Thankul Thursday!

It's Thursday, so here I am to be thankful. :-)

1.) Our garden is growing, and it is so fun to eat our own veggies! We've gotten tomatoes, banana & jalepeno peppers, turnips, and one tiny-teeny carrot from the garden so far. I'm interested in "slow food" and locally grown produce, and it doesn't get much more locally grown than your own backyard! This picture of Josh was from the beginning of June, and I think we picked it a little too early. The ones we picked recently are much bigger.

2.) I'm thankful for new life -- I got to meet my good friend Amy's new baby last night! Josiah Silas is one cute little guy, and he was born on Sunday AM at home, which is something I'm considering for the next time around. We'll see how I feel when the time gets closer. ;-) It's always amazing to see how tiny new babies are! Even though I've had two of my own, you forget so fast how small and precious new babies are. God blessed Josiah (or "Sjo-Shiah" as Kaden says) with a wonderful family, and we're so excited for all of them!

3.) I'm grateful that Kaden's "big boo-boo"--a 2nd degree burn on his leg--is healing nicely. He burned it on a task-light globe while Grandma & Papa were here, and Grandma and Daddy nursed it back to health. They were the official bandage changers, designated by Kaden to care for his wound. He's still nervous to get it wet, and he reminds Laney not to touch it, but it's actually healing quite well. It certainly looked ouchy last week! I'm glad it wasn't any worse.

4.) Kaden's back to preschool today. He skipped two Thursdays to spend time with Grandma & Papa, but we're back in the swing of our normal life now. He was pretty excited to go to school today, and I've been enjoying a little quiet time with Delaney.

5.) I got some good feedback on the first book I edited, the project I just finished this week. It always feels good to get a good report from a new client (and old clients, too!).

Well, I have a quick little project to finish up before I start my next big project, which I think will start on Monday. Off to do some reading. Until next time!

Thankful Thursday

Thursday already?! Wow...time flies. I hope everyone had a great week! Here are some things that made my heart happy this week...

1.) Our small group reunion! Our old small group is getting back together for a summer study on Galatians, and we had our first meeting last night. It was so good to see everyone and get caught up a bit. Two of our families are expecting babies in the next two months, and I'm very excited for them!

2.) My friend Leslie gave us two big bags of girl clothes for Delaney! And SUCH cute stuff! :-) They're expecting a baby boy and not planning to have any more kids, so she divided up her little girl's stuff and spread the love! Thank you, Leslie! Laney just added about 4 pairs of shoes to her current wardrobe, so we had fun trying those on tonight. Okay, maybe I thought it was more fun than she did... :-)

3.) Josh was having some car troubles (it was shaking constantly like he was driving over rumble strips), but it all went away when he got 4 new tires. That's a blessing because we were praying it wasn't something major. Ya!

4.) Two more projects coming my way! Yaaaa! :-)

5.) I had a day to get caught up on stuff around the house. Today was a day of rest from exercise, so it felt like I had lots of time to get things done like laundry and tidying...all the fun stuff. :-)

Well, that's all from here. Blessings!

Thankful Thursday

Even though it's technically Friday morning here in Tennessee, I haven't gone to bed yet, so it's still Thursday to me. That makes this post right on time! Here are some things I'm thankful for this week...

1.) A great anniversary with my sweetie. We were low-key homebodies (mostly because we were sitter-less), but we still had an awesome day ... because we were together! (Sappy, I know.) I love you, baby!

