30 Days of Thanks: Day #18-Insurance

Today I am reminded of just how lucky we are.

It was the final day of open-enrollment for both Landen and mine's insurance and since we both tend to procrastinate on certain things we were scrambling to get it done.

While I was struggling over PPO and HDPD or something like that, it hit me: I am so blessed that I have the opportunity to sit down and apply for insurance to protect our family.

I know so many people, and a lot of my students parents, who don't have this opportunity.

I can't imagine living with the fear of getting sick and not being able to pay for it.

We moan and groan about a $20 copay and some people are having to foot the whole bill.

I know this is kinda a weird topic to be thankful for, but for those of you who might be reading this who are struggling in this area, I am praying that God will provide you with some source of income or insurance for you and your family.

Protection does go a long way towards happiness.

What are you thankful for?

I'd love to see, so LINK UP!

30 Days of Thanks: Day #17-OhLife.com

When I began doing Project Life I realized that it was really hard to keep track of what was going on in our lives on a daily basis.

I was surfing the web one day when I ran across a fantastic website

Ohlife.com

It's amazing!

Each night I get an e-mail asking me how my day went. I can write as much or as little as I like and it documents it for me! I can even add pictures! Somedays I write just a little bit, and some days I just do a list of the days events.

The best part is, I can print them off and then just stick them right into my album and wa-la! Each day is documented!

And they also include a little snippet of what you said last week.

I am thankful that someone created such a great website to make my life so much easier!

What are you thankful for?

Link up! Show me! Show me!

30 Days of Thanks: Day #16-Safety

Today could have turned out to be a very bad day.

On my way to work I was stopped waiting for a car to turn when another car rear-ended me.

Hard.

Luckily we were all okay.

It was 3 teenage boys and something told me that reaction was everything with these guys.

So I asked them if they were okay, assured them not to worry about me, and we went on with the whole process of calling the police and getting the report written.

I was pretty shaken up and went to the baby Dr. where we were told that everything was okay.

Praise God.

Other than some slight neck pain I am fine.

I am soo thankful that God was with all of us today. And that the other car turned at the right moment to avoid sandwiching me between both cars.

God is good, ALL the time!

What are you thankful for today?

Link up below so I can see!

30 Days of Thanks: Day #15: Salvation

I hope that those who read my blog realize that I am a Jesus-loving kinda girl.

I heart my Jesus.

I love that no matter what I do, at the end of the day I am loved by the creator of the universe.

I also love that the same God who created the most beautiful of nature also created me.

I love that I don't have to be afraid because God only has good plans for me.

And I love that with God, I can do anything.

I am the daughter of a King.

THE King, not just any king.

Beat that Princess Kate.

I really like Princess Kate though, (so if you're reading this..hahaha, yeah right...no hard feelings!)

I think it's important during this holiday season to be thankful for everything,

and everything is made possible through God and God alone.

And He is the giver of Salvation.

And for that, I am thankful!

What are you thankful for?

Link up below! I wanna read your thankfulness posts!

30 Days of Thanks: Day #14- My Abbey-Gayle

Yes, I am one of those people.

You know the ones I'm talking about.

The ones that treat their pets like their children.

Well, count me in.

I have the best dog in the entire universe.

For real.

She is funny, spunky, loving, and can play dead like no other. And she sings too. Not even kidding.

I love that no matter if you just walked out the door and come right back in she will still act like she hasn't seen you in years.

I love when she wags her little tail stump and that when she's really excited it spreads to full-out butt wagging.

She's pretty awesome.

(Oh, and don't let her know she's actually a dog, it would break her heart!

What are you thankful for?

Link up below and let me know what you are thankful for. Remember, it's all about the little things, like a butt-wagging dog!

30 Days of Thanks: Day's 11, 12 & 13...Epic Fail

So how awesome am I?

I start a blog challenge.

I have great people participate and link up.

Wonderful comments.

And I don't even post for two days.

Slap on forehead.

But, in my defense, I have been sick. Not just a little sick, like might have to go see the doctor because I can't get up off this couch sick.

It's been nasty y'all.

So I took a few days off. I've not even read blogs over the weekend let along written any posts so I decided to just make up for the other days in one post.

So read on...

Day 11: I am thankful for the Vets.

I think some people were so caught up in today being 11/11/11 that they forgot about the true purpose. To celebrate the brave men and women who serve our Country and keep us free. I grew up recognizing one very special veteran in my life...my daddy, who was in the Air Force during Vietnam. I proudly tell others that my dad served our country, and I am honored to see him stand beside fellow veterans on this very special day.

I am also honored to be the niece of two amazing veterans. My Uncle Freddie and my Uncle Gary both served in Vietnam as well.

Landen's Grandfathers were in the military,

and just recently our Brother-in-law, Jeremiah, finished his time of service to the Navy.

We love our Vets around here.

Today at school we had a fantastic Veterans Day assembly that left me feeling teary eyed more than once, especially at the end when hundreds of kids saluted the veterans standing in the audience.

I hope that everyone took time today to thank a Vet. Even if you don't have access personally, take a moment to say a prayer or think a nice thought for those who are continuing to serve us by fighting for our country.

Happy Veterans Day!

Day 12: I am thankful for surprises and good food!

It's Saturday and I just got a really cool phone call. My parents are coming for a quick trip!! Granted, they are dropping some stuff off at our house, but I get to see my mom and dad! These are the best surprises EVER!

I am also thankful for good food.

I am hosting a Tastefully Simple party at my house today for our Pastor's Wife Diana, and I am so excited to sample all the yummy foods. I am thankful for taste buds that work and that I am far enough along in my pregnancy to be able to enjoy eating without worrying about getting queasy.

I won't be able to smell anything because of this dang cold but oh well. Gotta pick your battles people, for realz!

And, my mom get's to come to my party! Double Woot Woot!

It's the small things in life that we should be thankful for and I totally am!

Day 13: Movement

Today I have a big ole thank you. I know I already posted about being thankful for Baby O, but today I am super duper thankful because I felt it move for the first time! (Or at least the first time that I actually knew what I was feeling.)

We were driving in the car, talking, and all of a sudden I felt a little flutter, and then another one, and then another. I started Fuh-reak-ing out! It was the coolest feeling and I felt so bad that Landen couldn't feel it too. I know those movements are coming and I can't wait, because he wants to experience it sooo bad. Did I mention I'm also real thankful for my husband? Cause I am.

It's such a blessing to know that we have a healthy baby growing inside me and now that I can feel it moving it just makes it even more exciting. God is good, all the time!

What are you thankful for today?

............................

So, know I am officially caught up.

I'm sorry that I wrote past days in present tense but it will make it much easier to copy and paste into my 30 Days of Thanks album that I am getting together. Keep watching later this week to see how I am creating my album. Nothing major, using lots of templates and a We R Memory Keepers album but I am sooo excited!

Thanks guys for putting up with my absence! I've missed your link ups on the last few posts so be sure to add yours this week, and tell a friend too, or grab a button, I'd love to have more people linking up because reading them makes me smile big ole smiles!

30 Days of Thanks: Day 10-Pregnancy Safe Drugs

Just like always, at this time of the year I get sick.

Unlike always, I'm pregnant so my routine has been switched up.

I can't take my nightly mega-dose of nyquil

I can't take my mega-dose of benadryl.

I in effect have to "suck it up" and get over it.

So although it seems a little ridiculous...

Today, I am simply thankful for one thing:
My medicine that I can take.

and my kleenex box.

What are you thankful for today?

I'd love for you to join me on this journey of documenting the things we are thankful for in our lives. Link up below!

30 Days of Thanks: Day #9-My husband's parents

There are certain conversations that you have with your parents that you never forget.

One of mine was with my mom and I remember her saying to me that she prayed I could have as great of in-laws as she did.

God smiled down on her and answered her prayers.

It always makes me feel sorry for people who have nothing but negative things to say about their spouses parents.

Don't get me wrong. I would never put his parents on the same level as mine, nor would he put mine above his. My parents are the best...I already told you that one. And he feels the same about his.

But if I had to pick a second set of parents, to nurture and care for me, and to be a prayer support, I would have to pick my husband's parents.

After all, they raised him, and he turned out pretty stinking great.

(side note: last night at Chipotle, Landen whipped out his cell phone and showed a complete stranger our ultrasound picture. It doesn't get much better than that ladies, one proud papa!)

Anyway,

My in-laws fear God, they respect each other, and they have set a perfect example that no matter what comes your way you stick it out, because that's what marriage is people, sticking it out. That whole for better or for worse bit wasn't thrown in there just to complete the verse. It's real and it's hard, and they show that marriage is worth it.

So, I am proud to say that I am extremely thankful for my second parents, I couldn't have been blessed with anyone better. I am adding my own prayer to the list. One day, I pray that my kids can have as great of in-laws as I do.

What are you thankful for today?

I'd love for you to join me on this journey of gratefulness. Don't forget to link up below. I am thankful for you and all your thankfulness!

