38 Reasons to Give Thanks (and why I love my beautiful daughter Jenny at age 38)

by Elane Dickenson, my mom 

(All of these are so sweet, but I bolded a few of my favorites, the ones that touched or made me laugh)

1. I love that Jenny has always included me as part of her life, even when we are many miles apart.

2. I love Jenny because she loves and appreciates me, with all my many flaws, and lets me know it.

3. I love Jenny because she is a wonderful, caring mother.

4. I love Jenny because she married Lawrence Herman on a mountaintop in 2002 and continues to make her marriage to him the priority in her busy life.

5. I love Jenny because she made me a grandmother, enriching my life beyond imagination

6. I love Jenny because she has always had her own mind, which gives her a unique and wonderful perspective and insight.

7. I love Jenny because she has a warm and giving heart.

8. I love Jenny because she has a sense of humor, that lets her see the funny side of life (eventually).

9. I love Jenny because she is able to communicate the ups and downs of her life, the love and the frustrations, the humor and failures, in writing. Her talent for turning life into a story is exceptional.

10. I love that as nice a person she has grown into, Jenny has never completely lost the “edge” she’s had since she was a little girl.

11. I love Jenny because she still likes coming “home” to Joseph, and loves that her husband and kids love her hometown.

12. I love that Jenny loves her “little” brother Matt, and has developed a special relationship with him as a grownup (even though she always wanted a sister).

13. I love Jenny because she enjoys, and is very competitive at board games (except for Scrabble).

14. I love that Jenny’s heart extends beyond her own family, and her compassion for those less fortunate resulted in financially “adopting” a little girl exactly Lily’s age on the other side of the world.

15. I love how Jenny is always striving to become a better person. When she falls short of her high standards, she picks herself up and strives again.

16. I love that Jenny, who independently on her own initiative used to ride the church bus to Enterprise when she was little, is a strong Christian whose faith both supports her and makes her a better person.

17. I love that Jenny has also embraced Lawrence’s Jewish faith, and incorporates it, as well as Christianity,  into their children’s lives.

18. I love that Jenny has a clear and wonderful memory of her childhood, with all its ups and downs.

19. I love how important it is for Jenny to create – and save -- wonderful memories  for her growing kids. Whether it be skiing and snowshoeing outings, fun or benefit runs, trips to Arizona or New Jersey or Joseph, soccer and karate or campouts with friends and families, the Herman kids are stockpiling a wealth of family memories.  

20. I love that spirited little Jenny, though teased and bullied, never gave in or let the “mean” kids win.

21. I love that the friends of her childhood and high school years are still some of her best friends.

22. I love Jenny’s intelligence and talent with numbers. Starting about age 6, she was the one in the family that had everyone’s phone numbers memorized.

23. I love how Jenny loves and celebrates  the individuality and special quality of each of her three children. On their birthdays and other occasions she’s written about each of them with such love, tenderness  and insight in her blog.

24. I love Jenny’s blog, “Herman, Party of Five,” where she shares  her talent for  writing, as well as  insight, humor, and most of all her life with friends, family and many who have come to appreciate her.

25. I love that Jenny uses Facebook to reach, and interact, with many family and friends. I love her photos and snippets of her life that might otherwise pass unshared in the blur of daily existence.

26. I love that Jenny buys and sells on craigslist, both for extra money, to cut down on clutter, and to save on things she needs. She found me the 1997 RAV4 I’ve been driving for four years on craigslist.

27. I love how capable and organized (mostly) Jenny is in her daily life, fighting the genetics and example passed on by her mother.

28. I love and am proud of Jenny, the working woman, who has excelled in a demanding job with Schrödinger for the last dozen plus years, being promoted several times in a company that values her.

29. I love that Jenny has double downed on my attempting to make birthdays   very special days when she was little by celebrating her kids’ “birthday week.” A traditional themed party is only part of the birthday child’s fun in the Herman family. I love that she also started making my birthdays special with cakes and even a watermelon basket as a kid, and with flowers and special gifts (such as a tent) as an adult.