2.) My very own personal trainer! Granted, I'm only going to meet with her once a month or so, but I, Jennifer Hesse, have a personal trainer. This is huge for me. I was once the girl who hated to sweat, but exercise is slowly winning me over. Slowly but surely. And since I want to make sure that sweat is counting for something and working the areas I want to work, I met with one of the Y's trainers to develop a little plan of action. I like action plans. :-)

3.) A day at the lake with our dear friends Jeremy & Kenya. We headed out this afternoon for a picnic and fishing expedition on Jeremy's little fishing boat, which incidentally, Jeremy & Josh bought while we were at Cedarville (Jeremy was the financier, Josh was along for the ride). We had a GREAT time, and the kids loved playing in the water. The fish weren't biting near the shore, so the boys went out trolling right before sunset in search of one trophy fish. This was Kaden's first time fishing, and Josh wanted it to be memorable! On their way back to shore, just as they had given up, they got two bites...and Kaden got to reel in two fish with his daddy and Uncle Jeremy. A pretty memorable night for all three. :-) And just seeing the smiles on their faces made me very, very happy. My little boy is officially a fisherman!

4.) I fit in some pre-pregnancy jeans tonight. Yes, Laney is 13 months old ... Shush. :-) I'm doing the happy dance!

5.) Laney surprises me every day with her spunk and adventurous spirit. She makes me smile! Despite the fact that she's just getting steady on her walking legs, she loves to climb. I thought that Kaden was a climber b/c he was a boy, but it turns out that Josh and I are raising two fearless monkeys. :-) I'm telling you, they did NOT get this from me!

I hope that your weeks have been full of many blessings, too. Until next time!

Thankful Thursday

It's Thursday again. Time to share a few things from this past week that made my heart happy!

1.) Laney is getting to be quite a talker. She has recently added "ba-bye" (with corresponding wave) and "love oo" to her short list of phrases. It's so adorable to hear her talking in her high-pitched little voice. She loves to snuggle when she gets up from her nap. She leans in for kisses on her forehead, and if I'm really lucky, she gives me a hug, pats my back, and softly says, "Love oo" after I say it to her. It's enough to melt my heart! My baby is growing up, that much I know for sure!

2.) Kaden's "rest with me" scared phase. Okay, I know that sounds weird, but Kaden has been going through this thing where he gets really scared at night. He thinks there are monsters everywhere, and his imagination is going into overdrive. Although I don't like having to go back to his room to re-tuck him in several times, he's been asking me lately to rest with him for a few minutes so he can go to sleep. Even though there's a part of me that wants to rush him to sleep so I can get back to my "me time," I have this awareness that these days won't last forever. Lying in bed whispering about the day and praying to God "for Kaden not to be scared" is a pretty special way to spend my me time. I'm grateful for quiet moments with my normally very busy boy.

3.) I'm reading a fiction book for a freelancing project, and it's a nice diversion from the non-fiction stuff I've been reading. I'm thankful for all the work God's been sending my way -- especially since the beginning of the year.

4.) The Y! I know, it's a standard for me, but really -- it's a blessing. Great childcare, great facility, great classes...YA! Josh and I are in a health-nut phase lately, and we're loving the Y!

5.) Our Anniversary! On Saturday I get to celebrate my sixth year of marriage to my wonderful husband. In September, I will have known Josh for ten years. Gosh, that makes me feel old. :-) But more than that, it makes me feel grateful that God has been so gracious to me. So good to me by giving me this wonderful man to share my life with. I can't wait to celebrate the last six years with my sweet hubby. I love you, baby!

I hope you all have a LOVE-ly weekend. :-)

Thankful: The Florida Edition

I'm sitting here in the Florida room of my parents' timeshare, at least an hour earlier than I anticipated due to Laney's early wake-up call, but surprisingly, I am actually grateful for the time to chill and reflect on the past few days. I can hear some birds chirping, a little creek peacefully bubbling by outside the screened-in porch...oh yeah, and Laney happily crunching a plastic container. Music to my ears! :-) Mom & Dad are at an owner's meeting with the timeshare people and the boys are sleeping, so it's just Laney and me enjoying a little breakfast and some quiet time.

I thought Laney would really sleep in today b/c we were at Disney World ALL day yesterday -- we left here at 9am for breakfast and didn't return until after 11pm (WHOA!), but alas, she did not get the sleep-in memo. She's not a fan of the timeshare crib. My mom and dad have been taking care of her in the middle of the night since she's in their room, but they came and got me at 7am this morning since they had to go to their meeting. Normally she sleeps through the night at home, but like I said, she's not impressed with this crib. Oh well--back home tonight (maybe tomorrow if we stop in Atlanta).

