November Insta/ Thankfulness Challenge

So...

I had this post almost completely done.  I went to delete something and somehow it deleted EVERYTHING I had done and then of course blogger saved my "work" and it was all gone.  I was so freaking frustrated that I haven't had the heart to sign back in and redo it.

Add that to my feeling sick again, not sleeping well because of Quinton's teething, puppa dying, and just some woh is me moments and I'm WAY behind on my blog again.  Ugh.

For November I tried to do the gratitude a day thing, and I was doing pretty good until Switch died and then I just couldn't for a few days.  And of course the first time I had this done the pictures were actually all in order for once! and now that I'm trying to redo it all they are out of order.  Can't a girl catch a break?!?!?! And just because I'm really trying to get this out there I probably half assed most of the captions.  GRRR.

I really really love Christmas lights.  Nothing beats the glow of them all lit with all the lights turned out.  I don't even know how many I used on our tree this year, I lost count... but it's A LOT. 

The clinic we took Switch to when we had to say good bye sent us this sweet card the week after.  It was bitter sweet.  Thankful they were so kind to us during such a horrible time, and will take our next furry member to them when the time comes. 

Took the girls to the Festival of Trees to see Cypress perform.  We attempted a Santa visit too, but it was way to busy!

We thought we'd catch Santa at the Botanical Gardens Winter A Glow like last year, but we went a few days too early and he wasn't there yet!!  We were so frustrated because it was FREEZING.  like 18 degrees.  We did a quick walk around to say we really visited and booked it out of there.  I had Quinton in full winter/show gear and then in my Ergo on me so he seemed to stay pretty warm and did so well in there. 

Thanksgiving take 2 kiddo table. 

Thanksgiving take 1, kiddo table.  

After our trip was a bust, Steph and John invited the cousins to all stay over with Cypress.  So they had 5 kiddos there!  Alison and I stuck around until they went to sleep and then went home.  I took them well deserved coffee the next morning!! this was one of my last thankfulness posts, thankful that my kiddos get to grow up with their cousins and make so many wonderful memories with them.  

This picture came up on my time hop on thanksgiving.  Thankful for puppa and the ten years we got with him.  Thankful for that moment with my little family and the happiness I felt despite the exhaustion I clearly had ha ha ha. 

Showing off my Christmas dishes

Showing off my mass amounts of Christmas bins... little did I know where that day would lead. 

Miss him.  ALL. THE. TIME.  

He was sick, for a long time... then I was sick for a long time... then he got sick again. It was a rough November for us. 

Despite everything, I still managed to get a lot of my to do list for track break done, and for that I was very thankful!

One of my goals for track break was to have my grandma teach me pupusas!  A traditional El Salvadorian dish, and a family staple! Grateful to my grandma for teaching me her secrets!

Posted this one in the morning before Grandma came over to teach me to see who could guess what we would making.  Of course my family could guess. ;) 

When I go to set up our Christmas decor I like to refer to old pictures to kind of get an idea as to where I had put stuff the years before.  While doing so I came across this picture and I teared up.  This was our puppa.  I would get so frustrated with him, always standing right in the middle of what we were doing right in the way.  he just wanted to be a part of what we were up to.  =( 

About a week or two before puppa passed he was snuggling with me on the couch.  It's hard because I have so much intense guilt over not being better with him his last few weeks of life.  I feel cheated that I didn't get to spoil him rotten the last few days of his life had he died of old age.  anyway, it was a rare moment between us and I started snapping a couple of pictures.  He was just so gray in his nose and his allergy was acting up so he was licking his paws raw, but he was still such a sweet dog.  Thankful for these last few photos of him.

I enjoy sewing a lot!  But rarely have enough time to dedicate to it.  But my hair lady is pregnant with her second little girl and it's been a hard pregnancy for her.  I had originally bought this fabric for Bodhi because I just LOVED the colors and the patterns, and figured I'd find a use for it.  And indeed I did.  I made a blanket for my hair lady instead.  The girls love when I sew though, I let them have all the scraps of my fabric and they love to create.  That day they were trying to make little dresses for their dolls.  They pin and show me were to stitch, but it's pretty much all them.  They were calling themselves "fashion people"

We were going to go down to the river and take pictures of the grandkids for Charlie's parents for Christmas.  I just couldn't help but snap a pic of my handsome little stud prior.  

All summer I had help in the house cleaning department, and then we stopped for a couple of months, and I started to miss it dearly.  What a difference it makes to have help!!  So Charlie agreed to hiring someone to come in once a month again.  I'm so so thankful we did.  It seriously makes such a difference, and this company we found does more for me for a few dollars cheaper than the last one!  WOO!

We got to go to another home game thanks to Charlie's dad.  We took a quick selfie with the blue turf before the game ended (and it was a sad pathetic loss on the blue) 

New addiction. Costco only had them for a little while, and I only bought two bags so I try to reserve them for especially tough days.  ha ha

Remembering our trip to Disney last fall and just how important this moment was to our little Minnie Mouse lover and to me too.  It brought tears to my eyes

Thankful for my mama and all the time she puts into the grandkids when she is in town.  She sent me this picture during one of their slumber parties. 

Seriously, this kid is a stud.  Everyone told me girls are so much more fun to dress, but I'm getting a kick out of these boys clothes!  

Saying goodbye to Amy before she goes back to Alaska. 

Just a calm Friday night of gorging on Halloween candy, folding laundry, and watching Dexter with my hubs. 

Saying goodbye to Jenn and Mason in Colorado

Thankful that these two have each other.  They are pretty awesome sisters and they really do love each other. 

Happy to be home with my babies after my quick weekend trip to CO, they were grumpy and it was making me grumpy, so I took a moment to just be thankful for them. 

Veteran's Day and remembering my granpda and being thankful for the service men and women

Brooke drove into town from Cheyenne to hang out with us and Jenn, it was fun to be able to spend the day together!

Playdough fun.  Love hate relationship with Playdough. Mama's know what I mean.  The hours of fun spent with it is pretty amazing and outweighs the MESS.  The crumbs on the floor are out of this world, but I just let them play and vacuum it all up when they are done.  

Getting to meet Mason and spend a quick weekend in CO was just what this mama needed.  It was so fun and he was such a chunk!  He was a trooper too, no stranger danger, and he went everywhere with us without fuss. 

Another Disney photo, man was that a fun trip.  I've decided to completely forget the horrible drive ha ha ha, because the three days in Disney were amazing and I want to go back so badly! 

This kiddo and his early mornings!  UGH! 

Thankful for this guy and his support.  He sent me off to CO without hesitation and totally handled kiddos and home by himself! 

I had a really long post about Bodhi on Insta for my thankfulness day.  Just thankful for the 22 days we got with her. 

Natalia's school picture retake!  And, so glad we did it, these turned out so much better!!

Lydia spent the afternoon with Cypress and I got this picture.  Serious cuteness these two.  

Natalia and her friend Molly.  Molly turned seven and requested Natalia to come home with her from school and then go out to eat with her and her family.  Natalia had the BEST time, and it was fun to get picture throughout the night of their silly antics.  We've actually been hanging out a lot with Molly and her family and I really like them.  Natalia has already requested that Molly comes home with us and to dinner for her birthday. 

Thankful for my grandma who comes to the house so I can volunteer in Natalia's classroom and attend events.  They did a readers theater and then a harvest party after that.  

Tried to do something new this year with a thankfulness window.  We were supposed to write what we were thankful for on leaves and fill up the window.  Sadly we did not succeed.  As they get older and can write for themselves it'll get better.  So we'll just have to keep trying. 

Thankful for some one on one time with this kiddo.  That doesn't happen often when you are baby number three, but we get to spend two hours together Tue/Thurs and it's pretty fun. 

The begining of my thankfulness challenege.  Thankful for Natalia's school and the year round schedule.  I was starting to feel overhwlemed and just needed down time because of our busy October.  Three weeks off in November was just what we needed!! 

That game that we went to (above with us and the blue turf) before we went inside the stadium. 

And there it's done.  UGH.  I'm still so annoyed over this dang post.  I'll try to do better with the rest.  And I'm hoping to get caught up before Monday and Natalia goes back to school.