My 200th Post!

Well, I didn't think this is what I'd be posting about on my 200th post!

I was getting ready to sit down and catch up on reading YOUR blogs tonight. I was going to use the restroom, get a drink and start reading. The flush of the toilet changed those plans! Water began pouring out of the commode! I began grabbing towels and then realized that I really needed to turn off the valve to the toilet. I yelled to Coop to go out and get Eric from the garage. By the time he got inside, the water was flowing out into the hallway. (Thankfully, our hallway is not carpeted!)

I then told Cooper to go check the ceilings in our pantry and dining room. Sure enough, water was beginning to seep through our dining room ceiling. So then we had to move the furniture! Eric ended up poking some small holes into the ceiling to let the water drain out. There's a pan under one of the holes collecting the drips of water. We have to keep Otto from trying to drink it....GROSS!

I used just about every towel in the house to clean up the bathroom floor, so now I'm doing laundry! Thankfully, yesterday when I cleaned the bathroom (Did I mention it's our ONLY bathroom in the house?), I skipped washing the floor. I love my Swiffer Wet Jet!

This will definitely make my "I Get To" list this week!

Thomas Nelson Book

Some of you have asked me what book I am reviewing next for Thomas Nelson. It is Voices of the Faithful, Book 2. It's a devotional with "inspiring stories of courage from Christians serving around the world". It is compiled by Kim P. Davis. The series creator is Beth Moore. She also wrote the introduction. It's a pretty long book, so please be patient with me!

Thankful Thursday

1. I am grateful for the lovely weather we've had this week!
2. I'm thankful that I was able to take Otto to the vet last week. She gave him a cortisone shot which has relieved his itching. He seems more like himself now. I don't think I'll have to continue with the really expensive food because it seems more like a contact allergy rather than a food allergy.
3. I'm hoping we have finally found a solution to our kids always asking for money and to the allowance dilemma. They haven't asked for money for several days now and are seeing that they need to budget their money.
4. I'm glad Eric was able to take a day this week to go fishing and just relax. Poor guy didn't catch a thing though! As he said, "Well, it was a beautiful night!"
5. I'm thankful that my November lesson plans are finished and turned in and that my classroom is finally done for October!
6. Oh, one more....the book I requested from Thomas Nelson just arrived this very minute! Yay! I can't wait to read it and post a review!

Please join Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey and let everyone know what you're thankful for this week!

Blessings to you all!

"I Get To" Tuesdays

The thought behind this is to list a few things that could come under the category of "Ugh...I have to (you fill in the blank)". However, I want you to look at these "have to's" as blessings of "I get to". We all take for granted such things as our health, jobs, family, friends, etc. and sometimes don't appreciate them or see them as blessings as we should. So here are a few things for me this week.

1. Last Friday I got to go on a field trip to an apple orchard with my 4-year-old class. This is the 7th year in a row that I've been on this field trip. It was a cold, gloomy day, but the kids and their parents had a good time!
2. I got to stop on my way home from work today to fill up my car with gas. Just one of those mundane tasks that we all have to do. This particular task usually hurts us in our wallet, too. I was surprised to receive $.40 off per gallon due to my pump perks card from one of our grocery stores! I thought the most I could earn was $.20 off per gallon. I ended up only paying $1.96 per gallon! (Kind of sad to say "only"!)
3. I got to be "single" mom yesterday because Eric went fishing. That meant going to work, running Sam around, getting Coop's baseball uniform washed, making dinner and being sure everyone's homework got done. The kids weren't thrilled with what I was throwing together for dinner -- a shepherd pie -- and I heard about it! However, Sam ended up loving it. He had 3 helpings! (Coop wasn't a fan.) I had enough left over for my lunch today. (Next week I get to be "single" mom for 4 days straight...another fishing trip.)
4. I get to make sure Otto gets outside several more times a day than usual. His itching was so bad that I took him to the vet Thursday night. She gave him a shot of cortisone which has made him feel much better. It also makes Otto have to tinkle a lot. Every time we let him outside he just goes and goes and goes!
5. I get to watch my oldest son go off to school every morning dreading his first period class. He has the toughest and meanest math teacher in the school and has to face him every day at 8 AM. From what I understand from other parents and former students, this man is the best math teacher because his students learn more from him than they do from any of the other math teachers. However, he sounds like a dictator in class. Sam has been waking up with stomach aches in the morning. I try to comfort him by saying that at least he gets his worst class over with by 9 AM. I'm praying that this experience will teach Sam how to deal with difficult people. I've told him that he'll probably have to deal with a pain in the neck boss at some point in his life, so he may as well learn how to handle it now.

That's my "I Get To" list for this week. If you decide to post your own "I Get To" list on your blog, please let me know, and I will post a link to your blog here.

Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!

Thankful Thursday

Is it Thursday already? Well, that means the #1 thing I'm thankful for is:

1. ...That this work week has flown by! Hello weekend!
2. I was able to go to Cooper's baseball game on Saturday. I've only been able to make it to 2 out of his 6 games thus far. Thankfully, Eric is his coach, so at least he's been at every game. And they made a comeback and won on Saturday!
3. I'm thankful that Eric has been willing and able to make the change to getting up before 6:30 AM during the week. He is NOT a morning person. But now that Cooper has to be out the door so early, I've needed Eric's help making sure Coop gets up and has breakfast while I get my shower.
4. I'm thankful that I did well and made it through last week, which marked the one year anniversary of my miscarriage.
5. I think all of us are finally feeling better! Therefore, I'm thankful for the health of my family!

Take the time today to think about what you're thankful for, post it on your blog and then hook with Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey!