Giving Thanks

Recently I was re-reading a couple of my posts here on my blog and was a little disappointed that they sounded somewhat whiney.  If it sounds like I complain about my life a lot it's because  most of it is in jest.

I say a lot of things about living in Wichita Kansas....nothing happens here, no cool entertainment, no great concerts etc.  I am VERY thankful that I live here.  There is no other place I'd rather raise my kids. I grew up in the Dallas/Ft Worth area and I am so thankful we got transferred here when our adult kids were really little.  This city is home.

I also say a lot about my kids.  That's because I have so MANY of them.  I am SO thankful for my kids.  They are my life.  Each one is special in so many ways.  I'm thankful for the "first family" kids.  They call themselves that even though they have the exact same parents the "second family" kids do.  They were all mostly grown when we decided to have the last two. They are all funny adults, great parents and good friends. I'm very thankful for them......ask me in 30 yrs or so when they're putting me in a nursing home and I might say differently.

I'm not sure I can express how thankful I am for the little kids.  I never imagined(I had hoped) that I'd get the chance to experience the joys of parenthood all over again.  Never in a million years would I have thought we'd be doing this again...and I love it.  I'm VERY thankful for doctors who do vasectomy reversals! Doing parenthood a 2nd time is different.  I have so much more patience now but not near as much energy.  I know how to pick my battles and when to let things go.  I truly appreciate children now and realize how quickly they are grown up and gone.

Last, but definitely not least.  I am thankful for my husband Michael.  The man is a saint to have put up with me for over 25  years.  I'm thankful for his unfailing love and support of everything I do.  I'm thankful that he doesn't mind cooking because I abhor anything in the kitchen.  I am thankful that he understood my desire and agreed with me when I chose to be a stay-at-home mom.

I am so very thankful for my life.

Pre-Thanksgiving Panic

I am starting to get totally panicked about Thanksgiving.  It's a week away and I'm already stressed.
I have 11 people descending on my house next Wednesday......3 bedrooms isn't going to hold us all! LOL  And those are just the folks coming from out of town.  Thursday will include all 6 of my kids with 4 of them having spouses, 8 grandkids, a niece and her boyfriend, and a really good friend. I think that's like 25...of course 10 of them are under 8yrs old. OMG.

Ages of children in my house at one time. 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1, and 6 weeks.  I have a very small house!

So, on top of the people, now I have to feed them all.  Mind you that wouldn't be such a problem but I ABHOR cooking.  I try to do as little cooking as possible on a normal day.

Hubby has informed me that he has taken Tue & Wed off so he can help me.  You should read that last sentence as "hubby can cook".
WAIT, just realized.  On top of the people, kids, and all of the cooking....my house is a wreck right now.  LOL there is so much to do I keep sitting down at my computer in frustration.  Where to start, where to start?

I think I need a big bottle of cold water and a list.  A list will make it all better. shhhhhh I'll believe it for a little while.