30. I love that Jenny has also made Christmas a celebration full of fun and traditions for her kids, complete with Santa’s cookies and milk, and – as of last year – the Christmas elf. She also encourages Jewish traditions, such as the lighting of the menorah at Hanukkah.

31. I love that I never found out that little Jenny knew what all her Christmas presents were before Christmas. (Though if I did, I might have hidden them better!)

32. I love that Jenny is somehow able to find the time to maintain and nurture many friendships that are important to her.

33. I love that Jenny stays on the right side of the law and is not an alcoholic or drug user.

34. I love that Jenny (and Lawrence) enjoy an active lifestyle, teaching their kids to ski, run, swim and hike. I love that they all take part in 5K runs and am so proud of Jenny finishing the Hood to Coast relay this year.

35. I love that Jenny’s connection to family extends to her aunts, uncles, cousins, and even my cousins, at the Blanchet Ranch gathering on Memorial Day every year and Red Bridge campout most years. I love that it’s important to her that her kids connect and grow up with her cousins’ kids and the family roots at the Coombs Canyon ranch.

36. I love that though my little Jenny with her big glasses and in-your-face attitude grew up into a beautiful woman (inside and out), she’s never  gauged her own worth in her physical beauty.

37. I love that I was able to enjoy and be proud of Jenny performing  in many plays at Missoula Children’s Theatre, community theater and Joseph High School as she was growing up. She still loves theater as an adult and is passing it forward with MCT for her kids.

38. I love Jenny for anchoring my life and bringing joy to my life from the moment she was born 38 years ago in Emporia Kansas. No matter how old she is, she’ll always be my little Jenny Bug.

The Rawness of Back to School

All the back to school busyness has left me kind of raw.  Very raw actually.  I’ve been thinking about it a lot, trying to figure out why.  Is this year different?  Is it because my baby is in preschool now, and Addie in full day?  Is it because we no longer have our nanny?

There is certainly the fact that my babies are getting bigger.  That’s great.  And hard.  And sad.  And awesome.  And fleeting.  But that alone is not at the heart the rawness that I feel.

Third grade.  Lily is a 3^rd grader.  That’s part of it.  Man, kids were mean to me in third grade.  As an adult, a successful, well-adjusted adult, I have had multiple people come to me as adults to apologize for how they treated me as a kid.  I’ve always brushed it off as ‘kids are mean’, as that is what we said before bullying was a district-wide curriculum word.  But just the other day, I was thinking about this rawness.  And third grade was rough, they were mean.  Mean, mean.  The fact that adult men and women, who have lived 25+ years of life since that time still feel so sick and guilty inside for the way they treated me, the fact that they contact me on Facebook to apologize…well that’s how mean.   So, it’s okay if I have a little bit of scarring when I think about sending my kid off to grade 3. Don’t get me wrong.  I had friends, I didn’t walk around school with my head held low, my mama loved me like nobody’s business, I was the best big sister on the block, I was too smart for my own good…I didn’t let it ruin me.  But when my little girl walks out the door to third grade…it hurts.  The little Jenny inside of me feels afraid for how third grade feels.  The mama in me knows that she is different and wonderful, and the kids she hangs out with are different and wonderful.  But still, I’m scared.  Because kids are still mean.   

The next thing I’m noticing about back-to-school is the constant state of comparison I have going in my own head.  The tireless what if…what if I was that kind of mama?  what if I didn’t have to worry about this or that?  what if my kid didn’t have to ride the bus?  what if I volunteered more?  what if I got to work earlier?  what if we had less toys.  Seriously.  I’m reading blogs about it, validating blogs, articles about how we are all doing okay.  Things we all should read.  Your okay and my okay don’t look the same and that’s okay.  How liberating.  But why do I feel the need to read another mom’s articulation of what’s okay for her to make sure I’m doing alright?   I am an advocate of other moms and of myself.  I never want to be in any discussion that reeks of mom vs mom.  My ways barely work for me, so I certainly won’t push them on anyone else.  I can feel convicted about how I want things to be, regardless of how different my reality looks, I will even work hard for those things, but I won't judge others in order to see the value in myself.  It makes me sad that by the time I get this all figured out, it will be nearly over and re-do just isn’t an option.  My kids will be out there in the world with all the best and worst of how I've treated them and how they treated each other. 

