day 69: "i am thankful for......6 YEARS!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY WADER!!!!!"

today is my nephew's 6th birthday!  i was there in the hospital the day he was born 6 years ago.... here are a few pics of me holding him for the first time....i was a very happy and proud aunt!  and i still am!

such a happy day

so beautiful

i love babies little fingers

wader is a very special little boy.  i just love listening to his sweet little voice on the other end of the phone (he lives far, far away :().  he just LOVES his cousins!  he really looks up to them....literally!  here is one of the latest pics taken of my boys and him together while we visited my sister in montana last summer...

medicine rocks state park

wader started kindergarten this past fall.  he just loves going there everyday.  he is a very smart and friendly little boy.....especially with the girls :)  you are gonna make the girls cry someday wade, with those big blue eyes of yours....  i love you soooo much, and miss you everyday!  have a WONDERFUL birthday...save some mario cart for when my boys visit!!

i will leave you with a few more favs....

ry, wader, and sam

ry and wader

sam, wader, and ry

me and wader

sam, wade, ry and momma

me and wader

i am so thankful you are part of my life wader.  i love you more every day....
Love, Aunt Kerry



......so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 68: "i am thankful for.....'HEALTHY CHILDREN!"

this article stuck a cord with me....i still have tears in my eyes as i type.  i am just so thankful my children are healthy, obedient, empathetic, loving children.  my words can't express how much i appreciate them. 

here is the article.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother-mental-illness-conversation_n_2311009.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#sb=1785563,b=facebook



......so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 67: "i am thankful for......"CASEY, WANT SOME COOKIES?"!

the other day, my husband was baking some double chocolate chip cookies to bring into work the next day.  well, during his 1 1/2 hours of cooking preparing/baking, casey, our 5 yr old golden retriever, decided he wanted to help!  here is a video my husband made while the cookies were baking.....hilarious!

i just LOVE that dog!  he is my bestest bud...and i love him to bunches!  i'm sorry to say, casey did not end up getting any of his patiently earned cookies...no chocolate for doggies :(  maybe when i make my cream cheese Christmas cookies, i will let him lick the bowl...!



....so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 66: "i am thankful for.......BLESSINGS!"

everyday, each and every one of us, are given blessings from our Lord God above.  it's up to us to have faith and recognize those blessings.  from having a coat on our backs, a roof over our heads, food to eat everyday, or a sports car....  they are ALL blessings...  we forget about the little things when we go through battles in our lives.  it's just human nature to want more....  when tragedy hits our lives, we forget about all God has given us.  we become so self absorbed, we can't look behind the pain we feel...  please remember that our precious God hurts when we hurt...  He is still there, holding our hands, and continues to give us, through His compassion, and mercy, His grace.  He loves me...He loves you....always and eternity. 

i was just listening to this song by laura story on k-love driving back from school this morning, reminding me just how blessed i really am.  thank you for the reminder Father.....i love You.  this morning i pray for those who don't know You....for those who need You....for a miracle this morning by Your healing hands.....in Jesus Name, AMEN.

i am comforted knowing 'this is not our home'.   i hope you can be too.....



......so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 65: "i am thankful for......"SMELLY FEET"!

what??  what on earth do i mean "i'm thankful for 'smelly feet"??!  well, i'm only thankful for them if they make me laugh out loud!  here's the story....

this weekend, i printed out a bunch of birthday invitations for ryan's 9th birthday party being held at chuckee cheeses.  he handed them all out yesterday to his class.   this morning, on the way to school, i told him his friend alejandro was coming (his dad called last night).  ryan was so excited to hear that!  he proceeded to share with me about what his friend cameron said to him yesterday in regards to coming to his party... i guess when ry gave this boy cameron the birthday invite, his friend told him, and i quote "i don't know if i can come because my parents don't like 'smelly feet'..."!  WHAT???!!!  oh my GOODNESS!  the boys and i were laughing the whole way to school...!  now, to figure out what the heck this means?!  do his parents not want him to go to chuckee cheeses because it stinks like feet there?!....or have they met ryan and thinks that he stinks..??!  oh, my.....guess, i can't look too much into this...to not take it personally...i mean, it came out of an 8 yr old's mouth, right?!

kids crack me up!!  they really do.....  thanks ry..or should i say 'thanks cameron' for the laugh this morning..:)



.......so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 64: "i am thankful for.......CHRISTMAS CARDS!"

i love receiving Christmas cards!  i also enjoy writing/sending them... every year, i go thru my address book and write out Christmas cards.  i put a mark next to each person after i am done with their card.  it's funny....now there are 5 marks next to each name!  guess it's time for a new address book :)  it's also funny to think how many states my cards go to.....

my 2012 stack!

 here are all the different states i addressed to tonight:

 arkansas

florida

indiana

massachusetts

montana

new jersey

new york

north carolina

pennsylvania

tennessee

texas

woweee.....!  and that is only the friends that i have addresses for!  i get around i guess.....air force wife and all.  if you don't get a Christmas card from me this year...it's only because you are not in my address book....  or if you are and i skipped over you, maybe next year, if you're lucky..... ;)


........so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 63: "i am thankful for.......FELICITY!"

i just finished all the episodes of the tv show 'felicity' on netflix.    here is the opening theme song i got off of youtube......'a new version of you'.

the show is about finding yourself...in a big world of uncertainties, rash decisions, and emotions....it's about making friends and sticking with your convictions...it's also about forgiving those you care most about.   i really liked it...and i really liked this song.  it made me think...no matter how big the mistake, you can make it right again, just as long as you create 'a new version of yourself'.  if you do this.....than lasting relationships are possible...no matter how screwed up things get.



