These Three

Her

and her

and him.

My treasures from God. They make every day a better day, even when they make it tougher. I am so very thankful for each of them and what they bring to my life. Make each day count!

Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?

I've had my brother on my mind a lot lately. Growing up we seemed to be the worst of enemies most of the time, but then one day we became the best of friends and my heart couldn't be happier. If only he lived nearby, I know he'd be such a beloved uncle to my kids. Sadly, he is in Japan for God only knows how long and we've seen him once in the last 4 years. Breaks my heart :(

Still, I'm so thankful that we have each other.

PS- I also am the proud big sister to Leah and Krista, lest they think they've been forgotten. But that's a post for another day. I promise :)

Make each day count!

June 7th- A list

So very thankful...

#11- for my dear and wonderful friend, Elizabeth, who is always there for me and who I feel completely at ease and able to say anything to. She is a friend in the truest sense of the word.

#12- for beautiful, albeit windy, weather this weekend which equaled a successful yard sale that earned us a bit of extra money which we greatly needed!

#13- for a weekend without my girls because their wonderful grandparents took them camping. This meant a low stress yard sale for me as well as some much needed quality time with the man of my dreams.

#14- for the internet which keeps me connected to my parents and siblings and aunts and uncles and cousins and friends who all live so far away from me. How would my family be able to watch my kids grow without it?!

#15- for the abundance of creative people who share through blogging so that I can get lots of awesome ideas for parties, crafts, organization, etc.

#16- for the moments that Eric really gets into playing with the kids, like last night when he played pirates with them.

#17- for government grants and student loans that allow my husband to go to school.

#18- for the freedom to homeschool my children in the way that I choose to.

#19- for having a home with central air.

#20- for Marah's enthusiasm for learning!

Are you keeping up with The Gratitude Project- An Expression of Thanks? I would love a link to any lists you've made.

Make each day count!

June 2nd- Gratitude

I have to admit that today was a tough day for me to have an attitude of gratitude. Eric and I weren't feeling well, Alex wasn't feeling well, Marah had her first filling and it didn't go well, wanted to nap but had to take Jenna to speech, then spent a good portion of the day getting ready for our yard sale this weekend which is really never fun.

Still, I did my best to remember how truly blessed I am. Here is what I came up with today:

#6- Thankful for the dishes waiting for me in the sink, reminding me of how blessed we are to have plenty of food to eat.

#7- Thankful for our neighbors. We have dealt with bad neighbors for most of our married lives and it is so wonderful to have neighbors we enjoy.

#8- Thankful to be getting so much clutter out of our home.

#9- Thankful for the beauty of the world we live in.

and that reminded me of this photo I took at the lake four years ago.

Eric's parents treated me and the girls to this trip to the lake during a time in our marriage when we were separated. Of course, then this photo reminded me of how I am

#10- Thankful for my amazing parents-in-law. They are so good to us and we are so very blessed to have them in our lives and in our children's lives.

Make each day count!

June 1st- Thankful

Starting out with a basic list. Of course, the people who bring me the most joy are the ones I am most thankful for! What are you thankful for? Check out the page I created on Facebook for The Gratitude Project- An Expression of Thanks

I hope you'll join in!

Make each day count!

The Gratitude Project

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need

~Nichole Nordeman~ Gratitude

While I typically get into the spirit of thankfulness in November (Thanksgiving and all that holiday goodness gets me every year), it seems something has struck a chord within me and it's been resonating for quite sometime now. Something has been prompting me, perhaps it's the Holy Spirit, to take steps to spread the joy of thanksgiving at this beautiful time of year.

I find that I struggle to keep the joy in my heart. If you feel that same struggle I would encourage you to join me in The Gratitude Project. I've decided to get it started and see it through to the end of June. I plan to get my kids involved as well. I think that remembering to find joy in the small things can bring us an overall feeling of happiness and contentment that is essential to our well being and ability to function in our day-to-day lives.

source

I plan to post my gratitude here on my blog as daily as possible as well as carry it over onto my Facebook page. Please feel free to join in and pass on the love to your friends and family. I'd love to see a widespread gratitude movement in the month of June! So get to it! Make lists, take pictures, send cards, update your Facebook statuses, give gifts (handmade is the best, of course!), hug your friends, kiss your lover, make June a month to remember!

If you choose to participate, I would love it if you could link back to my blog. Here is a button for you to use to show your support of the Project-

and here is a little image I made up for you to post a list on days that you'd like to play along in that way. I'll be making a few more in the near future so check back if you like that sort of thing!

Click the image to get the full size and then right click to download it to your computer.

Make each day count!

ashtina fayelou designs

If you are unaware, I have started up my own etsy shop and blog under the name ashtina fayelou designs. I hope you'll go hop over to my blog and enter the giveaway I am hosting. Or tell your friends about it!

http://ashtinafayelou.blogspot.com/2010/05/introduction-and-giveaway.html

A Brownie No Longer

My little girl is a Brownie no longer! I can't believe she just finished her second year of Girl Scouts. It is such an important and special part of her life, especially because she is home schooled and so, really, most of her friends are those in her troop. I am so happy that her entire troop will be moving on with her next year and so they will continue to grow as friends and her awesome troop leaders will also continue on with them. Such a great group and such a wonderful experience that I am so happy she is a part of!

Just a few of the things Jenna did this year in Girl Scouts:

Camp Out

Day Camp

Haunted Trail

Pioneer Holiday

Christmas Party

Dog Sledding

Roller Skating

Fine Dining

and much more. She is a very blessed little girl to have been able to make these memories!

Here are a few photos from her Bridging Ceremony.

Jenna got to lead the opening flag ceremony and she spoke loudly and clearly. That's my girl!

Brownie Troop 20441 bring out the flags

Leading the Girl Scout pledge or oath, whatever they call it (is it terrible that I don't know?!)

Candle lighting

A Brownie no longer!

Officially a Junior Girl Scout!

The lovely girls of Junior Troop 20441

Me and my sweet little girl

I hope that both of my girls will be able to enjoy all that the Girl Scouts has to offer for many years to come.

Make each day count!