wasn't just making up all the hype; it really is the best place on earth. 4. Mark being able to get a lot done at the house today. 5. finding old journals and reading some in them. The things I stressed about when I was 16! It's a funny read, that's for sure. 6. Ez getting the proper medical treatments and that Carrie took him to the doctor. Poor little guy. 7. my trip to the mall. 8. e-Bay 9. strawberry stands, especially the TWO within walking distance to my house. 10. fruit in general. I'm agreeing with my friend Marie on this one, California has the best fruit year-round. I would miss it if I lived anywhere else. I'm not saying other states don't have good fruit, relax my loves in MS, NC, KY and IL, Cally has a better variety and at...

Happy Birthday Lucia! Sorry we couldn't be at your party, but we love you and hope you had a wonderful FIRST birthday!! Today I am so thankful for... 1. my one and only niece. She is so precious and sweet. I love her big smile and easy-going personality. She is my favorite niece in the whole world. :) 2. talking with Keri Lyon on the phone for the first time EVER!! I become so dependent on email that I forget how nice it is to actually talk to someone. Keri is no exception, it was great to hear her voice. 3. Mark coming home early today from working on the house. I was able to go for a run (my best one ever) and he was able to spend some quality time with Ben. 4. Joe -who came to watch Ben while I went to a dentist appointment. Who knew when I made the appointment for the 15th they meant MARCH 15th? 5. talking with Tina for a bit on the phone. She said such sweet things that really encouraged me and made me feel loved, as usual. 6. my best run ever!!! 1.5 miles without stopping, ...

Happy Valentine's Day! After working on our new house for 8+ hours today, a very dirty and wiped out Mark came through our door with his hand out as if it were holding something. "Pretend I'm holding a big bouquet of flowers for you. I really wanted to bring you flowers, but I've been sitting in traffic for so long that I thought you'd rather have me here than take more time to stop and get them." He's so right. I love flowers, and Mark always buys the prettiest ones, but I LOVE spending time with him even more. I'm not discrediting anyone's Valentine acts of love, but for the most part I feel that Valentine's Day is a day where people have to show or remind their special someone something that Mark defines for me everyday. He is my Valentine 365 days a year. And I'll take him being home 15 minutes earlier than a bunch of flowers any day. Besides, roses go on sale tomorrow. :) Today I am thankful for... 1. God (and my parents) being patient...

Today I am thankful for... 1. learning that my testimony is God's love story of my life. There are good parts (some really good parts) and not good parts (some really not good), but they're what Christ has given me to define myself and tell of His works in my life. What an honor. 2. Ben not crying AT ALL today at childcare while I went to a MOPS meeting for 2 1/2 hours. That's a first and a HUGE answer to prayer. 3. the leaders I get to serve with at MOPS. They are Godly women, and most of the time I feel like a little kid among these faith-warrior women. 4. knowing that there is no "good enough" line when it comes to whether or not I'm going to heaven. My faith in Christ is IT. 5. taking the time to dust everything in our bedroom, it really needed it. 6. not needing to sacrifice cows or rams or baby lambs or any kind of animal, for that matter, just to cleanse me of my sins. It's done, Christ was the ultimate sacrifice. Wow, I am so thankful for that. ...

Today I am thankful for... 1. the pictures Lauren took of me and Ben. This is one of over 200, so there are some really good ones, thank you Lauren! 2. going to church and seeing our friend's Heather and Gordon dedicate their son, Cameron. 3. the 139 (based off of Psalm 139) meeting I attended to learn more about this amazing ministry that serves teen/young mothers facing unplanned pregnancies. This ministry is only 2 years old and already it has over 200 volunteers serving all over Orange County. It's truly amazing and I'm so excited to become more involved in it. 4. Mark staying with Ben at church so I could go to the meeting. They had fun playing outside, it was sweet walking up to them and watching them having a great time together. 5. the brunch Ben and I went to at the Russell's house to celebrate Cameron's dedication. Good friends, good food, good times. 6. Marie's blog today. She has a righteous heart and I am always extremely blessed by her. Check it ...

