Day 30 of 30 days of Thanksgiving

I made it to day 30. This is the most consistent that I have ever been with my blog post. What a month of reflection this has been. Let me just say my life is good, really good. I am drinking from a pitcher because my cup is so full. I have a beautiful family, a nice house, drive a nice car, live in a diverse city, with wonderful family, and great friends. All these things are good but as the old saying goes, this month I have learned that the best things in life aren't things. On this 30th day of thanksgiving, I am most thankful for Him who makes all things. He chose me even before I chose Him. He makes all good things extraordinary and gives all tough & hard things purpose. He gives us hope for the future and He is our everlasting when it seems to be the end. He satisfies when we are hungry and loves when we seem to be unlovable. He knows me better than I know myself and makes all things work out for the good even when I can't see the big picture. In Him I put my hope, for He is my rock when all else fails.

Jesus, it is because of you that I have all 29 of these other reasons to be thankful. You are my reason for living. Today I give you thanks for all the joys that you bring to my life. Thank you most of all for saving me from myself. Thank you for giving me a reason to live that is far beyond anything that I can understand with my earthly mind. Thank you that you are not done with me yet and that through me you are going to impact generations to come. You are my father and when my time on this earth is complete I look forward to eternity with you. Thank you for choosing and loving me as if I were the only daughter.
Thank you giving me the wonderful gift of life!

Day #29 of Thanks!

As we are almost through this month of thanks, I must give credit to the man in my life. My husband. This January we will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary as a dating/ married couple. We will celebrate our 7 year wedding anniversary this May 15th. WOW how time has flown by. I met Lucas in high school. Well...let me back up. We went to middle school together but I don't remember him, although he remembers me. Sorry babe. Anyway, our junior year is when we started dating. I always say that I knew within six months of dating that he was the man that I was going to marry. If you ask him, he will tell you he thought otherwise. But I just knew. Because we married so young we have experienced more as a marrid couple than most at such a young age. We got married in 2004 while we were both still in college. Since we have been married we have lived in 5 different house (2 of which we owned) and 3 different cities (Murfreesboro, Memphis, and now Atlanta). We both have bachelor degrees from Middle Tennessee State University and after 5 years of marriage we added our daughter Layla.

Let me just say that we have had a lot of changes in 7 years. We are definitely not the same people that we were when we met our junior year of high school. There was something from the very beginning that attracted me to Lucas. I could tell from the beginning that he was loyal, trust worthy, protecting, and committed. I knew that when he made his mind up to do something, he was going to do it and do it the best that he could. I also knew that when it came down to it, he lived his life to please Jesus no matter the cost. Looking back now over these last 10 years, I can say that I was right in everyone of these areas. Through Lucas's love for me and our daughter and has been the best human example to me of how far and great Jesus's love is for me. He challenges me to be a better woman and to chase after the things that I believe in.

Lucas, my life would absolutely not be that same without you. I have become a better person while knowing you. You truly are the greatest man I know. God had a plan when he brought our lives together and so far it has been more than I could ask or imagine. I am so thankful for you: my husband, father of my child, and my best friend! I am looking forward to living everyday with you. We make a great team!
Love you!
LK

Day 28 of thanks

As the 30 days of thanks is coming to an end, the last 3 days will include the things that I hold most dear to my heart. My life would not be complete without these things.

On day 28 of thanks, I am most thankful for my healthy, smart, beautiful daughter. I once heard another woman say that she has not yet been able to find the words that properly express the feelings she has for her children. I can say that is absolutely true when trying to express the feelings that I have for my daughter. She makes every second of every day that much more worth living. Having her in my constant shadow definitely challenges me to be a better woman in every way. I know that God has great plans for her life and although I hate to see time pass so quickly, I am excited to see how He is going to use her to impact His kingdom. I pray daily that my desires for her life will not get in the way of His, but that I will be able to train her up with a heart after Him.

Layla Kate, you are truly a gift to my life unlike any gift that I will ever receive again. I thank God for you daily and consider it the highest calling to be your mother. Thank you for making me "momma". I love you more than any words can express!