Before anyone else wakes up, I better get to the thankful part. :-) In no particular order...

1.) Time off from the ordinary! It has been really nice to take a little breather from normal everyday life. Before we left, Josh worked 5 days of 15-hour shifts (including his commute), which didn't leave much time for anything else. It was nice to have his undivided attention during our little vacation. We have had a lot of fun in a few short days!

2.) Our kids have been so great...and so much fun! They did great on the drive down, and we have loved watching them enjoy the pool, the beach, the park, and everything in between. We pushed them to the limit yesterday, and they really did great, considering how exhausted they were by the end of the day. I think the fireworks were worth it. :-) (Actually, let me reevaluate that when Kaden gets up and we see how grumpy he is!)

3.) Great weather this week. We had forest fires to the north, a tropical storm to the east, and high winds from the storm that blew the smoke down the Gulf coast. But fortunately for us, Orlando is just far enough inland that we missed all of that stuff! Pretty amazing. We've had a few showers, but the overcast skies have actually been a blessing by keeping the hot temperatures and scorching sun at bay. We had such great weather yesterday at the park, and the day before that we had sunny skies at the beach, too.

4.) A new swimsuit! Josh and I went shopping at Target for a new swimsuit for me. I literally haven't bought one in about 4 years, and I was overdue. I don't swim a lot, so it hasn't made it to the top of the priority list until this week when I realized all of my suits were in serious disrepair or just downright ugly. I found a really cute tankini, and I think it will last me for a few years.

5.) Fun times with my parents. When my parents separated last summer, I wondered if we would ever go on a family vacation again with them. That made me very sad because it's something we've looked forward to doing -- getting all the siblings and grandkids together every other summer for a big family vacation. This week was really an answer to prayer because after having faced the threat of losing time together with both of my parents together, it made these days even sweeter. Thanks to their hard work and God's grace in beginning to heal and change their relationship, we had a great family vacation (but we really missed the other siblings and grandkids)! More than the weather, the down time, or the smiles of my kids, that has made me the most grateful this week. Thank you, God!

More adventures await, so I need to sign off. Sending love from sunny Florida!

Thankful Thursday Returns!

So, I missed three Thursdays in a row. Betcha thought I forgot, right? Well, Thankful Thursday is back. I'm not working on a project this week, so I've had time to catch up on things like housework and blogging. I don't have to tell you which one I prefer. :-) Although, I will say that my hardwood floors are gleaming, and that makes this girl's heart mighty proud.

And here are some other things that have reminded me of how blessed I am...

1.) Healthy kiddos. Both of the kids had their annual checkups this week, and they are both doing great! Kaden has grown like crazy in the last year -- from 30 to 40 lbs. in just 12 months! Oh, and he also grew about 3.5 inches. No wonder he's wearing 4T clothes! Delaney's doing great, too. She's starting to communicate more, still working on her walking skills, and getting two new teeth. Their checkups reminded me of how blessed we are to have two perfectly happy, healthy children. Praise God!

2.) An upcoming trip to Florida. We weren't planning to go, but my parents have a timeshare in Orlando and are heading down for their annual trip. We decided at the last minute to tag along, and we're looking forward to some fun in the sun!

3.) Kaden's constant chatter. I know I've said it before, but the boy can talk! And by talk, I mean this little guy is 3 going on 30. He questions, considers, celebrates, and commentates just about every waking moment. There are times when there's a little voice in my head saying, "Shush!" but I've restrained myself. :-) After all, didn't I spend the first 2.5 years of his life waiting to converse with my little dude? (Not that he wasn't talking before, but just not like THIS.) The fun part is that just about every day, something hilarious comes out of his mouth. On Sunday I painted my toenails, which is very unusual for my post-baby self. Kaden was very interested in my new toes, and after a day of checking them out, he said, "Look Mom! Your big toe is growing up to be red!!" (He and I were talking about how he's growing up to be such a big boy, so that's where he got that.) Anyway, he's a blast, and 99.9% of the time, I love hearing his little voice throughout the [whole] day!