Today I am thankful for... 1. the guys that are working so hard at tearing our house apart. And I'm also thankful (in advance) for when they put it back together. 2. the beautiful trees and bushes Mark had planted in our backyard, especially the avocado tree. 3. the very special tree he had planted in the front of the house just for me. It's shaped so nicely and has little pink flowers on it. Whenever I drive up to our house I will be reminded of how much Mark loves me and all the sweet ways he shows me. 4. my parents coming down to see the house for the first time. It was fun to walk around with them and share our dreams with them, they were very excited and encouraging. 5. Getting to see Lauren today. What a treat! We looked at some pictures she had taken (she's a REAL photographer) and wow, she is so talented. If anybody ever needs a photographer for anything, she's your gal! 6. knowing the grocery check-out people and having my favorites. I will miss them when we mo...

I've been acutely more aware of the silly names I call Ben, lately. Mainly because while standing in the parking lot at church yesterday, getting Ben out of his car seat, I heard at least a dozen moms addressing their children by their terms of endearment. This fact became evident: of all the names we call our kids, a vast majority of them are food products. In the few minutes I was standing there (I admit, after this epiphany hit me I stood for a bit longer than usual) I found myself making a mental list of all the names I heard moms affectionately calling their loved ones, starting with myself. When I opened the door to get Ben I said to him, "ready to go, pudding-pop ?" (Ben is not made of chocolate, he's neither frozen nor on a stick, and yet that name suits him so well and I've called him that countless number of times.) Not ten seconds behind me I heard a mom to her child say, "ok, muffin , lets go." The following is a brief list of what I heard, ...

Today I am so thankful for... 1. Ben having a MUCH better time in child care at MOPS. I left him with milk (good thinking on my part) and dibs on a swing which helped him sleep part of the time. 2. staying after MOPS with Kelly for a little bit while our boys played. She's about 1 week away from delivering baby Jack, so I cherish every minute I have with her before things get a little less easy. :) 3. the sweetest email from my (new) friend Valerie. Her heart is so pure and I'm excited to see what Christ has in store for her and her family as she becomes a full time stay at home mom. She encouraged me in a way I don't even think she intended to, and for that I'm very thankful. 4. my dear, Mark Fitzpatrick. I get so excited when my cell rings his special ring tone that lets me know it's him calling. 5. being inspired in many ways today by many different people. 6. getting to see Carrie and the boys today at the park for a little bit. I know, I haven't mentioned h...

Today I am thankful for ... 1. the card and magazine page Carrie tore out and sent to me of the half marathon we're GOING to run this June! I was one day away from giving up. It was perfectly timed and it meant so much to me to know she believes in me 100%, even though I'm still learning to believe in myself. 2. reading Amy's blog today. She wrote about running MORE than a mile without stopping . That was so motivating to me too! Thank you Amy, you are an inspiration! 3. my friend Sherry, from Bible study, having a happy and healthy baby girl. Welcome to the world baby Hannah! 4. meeting with Marie today and giggling with her about her future. I'm so blessed by her excitement and passion for life, love and the Lord. 5. talking "mom talk"with Carrie on the phone this morning. 6. finally mailing off some bulk mail for Mark. It's taken me THREE different trips to the Post Office, but mission accomplished today! 7. finding cute Valentines to bring to my table ...

Joe, Joey, Joe Horton, Uncle Joe, or Joe Fitzpatrick (as Darren likes to call him) whatever you want to call him he's here to tell us what he's thankful for today... 1. a beautiful, February, Southern California day, at 90 degrees. 2. that God gave me the strength to run my fourth run today. 3. spending the day with Mark, working on the new house, just like this time 2 years ago. 4. the fact that you guys are moving closer ("you guys" referring to Mark and me) 5. beer 6. the great dinner Tina made, particularly the rice. 7. the ocean, it makes me happy when I run. ( Happy when you run? I'm still learning that's even a possibility.) 8. my promotion to dispatch supervisor 9. the unconditional love from my mom. 10. God's grace and His never ending patience for when I screw up (here here, Joe). 11. Sarah's thankful list. 12. Ben, he is my favorite toddler in the whole world. Thanks Joe, you're Ben's favorite Uncle Joey in the whole world. Here...

This is a picture of all of Ben's cousins at his birthday party a few weeks ago. Poor kids, we really torture them with all the picture taking we do. Good times... A notion was put in my head to call my Grandma Prince today. I was feeling a bit lonely and unmotivated (with "the move" looming over me) this morning. Turns out I wasn't the only one feeling lonely and going through closets. She had been sifting through my (late) Grandpa's wardrobe going through some of his things. I called at a good time for the both of us to take a breather and regroup. She was, sadly enough, shocked to hear my voice on the other end of the line, it not being a holiday and all, or anywhere near her birthday plus my dad wasn't even around rallying the troops to talk to his mom. It was so good to talk to her, to tell her about our new house and what Ben and Mark are up to these days. I think we both hung up feeling a bit better about our day, a bit brighter about our future and a b...

Today I am thankful for... 1. Sunday = rest day. 2. grilled hot dogs with melted cheese on top. 3. getting to see old friends and making a new one. 4. getting to meet the people that are moving next door to our Pua house, a great family with two little girls. Perhaps girlfriends for Gavin and Ezekiel? :) 5. people with senses of humor. 6. wives that speak highly of their husbands. I have some good friends in my life and we talk about everything, not once have I heard them speak down on their husband, and that is really encouraging in a world full of women who think it's their job to make men feel like the lesser of the two sexes. My sweet friends and sisters, what a revolution we could start! 7. Kenton Beshore, our pastor at Mariners. 8. Mark having 5 days off starting next Saturday!! 9. Lauren and Jordan celebrating wedding anniversary #2 on Jan.31. Little late in wishing them congratulations, but I'm still happy for them! 10. balloons, especially because Ben loves them so muc...

Today I am thankful for... 1. my parents watching Ben so I could go to a baby shower breakfast for my friend Kelly. 2. getting to spend two hours with a bunch of ladies with no kids around. I love kids, don't get me wrong, but it was really nice to be able to start and finish a conversation without having to break eye contact every 3 seconds to make sure Ben hadn't cracked his head open or swallowed a snail. (Carrie, I know you hear my on this one!) 3. the blessings pregnancy brings. I love seeing my beautifully ripe friend glow with excitement. I have a lot of pregnant friends right now and I am reminded of what a miracle that takes place in the womb. It will be fun to be pregnant again, but I'm good watching them go through it all, I have a half marathon to run first! 4. being able to make friends easily, wow I'm really thankful for that. 5. Mark meeting one of our new neighbors at our Rosales house. I'm getting more excited to move, good thing too because Mark b...

Today I am thankful for... 1. laying in bed for a long time while Ben took a morning nap. 2. all the gift certificates we received to Babies-R-Us when Ben was born that I'm still managing to squeeze usage out of, even today. I have $10 left, how far can I make that stretch? 3. Mark and I officially becoming owners of house #2 today! Wow, this is really exciting! 4. the running book Joe bought me, it is going to help me become the runner I think I am instead of the runner I really am. 5. getting to see my parents tonight while they babysat Gavin. 6. Ben not choking on a piece of apple my mom told me might have been too big for him. After he gagged on it I took it, and the rest of the pieces, away from him and she said "that's a good idea." (Remember when I wrote a while back about how I'm thankful for the advice she gives me and then when I take it she lets me think it was my idea? This is a good example.) What a sweet mom. 7. my dads love for reading to the grandk...

Today I am so thankful for... 1. the first day of MOPS! It was great to see everyone and be back with my table of ladies who make me laugh and think and cry and giggle. It's great, a true gift. 2. street signs that tell me what to expect up ahead. It's as if someone thought, "we'd better warn them this lane is merging..." or "let's put up a sign before the stop light, just to let them know it's coming." I like that, it's thoughtful. 3. the ladies who tried very hard to console Ben today in the child care at MOPS. I know they did all they could do, but he just needed his mama. Maybe next week will be better. 4. the FIVE pregnant ladies at my table (5 out of 10). They are beautiful and healthy and I'm thrilled for each of them. 5. Mark putting the house next door into escrow today. (Sorry Amy and Todd.) 6. the Hanson's letting me "waste some time" at their house today while I waited for traffic to die down. It was an impromptu...

February already? Wow, time just flies by, in a could of weeks my little niece will be a big one year old! So here is what I am thankful for today... 1. figuring out how to use the spell check on this site instead of having to copy and paste it from my email (which is down, by the way, I can receive - but can't send). Thanks Amy for the pop-up tip! 2. getting to see our new house today and figuring the colors and rooms out and everything. Escrow closes on Friday! 3. breakfast at Pancake House with Mark and Ben. 4. finishing the laundry today, finally. 5. taking my mom's advise and buying Stella as my new perfume, it's lovely. 6. seeing at least one positive from my new walk/runs ... my face feels cleaner. Sounds weird, but Pam mentioned it as an effect of running and I think she's totally right. 7. Ben eating a good dinner tonight. 8. running into Tawny Cahill at Trader Joe's, she is so sweet and she loves Ben. Got to love them Cahills. 9. being in the right frame o...