Day 27

Today I am thankful for motherhood. Not only all the joys being a mother holds but also the fact that I was able to conceive a child without any issues. So many women fight with fertility and I count my blessings everyday that I had no issues getting pregnant and was able to carry a healthy child full term. What a miracle and what a gift. I pray for all my friends that struggle so hard with this. I pray that God would grant you the deepest desires of your heart in his perfect time.

30 days of thanks would not be complete if I failed to mention my opportunity to be a mother. I SO very thankful for this wonderful blessing.

Day 26 of thanks

Pandora Radio! Yes, I am thankful for this app on my phone. It is really easy to get the kind of music you want without a lot of work on iTunes. Plus it's free! Today it's the simple things that make me happy.

Happy Thanksgiving (day 25 of thanks)

Beth Moore posted this on her blog and I could not say it better.

I am thankful for:
For a belief system where we can have absolute certainty of our salvation.We know this isn’t it. We know where we’re going and it’s good. We know that this turns out very well.

For a belief system where nothing – not even your worst disaster or failure – gets wasted.

For a belief system where every day is a new day and every act of repentance is a brand new beginning.Who has that but us???

For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is the entirety of my belief system.

For His indwelling Spirit who enables me to be so different than the old me. And different tomorrow from today’s me.

For the sacred holy Scriptures. Oh, thank You, Lord. My food and my drink.


Hope everyone remembers all the blessings you have been given this year. It is because of Jesus that we have all things. He has been so faithful in the life of our family this year and we are very thankful!

Day 24 of thanks

Today I am thankful for LONG naps!! Layla surprised me and slept 3.5 hours! Her normal nap time is 1.5-2 hours so this what quite a surprise. I was able to relax and get a few things done. Thanks Layla for the extra long break:)

Day 23 of thanks

What was this world without the internet?? I was at the mall today to enjoy some family time and did not feel the pressure to shop for a single gift. Why is that? Because I am doing ALL my shopping online this year! Some of you might think that it takes the fun out of it but shopping with a 17 month old who just wants to run around is not fun. So online shopping brings the fun back for me! Today I am thankful for the conviences of technology!!

Day 22

Today I am thankful for lazy days! By being a stay at home mom I am very spoiled with the fact that I don't have to get up, shower, and put on make-up first thing every morning. We have had quite a busy week where I have had to get "ready" everyday. It was so nice today to just be able to enjoy my sweats, pull back my hair, and be make-up free:)

Day 21

BLUH! That is how I feel. When I am at home we eat pretty healthy with very little junk. I also exercise almost everyday. I have been in Murfreesboro for almost a week now and I am just feeling gross. Can't wait to get back into my normal routine. SO on day 21 of thanks, I am most thankful for healthy food and exercise!!

Day 20 of thanks

Thank God for grandparents! For so many reasons, but today I especailly thankful for the fact that they beg to babysit my child so that Lucas and I can have a minute to ourselves. Just nice to know that you are leaving your baby with people who love them almost as much as you do:) So thanks grandparents for all that you do and for loving our child so much sometimes it's almost sickening:)

Day 19

Please and Thank You! What great words. I am having so much fun teaching Layla to be polite. She has pretty much learned that by saying please she can get whatever she wants. :) Today I am thankful for these two words and how sweet they are coming from my daughters mouth!

Day 18 of thanks

Yesterday a very important member of our church lost his battle with cancer but won the battle of eternity in evelasting life with Jesus Christ. Doug Nickerson was a sweet, sweet man with a wonderful family. What I will remeber most about Doug is his love for his grandchildren. Every Sunday without doubt, I would glance across the sanctuary always to find one of the babies curled up sound alseep on his chest. He definitely had the magic touch:)

I am most reminded today that I am thankful that life on this earth is not our final destination. It is only a minute of eternity. Although life on this earth was too short for Doug, our time in eternity will never cease. Thank you Jesus for sacrificing your life to give us everlasting life with you.