Last week I go to preschool with Bryson and I feel nervous and awkward.  I’m the only working mom in the class, I’m the only one who has a youngest child in the class.  I’m not used to that.  My hands feel weirdly empty, like they should be busier soothing a baby or picking up a puzzle that my toddler spilled.  I’m not in yoga pants because my nanny will be meeting me in the parking lot after this little orientation so I can rush off and be late to work.  I’m not doting on him like a first child, and he doesn’t need me like the other kids in the class seem to need their moms.  He can't get enough of his new teacher.  Want's every minute of her time.  This feels awkward, like I’ve never felt before, and I leave feeling like I won't fit in with all the wonderfully nice moms I've just met, and that makes me sad.  But then 5 days later it is time to drop him off for his first real day of preschool.  The first day when the mamas leave.  What was awkward a few days ago, feels good now.  Some of these three-year-olds have never been left before.  They are crying out in pain and anguish.  Their mamas are crying too.  The pain in the family is palpable, and in one case, seeing it brings tears to my eyes, I’m hurting for how much they are hurting.  Bryson goes in happily, confidently, and there is not a doubt in my mind that he won’t.  He is all joy.  He has been waiting for this day as long as he can remember.  He got toted here in a car seat, lost here in the halls as a toddler, and waited for his sisters many times at the end of the hall in the parent area.  Now it is his turn to go into his classroom, and his heart could not be more full.  I look at him and I feel proud.  I look at the crying kids and I feel bad that my boy happily waves “ga-bye mama” after a quick hug.  I know I shouldn’t.  I’m happy because my boy is not sad.  Am I a better mama because my kid didn’t cry at preschool drop off?  No, of course not…

But I’m reminded for the millionth time in this parenting journey that there are more ways than one to do this well.  I'm getting validation from my child's happy face.  The one of three faces where I should be looking for it.  

So raw isn’t a sad word or a happy word.  It’s that my heart feels more on the outside that usual.  Which is, you know, saying a lot coming from me.  I’m noticing my failures and my successes a little more often.  I’m loving what I am, but mourning what I am not.  I can taste the tears and laughter of my own childhood.  And during this time I take a few vacation days to savor the time with them.  Then I work hard and efficiently to make the most of my time at the office.  Then I wake up early and stumble to the coffee pot to remember I am God’s child and spend time being still.  To feel that God is love.  And I am loved.  

And this raw life is beautiful and good, and it’s mine and I’m proud of it.  My kids will have their own kid hurts that make them raw, but it probably won’t be the third grade, or going to preschool for the first time.  It will be things that I can’t and do not want to anticipate.  There are beautiful blessings everywhere.  Tomorrow I will be careful to notice them.  

Be where you are, because where you are is pretty great!

Happy Mother's Day to my beautifully merciful mother!!

 Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

So, it's the day before Mother's Day and I haven't sent my mom a card or a gift.  As the guilt washes over me, I resist the urge to feel terrible, because of the grace and love she will offer me.  Why should such an amazing mother receive nothing on Mother's Day though?  I hope Matt sent something on time.  Ha.  Ha.  Hahahahhahahahahaha.

I have a card in my purse, and an idea in my brain, and I worry that my mama will be sad and lonely on the day when she should feel most loved and cherished.  I am writing this, not only because I love to write about brag & about the woman who raised me all by herself, but also because I hope that my words will touch her like a gift.  In place of the one I've not yet sent.

I've written things about her before: here and here, and a bunch more here. I didn't re-read those posts before starting this one, so I might be saying something I've said before, but if there is one thing I know as a mom, woman, wife, and friend...hearing the things that we've done right in our life, the things that made a difference for others, the places we matter to those we love...hearing that a few extra times, does not get old.