30 Days of Thanks: Day #8-The right to vote

Today is election day,

and all over this great country people will be lining up at the polls to cast their votes.

In each state we all have different issues on the ballot, and we all feel different ways about different things,

but one thing is constant.

We have a right that other people would kill for.

In fact, people are killed for this right everyday.

We have the right to choose

and the right to be free.

And today, on election day, I am very thankful that I live in a country where I can freely exercise my rights!

What are you thankful for today?

I would love for you to join me on this journey of being thankful! Link up below, I love reading what you are thankful for!

30 Days of Thanks: Day #7-My job

Hello again!

I hope you had a great weekend and that lots of things happened that you can be thankful for!

Today I am thankful for my job.

Anyone who knows anything about the economy knows that it is NOT easy trying to find a job.

When I graduated with my Masters in Teacher Degree in 2008, I thought for some naive reason that fate would smile upon me and grant me a job right away.

Ummm...no.

While I did get a job in a great school district, co-teaching and being in the classroom, it just didn't cut it.

I wanted more.

I wanted my kids, in my classroom, with my responsibilities, and I wanted it more than anything else.

In June God blessed me tremendously by granting my prayers with a teaching job in a school district I never would have dreamed of working in.

I'm in a brand new building.

The atmosphere is amazing.

The kids, while sometimes challenging, never cease to make me smile multiple times a day, and I look forward to going to work everyday.

I look forward to seeing their smiles and their "aha" moments when it finally clicks.

I am honored that God blessed me with the responsibility of growing their minds.

I am sooo thankful for my job!

What are you thankful for?

I would love for you to join me on my journey of being thankful! Link up below, I love to read your posts!!

30 Days of Thanks: Day 6-Project Life

Let me tell you a story.

It's a story of a girl on a mission.

A girl running around her local mall with an almost dead cell phone frantically searching for just enough signal to complete a very important task.

What could be so important?

Project Life went on sale for Black Friday.

Duh!

Last fall I was introduced to Project Life. I don't even know where I found it but I remember I was completely floored by how simple it was! After doing some research I decided that this was exactly what I needed to get out of my funk. I've been a scrapper for most of my teenage/adult years, but when I ran out of time to do all that I used to do I just stopped doing it all together.

Bad move, Amanda.

I missed scrapping my memories so I decided to take on this project and see what came of it.

The original purpose of Project Life is to take a photo a day, journal about it, and put it in a page protector.

Simple stuff.

I however, completely stink at taking pictures everyday, so I decided to do a monthly album instead of a daily. I used the pretty little month dividers and just added pictures and journaling and other memorabilia as I got to it. The best thing about this? I still had the freedom to do some traditional scrapbook layouts as well as add digital ones and it only made it better!

Last November when I squealed like a little girl in the middle of the Old Navy, I had no idea how much I was going to appreciate Project Life a year later. In this one album I have captured so much from one of the most hectic, crazy, exciting times in our marriage. It was all possible because it was simple, stress-free, and fun!

If you haven't checked into Project Life I HIGHLY recommend that you do. It's such a blessing to be able to document your life without stressing yourself out about it.

(and no, I did not get paid to say any of this. I'm just a sold out Project Lifer!)

If you'd like to see the first half of my 2011 Project Life album, here ya go:

oh, and ignore my nasty voice...I had a cold...at least I hope I did cause if I really sound like that I might just punch myself in the face!

I'm finishing up the second half and will be making another video at the end of the year.

Dang, is it the end of the year already?

Shoot.

What are you thankful for today?

I would love for you to join me on this journey of documenting all of our blessings in life. Make sure to link up below! I am LOVIN' seeing all of your fun posts!

30 Days of Thanks: Day 5-A healthy baby

Today Landen and I went for our 20 week ultrasound.

We were able to see Baby O for the second time, but the first time it just looked like a troll (7 weeks).

We got to see him/her move around, move its fingers, and at one point it looked like it was sucking on it's thumb.

The Dr. said that everything looked great. Right now we are at 15 ounces and around 9 inches long. I'm carrying a piece of spaghetti.

Favorite conversation of the day:

Me: So that little area is my cervix?

Ultrasound Tech: Yes

Me: And the baby has to be delivered through the cervix?

UT: Yes

Me: Crap.

let's just say that my cervix is waaayy smaller than Baby O.

Someone told me last night that it has become the norm for people to just expect to have a normal, healthy, baby. But if we could stop and think about all the little things that could go wrong at anytime, we would realize what a complete miracle it actually is.

I am completely thankful that today we got good news.

