Things I'm Thankful For:

Liam "trying out", in other words ruining, my favorite chapstick :)

I think it's important, especially when our lives become hectic, to remember and many times ponder the things that we are thankful for. Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions we are able to feel - so here is my list today:

** I'm Thankful For **

*Family - some people never get to experience that kind of love in their life.

*The lifelong journey to find who I am

*My "weird" or quirky side

*Daily inspiration all around me

*Love

*Little sentences from my son

*Laughter - typically the kind that makes my cheeks or stomach hurt is best

*Fear - without it we have nothing to push ourselves beyond

*Kisses from my husband before he leaves for work, trips, lunch, anywhere, always kisses first

*Mistakes and the lessons we learn from them

*Quiet - however few and far between those moments are

*Garbage bags - sometimes a good purge of old things makes your head clear

*Toilet paper - c'mon don't we all take this for granted?! Better than Sears catalogs right G-Ma?

Take the time today to just remember things you're thankful for. It can change a bad mood to a good, a rough day to a great one, and chaos back to order.

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Autism - playing the odds

Great information - for those of you that know me closely you know that autism is a cause I regularly donate to and commit to helping through volunteer work. One of my close friends' son is autistic - she's such a strong mother and seeing her with her son caused me to really learn more about this terrible disorder years before I became a mother. I just thought I would post my personal favorite site that I get information from regarding autism as well as the place I donate to as a reputable source. Autism in children is more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. Boys are four times as likely to be autistic than girls. It's a growing disorder and we still know very little about it and why it happens. There are great ways to get involved without having to donate money. Go to the website and there are volunteer options (I find "Parent's Day Out" locations in my area through the United Way - basically you play with an autistic child while the parents get a day off from the schedule and structure just to have to themselves.) There are also benefit walks in all areas, as well as ways to speak to congress regarding this disorder (many times autistic children are declined health insurance coverage which makes this a tragedy for most families financially to get the appropriate care for these kiddos)

www.AutismSpeaks.org

They had a great fact on the site recently -

The odds of winning the U.S. Open twice - 1 in 1.2 billion
The odds of being diagnosed with autism - 1 in 150
The odds say it's time to make a difference.

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Busted...

Just had to post this -

I was in the living room cleaning the other day when I heard giggles and snickers coming from the other room. As a responsible parent I go to investigate and find this...

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I'm such a slacker!

The scene from the back porch - crazy cool trees huh!

Liam feeding one longhorn from our backyard

JR - the bull that either really liked me or really hated me, can't tell

Beautiful Gruene Hall - oldest standing dance hall in Texas

I just realized how long it has been since I blogged (where does the time go when I'm HOME ALL DAY!?) Good grief!

So we've been hanging out alot inside lately due to the ridiculous heat here in Houston. Anything above 95 and my precious little dainty skin melts. Liam really doesn't care - he has been logging alot of underwear time around the house to stay cool. I've been logging alot of swimsuit time - sadly enough one day my husband asked me if I planned on wearing a swimsuit indoors the rest of my life...I wanted to say yes.

I posted some pics from the lake house vacation with my in-laws to Canyon Lake. Liam especially loved the wildlife drive through safari where an Ostrich ate right out of daddy's hand (video coming soon I promise!) The 5 longhorns living with us on the ranch were awesome (of course UT alum) and right in our back yard basically (too close for my comfort). I obviously am a "city girl" my husband likes to say (bugs, heat, well-water, large cattle, wilderness, all scare me and I was attacked by fire ants twice!) But the kiddos seemed to really enjoy themselves in the country as did my little country-bumpkin husband :) I think we may retire in that lake house we went to someday - he liked it just a little too much this past weekend!! Jackson, Liam, Avery & I walked out on the ranch to feed the cows one afternoon - bad idea. I was in a cute little sundress and flip flops...not appropriate "run for your life from the stampeding cows" attire. But we survived - and Liam loved throwing cow cookies for them to snack on! I also learned how to call cattle - sounds similiar to "come boss" according to my father in law. Either that or he just wanted me to make a fool of myself screaming that at the top of my lungs from the porch in my cute little sundress and D&G sunglasses!

We did get to go to my absolute favorite place on our trip - Gruene. Hello Gruene, I love you. I could so retire there - in the city/small town, not in a cabin in the woods with grasshoppers the size of small rodents. But the river, the shops, Gruene Hall, oh I could have just stayed forever. People there still say hello as you pass them on the street. People there drive cars older than me and live in houses that their grandparents built. People there are still honest. What a wonderful secret Eutopia. I'll be back someday Gruene - someday for good.

That's all for now - thinking of doing something crazy with my hair like super side swept long rocker-chic bangs. We'll see - the chameleon in me is itching for a change. Who knows - I'm a gemini so that means I have a split personality right?? I'm part responsible mommy, part rocker chic :) Does that work?

peace and many blessings today...

christie

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