We will see Doug again and in the meantime I pray for his family and that God would give them peace to get through this hard time.

Day 17 of thanks

Today we celebrated the 50th birthday of my father n law, Ron Kairdolf. I now have known him for 10 years. (Wow!) He is definitely one of the greatest men I know. I have watched him go through many good times, some bad times, and a couple really bad times. No matter what, he has always shown extremely Godly character. I won't say he is perfect because nobody is. Other than being an LSU fan he is pretty darn close:)

The reason I am most thankful for this man is the character that he has instilled in his son. He taught him to be a hard worker and to always finish what he starts. The reason Lucas is able to run his own business today is because of the work ethic that his father taught him. Lucas also inherrited a stubborn quality which he has turned into a positive attribute, most of the time. :) Most importantly what Lucas got from his daddy is the foundation of his faith in Jesus Christ and this as the leader of our household, this is the quality I value more than any other.

So here's to you Papa. Hope your next 50 years area even better than your first 50. We love you and hope we are half the examples to our children that you have been to us!

Day 16 of thanks

Today I know exactly what I am thankful for:
DVRed Mickey Mouse Clubhouse & White Cheddar Cheetos.
Why? Because they make Layla very happy.
Simple Enough.

Day #15 of thanks...

Usually I am a sunny, high of 75 with a light breeze kind of girl, but today I am thankful for the rain. Because of the rain, our morning plans got cancelled (Stroller Strides). So I have been forced (well not really) but I was extra motivated to stay home and get a few things done. Although as you can tell I am not getting too much done because I am blogging in the middle of the day.

I cleaned house Saturday morning but wished that I would have saved it for this rainy day. There is still laundry to be done and organizing the drawers and closets. So, I will make an attempt at that stuff today. Or maybe I will just sit down, read my book and listen to the rain while Layla is napping. Yep that sounds like a good idea.

Day 14 of thanks!

Football! Well, that is a silly thing to be thankful you might think, but our family LOVES football! We look forward to this time of year every year. I am most thankful for football because it makes my husband so happy! He follows Alabama year round. His passion for football is definitely contagious. Some of our most fun, memorable times as a couple have involved football. Hopefully, our kids will grow up to love the sport as much as we do and it can be a family event. Layla already yells "go" at the tv and holds up both hands when we say "touchdown"! Maybe one day God will give us a son that wants to play football or girls who cheerlead are fine too :)

Month of Thanks!! Day 13

Great neighbors is one of many things I have to be thankful for today! We had our neighbors Kyle, Heather and their adorable son, 9 month old Kyson over today. They were some of the first friends we made when we moved in. They live about 3/4 houses down our road. The more time we spend with them the more fun we have! It is amazing how God brings along the right people in your life at just the time you need them. Once again, another answered prayer and for that I am thankful!

Hope everyone had a great Saturday!
LK

Day 12 of thanks

Today I am thankful for great friends... Not only great friends but they happen to be family too. When deciding on settling in Atlanta, we were so excited because my sister Natalie and her husband Chris have been here for about 5 years. The way God had it all layed out we ended up being able to live only .5 miles down the road from them. How awesome is that? So excited about what is to come in our future and raising our kids with aunts and uncles who love them as if they were their own.

It is great to have a lot of family, but even better when you choose to spend your time with them and LOVE every minute of it:)

Day 11 of thanks

Today I am thankful for the part of my life that God had planned that included me growing up in the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the world. I am thankful that when I felt like it today I was able to hop in a hot shower with soap that smelled yummy. I am able to drink water out of the faucet while I am brushing my teeth and if that isn't good enough I can walk to my refrigerator and use my britta filter.

I could go on and on about the everyday things we take for granted. Today is Veteran's Day so I give thanks to the men and women who sacrifice more than we can ever imagine for our country. I'm so proud to be an American.