Although when it comes to news of the gender...

we're playing the waiting game. Although everyone else is cracking us up by trying to figure it out. My dad even got out his magnifying glass.

What do you think it is?

What are you thankful for today?

I'd love for you to join me on this journey of discovering all the things we are thankful for! Make sure to link up below so I can read your amazing posts!

30 Days of Thanks: Day #4-Our DVR

So one of my goals this November was to be thankful for everything in my life,

even the somewhat insignificant things.

Enter in: our DVR.

At our house, like most, time is limited, so when we get a chance to sit down and watch a TV show we enjoy it.

Like right now for instance, I am sitting here watching a 2 week old episode of CSI that we have finally found time to watch.

We both love television, and we have our favorite shows just like everyone else.

Our DVR helps us stay on top of who's killed who in CSI, which person Jim Caviezal is trying to save on Person of Interest, and what ridiculously funny trick Jim and Pam are pulling on Dwight on The Office. Not to mention, what's with Rachel and Finn on Glee?

See? We really do like TV.

If you don't have DVR or even TV for that matter I'm sure you think I'm slightly hysterical (and not in a haha way), but I am striving to be thankful for all the things in my life...

...oh man, the red light on my DVR just came on....wonder what's recording!?!?!

What are you thankful for today?

I'd love for you to join me on this journey of documenting all the things we are thankful for! Grab a button on the left and add it your posts and don't forget to link up below!

30 Days of Thanks: Day #3- My parents

So I am one of those incredibly lucky people who get to say that my parents rock.

I'm not kidding.

They are stellar in the parent department.

I know that everyone says that they have the greatest parents in the world

but I know for a fact that when we are all in Heaven, Jesus is going to have a special rewards ceremony just for them for achieving "Parenting Greatness".

And no, I don't get extra Christmas presents for saying these things.

I really do love my parents. Growing up in their household wasn't always easy, and we definitely had, and still have, our all-knowing-parent/wayward-child moments, but in the end I know that NO ONE has my back the way my parents do.

If I can be even 1/32 of a percent as great as my parents I will be doing good in life.

I've written other mushy posts about my parents that made them gag in their recliners reading them, but I just want you to all know (and you too Mom & Dad):

Thank you GOD for my parents!

I mean look at them!

What are you thankful for today?

I'd love for you to join me on this journey of documenting all the things we are thankful for! Grab a button on the left and add it your posts and don't forget to link up below!

30 Days of Thanks: Day 2- My camera

I have always loved taking pictures.

In high school I usually had one, two or three (yikes!) disposable cameras tucked in my bag.

My parents hated having to pay to develop the amount pictures I would take, and when I got my first point and shoot it only got worse!

You know those annoying people who walk around with a camera slung around their necks, always pointing it at random things....yep, that's me!

But I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Just looking back through my albums over the years reminds me why I annoy people without shame. I'm documenting life! Losing someone you love reminds you just how important pictures are. In fact, when someone dies what is the first thing you do...go through pictures! We spend hours going through every picture we can find to try and freeze images into our memories forever.

That's why I love my camera.

My camera is my tool to remember my life and the lives of those I love.

I love hearing the shutter click and seeing the face of someone I treasure frozen in time. Sometimes they're great and sometimes they're not so great, but they are memories.

So yes, I am thankful for my camera.

Smile!

And don't forget to link up below and join us for 30 Days of Thanks! It doesn't matter if it's day 1 or day 29, the point is to be thankful!

Link up below!

30 Days of Thanks: Day 1-My Best Friend

If you are reading this that means you are joining me for my 30 Days of Thanks challenge.

THANK YOU!

Today I am thankful for my best friend

Landen is everything that I've ever needed.

He keeps me grounded, he has a strong sense of financial responsibility and keeps me in check even when I hate it.

He is absolutely AMAZING as a soon-to-be father. He dotes on me, makes sure I have everything I need, talks and reads to my belly, all of those sweet things that you hope a man will do during such an important time.

He follows God with a passion like no other. His thirst and zeal for the Word amazes me and convicts me at the same time. He is always trying to learn more and become better.

He is committed whole-heartedly to everything he does. I admire him for always giving his best and doing what he know is right, even if it might not be the easiest choice.

I am falling more in love with Landen every day. I am learning more about Landen every day. He shows me love that I do not deserve and then adds more.

I am so thankful for Landen Earl O'Banion.

I love you.

What are you thankful for today?

Grab my button over on the sidebar if you are linking up!

And don't forget to add your blog link below so I can check out what you are thankful for: