Sliced Apples and Laundry

At 10:15 I get a second wind. It's ridiculous, but I feel more awake now than I do at 10 in the morning. Sometimes I clean or read, but tonight I've been looking at pictures of my family and feeling pretty blessed. Here are some of my blessings.

Dave- he's kind, and loyal, and so good to me. I can't imagine what would happen if he didn't walk in the door every night. We've been married over 13 years now, and I'm still getting butterflies.

Claire-- she was home today with a cold, she makes everything more fun, more special. She has all these ideas and dreams. I'm so glad I get to watch her grow.

Thomas - he tells me almost every day that he loves me so so so so so so much. Then he says that I'm the bestest mom in the world.

Talmage-- he actually wanted to snuggle tonight and read stories. Then he held my hand and closed his eyes. It's amazing to be trusted like that.

Mom- My mom is amazing. If you are ever sick then you need her. No one is better at taking care of someone than her.

Dad- He loves life. He is excited every day to see what is going to happen and what he is going to learn. 95 % of the seemingly random facts I have in my head are from him.

Bryce-- Check out his blog, he is such a thinker, and we get to talk about books! I love watching him becoming a Doctor. We are all lucky that he choose medicine.

Kirt-- I know I didn't get him when I was little, but man what a great big brother. Did you know he showed up the other day and plowed our drive way. It was great. And watching him watch football is extremely entertaining.

Jenny- so sweet and kind and funny and almost perfect. She saves me almost every week, and with a smile and says "oh it's no big deal."

Ann-Marie- everyone should have a sister like her. She gets me like no one else does. She understands so many things and her wisdom has saved me a million times.

Geoff-- He's the calm eye in our tornado of a family. He can joke us back to being calm and make anyone he's talking to feel important. Next time I'm in an ER, I hope he's on call.

My father-in-law Lyndon- He shows up when you need help. I think that is a characteristic that is so amazing. I think about him sitting in the rocker at the hospital with my precious nephew. He could play games, get him to eat, and get him to fall asleep. And he knows how to fix just about anything.

My mother-in-law Toni- She is the most compassionate person ever. She always seems to know when I'm a little off. She is so supportive and understanding. I'm always sad when I hear other women complain about their mother-in-laws. They are missing out.

Maegen-- She can tease, and she knows how to do a million things at once. I can't even keep her schedule straight, but somehow she does it all and do it well.

Chad-- He can tease, with a straight face. He is a hard worker who spends his free time coaching everything. And watch him with is daughter, he's amazing.

Adam- He makes the family complete. He is a listener who can find solutions for any problem. What a blessing to know that there is someone who will always take the time to listen. He's listened to me way to many times, but I'm sure I'll be talking his ear off again.

MiKell- We were friends before I even knew Dave. If you want to know a sweet person, then she is it. She is so talented and caring. Generous to a fault. We've shared a lot together, and I know we will share even more.

Chris-- He's hard -working and ambitious, meticulous and daring. Dave and I are lucky to be associated with him.

Hailey--Fun is the word I always think of when I think of Hailey. She even made 6 months in a hospital room fun. She has endured more that she should have to, but she is still positive and planning the next party. And watch it will be perfect and every guest will leave feeling like the party was just for them.

Nick -- the secret agent, he can tease too. And boy can he deal with stress. He is a very impressive person who has so many layers. Spiritual and funny, daring and careful.

And then my nieces and nephews. These are amazing people. From the big kids, Ian, Summer and Ben who are so fabulous with their growing up and the Jr High moments all the way down to the little one who hasn't shown up. I love Emme and Kate with their purses and bags and babies. And Cooper and Sam with their secret destruction. Hugh who loves to know the rules and wants to be a big kid, and Graham who seems to just laugh and giggle. Then you have Eliza and Ella, two ladies who know what they want and can figure out how to get it. Jack has a smile to melt your heart and can get up after a hard hit. Ty is willing to try new things and talk about it with his aunt. Emma, who is the perfect friend for Claire, so fun and kind, easy to be with and caring.

So its a good life I have, surrounded by these people. I joke about how we live in a compound with so many of us so close, just two families out of state. But with blogs and planes and texts and calls, I still get to have them around. I'm pretty lucky.