I'll start by saying that I cannot imagine who I'd be without my mom.  I also can't imagine a life without her in it someday.  Some of my favorite people have lost their mothers, some of them lost their mothers a long time ago, some in more recent years...some of them have children who will never knew their mother this side of Heaven.  While I appreciate my mama without the perspective of those unimaginable losses, I am reminded of all the blessings I have, just because she is still in my life, just because she loves me more than any other human on this earth.

That perspective prodded me to invite her along on a work trip last September.  It reminded me that those friends would give anything to make new memories with their mamas, and I needed to get on that while I still could.  My mom and I see each other 4-5 times a year, we make a lot of new grandma memories, and that's very important, but we don't make a lot of mother/daughter memories.  I'm racing and running, she's spoiling the kids, and we leave them with her to get a date night in while our cheerful free babysitter shoes us out the door.  

So I took her with me to Vegas.  I enjoyed her company.  I marveled at the way she fumbled through security, acted worldly with the cabbie, and took pictures of me checking in at the hotel.  I wasn't rushed or overwhelmed, and that made it really easy to enjoy my mom, just as she is.  And let me be clear, because I'd hate for my actions to speak louder than my words in many moments.  I. DO. LOVE. HOW. SHE. IS. AS. SHE. IS.  Even if I'm terrible at showing it most of the time.  I'm so lucky for how she is.  I'm so happy for how she is.  That was such an amazing trip for us.  We ate, we saw, we talked, we read, we ate, we played, we walked, we laughed, we almost missed our return flight, we enjoyed.  I'm ashamed to say that I don't remember the last time I simply enjoyed us that much.  I loved getting to be with her, as her daughter - leaving many of the other life responsibilities for a few days.  When we returned home, she had college friends in town for a mini reunion.  So I got to meet old college boyfriends and their wives, her old friends and new friends, all people who love her so much.  It was an amazing time for me to spend time with these people, people who loved my mom as she was before there was me, before she was a mother.

A month or so ago, I was working through a bible study, and I came to the topic of mercy.  There was a question asking if there was anyone in your life who always offers mercy.  Mercy isn't a word that I could define exactly, so I looked it up.  

mer·cy  

/ˈmərsē/

Noun Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm An event to be grateful for, esp. because its occurrence prevents something unpleasant or provides relief from suffering

As I read more about the meaning of mercy, my mom was the only person who came to my mind.  I took the question a bit further and tried to think of a time when she did not extend mercy to me, and I could not.  And believe me, I deserved punishment, I was no picnic, yet she didn't/doesn't give me what I deserve.  Does that mean I was raised by the most merciful woman in the world?  I think so.  

A while back a loved one and I were talking about wishing we had more time to connect.  I told her that while she felt like we weren't connecting enough, I was connecting with her more than I do with many...and I said that I don't connect with my mom as much as I should.  She asked me if that was right.  The truth is it isn't right.  But it is how it is.  The reason is because my mom is so forgiving and gentle with me.  She understands that my busy is never something personal against her.  She acknowledges the stresses in my life, and that I get frazzled to a fault.  When I don't call her for weeks at a time, and we are in touch through liking photos and comments, she is glad to have a window into my world.  If I have a list of 3 people I must call, she drops to the bottom of the list, not because I want to talk to her the least (quite the opposite) it is because she will be the most understanding, never once have I had to worry about her wrath.  It's not fair to her that it works that way, but it does.  And she loves me anyway.  Fully.  She doesn't hold it against me, she doesn't remind me that the last time I messed up and apologized, and here I am messing up again.  She forgives in a way that means I'm fully forgiven, the slate is wiped clean, again and again.  Because of that, I probably screw up with her the most, she is my safe place for screwing up.  It brings me to tears when I try to put into words how much it means to have that safe place with her.  