Day 10 in the 30 days of thanks

Today, I am thankful for girlfriends. There is nothing like having another woman in your life to talk about woman things too :) I love having mom friends to talk about mom things with and I love equally my woman friends who are not moms that remind me of the "other" things of lives. I have girlfriends who I would consider my friends for life. Although we are miles apart, we always pick up right where we left off. I also have friends in other cities who will always be a reminder of the precious time that my family spent there. Now I am making new girlfriends in a new city, who I hope will eventually fall into the friends for life category. Cheesy as it may be, there was a song we always sang growing up that stated "friends are friends forever when the Lord is Lord of them". How true this lyric is. When Jesus is the common bond in a friendship it will last forever. SO today I give thinks for all the girl friends in my life new and old!
LK

Day 9

Today and everyday, I am thankful for a healthy child. I have just recently started following a blog of a woman whom I do not know but she is 23 weeks pregnant with a baby that has been diagnosed with Trisonomy 13. Not even sure if I spelled that correctly and I most definitely don't know the details of the disease but the one that sticks out is that the average life expectancy is 2.5 DAYS. Yes, you read right, 2.5 DAYS. Instead of having baby showers and decorating a nursery, she if shopping coffins and making funeral arrangements. Wow, I can't imagine.

So today, I am extra thankful for my healthy child and the protection that God gives her every moment of her life. Please say a special prayer for this family with this child.

LK

Here is the link to the blog if you wanted to check it out as well.
http://lisahusmann.wordpress.com/

November 8th. Month of Thanks

What a beautiful day. In fact, it is going to be a beautiful week! Mid 60s today and going to be mid 70s the majority of the week! Can you believe this great weather in November?? A bit unusual and that is why I am thankful. I am one of those who pretty much strongly dislike cold weather! Once that time of year comes, I am looking for when I can take a vacation to somewhere warm. How do people survive much worse temps than we have here? I LOVE fall, spring, and summer. I think I would be fine if I never saw snow or ice again...unless I chose it.

Layla and I spent most of the day outside today just trying to soak up every minute of this warmth that we can. We were at the park this morning for Stroller Strides, then came home and had lunch and nap and then went to our neighborhood park this afternoon. It was a great day and I am looking forward to a few more like it this week!

LK

Day 7 of Thanks

Today, I am going to very materialistic and say that I am thankful for our new vehicle! Lucas and I have been sharing a car since June. It worked out great while Lucas was in New York but he has been home full-time since August. With his business picking up (Thank You Jesus), me and Layla's "fun activities" have been moved to the back burner. Any time Lucas needed the car, of course, his business came first.

But not anymore. I (we) purchased my first "mom mobile" today. We got an awesome deal and know this is going to be a great investment for our family. It has 3rd row seating so even if we were to add a couple more kids, we are set.
Hope everyone is having a blessed November. I know we sure are. We give thanks to the One who is our Supply.
LK

Today I am thankful...(Day 6)

PHOTOGRAPHY! Wow, how we take this for granted. It seems so simple but it has not always been such a luxury. We can even have prints with in an hour or minutes if we print from home. I am SO thankful that at any minute throughout the day I can run and grab the camera to capture that special moment of Layla. With our busy lives and eventually multiple children, my memory will soon fail me about what the times were that really made me smile. It is also amazing that with one photo we are reminded of the exact emotion that we felt at that time. Maybe even the sounds, smells, or feeling that we will never forget.

This picture is one of the proudest moments of my life. I just pulled my baby girl up onto my chest and got to look at her face for the first time. I remember Lucas's hand on my forehead. He was speechless.
We became momma, and daddy.
We became a family.
Today I am thankful for photography.

Day 5

A Man Who Enjoys Cooking is what I'm thankful for today.

And I really think I am going to leave it at that. He cooks. I clean up. We are a good team!

Day 4 of thanks!

When I first heard Layla cry out this morning, I rolled over, looked at the clock and it was 9:15am. Right on time I thought. Today I am thankful for sleep and a child who sleeps! Let's face, the world is a more decent place when most of us get our sleep. I used to require a good 12 hours but since motherhood that has definitely changed. No doubt that Layla got her parents "love to sleep" genes. She has been sleeping through the night since 7 weeks. As I am beginning to think about a second child, I am reminded of those middle of the night nursing sessions. How in the world did I function on such little sleep??