4.) Antibiotics and steroids. This is going back to my recent bout of strep throat, but I just have to say what a blessing modern medicine is. I can't imagine what people went through before antibiotics were invented. And the steroids? Wowee...now those were some good drugs. :-) My throat is happy again!

5.) Our little plants are poking through the dirt! Our lettuce, peas, and corn are all growing from seeds, and the tomato, brussel sprouts, peppers, and broccoli plants are growing, too! We haven't seen any carrots, squash, or turnips yet, but we have visions of veggies dancing in our heads! :-) Stay tuned.

Well, it's time to wrap this up. I'm not sure that I'll be blogging from Florida, so I may be absent again next week.

God Bless!

Thankful Thursday

It seems like I haven't had much time for blogging other than on Thursdays. I have lots of things to write about, but I've been really busy with editing and proofreading. This is a good thing...but my blogging time has dwindled a bit. One of these days I'll be back more regularly.

So here are a few things I'm grateful for this week...

1.) The Office. Hi. Lar. I. Ous. Enough said.
2.) Kaden's funny little commentary on life. A few days ago he said, "My feelings are hurtin'. I need to go to the hospital." Life is never dull with a three-year-old--and often, it's downright funny.
3.) Speaking of Mr. Kaden, our little boy is turning three tomorrow!!! Three years ago, I was about 8 feet wide and playing Uno with Josh in the hospital's L&D department in Akron, Ohio. Yes, Uno. Obviously labor hadn't started yet. :-) I'm beyond thankful for this little guy, and I'm a little sad to see him growing up so quickly. (I'm hopelessly sentimental. There, I said it.)
4.) Time to exercise with my hubby at the Y.
5.) Spring, spring, spring! Loving this warm weather.

Have a great week everyone!

Thankful Thursday

It's my day 'o gratitude again. ;-) Here are a few things...

1.) A very interesting project on my desk at the moment -- Proofreading a book about the First Amendment and the separation of church and State in America.

2.) A fun two days off in a row with daddy home. Park, playing outside, and grilling burgers were all on the bill of activities.

3.) Kaden's new phase of incessant talking. Though Josh and I wink and sometimes chuckle at our new motor mouth, it's quite amusing to see him amping up his word count (by the thousands each day, I think!).

I hope everyone is having a great week. Until next time...

Thankful Thursday (er...Friday!)

Well, I'm a day late, but still thankful. :-) Yesterday was a long day, and I'm just now getting around to blogging. So here are a few things that I've been thankful for this week...

1.) Delaney took a tumble down our carpeted steps...and didn't have a scratch. (Of course, I'm thankful for Part 2, not Part 1!) Josh and I nearly had a coronary, but Laney recovered very quickly after letting us know she was decidedly unimpressed with the steps. Kaden was very sweet and consoled her until she calmed down. Poor little thing!

2.) God has provided 3 proofreading projects for me in the last 2 weeks. Extra money always helps the budget!

3.) In the last week, we've been able to make some financial changes that are really going to impact our bottom line. Hooray!!!

4.) We have great neighbors! I went to a client's office yesterday to do some work for the morning, and I wasn't able to get home before Josh had to leave for work. So Kitty came over to stay with the kids while they were napping. It was a huge help, and she does little things for us many times each week. I don't know what we would do without them!

5.) Finally, I'm thankful that it's almost Josh's birthday. Ya! Tomorrow (Saturday) begins Josh's annual "Birthday Week" celebration. If you'd like to help me wish him a Happy Birthday, send him an email at joshATgrooverootsDOTcom. My sweetie has trained me to celebrate his birthday with gusto, and I enjoy the special occasion for spoiling. :-) Happy early birthday, baby!

Here's to another week of gratitude -- may you find it abundantly this week!