As I mother my own children, I want to better remember my mother's mercy, and what that brings to me, even as a 36 year old woman.  On a regular basis, I hear myself reminding them of their past faults and their past shortcomings.  I am frustrated with them, not because the disobedience at hand is the problem, but because it has been a problem in the past.  Because if I am really honest about it, I have not forgiven them for something that I say I have.  This bible study that had my mama written all over it, talking about mercy, it was about Jesus (Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Matt 5:7).  Even though she isn't a believer, my mom is and always has been that example to me, she loves me like Jesus does, she loves everyone like that.  A while ago, I was thanking God for teaching me about His love for me through the way I love my children.  And now, even more I am thanking Him for teaching me about His love for me through the way my mom loves me.  

I'm always setting goals and working on stuff.  I'm always wanting to improve and fix stuff that is broken.  My mom's always telling me I'm perfect just as I am, not because she doesn't want me to improve, but I think because she thinks I'm so wonderful and it pains her to see me striving all the time.  There's a happy medium in there between how I see myself and how my mom's sees me, but I haven't found it yet. So I keep striving and she keeps reminding me about how great I am.  

A goal I'd really like to strive toward for my mom and me is to keep intentionally making new mother/daughter memories with her.  I think of how much I cherish her daily, but I tell her how much I cherish her rarely, and I want to make sure that she knows it.  Like knows it knows it.  I want her to know that as she feels like she's fumbling her way through life, her heart has given me a road map that leads to love and happiness and fulfillment.  A roadmap that I am lucky enough to have as much of my foundation growing up.  All the good things about me are her fault!  She may have had a hand in some of my quirks too, but I definitely give her credit for all the good stuff. 

Mom, I thank you for who you are, for the way that you love me as I am, for giving me such a safe and warm place to grow up, for making me feel so important and valuable to you, for bearing through my teenage years (always have to throw that in), for cheering me on now, even when I don't do the same for you, for blessing me with atypical selfless parenting, for helping me to believe I was extraordinary, for the incredible grandmother you are to my children, and for sharing your beautiful heart with everyone you meet.  Thank you that each sacrifice you made for me was your sincere joy! 

I'm sorry that there wasn't a Mother's Day card in your mailbox or a gift on your doorstep or flowers on your desk.    You deserve more gifts than anybody else! I know I don't even have to say that I am sorry.  You forgive me and you mean it.  You love me  and you mean it, with no strings attached.  I pray these scattered words saved on a tiny corner of the internets, shared with you on facebook, will touch your heart as much as you deserved to be touched.  I ask that you keep loving me this way, mama, so I can be a mama like you someday.  

I love love love love you! 

Forever yours,  

Jenny Bug

A very thankful November

I haven't posted much around here.  Not a thing for the month of November, and really, there is only so much looking at my daughter hanging up side down on her birthday that a person can do.  I worry when I read posts from my blog from 2008.  I wouldn't remember to remember many of those things, had I not posted them.  And time keeps passing, and not getting documented.  And what if I lose those moments.  There is no time to catch up, only time to move forward.  In the month of November I decided to do the Facebook thing where you say what you are thankful for each day.  I decided to really think about it.  By day 5 I could feel the change that gratitude was making in my heart.  I was looking around each day thinking about *what* I could list for my thankful thing today.  Wow, you know what?  When you look around and have to get to choose one thing...the gratitude MULTIPLIES!  So the whole month, my heart was full.  And I want to remember that.  Even as I went back to post my gratitude posts here, I remembered how I was feeling each day to post these, and my cup runneth over...

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November 1: I'm thankful for my health body and for a healthy family. During this season of stuffy noses, I'm thankful that my noses aren't running this week, and thankful that even when they are, and it's sure to happen...these are things we overcome with little worry. I won't take the luxury of health for granted.

November 2: I am thankful for my mom. She is kind and truthful and selfless and is so full of love. I can't imagine who I'd be without her love and nonstop encouragement. My forever cheerleader, even at 36. I'm so thankful that we got to take a trip together last month, just us, it was wonderful making new memories with her and enjoying who she is. Thank you, Mom. — with Elane Dickenson.

November 3: I'm so thankful for my Lawrence. I'm grateful for everything that fell apart before I met him, so we could fall together. We have an amazing love story and I'm thankful to be living it. I'm thankful for our 13 years to love each other, 8 years of parenting, and each day of life still ahead of us. — with Lawrence Herman.

November 4: I'm thankful for the last 55 hours, our family of five was together the whole weekend, not apart for a moment. The fall has been so busy with soccer and birthdays and other school stuff, we are so often in divide and conquer mode, but I loved being together and at home for these few days. I love us!

Day 5: Gratitude multiplies in my heart. Just thinking about what to be thankful for, I'm bursting with more things to be grateful about. Today I am most thankful for where I am right now with my faith, and where I am going. There were years that I merely 'believed' in God but my faith was not strong, I wished I had strong faith I saw in others, to be bold for something, but I would roll my eye

s because I...just didn't have it, so I didn't understand it. And yet He was patient and loving with me, blessing me each day anyway. Waiting for my faith in Him to grow, loving me like crazy, just as I was. I'm just so thankful for the peace and joy Jesus brings me and for gentle, loving patience. He is love!

Day 6: I'm thankful that my company gave us Election Day off. It allowed me to volunteer in Kindergarten, vote, have lunch and go shopping with Addie, and get my hair done. I'm thankful for getting to do each of those things.

Day 7: I'm so thankful that our New Jersey family all got power back as of yesterday in time for these next few days of weathering freezing snow storms. I'm also thankful that they had minimal damage compared to some who have lost so much. I'm thankful for the way tragedy reminds us to be grateful for what we have, reminds us of what matters most, and reminds us to reach out and say I love you to the friends and family who mean the world but with whom we lose touch as a result of 'busy'. We love and miss you!

Day 8: I'm thankful that my daughters have a sister. I'm thankful when I find them hovered/tangled together over the heat vent in the morning. I'm thankful each time I eavesdrop on their way after bedtime whispering. I'm thankful when they want to dress alike. I'm thankful as they wave to me, their smiling faces next to each other on the school bus each morning. And I'm most thankful when I see one reach for the other's hand and the other accepts its comforting grasp. I know that we have years of ups and downs with these beautiful sisters, and I'm thankful for every day I get to witness the incredible intense relationship that is having a sister.

Day 9: Today I am thankful for a childhood BFF. ShanRae was diagnosed with Melanoma one year ago today. I'm grateful that she encouraged me to get my skin checked, and that she was there for me the day I got my diagnosis of a much less serious skin cancer. She has helped/saved hundreds of people by sharing her scary story so openly, bringing awareness to the seriousness of melanoma and skin can

cer. She is an advocate for health in every sense of the word. Read her status today if you haven't already - an amazing woman; everyone who knows her is thankful that she is in their life. Nine months after the surgery to remove my own skin cancer, I can honestly say that I'm thankful for that time, because I have never felt more loved in my life. I am thankful that even though all things are not good, God can and will use all things for good if we are open. I am thankful for ShanRae's life and courage and health and for all the good she has allowed to come to the world through her struggle. Keep flapping those butterfly wings, my friend.

 — with ShanRae Hook Hawkins.

November 10th: I'm thankful for birthdays, for the the way they make you feel special. I'm thankful for Facebook and how it connects us. I'm thankful for my family, for the loved ones I got to see today and for those I didn't. I'm thankful for feeling loved. Because I really, really do. I'm thankful for a good day, for 36 good years. I'm thankful.

Day 11: Today I'm thankful for my baby brother. I'm thankful that after a year in Iraq he came home to us safely. I'm thankful that my original little family of three had him in it. I'm thankful for the day he came into the world and mad

e me a big sister, a role that taught me so much about love. He is a wonderful uncle to my children, a wonderful son to my mama, and a wonderful brother to me. He is kind and thoughtful, and I am grateful for the man he has grown up to be. Love you Matthew Dickenson!

Day 12: I'm thankful for the strong-willed and beautiful girl who made me a mother, the life-title that I will be forever proud of. Lily is smart and funny and crazy and weird and stubborn and sneaky and loving and tenderhearted. She thrives in routine and while laughing and doing math and her heart breaks when her expectations aren't met. She loves school and her siblings and her mama and dad

dy. She hates it when things come to an end, whether it be a vacation, a play date, a recess, or a day. She could do without bedtime. Somedays I feel like I am looking in a mirror, when I look into her heart or discipline her misbehavings. Just when I think she can't make me feel more crazy or more loved, she does. I'm grateful for the reflection, and for what it teaches me about myself. She's also a crafting machine and I'm certain that we'd have 99% less riff raff in our home without her. She's taught me that a house full of riff raff is a house full of love. I'm thankful for my Lillian Audrey and for having another soul in our family that is so similar to mine.

Day 13: I'm thankful for photos. Lawrence and I just cleaned out our crawl space and I found two huge boxes of old pictures. I'm thankful for the way a photo can remind you of a moment you totally forgot about and bring a big smile to your face. I'm thankful that I have such a love of documenting! Now if I could find a million more hours in the week to stay on top of all the good stuff that happens.

Day 14: I'm so so thankful for my sweet little Addie. My oh-so-middle child who I was certain I could keep from doing any middley child type things. I am thankful that she was the happiest baby who ever was, that she slept through the night early on, a welcomed gift after her nonsleeping sister. She is her daddy's "buds". I'm thankful that my tiny little thing can fit in your pocket - always.

 Addie is the best cuddler ever, she sneaks in and snuggles like a missing puzzle piece. And as long as she has her BFF "bear-bear" in hand all is good in her world. Unless she's losing at a game. She has a competitive streak like nothing I've ever seen...she's a game board flipper big time, but she will work her tush off for a little praise. She is the biggest helper and the biggest trouble maker in our family. I always say that Lily made me a mama but Addie made me a GOOD mama, a confident mama. I was a better mother to two than I was to one (and truth be told I was a better mother to two than I am to three!), I'm thankful that Addie has lit up my life every.single.day. since she was born. I could never put that smile, that laugh, that voice, even her adorable red-faced tears, into words. She is my Addie. People always tell us that we look alike, and my friends, you could give no bigger compliment. Thank God for my beautiful Adeline Faith.

November 15: I am so thankful for this beautiful day. I am thankful to live in such a beautiful city. The fall colors, the blue sky, the buildings, the leaves raining down and dancing on the road, Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens appearing out of nowhere on the horizon, the waterfront sparkling and the architecture of the bridges...it all makes for an amazing drive to work, an amazing way to start the day. There is so much beauty to be seen, and I'm thankful for the times that I truly open my eyes, because the beauty overwhelms me. The fish on the radio, hot coffee in my hand, AND THE SUN SHINING IN NOVEMBER...it's good to be alive. Thankful!

Day 16: I am very thankful for my littlest BIG blessing, Bryson, who has kept me on my toes every second since he was born. He came into the world to keep me humble, to make sure that I didn't think I had this whole mothering thing figured out by now. From his days of early colic & rsv to his never ending days of escapism to more dangerous ground, this little guy shows love like no other, Every 

emotion he has he shows with his WHOLE self. I'm thankful that on most Tuesdays and Fridays I get to start working late and after we get the girls on the bus, we have Mommy-Bryson morning time, with our coffee and milk and books and cuddling. He tells me how the world works and sings songs between the slurps from his sippy cup. I'm thankful that my little boy has such an ear for music and speaks so clearly with so many thoughts and opinions (thank you in part to two big sisters, I'm sure). He is a pure delight to put to bed, we sing "you are my sunshine" and he loves to climb in his crib. At almost three, my climber-extraordinaire can, but does NOT, climb out of his crib. I'm oh so thankful for this miracle. I've run miles and miles chasing this little boy during his short years, and I will gratefully...gladly run many, many more. I'm thankful to be my son's mother and for the gift this experience brings for a lifetime, whatever it may be.

Day 17: Today I'm thankful for a wonderful day of college football with my family. I'm thankful to have a college education and love being an Alum of The University of Montana. The Griz didn't win, but we still had a lot of fun celebrating the rivalry tradition with new and old friends!