So today, even if it is only until my next pregnancy with all the middle of the night bathroom breaks, I am thankful for SLEEP!

Day 3!

Today I am thankful for books! It doesn't matter what kind, I like to switch it up, read one non-fiction for every fiction. I prefer books that make you think of the greater things in life, something beyond our everyday thoughts. Lucas and I both share a love for reading. Often after Layla is in bed for the night, we will both grab our books and head to the couch! It is very different reading with a toddler around. I remember the days before Layla, on a rainy Saturday or Sunday, I could curl up on the couch and read a good book in one day! It is sure not like that around here anymore but I know that there will be plenty of time once I have raised my kids to spend a whole day in a book. Lucas and I have joked that we would love about a 3 day vacation to just go sit on the beach and do nothing but read.... Super Dorks I know. Since being in Atlanta, I have joined a book club and LOVE it! So far they have chosen books that I would not normally choose so it has been very eye opening. We meet the last Tuesday of every month to discuss the book of the month. It is all women that I also attend Stroller Strides with. So not only do we share a passion for reading, but we are also all busy moms who like to exercise. :)

I will read just about anything that is fiction besides those cheesy, nasty romance novels. I prefer to not fill my mind with that filth. In non-fiction, my topics lately have been christian parenting, potty training, discipline, & prayer. Currently I am reading 2 books:

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff. This book is my November book for book club. It is about Brigham Young's 19th wife and the topic of polygamy. It is an interesting book to be reading at this time. Especially with all the buzz that polygamy has been getting lately (TLC's Sister Wives). This book I believe is fiction but based on facts.

The other book I am reading is Radical by David Platt. David Platt is a pastor of Brookhills Church of Birmingham. His church is what would be considered a "mega church". I have listened to him online for sometime and wanted to check out his book. He has a very radical yet biblical view on how the modern day christian should live everyday life. So far it has been very challenging and one of those books that you can't be the same after reading.

These are 2 very different books, I know but I am enjoying them both. I would be interested to know what everyone else is reading right now and whether they would recommend it!

Looks like Layla is thankful for books too:)

30 (Actually 29) days of Thanks

A few of my friends are doing "30 days of thanks" for the month of November. I thought this was a great idea and decided that I would dedicate the next month to thanksgiving as well. Some will be serious, others not so serious. Either way, I will just share what I am thankful for! I think that I started yesterday without realizing it!

Day 2: I just have to say that knowing that I was going to blog about this subject tonight changed the perspective of my day. I have SO many reasons to be thankful. Lucas is out of town so the past two days it has just been Layla and me. Today I am thankful to be able to be a "stay at home" mom. Layla and I share so many moments throughout each day that make my heart so happy. There is not a single thing that I take more pride in than being able to be a full time teacher, nurse, butt wiper, nose wiper, playmate, on demand chef, dance partner, kisser, hugger, or high fiver to my daughter. Life is good and there is no where else I would rather be than home.

Circle of Life

Lucas flew out today so that he could attend the funeral of a man who played a very special role in his life. After Lucas's mom died when he was very young and before his dad remarried, Lucas spent a lot of time with an aunt and uncle, Terri and Marty. Marty's dad, Oneal, was like another grandfather to Lucas. Although Oneal had been quite sick for some time, his death was somewhat unexpected. It was because of Oneal and his family that Lucas is an Alabama fan instead of an LSU fan. Since he grew up in Louisiana, that was a big deal! I was able to meet Oneal and spend a little of time with him when he was healthy. I know that he was very special man to a lot of people and I know that he will always hold a special place in my husbands heart and therefore mine too.

I always try to remember when anyone elderly dies what a gift we have in our children. When God takes away, He always gives. Thank you God for sending us people in our lives that leave a positive impact for generations to come and help us to be diligent in teaching our children the things that are really important in this short life.