Thankful...in January

Okay...here we go again! My top ten "I'm annoyed, but thankful" list.

1. I'm annoyed the the girl's clothes are getting so darn expensive! I can still find cute, sweet, inexpensive things for Maggie, but it's getting harder and harder to find cute, age appropriate things for Gracyn and Emma. And, those of you who know me well know that I'm not about to send my girls out in the world with anything not age appropriate on their bodies...no strapless, sequined, "juicy" written on behinds for us! So, I'm thankful for two things: first, I'm so very thankful that Gracyn and Emma wear precious little plaid jumpers to school every day, and that they are required to (with a very strict uniform policy right down to the Mary Jane's on their feet!); and second, I'm so very, very thankful for Ebay! I love it, and always get the best deal on "boutique" clothes for the girls that I'd never even look at in a store because of the huge price tags. Yay for Ebay! One note: Dow is not nearly as thankful for Ebay, and thinks that I'm quite addicted...

2. I'm annoyed that Maggie still thinks that it's her one job in life to destroy my house. She's like a tornado in a trailer park, leaving mass destruction in her wake...But, I'm thankful that she's so easily distracted and entertained, and I can usually pull her away from whatever mess she's made to clean it up pretty quickly. I'm also thankful that Dow and I are getting pretty creative, and can limit her "access" to those things. I'm using door locks, rubber bands, etc...but trust me, as soon as we get one area secure, she's on to something else!

3. I'm annoyed that it's so darn cold outside! Yes, I am a princess when it comes to the weather, and yes, I would much rather be sitting inside, sipping a hot cup of coffee in front of the fire, wearing my fluffy leopard slippers. I live at the beach in South Carolina for a reason, y'all, and I'm just not used to the high being in the forties! But, I'm thankful that with this frigid, arctic air, comes some gorgeous sunshine! At least, it looks pretty when I'm glancing outside (from my perch in front of the fire) or when I'm resting my princess behind on my heated seats in my car! Oh, and I'm thankful that the forecast is calling for temps in the high sixties this weekend...now that's more like it!

4. I'm annoyed that my printer is dead....I mean D-E-A-D, dead! And that it's going to cost a million dollars to get it fixed...well, not actually a million, but it might as well be. But, strangely enough, I'm thankful for the break! I'm really enjoying the down time from not working every day. I'm getting my house back in order, and spending lots of time with Maggie, and I'm just so busy, I just don't miss it at all...hmmmm....maybe I don't really like working from home as much as I thought that I did?

5. I don't mean to get too political, but I'm annoyed that the world thinks that our newest President is the Messiah. I don't hate him, but I just wish that the media would treat him like the actual human that he is! I wish the best for President Obama (doesn't that sound odd!), and hope that he can do something to at least help our struggling economy. I love this quote from Wyclef: "I think that he's on his way to being one of the best President's ever." Really, Wyclef? He's been in office a whole twenty four hours, done absolutely nothing, and already, he's the one of the best Presidents ever? Wow! Wyclef is obviously not hard to please! But, I'm thankful that we live in America...I thought that the Bush's were gracious and kind in the transition, and the fact that the "changing of the guard" is a peaceful, collaborative process is just amazing to me. And, I'm also thankful that the media is a "fair weather friend"... hopefully, some of the shiny, sparkly, "new" will wear off soon, and we will get some actual news in our various media outlets. In the meantime, I guess I'm also thankful for FOX News?

6. I'm annoyed that I'm so darn sore from my New Years resolution to work out more. I mean, sore...like every part of my body is sore...even my teeth! But, I'm thankful that it's getting easier, and I'm getting stronger, and I'm starting to enjoy it! Okay, that last one was a total lie...I don't enjoy it for one minute...the only thing I enjoy about it is when it is over! But I am getting stronger, so I guess I can be thankful for that. And maybe my behind is getting a little smaller?

7. I'm annoyed that I can't seem to find time in my schedule for a hair cut or a pedicure. Seriously...those are two very important things in the regular maintenance of a lady. But, I guess that I'm thankful that I'm so busy with good things? I'm thankful that I am able to stay home with Maggie. No, that doesn't leave me with very many minutes with no baby tagging along (which doesn't bode well for relaxing salon time!) But, it does fill my days with so many wonderful moments. I wouldn't miss her first steps, her first words, or her many, many messes for anything! She's a joy, and I love being her mommy. I also love that my older girls keep me so busy. My favorite part of the day is picking them up from school...hearing Maggie squeal in excitement when she sees them and to listening to their non-stop chatter in the back seat, telling me everything important about their day.

8. I'm annoyed that I just broke my iphone...yep! I dropped it on a run with Bogie, and totally cracked the glass. It still works, but looks horrible. And, best news of all....the only thing that I can do is trade Gracyn in for a new one (for those of you who are a little slow on the uptake, she's my "first born", and the iphone ain't cheap!) Now, to put a positive spin on this whole debacle, I love, love, love, love, love that phone and am totally thankful for it. It has the coolest applications, calendars, and other organizing tools. I put everything in that phone, and carry it with me everywhere...it's the secret to me never forgetting anything (because when you're organizing the lives of three little girls, a busy husband, and a way overbooked mommy, it's easy to forget everything!) It has a grocery store application, a calorie counter, the weather, all my music...you name it, it has it, and I love it! Now, if I only hadn't chucked it onto the concrete...

9. I'm annoyed that my family lives so far away, and that I can't see my sweet baby nephews as much as I'd like (my sister, Amanda, just had a new baby, Marshall, last week. And my brother, Drew, and his wife, Morgan, had a precious little boy, Kyle, in December.) But, I'm thankful for my wonderful, funny family. I love that we are so close, and that I want to see them! I love that coming to visit us feels like a vacation for our family, and that I get to have Hayes and Carter (Amanda's other two boys who are seven and five) for a week every summer. They love the beach and the boat, and doing all of the fun outdoor things in our neighborhood. We have the best time when we are able to be together.

10. I'm annoyed that money doesn't grow on trees, and that we have to be so careful in this economy and save every dime that we can. It's an unwelcome stress, and I hate constantly worrying about Dow's job! But, again I'll say, I'm so grateful that he has a job, and that God has continuously provided for us. We have three healthy, happy girls, and our life is good. Who could ask for more?

So this month, I actually had a tough time coming up with ten things that annoy me...that's good, right? I do feel that we're blessed...and no matter how busy I am, or what little things set me off, I have so much to be grateful for. Yes, I miss my family, and yes, I'm bummed about my phone, and the state of our oh-so-biased media, but really, who cares? In the grand scheme of things, I've got it pretty good! So, I'm going to be thankful for that!