November 18: I am so thankful for so many good friends. It's as simple as that. I cannot imagine this life without you!

November 19: I am so thankful for our wonderful nanny,Jennifer, she is amazing with our kids and totally helps make the Herman show go round. She has a beautiful heart and she takes such good care of all of us, me included. While there have been times over the years that I wish I wasn't a working mom, I'm thankful that I get the opportunity to employ an incredible person. This job has brought 

some great people in to our family over the years, and we have built a community of young ladies whom my children will treasure for the rest of their lives. I'm thankful that my kids are excited to see her arrive in the mornings & aren't ready to let her go each afternoon. I'm thankful of how sure we are that we have the right person taking care of our most important blessings each day! Love you Jenny!

Day 20: I'm thankful for how angelic babies look when they sleep. I've learned more than I ever wanted to know about sleep in the last 8 years. The best lesson would be that as you look at your sleeping babe, every single hard thing melts away. Every moment is worth it. You see it so clearly when you have a moment to watch them be still. For example:

November 21: today I am thankful for TWO huge blessing that came into the world seven years ago. This was the day we got a niece AND a nephew! Happy birthday Ty and Cass. We love you!

November 22.  Thanksgiving. Thankful! Gratitude is the attitude! I loved sitting at a table full of love with my friends and family. This view out the window. Good food. Good conversation. Good people. I. Am. Blessed.

Day 23: So thankful for Grandmas and old friends from way back when who know me best. Thankful for the relationships that build between my peeps and my hubs and my kids...and their kids every time I come home! I love the way it feels to be from and in this place.

Day 24: thankful for getting to support small businesses in Joseph today and for our fun family tradition- the "Jingle through Joseph" parade

November 25: Thankful for my own bed. Thankful for good roads and my safe driving husband to get us home. Thankful for Mandy and Joe Nelson, who always make time for us no matter how busy life is. Thankful that my mama still lives in Joseph. Thankful for my long time friend,Dawn, who has a birthday today, Happy Birthday my friend, I'll love you for another 20 years! And then some!

Day 26: I'm thankful for so many great teachers in the world. I'm grateful that Paula S Kurtz & Shelly Trueblood Orchard welcomed my girls to preschool and elementary school, giving them such a positive start, and I am so lucky to consider them both my friends. Katy Pauls, Melinda Lathrop Garcia, Robin Rose, Sharon Duty Pieloch, Stefani Schaefer Sellers, Jenn Hunter, Amy Dato Mills, Jason Ritter,

...the hard work you do does not go unnoticed! The kids who get to spend their days with you (including your own) are blessed! Thank you for all that you add to my life, I am a better parent because of you. (And seriously, Shelly, that Kinder FB page makes me light up every day at 11am...sitting at work with notifications to see how much fun my Addie had today. I LOVE IT!) For all the other teachers on my friends list, and I know there are a lot of you, I am thankful that you work hard, fight uphill battles, and chose this profession for all the right reasons. I'm thankful that you do this even without the recognition and compensation you deserve. There are multitudes of parents who will be forever grateful for the difference you make in our families! Please remember our gratitude when you have a hard day!

 — with Brian Scott and 8 others.

Day 27: I am thankful for Lynn Hansen, she is such an encouragement to me and when she talks to me her voice sounds like a hug!

Day 28: Thankful for my early release from Jury Duty, meaning I get a few hours with my kiddos before date night. How cool is that? Thankful for date night and accompanying the #1 fan to the Springsteen concert tonight. (Not sure if he is number one, number one, but number one this side of the Misssissip for sure!)

Day 29: I'm thankful that my kids have such great Grandparents. Lawrence's parents are visiting them from NJ for the 4th time this year. I'm thankful that my kids get to really "know" their Grandmas and Grandpa! I have wonderful memories and feelings of being loved by all of my Grandparents, and feel so fortunate that my kids have very close relationships with all 3 of their Grandparents.

November 30: I'm thankful for being thankful. Gratitude really is the key to contentment. It turns what you have into more than enough.