.......so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 62: "i am thankful for.......SOPAPILLAS!"

tonight, my husband and i tried out a local mexican restaurant called el toro.  we don't get out much, so we were excited!  we both loved the food...drinks...and especially desert.  my husband ordered the flan and i ordered sopapillas.  i told my husband that we used to make them in my senior spanish class in high school.  oh....what memories....i have of that class...mrs. kelly, singing spanish Christmas carols around town....and sopapillas!

this is what they looked like....laced w/choco syrup and whipcream!

here is pic our 'babysitter' took of us before we left out for the night....

thanks sam for the picture....and for babysitting.  i really appreciate you and i really appreciate being able to go out to eat because that means i don't have to cook! :)



.....so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 61: "i am thankful for......STAGE 5!"

what on earth is 'stage 5' you ask? well, it's the 'texturing' stage of course!  i like to come up with little terms...it keeps me smiling :)

here are the different stages i have come up with during my years of remodeling:

stage 1:     demolition (tearing down a wall, doors...etc.)
stage 2:     preparing the wall for sheet rock (this usually involves shimming)
stage 3:     install new sheet rock
stage 4:     taping/mudding/sanding new wall (days later........)
stage 5:    texturing the walls
stage 6:     priming the walls
stage 7:     painting the walls
(**an optional stage:  install bead board and chair rail/prime/paint) 
stage 8:     install crown molding (we are kinda addicted to this stuff :))
stage 9:     install baseboard (prime/paint)

and last but NOT least........

stage 10:   ENJOY!

today, my friends, i am in 'stage 5' of our hallway remodel.   here are a few pics of the process up till now:

first time we looked at the house (if only you could 'smell' the cat pee radiating up from the carpet..)

tore out 2 closets and bathroom door (stage 2)

hubby sawing off section of wall...preparing for sheet rock (stage 2)

stage 4 (tape/mud/sand...days of sanding/mudding)

today:  stage 5.....ready for texture!

today: stage 5....ready for texture!

 ok...gotta get off the computer now folks!  i have 'stage 5' to do!  have a good one.....



......so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 60: "i am thankful for.....the TSO!"

last night, my boys and i went to the wright state nutter center to see the trans-siberian orchestra perform live on stage!  it was one of the best performances i have ever seen live.  my boys loved it!   here is one of many videos my husband took last night with his phone.  i just had to add this one because one of the guitarist actually high-fived ryan on his way back to the stage!  ryan was very happy about that...;)  (ryan is the one screaming and my husband is the whistle blower!  bet people loved sitting next to us :))

i will upload more of the videos on my youtube channel today if you want to check them out....!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/thepahalfamily

and here are some pictures!

if this show comes to your area....it's a must see...they are worth every penny! bring the kids...make a night out of it!  have a great day my friends.....and MERRY CHRISTMAS!


......so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 59: "i am thankful for........K-LOVE!"

k-love is a christian rock radio station. http://www.klove.com/   i started listening to it back in 2005 when i became a christian.  i feel so comforted knowing every time i move, k-love moves with me.  it is the one thing i don't have to change unlike every thing else.  so, thank you k-love for always being there for me when and where i need you.... you are such a blessing!  k-love is listener supported.  it is one of two organizations that i make a monthly donation to. 

so, today...tune in to k-love...where ever you live.  it could be one of those good changes in your life...and they are hard to come by.



....so what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 58: "i am thankful for.......SANDING BLOCKS!"

.....because w/o them, my life as a renovation expert would not only be harder, it would be near impossible!   i own a plethora of different shapes, sizes, grits and colors.   for anyone that finishes out walls as much as i do, they really are a necessity.  here is a pic of my stash..(and that is not all of them!)

i use all of them....as you can see!  they do wear out, and i have to buy more.  i use different sizes, shapes, and grits for all the different stages while finishing out a wall.  i have become quite an expert on sanding blocks over the years.  personally, i think they are the best thing since sliced bread.....but, that's just me :)



.......so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 57: "i am thankful for......WARM DECEMBER DAYS!"

......because i grew up in upstate ny so i can really appreciate 60's in december!  i'm kinda liking the temps here in southern ohio.  think i'll stay for a while....;)  if the snow doesn't stick to the ground all winter, i will not be sad.  now, my boys will be...they really miss the snow we had in ny.  but, as for me?  NOPE!!


.......so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 56: "i am thankful for.........W.H. AUDEN"!

"if equal affection cannot be.....let the more loving one be me"
-w.h. auden

day 55: "i am thankful for......FENCING!"

ryan had his last fencing class friday night.  he has been going every week since sept.  he is not into team sports like his brother.  i wanted to get him involved in some kind of sport or activity...in order for him to meet new people...  i also wanted him to get active, move his body....get away from the video games.  so, i thought, what boy wouldn't want to swing a sword around at people!  he loved it....he did not want to miss one class!  i am so proud of him.  he not only learned how to 'lunge' and 'parry'...he also tried to make friends.  (well...kinda ;))  i also tried to meet new people (i'm not social either..).  here are a few pics of ryan in his full  fencing gear..

hey, you never know!  maybe he will be an olympic fencing star!  all i know.....is that i am so proud of him...not only for trying something new, but for sticking with it until the end.  way to go ry!



........so, what are you especially thankful for today?!