We Are Thankful

Weekend before last we had the pleasure of having my parents, Mamita Donna and Poppa Jeffery, come for a visit.  It should go without saying that we had a wonderful time, but I'm going to say it anyway.  We had a wonderful time!  We went to a craft show, watched a killer football game (Geaux Tigers #1!!!), ate tacos from a food truck, went to church, saw Cars 2, went for a swim at the hotel pool, and walked among the butterflies.  

But of all the fun things that we do with our family, my favorite has to be gathering around the table and enjoying a meal together.  This time around we enjoyed hamburgers with all the trimmings.  Child and grown-up alike feasted that night.  All were satisfied.  None went hungry.  

Yes, some of us eat in our underoos...

During this time of year we are encouraged to slow down and give thanks for all the things that we have.  What time of year is it, you ask?  Well, I know it can be confusing.  Halloween is right around the corner.  And while the stores already have their twinkling lights wrapped around tall fir trees with golden presents shining from under their branches, Thanksgiving, that wonderful time of year when we gather around a table with our family, is only 37 days away.  While we do have costumes and candy and cobwebs and pumpkins on our minds, we are also taking time to give thanks for the things we have.

Orry's school is currently collecting canned goods for the local food bank and we are taking this opportunity to really help the kids understand just how fortunate we are.  We talk about the privilege of having clean water and the responsibility we have not to waste it or take it for granted.  We talk about the fresh vegetables and fruits we eat everyday and how lucky we are to be able to access and afford such commodities.  We also talk about sharing what we have with others.

I confess that I am guilty of giving all of my "back of the pantry" goods away whenever I get the chance.  You know, all those cans of baked beans, cooked spinach, and mixed vegetables that seem to hide in the back behind the more desirable items.  But I got to thinking, Shouldn't I be giving things that I myself would want to receive if the shoe were on the other foot?  And so I sent Orry and Troy to the store with specific instructions.  #1: Choose $10 worth of non-perishable food items. #2: Make sure that you pick things that you enjoy and that you think a boy just like you might like to eat.  They came back with a variety of things, but I know that Orry must have remembered rule #2 because he was sure to bring back some mandarin oranges.  He really wanted to give "a boy just like you" some fresh apples, but we had to remember rule #1.  

Being thankful for the things we have is something that we can do all year round.  Giving to our local food bank is also something that we can do all year round.  Hopefully, in this coming year we will do more of both. So tell me, what are you thankful for?

Me vs Us

I love spending time with my family.  And by that I don't mean grocery shopping together, going to doctors appointments together, or just hanging out at home.  I mean getting out of our ordinary setting and doing things that we don't normally get to do together.  Today we did our routine things, church and errands.  We also took advantage of free admission to the HMNS Butterfly Center (did I mention that we like free things?)

My favorite: Rice Paper butterfly

The kids and I have visited the Butterfly Center a handful of times over the year.  Troy, on the other hand, hasn't been since our first trip there.  So he was delighted to get to explore and learn some and I was delighted to have an extra set of hands in a place that doesn't allow strollers.

I love the weekends.  I love the time we take to have adventures together as a family.  But I also love me.

Baby Boudreaux bump!!

I think it's important to love yourself.  And I think it's important to take the time to treat yourself right.  So between all the family business, I took the time to treat myself, and a best friend, to a pedicure.

Now I feel that I should preface all this by saying that I love being a mom.  I love what my kids have done for me.  I love my husband and my married life.  I love how much I have grown as a person over the past five, almost 6, years.  Overall, my life is great and I'm quite blessed.

Now, I'll continue by letting you know that being a parent can be downright hard sometimes.  Making the best decisions for them with your limited knowledge of the world.  Dealing with the small everyday stresses that can pile up and weigh down on you like a monstrous burden.  Needing an extra hand or lap at the most trying times of your day.  And being married isn't always a walk in the park.  There are arguments based on differences of opinion and arguments that stem from hungry bellies.  Sharing all of your extra free time with someone else can really start to not feel like free time after a while.

My tired dogs

But no one said that it would be easy.  No one said that we wouldn't struggle to make it through the day, much less the next five decades (if we are so lucky). But no one said that you couldn't have a time out every once in a while.

I had forgotten how much I enjoy getting away, even if it's only for a few hours.  I forgot how much clarity I get when I take some time off.  I really encourage you parents of young ones to treat yourselves right.  Love yourself.  Take time to relax by yourself.  Take time to do something that you love to do, but don't have the time to do everyday.  Get to know yourself away from your kids.  I bet that you will love who you are and your kids will reap the benefit of a more balanced and relaxed you.

So tell me, what is your favorite thing to do to just get away and relax?