Yes, I know I'm behind the times with blogging lately.  I will say I haven't had access to our laptop much in the last 3 weeks and I am not about to blog on my cell phone!  Here are some of the things I'm thankful for from this last week:

1) a great sermon on worry at Jax Naz
2) shopping by myself and scoring a cute red coat
3) dessert out with an old friend
4) safety when I fell down the stairs
5) safety on snowy roads to Chelsea
6) Penny loving Chelsea Tree House
7) Busy Brush Cafe with Grammy and Klea's (the kids drinking Grammy's tea)
8) the girls making friends with older girls at dance
9) meeting up for dinner with Maria and boys
10) Josh making it home safe from Colorado
11) encouragement from Ginger
12) girls rough-housing with daddy
13) Q-tip painting
14) Penny's laugh and static hair
15) Nora doing well with her transition to rest time

1) a quiet day at home
2) Megan making it home
3) finishing Christmas baskets
4) making kiss cookies with girls
5) good travel weather
6) matching dresses for 3 girls
7) a happy Audrey
8) health during holidays
9) Christmas in Flint
10) Christmas in Jackson
11) Christmas in Grabill
12) 'sleeping' in tent for 30 minutes

If any of you readers out there have been keeping count I made it to 1,000 things this week!!  It took about 18 months but it's neat that it fell on the end of the year.  I'm not sure if I'll continue with the thankful things each week but don't fear--this blog will go on in some shape or form in 2013!

1) fun Christmas party with Sunday School
2) fun Christmas time for the girls with Grandma and Grandpa while we were at the Christmas party
3) Cricut crafting with Maria--thanks, Aunt Kim!
4) more hours for Josh
5) catching up with Allison
6) first meet-up with Ginger
7) a Saturday at home
8) chair set-up with friends
9) Josh playing for Christmas with the brass quintet
10) date night and shopping (and the mall wasn't even busy!)
11) talking homeschooling with dance moms
12) caroling with girls
13) Nora liking "curlies" again
14) fun while making Christmas baskets
15) listening to Nora and Owen talk
16) finishing Les Miserables
17) a birthday party for Jesus for the kids at our church

1) buying a Christmas tree as a family of 4
2) decorating our tree together
3) Josh cleaning up the basement
4) making my own star tree topper
5) a new house for Meredith and her little family
6) Christmas Glow with MOPs and Maria
7) serious talk at Moms Matter
8) being able to laugh over Nora giving Penny a haircut
9) catching up with Ginger
10) Kayla blending Penny's hair for free
11) doing some Christmas shopping
12) Maria taking Nora to our church's preschool Christmas party
13) Applebee's as a family
14) Nora's imagination coming out
15) The Living Nativity at Central Church (and only having to wait 1/2 hour)

Sorry I didn't post last week...on Thanksgiving none the less!
1) Early Thanksgiving with Sauder's
2) making ornaments with MOPs
3) making it through 2 12 hour days
4) daddy home for weekday bedtime
5) lunch with Josh
6) warm Nov. 21 day at the park
7) Thanksgiving in Jackson
8) playing cards with Maynards
9) not busy Black Friday shopping
10) girls watching it snow
11) making fancy Birthday invitations
12) good solo drive to Ohio--3+ hours
13) Thanksgiving in Ohio
14) Jokers--winning 1, losing 1
15) Notre Dame #1
16) girls sleeping in the basement together
17) Penny and Nora loving big kid swings
18) celebrating Josh's birthday with family
19) piano tuning
20) grocery shopping as a family
21) solo baby appointment (and a good/quick one at that)
22) DeBrand with Maria
23) Penny in the basement for church with the 'older' kids
24) lunch at Olive Garden for 10
25) 2 girls sharing a stool

1) bringing the girls play kitchen into the playroom (and reorganizing the closet yet again)
2) 2 moms coming to our first MOPs playdate
3) the girls to Michigan for 2 nights
4) finding Audrey a matching Christmas dress
5) a whole day to ourselves
6) buying a bunkbed (shhh...it's a secret!)
7) dinner and a movie
8) talking baby names (we came up with some keepers but won't be sharing til she makes her arrival)
9) helping Josh finish the dog house
10) Klea boys over to play
11) North Building with daddy
12) being "hired" by Allison (I'll be helping her with the felt elephants that go on the pillows that she makes on etsy.  Cute stuff:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/nest2impress)
13) playing with the girls tent
14) starting to quilt Penny's quilt

1) wisdom at MOPs
2) not buying too much at Target
3) Sunday School party with no rain!
4) kids on rope swing
5) Pacers at Sewell's
6) a send-off lunch for Joel
7) watching Nora dance
8) being able to vote (even if the election didn't go our way)
9) friends at Moms Matter
10) practice at Crossview
11) a day spent at home (Nora's favorite!)